It was a quiet, moonlit night as Scarlett slipped dowm the dimly lit hallway toward the headmistress's office—now claimed by Greyson.

The door creaked as she eased it open. Moonlight spilled through the tall window, casting long shadows across the office floor.

There, curled on the cold floor with a hoodie wadded beneath his head, James spelt deeply—oblivious to the world around him.

She crouched beside him and gave his shoulder a firm shake. He groaned, eyelids fluttering as confusion clouded his sleepy gaze. When his vision sharpened, he saw the faint silhouette of Scarlett outlined in the moonlight.

"It's time to go," she said quietly. "We need to tell Jason how to stop the vanishing."

James blinked slowly, the words barely registering. His brain lagged behind, foggy from sleep. His limbs felt like sandbags, and a sour taste coated his mouth.

Groaning, he pushed himself upright, wiping away a thin thread of drool and wincing at the dull ache spreading across his lower back from the floor.

He stood unsteadily, still half-trapped in a dream. But when Scarlett turned and started down the hallway, the urgency cut through the haze. He grabbed his laptop and hurried after her down the hall.

"You're driving," she said without looking back.

Panic surged through his chest, hot and suffocating. He had no idea how to drive—especially not something as massive as an SUV.

Arcade games and racing simulators didn't count, and he was only in the sixth grade.

"I don't know how," James mumbled.

Scarlett didn't hesitate. She pushed open the unlocked front doors of the academy and strode toward the SUV waiting outside.

Without thinking, James scrambled into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Find Jason and tell him about the vanish situation," Scarlett ordered, pressing the keys into his hands. "Go."

Without looking back, she turned and strode toward the academy building. Within seconds the darkness swallowed her whole.

James sat frozen in the driver's seat, fingers clenched tightly around the keys. He stared at the dashboard, the weight of what he about to do slowly settling in. After a long moment, he slid the key into the ignition and turned.

The SUV jolted and roared to life, the engine vibrating beneath his feet. The steering wheel felt enormous in his hands. Tentatively, he pressed on the gas, and the vehicle lurched forward.

"Hey!" Finn's voice shouted as James sped away.

The road stretched long and dark, trees looming on either sides. James squinted, struggling to make out the faded lines of asphalt while constantly checking his mirrors. Every bump jolted the SUV, the engine's hum and heater's whir the only sounds breaking the night.

James knew more about computers than cars—far more about firewalls and codes than engines and gears.

If anything, this mission was Scarlett's personal agenda. He didn't want her exposing the truth—that he was a medium rank, capable of breaking or shifting things with strength that sometimes even scared him.

Greyson had assumed James had no freak power. His abilities didn't fully develop until The Bubble began, when Scarlett caught him using them. That gave her easy leverage, especially knowing Greyson would freak if he ever found out.

As he neared an intersection marked by a flashing stop sign, he glanced around the quiet four-way stop. It was midnight now, and most were asleep, except those still working the late shift.

Suddenly, headlights flared in his rearview mirror as he made a shaky right turn. He knew better than to let anyone catch on to what he was doing, or trouble would follow.

James squinted into the darkness. Bright headlights glared from behind, closing in fast. His chest tightened. Not here. Not now.

A voice shouted, sharp and panicked. "Stop!"

James pressed harder on the gas. His hands gripped the steering wheel like a vice. The SUV wobbled over the uneven gravel.

Something darted into the road. He slammed the brakes, heart hammering as the tires screamed against the asphalt. The vehicle jolted forward, nearly tossing him into the windshield.

Someone began pounding on his window, jolting him into a panic. In an action movie, this would be the moment the villain speeds off and crashes into a police cruiser. But here, there was no cops. Just a group of kids clueless about what they were doing.

He rolled down his window and recognized Esme by the headlights.

"It's James!" she called, gripping the window tightly.

He spotted Emma, shaky and pale, and Jade, who seemed unfazed.

"Can't we wait until tomorrow?" Emma pleaded, resting her head against the door.

"No, I want to prove to Greyson and Luke how fast I really am," Esme boasted. "We need directions to Uden."

"It's back that way," James replied.

Esme's shocked expression and Emma's teary eyes made it clear that they were lost.

"James, where are you headed?" Jade asked, stepping closer to the window.

"Business," James replied curtly.

If he told them the truth, they'd tell someone. That wasn't part of the deal, and if word got out, everyone would know he'd been sent on this mission.

"Can't we just head back to Simcoe? At least I know that way," Emma complained.

Scarlett hadn't mentioned bringing anyone along, but he still needed to get to Simcoe and tell Jason.

Esme spoke up, looking at him. "I don't want to drive with Teagan."

James felt his neck flush and pressed his lips together. He hadn't planned on bringing any one with him to Simcoe.

"Please, James!" Esme begged.

"Okay," he said reluctantly.

He doubted he could finish Scarlett's task with passengers now. Still, he unlocked the SUV.
Emma climbed slowly into the back seat, Esme hopped up front, and Jade slid beside Emma.

"Did you tell Teagan to leave?" Emma asked, closing her eyes and curling in the seat.

"No." Esme started laughing at Jade's response.

"Just drive," Esme urged.

James pressed the gas, guiding the SUV down the road.

"Take a right at the next turn," Emma mumbled.

"James, do you know anything about that substance?" Esme asked, watching him closely.

He could feel himself shaking inside. In the experiment, he had watched Trevor choke as the unknown substance was forced down his throat—watched his skin blister and split, watched him collapse into something barely human.

"They used it," he whispered.

"Who?" Esme leaned in closer.

"Trevor," James replied quietly.

"Is it all gone?" Jade asked.

James couldn't pinpoint where the rest of the substance had ended up, but guessed it was used after Greyson shouted at Luke.

Even now, Trevor melting still didn't feel real. One second he'd been screaming. The next, he'd been sliding apart.

"I think so," James said hesitantly.

Suddenly, Esme's head smacked against the dashboard with a hollow thud. The unexpected noise startled him, nearly causing him to swerve off the road. The last thing he wanted was to crash and risk all their lives.

"Well, we can't exactly hide it in a freezer anymore," Esme sighed, glancing over at him.

"Apparently, nobody liked Trevor," Emma muttered.

"Emma, did you bring any One Direction CDs?" Esme asked.

"I don't have it," Emma muttered. "I've been vomiting all day. Unless you've got the entire 'Up All Night' album tucked in your pocket."

Esme rummaged through the glove compartment, tossing car manuals onto the floor.

"I think we're going the wrong way," Jade finally said.

"Jolly Ranchers!" Esme exclaimed, eyes lighting up as she dug through the open bag of colourful candies. "No purple."

"Are you sick, Emma?" James mused, causing the girl to open her eyes.

"Stripper had a bone sticking out that Emma could barely heal," Esme said, popping a blue Jolly Rancher into her mouth.

"She stopped the pain, but Melany and Cindy are trying to figure out how to put the bone back in place," Jade said.

James kept his eyes locked on the dark road ahead, headlights slicing through the night.

He realized they were probably outside of Simcoe by now. This stretch of road could lead toward places like Wasaga Beach—or straight onto the highway if he missed a turn.

Even though Scarlett told him to inform Jason about the vanishing, he hadn't expected it to be nearly 1 a.m.

"Can we just sleep? Please don't remind me," Emma murmured, covering her ears with her hands.

Esme fiddled with the radio in the silent vehicle. It was typical these days; most music came from old CDs, if anyone still had them.

"Are we just going to stay out here and wait?" Esme asked.

James pulled the SUV over to the side of the road. No cars were coming, and no police would chase them, since they were underage and definitely not supposed to be out driving.

Emma curled up in her seat. "Turn the heat on," she mumbled.

James blinked, scanned the dashboard. "Which one?" he asked.

He wasn't really familiar with cars, especially all the buttons inside. He'd been at Uden, after hacking his old school's wifi system to unlock blocked apps, but that was different.

James pressed one of the large buttons on the dashboard. A blast of icy air exploded from the vents.

"That's air conditioning," Jade said nonchalantly as she reached over and pressed the button next to Esme.

"Have you seen Divina yet? She's such a badass," Esme said with a grin, fist pounding her palm. "I'm the fastest, but she's awesome."

Greyson had stated that the doodle that had come to life left Ashley looking like bloody ground beef. Chunks of her hair were gone, and parts of her skin were burned to a crisp.

Adjusting his glasses, James glanced back at Emma, peacefully asleep in the back seat. Jade stared out the window at the darkened landscape, while Esme sucked on another Jolly Rancher.

"Are we really just going to camp out?" Jade finally asked, looking directly at him.

"Or we could find a house in town," he suggested.

James would much rather sleep in a proper bed than the cramped, uncomfortable seat of the SUV. But by now, he wasn't complaining about much.

"Are we even close to town?" Jade asked.

James wasn't exactly sure where they were. The road was pitch black, the kind of darkness that made it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. He rolled down his window, letting the cold night air rush in, refreshing his face. Leaning out just a bit, he looked both ways, trying to get a sense of location.

In the distance, faint outlines of open fields stretched on either side of the road, and beyond them he caught the pale shimmer of the lake under the moonlight.

"Near Wasaga Beach, I think," he said.

"I think it's the back way into Wasaga," Esme said as she settled back into her seat. "Aren't there three houses up ahead?"

"Just keep going straight, and if we spot a house, we crash there," Jade said.

He pressed the gas pedal, making Esme jump at the sudden jolt. The thought of staying at some house on the outskirts felt strange. It was not because Jade and Emma were older, but because he shouldn't have run into them at all. Telling Jason might take longer than he thought.

In the morning, Jason rushed out the door with Bella and Zane, barely remembering to grab anything besides shoes. He didn't understand why Greyson had pushed the fight so early. It felt like some twisted ego stunt—but Jason couldn't afford to dwell on that. What mattered now was stopping the vanishing before it was too late.

To make matters worse, Esme, Emma, and Jade still hadn't returned with the substance they went to find.

"Are you sure he said the school?" Zane asked as he drove through a backstreet.

Nevaeh had shown up earlier that morning, claiming she'd heard a rumour: Greyson was planning to fight today, not tomorrow. She didn't share any details, but just said they needed to be at Simcoe's school by eight.

Jason realized he should've brought Cindy to help scout for Greyson. Although, she was probably still asleep and there was no way she'd agreed to teleport while half-awake.

"And you have no idea where Esme and the others went?" Bella asked, glancing at him. "I thought they were heading back to Uden."

"Emma had to deal with Stripper—the guy with the bone sticking out," Jason muttered, grimacing at the thought.

Nevaeh had mentioned that Melany and Cindy were trying to figure out how to fix the bone, since Emma refused to heal it.

They pulled up to the school, and the place was eerily silent. No voices. No movement. Not a single one of Greyson's thugs in sight—which was strange, considering he usually had guards posted everywhere.

"Are you sure he said eight?" Bella asked, looking at Jason.

He nodded and stepped out of the golf cart. They moved inside, but the silence was absolute; no footsteps, not even the faint creak of classroom doors.

"It doesn't look like he showed up," Bella said flatly.

Jason strode down the hallway, peering into every classroom. "I'm not here to play hide-and-seek, Greyson!" he called out.

Stepping into a classroom, he immediately spotted the chaos: crumpled chip wrappers scattered across a cluster of desks pushed together. The blinds were drawn shut, casting the room into shadows, and papers were strewn across the floor.

"Maybe eight p.m. instead?" Bella questioned.

Jason left the classroom and darted toward the gym. He shoved open the heavy brown double doors, expecting the usual noise of basketballs bouncing, but he was wrong.

Near the entrance, Maverick leaned casually against the wall with a smirk plastered across his lips. "Welcome to the party," he said with a dark chuckle. "Too bad you all can't see what's going on."

Jason's breath caught. Massive spiders crawled over his arms, his neck, his face—black legs digging into his skin. They gnawed at him relentlessly. There was no pain, which somehow made it worse. His skin began to melt away in slick, wet strips, revealing raw muscle beneath.

"Get them off!" Jason shouted, clawing at his own arms.

The spiders only multiplied, spilling over each other like living tar.

Suddenly, everything froze. The spiders vanished. The gnawing stopped. Jason's skin was whole again.

He staggered backward, gasping for air, drenched in sweat—relief and confusion colliding in his chest.

"Cool trick, huh?" Maverick's sneering voice broke the silence.

Jason narrowed his eyes, catching the smirk on Maverick's face before it twisted into a frown. It should have been obvious that Maverick had been behind all of the illusions.

"Where's Greyson?" Jason asked, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Maverick glanced toward the entrance as Henry appeared, flanked by Finn and Stick.

Jason didn't understand what was happening—but Henry's low snarl and Finn's sudden, hysterical laugh told him enough.

"It's a distraction!" Jason shouted, looking back at Zane. "Warn Cindy and Ilya!"

Zane immediately moved to action, attempting to run in the direction of the door, but he stopped. His eyes widened in alarm, and his arms began swinging wildly, as if he were fighting something only he could see.

Bella had already rushed off in a panic, leaving none of Greyson's thugs to move.

Jason held his hands out, but wasn't intending to physically burn off body parts, but if he had to, it had to be done.

"Try not to lose your hand," Zane said as he rushed off.

Jason had to consider the situation carefully; it was essentially three mainly against one, since Stick still seemed dazed.

"Where's Greyson?" Jason repeated.

"Not here," Maverick replied.

Maverick may have only one hand, but he still had power. Fighting him seemed impossible, especially with Henry pointing a gun directly at him.

"What's his goal?" Jason demanded, but recalled no answer.

"Nevaeh hears rumours, but they aren't always true," Maverick stated.

Maverick had the power to make Jason scream at any moment. If that happened, Jason would use his freaky powers. He didn't fully understand why he had them, but he knew that if he burned off the rest of Maverick's hand, he'd be toast.

He saw something rush by at a speed he couldn't barely comprehend, and he knew if was Esme. She stepped behind Maverick and pressed a hunting gun against his back.

"Tell me the plan" Esme said, pressing the hunting rifle harder against his back. "Or I'll kill you."

Jason looked over to spot Jade with her foot pointed toward Finn and Henry, the two boys both fell into a pool of ice on the floor.

"Is this your backup?" Maverick snarked, smiling slyly, and then glancing back at Esme.

"I'm just a superhero, here to save the day," Esme beamed, grinning at him.

Henry stood with gritted teeth, glaring at Jade. She stood with her arms at her sides, her expression serious. The two boys struggled to break free from the ice, but it wasn't working.

"I play hockey. Is that your game?" Finn hissed, his voice trembling slightly.

"No," Jade said as she walked beside Jason.

"You're already too late because Luke's in charge," Maverick snarled.

This was not good. Did Luke follow Greyson's orders or do his own thing? Knowing Luke was insane, he eyed Jade before looking at the indigenous boy.

"What's he doing?" Esme demanded, unlocking the gun. Maverick didn't seem fazed, but he had his hands gripped.

"Greyson left it up to him," Henry grumbled, standing. It took him a while to get up, rather than Finn.

Stick still didn't eye them but just stared at the ice that had vanished.

"We weren't told about Luke's plans," Henry snarled at them.

Jason wasn't sure if Henry was telling the truth or not. He needed to escape, but he knew if he left, Maverick would use his nightmares against him.

Jade planted her feet near the centre of the gym, arms extended. Frost spread from beneath her shoes, racing across the polished floor. A creeping wave of ice shot toward Maverick.

Henry, standing five feet to Maverick's right, stumbled as the ice neared him, dragging Finn along. Finn leapt back just in time, landing hard on the gym floor near the entrance.

Maverick smirked, taking a step to dodge, but the ice slowed him down. "Run away, but you can't stop Greyson!"

Jason rushed out of the gym with Jade and Esme.

Esme zipped past Jason, holding the gun tight. "I wasn't going to shoot him! Just show off how fast I really am," she called back.

"They'll only be stuck like that for ten minutes," Jade said, glancing over her shoulder as they ran toward the school doors.

They burst through the school doors and stopped cold. The parking lot was now empty. No golf cart. No car. No backup.

"Right, I didn't drive here," Jason sighed.

"I can't speed both of you to town," Esme sighed.

"How far is the school from the main plaza near the church?" Jade asked.

Jason stood still for a moment, trying to think how long it would actually take to get to town. He remembered when John used to drive them to school, and others times he would catch rides with Mark.

"Let me try and speed there," Esme said eagerly, bouncing on her toes in front of him.

"You'll lose the gun, and then it will kill someone if you run there," Jade interjected, her eyebrows raised in disapproval.

"I'll lock it!" Esme looked at it but couldn't figure out where she had locked it.

"We'll run there and hopefully find bikes or even a car for us," Jason said.

"Have you driven before?" Jade asked.

"We could wait for James and Emma," Esme inquired.

"We don't have time," Jason said, already breaking into a run toward the side street.

Jason knew it cut through the neighbourhood they had driven through coming here.

"At least tell us where you're going!" Jason shouted as Esme blurred past him, forcing him to stop so Jade wouldn't be left behind.

"We're on the same team now," Esme said with a wide grin. "I get Luke. I'm going to show up that one-armed psycho who's boss."

"We only kill if we have to," Jason said.

Esme frowned. "Well, Luke will probably kill people anyway."

She pulled the hunting gun from her backpack, swinging it carefully in front of her.

"Either way, we have to stop him. This is way better than my water gun—I'm basically law enforcement now," Esme said proudly.

"You'd make a terrible cop," Esme gawked at Jade.

"Let's hurry," Jason urged, the three of them hoping to find some form of transportation.

Instead, they came across two girls. One of them, he recognized as the girl who was in the room when he burned off Luke's arm. The other one was the one who had come into the church and kept laughing.

"What's up? Why do you look so worried? Did someone you know get her period?" Mia laughed at her own joke.

"Listen, we need to head to town. Luke's apparently attacking the daycare," Jason said, trying to catch his breath. "People will be killed."

He wanted to just run past them, but this could be another trap set up by Greyson. They might actually try to fight them, but if that happened, they would have the advantage in power and numbers.

"Oh, are we going to fight?" Mia exclaimed, looking at Eden.

"We're not—"

Suddenly, Jason was kicked quickly in the gut. He staggered back while Mia waved for them to go. Eden waved her fingers with a graceful smile. Why did he have a feeling something was off with those two?

"Let's just hurry," he groaned.

"They're the least of our problems right now," Jade said tightly. "Let's find transportation."

In the plaza, cars kept rolling in one after another, engines growling as they circled for space. Cindy stood frozen on the church steps, her fingers digging into the railing. She didn't recognize the people climbing out—but she recognized what they were holding. Metal bats. Broken hockey sticks. Chair legs.

This wasn't a gathering. It was an arrival.

She teleported into the church infirmary, where Melany was carefully wrapping the bandages around Stipper's arm. When she finished, she looked up at Cindy, concern clouding her eyes.

"There are a lot of people outside," Cindy whispered.

They had managed to reset Stripper's fractured arm, forcing the bone back into place while he bit down on a strip of cloth to keep from screaming. It had taken Emma nearly four hours long to dull the pain and restore even partial movement.

"Is this some kind of celebration?" Melany asked.

"I don't think so," Cindy said, swallowing hard as her heart hammered in her chest. "It looks like an ambush."

Why would Uden sending an ambush to Simcoe? The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine. She didn't wait to imagine the potential chaos that could follow.

Cindy swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the chaos outside. She could stay hidden, wait for someone else to intervene or step in. The thought made her chest tighten, but doing nothing felt worse. She couldn't just watch people get hurt.

"Melany," Cindy whispered. "I think I have to help. I can't let them get hurt if I can do something."

It wasn't that she wanted to fight. She remembered simpler days, when she could step between people and calm tempers before violence erupted. But those days felt like a lifetime ago, swallowed by helplessness she couldn't shake.

What could anyone possibly gain from this? A smashed window? A stolen coffee and a stale donut from Coffee Culture? The thought twisted in Cindy's throat, and a cold fear began to creep under her skin.

"Fight? Who exactly are we supposed to fight?" Melany exclaimed.

Melany had stepped into many conflicts before, but this was different. She couldn't always fight Cindy's battles, especially when it came to her sister. No matter how much she loved her, she had to protect her from whoever was behind this ambush.

"You can't face them alone!" Melany freaked.

"You don't want to fight," Stripper rasped. "But it might be the only choice. Luke's leading the ambush."

Goosebumps crawled up Cindy's arms at the name Luke. She'd heard the stories—the gunshots inside Burger King, the way he hadn't even flinched when they went off. She knew he was missing an arm, but that didn't mean he couldn't still shoot with the other.

"He's the one who hands out punishments," Stripper said, eyes flickering to his bare chest. "But, Greyson's the one who gives the orders."

Melany avoided Stripper's grim words and offered the comfort she could. "Once Emma finishes healing, you'll be able to move your arm normally."

Thinking about Emma twisted a knot of guilt in Cindy's stomach. She'd been used and manipulated all along, for someone else's gain. The thought of telling Emma what Scarlett had felt impossible.

"Shouldn't you wait for Jason?" Melany asked, biting her lip.

The church door inward with a bang that echoed off the rafters. Cindy lunged for the nearest chair, heart in her throat, ready to swing.

Zane barrelled down the stairs, his eyes scanning frantically. Cindy's chest heaved as recognition hit—relief washing over her. She let the chair drop slowly and took a shaky breath.

"Do you know what's happening?" Cindy asked.

"You need to come with me," Zane said urgently.

Cindy nodded. "I'll be fine," she told Melany.

She hesitated at the top of the stairs. The plaza looked chaotic—more than a simple argument, more than crashed cars. She could turn back, hide, pretend it wasn't happening but she couldn't. Not when people are in danger.

Taking a shaky breath, she clenched her fists. She had to see who needed help first. Even if it was small, even if she was scared, she could do something. She had to.

The plaza erupted into chaos. Fists flew. Rocks bounced off walls. Screams shredded the air. Cindy's stomach twisted. Heart hammering, she scanned the crowd. Who was she to help first? Could she even help anyone?

Zane grabbed her wrist and yanked her behind the church. She stumbled but caught herself, heart pounding as adrenaline and fear surged through her veins.

In a rusty, beaten-up car nearby, Bella slumped in the front seat, while Yara huddled in the back clutching a gun.

Cindy's eyes widened. Yara was barely two years younger than her, yet already armed. She slid into the back seat as Zane started driving behind the buildings.

"We can't reach Jason," Zane said. "If he's still at the school, you're the only way to get him. We have to find him now."

Cindy took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. If she knew the person, she could bop and find them quickly.

One moment she was clinging to the car seat; the next, the bike hit a pothole and she was thrown forward. Her stomach slammed against the rough pavement. Esme's scream pierced the air. Cindy blinked, tasting gravel, and looked up to see Jason leaning over her, his eyes wide with shock.

"Zane sent me," Cindy said, catching her breath.

"Cindy can teleport us there!" Esme cheered.

"Is it bad?" Jason asked.

"Lots of people from Uden and Simcoe are fighting, using whatever they can get their hands on," Cindy said grimly.

Jade swore under her breath, though Cindy caught the words. This wasn't a situation she ever expected to be part of. It felt like a chaotic TV drama, with all hell breaking loose right in front of them.

Cindy pointed ahead. "You're heading the wrong way into the plaza."

Esme groaned loudly, resting her forehead against the pink handlebars. "I knew it!" she exclaimed.

Jason shifted forward and patted the seat behind him. "You're the real guide."

She climbed onto the uncomfortable green mountain bike and wrapped her arms around Jason's waist for stability.

Her arms tightened around his waist as the bike jolted forward. She told herself her racing heart was from the chaos in the plaza.

She knew that wasn't entirely true.

"You need to go straight up Queen Street," Cindy said, pointing straight ahead.

Jade sighed. "Jason said that wasn't the road we take, but two roads over."

"Let's go," Jason said firmly, pedalling faster.

Starting the day with an injury hadn't been Cindy's plan. Neither had fighting a crowd or facing a psychopathic boy.

The prewar is starting and it already seems things aren't looking good...
-Lexi