*Well folks, it's finally here....

here is something that I was requested to do, an alternative ending. This is fake and NOT how the book truly ends, but if you hated when Lana died, I suggest you give this a read to put your heart back together* :)

Juris

I never thought I would love seeing someone die like this.

You're sick, Juris. You are sick for loving watching someone die, I tell myself, but another part of me snaps back. No, I have no right to feel bad. He wrecked us, I get to admire his death. I at least get to do that.

I know I'm not the only one. Roma, Aira, Paytah, and Lana are all watching too. We watch as we are on the edge of the woods. Hanson's men are surrounding his lifeless body, glancing back at us once and a while. But after a while, they all walk away, leaving the now dead Hanson.

"No way," Roma sighs, watching as the men walk away.

"Are we...free?" Aira asks, overwhelmed and out of breath.

"Well shit," Lana chuckles a little, "we damn made it, kids."

But as I watch Paytah taking short breaths while blood flows from his mouth and bullet wounds, I know not all of us are totally safe.

"Paytah!" Aira shrieks as Paytah lays on his back, his eyes glossed over and skin almost gray looking. His bullet wounds are horrific, he's losing too much blood.

So much blood that he passes out in an instant.

"No!" Lana shrieks, leaning over him, checking his pulse. Roma rests her hand on Lana's shoulder, but she shakes it off violently.

"I saved his damn life, there's no way I'm letting him die-"

"He just passed out. He won't die if we get him to the hospital." Roma says, and we all automatically pick up Paytah, hoping the doctors will be able to fix him up.

He's not heavy, which is odd considering his large build. Then again, he's lost an immense amount of weight, and blood, and just about everything else.

I see the panic in Aira's face, but I can see it clearly in Lana's eyes. She hides it well, but I know her, I know all of these people. Lana cares for Paytah more than she even knows. And seeing him like this has her losing her mind.

"You think he'll be alright?"

Aira. The caring one. The one that shows kindness no matter the circumstance. That gift of hers will be something none of us will ever get. Paytah knows this. He knows that her kindness and caring self is too much for him.

He'll wreck her. He'll snatch her innocence right from her, and crush it into a million pieces. He'll drown her kind spirit into flames until there is only ash.

While we all quickly run, ignoring Aira's questions and trying to hold Paytah as gently as we can, I realize something.

It was never about who he loved. It was never about who was nicer, or who would win him over. It was about who would be able to tolerate Paytah's flames, who would survive his fire, to become his ashes.

And Lana could take the burn.

***

"Stop fucking around now, okay?"

"I thought it was all just a game?" Paytah asks, looking at Lana, and she shakes her head and smiles. Paytah is sitting on a hospital bed, blood pumping into his body, two big bandages covering his wounds. We all sit, except for Roma who has left to check things out, to see if the people still really want us dead or not.

"Well, game or not, I think we won," I say, and for a moment we all sit there, listening to Paytah's beating heart on the monitor. We all look horrible, really. Exhausted. But alive.

"Oh my god." Is all Aira can spit out.

The four of us sit in silence, taking it in like a fresh slice of air. Silence is rare, and each of us savor it, find peace in the quiet.

Find relief.

"Now what?"

Aira would rather have answers than stay quiet, but Paytah, Lana and I look at Aira's wide eyes. It's a good question, a great one, actually.

Now what?

We've been through it all: captured, thrown into that white room, meeting the other elements, surviving together, fighting Hanson, thrown into another test, fighting Hanson again...

And now, we've survived. Together.

"We're the four," Lana smiles, "we can do whatever we want."

"So? What do we want to do?" I ask, and the three of them rest their eyes on me, trying to think of a response, but Lana has her answer, one for all of us.

"We live."

***

*One Year Later*

Lana

"Juris needs to shave. Big time."

Paytah looks at me while we sit on a wooden bench in an abandoned park. He can't help but snicker. "Either that or actually grow a goddamn beard."

"Even Aira brought it up."

Paytah smiles again. I like when he smiles. He didn't do it much back then. It's made me cherish it more. I stare into his light fire eyes, and his smile fades, now staring directly at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Your hair."

"What about my hair?"

"It's grown."

I look down at my mob of hair. He's right. When I first met him it was just at my chin. Now, it rests on my shoulders, the curls still big and annoying.

"Well no shit," I say, and here comes his smile again.

"I like it."

"I wouldn't change it if you didn't like it."

His hand gently reaches up and touches my hair. He's awkward, really, trying to comb through my hair with his fingers. He gets caught in a knot in my hair, and he quickly releases, bringing some of my hair along with him. I hold in my laugh.

He sucks at this.

And it's true. It's been a year. Either he's taking it so damn slow, or he doesn't know how to go faster. I know he tries. The way he protects me, the way he traces his hand down my back for comfort, the playful look in his eyes when he looks at me.

God, we truly do suck at the whole love thing.

I look down at his hand. Slowly, I inch my hand closer to him, softly grazing his fingers. He looks down, eyeing my hand. But instead of grabbing it, he pushes me away.

"Wh-"

"Screw that," he says, quickly facing me, "I hate this cheesy shit."

Thank god, I think. So do I.

But I stare at him, clueless. His eyes fall on my lips, and before I can do anything, his lips crash on mine, and suddenly, I feel the hotness of his breath, the hear radiating off of him and into me.

But I can take it.

I can handle his fire. I can take his flames.

And I smile as I kiss him back.

***

The End (of the alternative ending, of course!)

So, this took like a billion years to publish. College life hit me hard, but it's done!!!

I am also working on another piece that I am so excited about, so hang tight!

Once again, thank you readers :)