Luke stood outside the small daycare, a devious grin tugging at his lips. For once, no one was watching him. No orders. No interference.

Without hesitation, he strode across the street and kicked open the daycare door open. The room fell silent—toddlers paused mid-play, workers froze, and startled cries began rose.

A knife rested in his jacket pocket, its cold metal brushing his leg. Beneath his arm, a compact pistol sat hidden against his rib.

Greyson had given him clear instructions: make a scene, shake the place up, injure if necessary, but keep it controlled. It was meant to be a distraction for Jason's arrival.

But Luke had no interest in following orders to the letter. He wasn't here to herd people or play intimidating games.

Ever since Jason had scorched off half his arm during their last encounter, Luke hadn't just nursed a grudge—he had built a plan. Every step today was a piece of the revenge puzzle, not just Greyson's plan.

Chaos wasn't just fun; it was strategy. He wanted Jason to feel the same helplessness he had felt.

"What's going on?" Ilya demanded.

"Just having a little fun," Luke said.

He stepped forward and he shoved a play table aside, sending toys skidding across the floor as children scrambled away in panic. He barely glanced at them, but was more interested in the fear in the room.

Luke had chosen the daycare on purpose. He couldn't stand the noise, the messiness, the constant neediness. To him, they were nothing but distractions. All they did was cry and whine, and he saw no value in them. Torturing them in this place gave him a sense of satisfaction.

"It's just a fun game," Luke said, smirking.

"Greyson promised the children wouldn't be hurt!" Ilya shouted.

"Things change," Luke said with a shrug, his grin widening.

"Layla, take the kids to the back!" Ilya commanded, turning to look back at them.

With that desperate plea for help, Luke shoved a group of them onto the floor, the force of the action sending them sprawling.

The sounds of startled cries and frightened screams filled the room, and he couldn't help but laugh. It was entertaining to him shove and push children down.

"Stop!" Ilya exclaimed.

Luke gripped Ilya by her jaw, his nails digging deep into her skin."I stop when I want," he spat.

Tears welled in Ilya's eyes, but before she could react further, he felt something hit his back. He spun around to see Teagan there, her fists clenched tightly around a handful of wooden blocks, defiance burning in her gaze.

"You're that slut's friend," Luke said, dropping Ilya and facing Teagan.

Smirking, he pulled the knife from his pocket.

Even with one arm, Luke knew exactly how to deal with her.

Ilya stepped back, voice trembling. "Leave them alone!"

Luke laughed at her words. Did she really believe her words held any power over him? He had crossed lines long ago, and mercy was a word he no longer understood.

"Not everyone's nice," Luke sneered. "If that's what you Simcoe people use like to tell yourselves at night."

Teagan's face flushed with fury, her eyes narrowing. She hurled a wooden blocks straight at Luke with trembling hands.

"Keep throwing those wooden blocks, and I'll kill you," Luke taunted, holding up the large knife with a sinister grin.

Luke walked toward the girl near the door before she threw the block. He remembered that Greyson never explicitly told him who he could and couldn't kill. Greyson wanted it more as an injury distraction, but Luke assumed Greyson wouldn't mind if he murdered people. It was just some random girl, and he didn't like girls in any sense.

He tightened his grip on the knife.

He threw it.

It flew through the air, hitting Teagan squarely in the chest.

Her eyes widened. She staggered, dropping the block, and sank to her knees.

Luke lips curled into a devious smile as he watched Teagan collapsing awkwardly position onto the floor. Her body twisted slightly as her eyes met his. He crouched beside her and retrieved the knife out of her chest.

"Looks like you'll need a new staff member," he sneered, sliding the bloodied knife into his jacket pocket.

Panic rippled through the room. Toys clattered to the floor. A dozen small faces peeked from corners, frozen. No one moved.

Seizing the moment, Luke grabbed her by the neck and shoved the door open with his shoulder, forcing his way to the street.

"I'm not leaving," Luke said, throwing her body on the narrow road and landing with a crack. Someone could have their own gift when they walk by.

Turning back toward the doorway, his eyes swept over the terrified faces huddled inside. They trembled, frozen in fear. His gaze landed on Ilya with tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook.

Nearby, Angel stepped forward cautiously, horror etched on his face. In his outstretched arm, he held a small bottle of milk.

Luke sneered, eyes narrowing. "You gonna throw that at me?"

Suddenly, the ground seemed to tilt beneath Luke's feet. He stumbled forward, crashing chin-first onto a scattered building block. Angel glared at him as an unseen force pressed down on Luke, holding him fast. This had to be a new mutant ability.

"Freak!" Luke spat.

Slowly, Luke forced himself upright, muscles trembling under the pressure vibrating through his body. He knew Greyson had mastered control over his power, but this amateur was clearly no where near that level.

Clenching the bloodied knife tightly, Luke's hand hurled it at Angel. The blade missed the mark, skidded across the floor. Teeth clenched, he watched as Ilya dove forward to retrieve it.

"Get lost!" Angel barked, eyes locked on Luke.

Angel should be cowering in fear, but instead he stood his ground. There was no crying or even screaming, just a hard glare. The vibration stopped as Luke prepared to lunge at Angel, but then heard a scream from outside.

Luke glanced toward the door, but no one had entered. This was his moment. In this place, there was no need for annoying toddlers or children. To him, they were nothing but wasted space.

"You're pretty stupid for that," Luke sneered, holding up his pistol.

Even though he wasn't from Simcoe originally, like most Uden students, he knew where people kept their guns.

Uden's security had a small arsenal, but the weapons weren't easy to access until Greyson smashed through the locked armoury.

Outside, many families kept guns at home, especially the hunters, making firearms common in this town.

"Just leave before Jason gets here," Angel warned.

Luke's lips curled into a sneer. "Is that an order or a threat?"

Angel remained silent but stared with narrowed eyes.

Did these people think they could actually scare him? Holding a finger on the trigger of the gun, Luke snarled at him.

"Some freak doesn't scare me," Luke said.

Angel looked at him with pursed lips unable to find his fear. Luke laughed at Angel's lack of bravery, knowing none of these chickens had the guts to stand up against him. All he had to do was wait for Jason to arrive.

A sharp bang echoed from the doorway, snapping Luke's attention away. He turned to see James and Emma standing there, except James gripped the doorframe with his bare hands like it was nothing.

"Hiding your power from Greyson, huh?" Luke taunted, eyeing Emma's pale face and the fear in James's eyes. "Did you see the present outside, Emma?"

"Present?" Emma asked.

Luke shoved past them, pinning James and Emma against the wall. He glanced toward the spot where Teagan's body had been, but it was gone.

Glaring at them, he grinned deviously. Punishment wasn't inherently evil and Emma could always deal with them, but he needed to focus on something else. Having three freaks against him could be a problem. In a split second, he shot James in the leg and fled the daycare.

Bella's heart raced as she stood frozen on the edge of the town plaza. Just hours ago, it had been calm with kids chasing bubbles near the fountain, and people chatting in the sun.

Now it was pure chaos. Screams sliced through the air, fists flew blindly in every direction, and the ground was littered with shattered glass and overturned carts.

Zane crouched behind the corner of Coffee Culture, eyes scanning the chaos beyond where they had stopped the golf cart.

"Yara, watch the cart," he ordered.

Bella and Zane sprinted toward the daycare, weaving through shattered glass and overturned bikes scattered across the pavement.

At the entrance, both of them stopped. The door was gone—just a splintered frame hanging from a single hinge, like something had forced its way inside.

"James broke it," Ilya said quietly.

Bella's gaze shifted and locked on Ilya, who was now kneeling beside James. He was slumped against the wall, pale and shaking with tears trailing down his cheeks. Emma sat beside him, one hand pressed to his leg with her eyes closed.

"What happened?" Bella asked.

Ilya didn't look up. "Luke," she said.

The room was wrecked with small tables overturned and toys scattered everywhere. Cries echoed in the back as a few injured, wide-eyed kids huddled near the kitchen, clinging to one another for comfort.

In the far corner, she spotted Angel, motionless in one of the tiny blue chairs. His head was bowed and hands clamped over his face.

"He hurt a lot of the toddlers," Ilya said, her voice shake as she looked away. "Teagan tried stopping him, but he stabbed her."

The room didn't move for a second.

Bella's breath caught, like her body had forgotten how to take the next one. The noise of the daycare blurred out.

Teagan was dead.

They had just made up amends, after weeks of silence and stubborn pride, after fights that now seemed meaningless.

Bella remembered the nights they stayed up sharing secrets beneath the faint glow of string lights, laughing until their ribs ached. Teagan's smile had been bright enough to chase away any shadow. And now that light was gone.

Her hands shook, and for the first time, she let herself curl into herself, letting grief claim her fully, even as the screaming and chaos pressed in from every side.

"What on earth..." Esme appeared in the doorway, Jason and Jade just behind her.

Jason didn't hesitate—he crossed the room and pulled Bella into a tight hug.

Her body trembled uncontrollably against his, memories crashing in—late-night talks, stolen laughs, and the fragile friendship they'd rebuilt before everything shattered.

They had dreamed together of university lectures, shared apartments in the same city, and even a trip to Paris just for the fashion. Now, that bond felt shattered, an aching void where hope once lived.

Angel stepped forward silently. "Luke took off, if that's who you're after."

"He killed Teagan," Bella spat out, fury burning beneath the surface as tears welled up in her eyes.

"What happened to James?" Esme demanded, crouching quickly beside the blond boy, her eyes wide with worry.

"He broke down a door," Emma explained.

"James broke a door? You have super strength!" Esme gasped, her eyes lighting up as she reached out to grasp his hand.

"And then Luke shot him," Emma added quietly.

Everyone who had just arrived seemed more focused on James's injury than the loss of Teagan. Bella's chest burned. Teagan wasn't a headline. She wasn't a distraction. She was her best friend.

"Esme, Jade, we need to move, now," Jason said firmly.

Bella's eyes drifted outside, catching Cindy perched on a bike handle, her eyes locked on something far beyond the chaos.

Jason's hand settled firmly on Bella's shoulder. "I'll stop him," he promised, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before rushing off with Esme and Jade.

Bella's gaze shifted to Emma, crouched beside James, continuing to heal his injury. She took a small step toward a crying toddler huddled near the kitchen, reaching out, but her hands faltered midair. She could do nothing. Her throat tightened, and a wave of helplessness washed over her.

James's voice shook, but her force the words out. "Greyson didn't tell Luke to do this."

Emma's eyes widened. "You're mean... Luke wasn't supposed to attack the daycare?"

"Not to hurt anyone. Not to kill." James took a shaky breath. "Greyson's plan was to intimidate. Luke just wanted to watch people suffer."

If Luke had followed Greyson's orders, Teagan might still be alive.

For the first time, Bella found herself agreeing with Greyson—if only because his plan hadn't called for murder.

Zane's gaze dropped to James. "Luke did it for his own amusement."

Emma lifted her hand from James's wound. "What about that fake ambush?"

James leaned heavily against the wall, struggling to stay upright. "It was a distraction," he said quietly.

"Was there a set time? Anything planned?" Zane pressed, but James shook his head.

Bella's mind shattered into a thousand jagged pieces. She craved answers like justice, revenge for Teagan and the others hurt by Luke madness. Above all, she needed to understand how someone could find pleasure in such cruelty.

Her eyes found Angel, standing with his hands behind his back. He had been the one who had saved them by stopping gravity itself. Without him, Ilya and others might have been dead.

Unlike Angel, Bella didn't have powers. Like Ilya and Zane, she was helpless without a weapon.

One person who could kill Luke in a heartbeat was Divina. But she answered to no one, driven by her twisted code. Helping just to take down one enemy wasn't in her nature. Ashley remained the bigger threat, yet now, stood Greyson and Luke were equals.

Running a trembling hand down her face, Bella confronted a truth she hadn't expected: she wanted a Luke to suffer. Not arrested. Not forgiven. Death. She wanted him to feel even a fraction of what Teagan must have felt.

"Keep the children in the back rooms. Luke could come back and attack here," Zane ordered.

He turned to Bella, offering a grim nod. This was far from over and this was only the beginning.

Bella slipped quietly into an empty room once meant for newborns. Few of those tiny lives had survived on formula alone.

She sank against the wall, her head bowed as the weight of everything pressed down on her. Tears slipped down her cheeks before she realized she was crying.

She was mourning a friend stabbed in the chest—a friend she loved despite every argument.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, then glanced down at a small garbage bin beside her. Inside, several empty boxes of antidepressants sat in a heap.

Bella reached into the bin and picked up one of the boxes—Celexa. The racks were all empty, stripped clean.

Her parents had once told her that antidepressants helped keep depression and anxiety under control.

Ilya stepped into the room, her hands trembling slightly. "Are you okay?" she asked, offering a weary smile.

Bella walked over and hugged her, closing her eyes. Even from the inside the room, the sound of screaming and crying still echoed. And this wasn't even the worst of it.

It has always been a hard pill to swallow to be away from your parents, but this made it worse. Three weeks of nonstop confusion and chaos, but this wasn't the time to be sitting and crying.

Bella pulled back to see Ilya forced smile. "We just have to have faith," Ilya said.

Faith that Jason wouldn't end up bleeding out on the pavement somewhere. That the guy she had feelings for wouldn't get shot or stabbed. Even with Jade and Esme, Luke had his own thugs. Maybe he hadn't even giving them orders—maybe everything was about revenge on Jason.

"We need to go," Zane called, now standing in the doorway.

Bella wiped her wet cheeks. She had to focus on the larger issue in the town plaza. These fights weren't between nations, but they were personal.

"Please don't tell me Jason got injured," Bella pleaded.

"We're going to find Divina," Zane said.

Bella's skin grew pale, fear rising inside her. Finding Divina was its own risk. She didn't answer to anyone. Bella had seen her drag Ashley by the hair, throw her into a fountain like she weighed nothing. Divina didn't hesitate.

Divina's violence didn't justify Luke's. He hurt for pleasure. She hurt Ashley for vengeance. It was a twisted difference—but it was still a difference.

As she followed Zane, walking past the three up front and leaving the daycare, they looped around the building, and spotted Yara, her legs propped up on both of the back seats.

Bella couldn't shake the feeling that Divina might refuse to help. She thought about the situation—that someone other than Ashley had caused this much death and destruction.

Her life didn't resembled what she had once imagined. She was dating someone she never thought she'd speak to. Helping and standing by people she hadn't before.

Popularity contests and sports achievements defined social status. There was no longer any contest over who was the cutest or most talented.

Even Stick—once the golden boy of the school—had been swallowed by darker events. One murder had turned admiration into fear. Popularity didn't mean anything anymore.

Bella wished she could figure out a way to stop the vanishing situation. Whom did she rely on once Jason left?

Most of her friends or acquaintances were preoccupied with their own jobs, like Ilya. She was continually busy caring for the younger children, leaving Bella's feeling isolated.

She didn't want to impose—but where would she even stay? She wasn't capable of living completely on her own. The thought of isolating from everyone made her chest tighten. She needed people, even when she didn't know them well.

Bella rode with Zane on the highway, seeing the road quiet. "I think something bad will happen if Jason and Greyson don't disappear," he said. "Divina is helping us with Ashley. That thing can't stay forever to protect us."

"What do you think will happen?" Bella asked, dreading the question.

Zane peered at her before looking at the road. "I don't know. That's why we have to find this thing and figure out the basic facts," he said.

The door to the safe house creaked open, revealing a hidden refuge tangled among overgrown branches the outskirts of town. From the road, it was nearly invisible, vines clutching its weathered siding and moss curling over the crumbling stone steps.

Scarlett's eyes followed Maverick as he stepped inside, slamming the door behind him with a dull thud. Water from his soaked shoes pooled on the wooden floor, leaving dark, glistening streaks. Dirt smeared his jacket, his dark hair clinging to his forehead, and his jaw set in frustration.

"Well... Luke really messed up this time," Maverick muttered. "He actually killed someone."

Greyson and Scarlett knew Luke's sadistic tendencies well. He never hesitated to hurt someone, but he did it for the thrill. He was no leader, just a twisted henchman who always handled the dirty work.

"I told you," Scarlett said, crossing her arms. "He only ever follows his own twisted ideals."

None of it surprised her. Luke had always been a loose cannon. Fights only ended when someone dragged him away.

Greyson's fist tightened at his side. "What about the others?"

Maverick sank into the worn green sofa, glancing up at Greyson. "They're still out there, fighting anyone who gets in their way."

"Everything else is going to plan," Greyson said. "Who did Luke kill?"

"Someone from the daycare... Teagan, I think," Maverick said uncertainly.

"No, I don't know Teagan," Scarlett said with a smirk, her eyes drifting around the room.

The safe house was barely liveable—cramped, dirty, and smelling faintly of damp. Across the sofa sat a recliner with a ripped armrest, while the tiny kitchenette held hastily tossed pots and an unused stove. Newspapers cluttered the kitchen table, their headlines detailing old robberies.

"Jason's got Esme and Jade on his side," Maverick said.

"Go stop him. And don't hold back with your illusions," Greyson ordered, eyes locking onto Maverick's.

Maverick grinned, his gaze lingering on Scarlett and Oscar before he followed the others out.

Once the door closed, Greyson paced the room, chewing at his pinky nail.

"Where's Preston? He should've been here already," Greyson snapped, glancing toward the door.

Scarlett leaned against the wall. "He'll show up eventually."

Just then, the door creaked open and closed behind him. Preston revealed himself, eyes fixed on Greyson.

"What's Jason doing?" Greyson asked.

"He's running around the town plaza, trying to break up the fights," Preston said between bites of fries from a paper bag. "No one was at the Burger King."

"Good," Greyson said with a smirk.

Preston was one of the first to side with Greyson. He enjoyed spying on girls without being detected, which was how they discovered his power when Trevor went to punch him, but he disappeared from view.

Preston had never been much of a bully, but he reminded him of Oscar in a less mellow way.

"Everything's going according to plan, except for Luke's idiotic failure," Greyson spat, drawing a snicker from Scarlett.

Luke rarely strayed from his true ideals, but there were times he'd slipped up, like when Greyson ordered him to steal from the staff room, and he returned with nothing more than an egg sandwich.

"And you're just sitting here, waiting for your henchmen to do the dirty work," she snarled. "I told you this would happen. Uden's freaks are switching to Jason's side because of how you've been acting."

Greyson glared before stepping closer, placing a hand over his chest with a charming smile. "I'm just doing what's right. No freak is taking control from me in this place. So far, everything's going according to plan."

"Where's James, then?" Scarlett asked, feigning innocence as Greyson's charming smile faltered. "See."

If James had told Jason the truth about the vanishing, everything might still succeed. With less than a day left before Jason and Greyson could disappear completely, she dreaded being left alone with Luke. He would surely torture her if Greyson was gone.

"Preston, head back into town and keep watch," Greyson ordered.

Scarlett watched as the door swung open and closed behind Preston.

Greyson reached for her hand as she looked down at their linked fingers. "Everyone out."

Oscar and Andrew Zimmer shuffled toward the door, leaving Scarlett alone with Greyson. As the clicked door shut, he stepped closer, pulling her into an awkward embrace.

Scarlett frowned, eyebrows knitted together."Is this some kind of dramatic act?" she muttered.

Greyson's expression grew serious. "I might die," he said quietly.

"You're being dramatic. You really think that—" Scarlett started.

Before she could finish, he closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers in a sudden kiss. For a moment, she responded, but then she slightly pushed herself away, still caught in his embrace.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Well," Greyson began, hesitation flicking in his eyes. "It's just that..."

This wasn't the first time he'd tried saying something like that, and she knew better than to expect a real confession.

She raised an eyebrow. "You really aren't good at this."

"What else am I supposed to say? You're hot," Greyson shrugged.

Scarlett smirked but caught the sudden irritation in his eyes.

"I'm hot? That's all you could come up with?" Scarlett teased.

They stood in tense silence until Greyson sighed and finally released her from his grasp. "I just want to get what I want."

She planted her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow. "Plans change, Greyson. You can't just expect things to go your way."

"It'll work. No one can stop me, right?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Well, your plan with Luke already blew up."

Greyson might be clever and charming, but not everything goes his way.

James may have already told Jason how to stop the vanishing, meaning both of them could stay, not just Greyson.

With his ego, Scarlett wouldn't be surprised if he ultimate lost.

"I guess we'll have to see," he said, determination burning in his eyes. "It'll work."

Scarlett smirked. Greyson's plan to take over The Bubble might succeed, but she doubted it. This wasn't the real world anymore, but a secluded one. If that thing and Ashley were nothing to them, then danger was ahead. It wasn't just from Greyson, but much more.

One new death and we found out Angel at the daycare can crease gravity.

Do you expect Teagan to die?
-Lexi