Cinder heard strange noises as she and her guards moved the tanks of Death's Rival serum. They chilled her bones, as they sounded like the cries of wounded wolves. She struggled to stay focused, and sane for that matter. The noise made her feel as though one of her mutated friends was right behind her.

While that noise could have been anything, Cinder was told there were no more wolves inside the palace. As in, real wolves. Ryu was the last one the Lunar Palace ever had.

Yet, there were Lunar Soldiers scattered throughout Luna. But Cinder only knew of two that were currently in the palace. Cadmar and Wolf. Both of them had been turned into killing machines. Well, more so than they had been before.

Hopefully, Cadmar was cured. And the cure would make him immune as it had Goldinia. If not, everyone was at risk. And Goldinia might collapse again if her best friend attacked her.

Or, she'd die of shock. Either way, Cinder prayed that the Death's Rival serum was the cure. She needed to get it back to the Med-Center and have the doctors give injections to everyone in the palace. To immunize them from the contagion.

"Ahoooo." The sound froze everyone in their places. Whatever it was, it sounded more wolf than human. If the creature was human at all.

The sound grew louder and louder, and Cinder held her pistol tighter and tighter. She prepared herself to see the face of one of her friends, gnarling at her with pointed teeth and bloodthirsty eyes.

As the group began to move again, a panting echoed throughout the halls. Like someone was struggling to keep up with them. Cinder looked around, as well as most of the members of the group. No one's mouth was open. Every single person there was breathing through their noses in order to be more quiet.

So who was panting? The answer: someone else who was following them.

Cinder waved forward, signalling the whole of the group to keep going. According to her schematics, they were terribly close now. A few more minutes, and they would be at the Med-Center, and they could give out the serum.

A whimpering caught the attention of everyone. Three of the guards surrounded Cinder, as if to form a human shield. The mere sight of it sent shame and self-hatred through her.

Rather than let them protect her, Cinder stepped out of the circle. The guards were not given the chance to object, since a person who was barely human crept out of the shadows.

"Cinder," a limping, weakened Cress panted. She had an animal-like scratch that ran deeply through the flesh on her arm. She was dripping with blood.

Cinder desperately wanted to trust her friend. To know that Cress couldn't hurt a fly like her usual self. But the contagion was spread by exposure to blood. If Scarlet or Wolf had given her that mark, she could be contaminated.

Almost ashamed of herself, Cinder pointed her pistol at Cress. The young girl stopped in her tracks, and dawned on a confused, innocent face. "Cinder," she wheezed, crippling Cinder's resolve. "What are you doing?"

As much as it killed her, Cinder continued to aim at her friend. "What gave you those wounds, Cress?"

Cinder couldn't help but notice that Cress was having trouble speaking. Her lips stayed close together, and her fingers were hidden.

Shyly, Cress looked to her arm and paled even more so. She appeared she was going to be sick if she had to look at her wound much longer.

This slightly confused Cinder. She knew her friend was not one accustomed to the sight of blood, but she didn't get as sick as Thorne did. She wasn't squeamish.

Her eyes grew larger, begging for sympathy. "I ran into Scarlet. She grabbed me, but I got away. I-" her voice cracked. "I think I might have ..." She broke down, tears streaming and whimpering. The whole group knew what she was about to say.

And all of them knew she was lying.

Cinder cocked her pistol, as did all of the guards. The scientists in hazmat suits were prepared to jump into the vats of Death's Rival to save themselves from Cress.

At the cock of several guns, Cress was even more alarmed. "What are you doing?"

"Cress?"

Everyone turned to the end of the corridor to see Thorne, pistol in hand. His stance was shaken, and he had some blood on him. Cinder guessed that he hadn't noticed yet, since he was still conscious.

Cress looked as though she was going to jump into his arms. Whether it was to kiss him or kill him, no one could decide. Thankfully, Thorne was not fooled by her soft-ish exterior. He aimed for her, and watched her tears worsen.

Her puppy dog eyes cried for sympathy. "You don't even trust me, Captain?"

At the use of his nickname, he gulped. Cinder could see it in his eyes. He couldn't shoot her. Not if his life depended on it. Not even if she was about to kill him.

"Cress," Cinder warned. "Hold your hands in the air. Now."

The girl didn't heed her. She was now transfixed by Thorne, and he was no less immersed in her presence. "Captain," she cooed. "You look so tired. Do you want me to sing?"

His hands shook violently. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he barely met Cress's eyes. He was going pale, and Cinder pitied his situation. She knew that if Kai was infected with a disease, and he was coaxing her into trust him, she wouldn't be able to shoot him.

Someone else would have to take the reins of the situation and do what was needed to save everyone. A friend who knew how to stop the disease from spreading.

Cinder came to the conclusion that Thorne would not defend himself against Cress. So she would have to be a supportive friend, and shoot at his not-girlfriend.

Taking a deep breath, she fired at Cress, and the bullet lodged in her left leg. She buckled under the weight and screamed. While Thorne was horrified and started sprinting toward her, Cinder caught a glimpse of Cress's nails. They were long and unnatural. When Cress screamed, Cinder saw her teeth. All of them were sharper than a spear-head.

"Thorne, no!" she cried. But the former cadet was already mere feet from her. As if snapping out of a trance, Cress changed into a savage.

She lunged for Thorne and caught him by his wrist. Her grin was twisted and heart-stopping. "You pathetic waste," she snarled.

Cinder panicked. She shot at Crescent wildly. As did the guards around her. When five bullets broke her skin, she got annoyed and let go of Thorne. He scrambled away from her and towards Cinder and her guards.

She bared her nails and teeth. Her eyes were large and filled with red cracks. "You're all so idiotic, especially you, Captain Carswell Thorne," she spat. "All it takes is a set of pouty eyes, whimpering lips, and a few wounds to convince you that I'm the victim. When really, you're the victims. Or at least, you're going to be."

"Crescent," Cinder said. "I know you're in there. You have to fight this. You can't let this disease control you."

The small girl let out a dark, curdling laugh that Cress would never be able to produce on her own. The contagion was manifesting inside of her, manipulating every part of her.

"The contagion doesn't control people, as you so ignorantly put it," she claimed. Cinder couldn't help but pick up on how much this girl was insulting them. When the girl they found on a satellite never would have used such language. "It only unlocks the most powerful and useful parts of a person and improves upon those assets. Which means, I've always been this way." She cast a cool glare to Thorne. "And I've always known that you were right."

He clutched his pistol tighter, but did not dare point it at Cress. "Right about what?"

She licked her lips and smiled. "That I'm too good for you."