Chapter 7: Evergreen City
*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

In the forest so deep and cold,
The Bandits were hiding, feeling bold.
But the searchers were near, with lights all around,
And the crunch of the snow was the only sound.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"Should we go? Should we stay?" they asked in despair,
"We can't be found, not if we're aware!"
Vincent stood firm, his plan in his mind,
While Holly and Wei Lan tried to unwind.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"Take the tree, take the loot, leave no trace,"
But the thought of Mark made them quicken their pace.
He was their hostage, but could he be trust?
Or would he betray them, turn all to dust?

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The searchers were closer, their voices so loud,
Mark's name echoed, cutting through the crowd.
"Quick, make a decision, we can't wait!"
Will the Bandits survive, or meet their fate?

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Wei Lan paced nervously, her hand clutching the phone,
"Why hit him? Why go so far?" she groaned.
Vincent's voice crackled, tinged with stress,
"We've got no time, just stay hidden-no more mess."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Rachel awoke, a plan forming in her mind,
To join the fight, leave the past behind.
But before she could act, Wei Lan was there,
"Come with me, quickly, we've no time to spare."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The mayor's voice carried, calm and clear,
"Listen to me, the end's drawing near.
It's Christmas, a time for peace, not for war,
Let go of the hate, close that door."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Inside, the Bandits were torn, unsure what to do,
Mark held hostage, their options too few.
The mayor's plea echoed, could they hear the call?
Or would they stand firm and risk it all?

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The snowy square stood still, as quiet as could be,
Vincent and Holly raised their hands, a sign of the plea.
Wei Lan, too, made her way through the night,
Heading to the library, her steps full of fight.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The townsfolk held their breath, the mayor poised to act,
The Bandits had surrendered, but there was still much to unpack.
With the tree in their grasp and the ornaments in hand,
The spirit of Christmas had been saved by the Bandits' stand.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

But in the forest, amidst the cold and the dark,
Rachel stood silent, her heart heavy with the mark.
Her brother's voice echoed with bitter regret,
"Should've known," he muttered, his disappointment set.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The Bandits, cuffed, stood in a line,
Their plans unraveling, no longer so fine.
But inside Vincent felt something he couldn't deny-
A strange happiness blooming, despite their goodbye.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Cassandra's voice rang out, firm and clear,
"She's the hero here, why should she fear?"
Wei Lan blinked, her gaze sharp and cold,
"She's the reason? How could this story unfold?"

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Vincent sneered, his tone filled with spite,
"You didn't do much, don't try to rewrite!"
He chuckled bitterly, a hint of disdain,
"But I've been betraying too, just hiding the pain."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Rachel stood still, her heart crushed by the words,
A silence settled, like songless birds.
The truth of her sacrifice felt too far apart,
Her efforts now shadows, breaking her heart.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

As the golden key gleamed, a symbol of hope,
The crowd cheered loudly, as joy began to elope.
The tree shimmered brightly, its branches adorned,
A symbol of unity, a Christmas reborn.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"Together we stand," the Mayor declared with pride,
"Through the darkness and struggle, we've turned the tide."
The Bandits, once outcasts, now share in the cheer,
For this Christmas in Evergreen, all hearts are near.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Rachel, her heart still mending, smiled through the pain,
For the light of the tree healed wounds that remained.
The night echoed with laughter, with warmth in the air,
For in unity's glow, no burden's too much to bear.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The snow gently fell, blanketing the night,
As hearts warmed by the tree's glow burned bright.
The Bandits, forgiven, had found a new way,
And Rachel, despite the past, found peace on this day.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Her heart no longer heavy with guilt or regret,
Her family and friends had forgiven, you bet.
Through the laughter and joy, through the love they had shown,
Rachel learned that redemption could make one whole.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

The night was a memory, a tale to recall,
Of how Christmas had saved them, one and all.
And as the tree sparkled, the stars shining above,
They all knew, in their hearts, they'd forever have love.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"Merry Christmas," they whispered, with smiles so wide,
For in the spirit of kindness, they'd all found their stride.
And as the clock struck midnight, their hearts filled with cheer,
They knew that Christmas, at last, had come near.

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"We could've escaped if not for that meddlesome Mark!"
Vincent said with a laugh, his tone quite stark.
"That bloke, he ruined our plan,
But I'll admit, it was kind of grand."

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Rachel just rolled her eyes with a grin.
"Oh, Vincent, you're silly; where do I begin?
You call yourself brave, a dragon's true rider,
But when trouble struck, you were no decider!"

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Wei Lan chimed in with a playful jest,
"Vincent, your villain act was the best!
When Rachel was taken, you looked so grim-
The drama! The panic! All thanks to him!"

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

"Yeah, yeah," Vincent said with a laugh so bright,
"I played the part, but it turned out right.
Now pass me some turkey; I'm done with the past.
Let's eat, drink, and make this joy last!"

*̣̥☆·͙̥‧❄•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥˟͙☃˟͙‧̩̥·‧•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥•̥̩̥͙‧·‧̩̥❄‧·͙̥̣☆*̣̥

Around the table, the laughter grew,
With holiday cheer and stories anew.
The tree outside twinkled, a sight so divine,
And they feasted together-hearts full, spirits aligned.