When they all reconvene on the beach, they search for Tim. All they find are his clothes.

"Did he... how did this happen?" Beverly asks. She looks to Adwin for answers, who in turn looks to Maverick.

He shrugs. "I don't know."

"Maybe he travelled back in time and couldn't bring the clothes," Adwin pauses. "Although, we did all show up here fully dressed."

Flo kneels in the ocean. She picks up the soaking clothing and raises them to her temple. They muffle her sobs, and she struggles to breathe as water fills her mouth. Adwin kneels over to help her, but she brushes him off.

Across from her, Mickey has his hands perched on both of Clara's shoulders. She doesn't ask him to pull away, even though she is still angry. Some part of her likes the comfort. Besides, she is dedicating most of her energy to focusing on Hubert. He seems smaller than he had seemed a few days ago. His eyes still crinkle with a smile, but he is silently weeping. She wants to hold him and cradle him, and she wants to really understand him, but none of those things seem possible.

"We should burn them tonight," Alvaro looks over to Maverick for approval.

"Another bonfire," Maverick echoes the idea, but not the sentiment. He feels sojourned in a rapid sea, with a rising tide. He feels caught in the undertow. He feels too much.

So, they all go their separate ways until nightfall, damn the demon in the woods.

On their way back to the cabin, Adwin explains to Maverick, in excruciating detail, the encounter with the ball of light. Maverick tries his best to understand. The form does not like the water, much like the rot. All of it goes over his mind, since his body feels absent.

It was his idea to shun Tim. Therefore, the responsibility, if only partly, lies with him.

Flo remains on the shores, soaking in the water. Alvaro promises Beverly that he won't leave Flo's side, and so Bev can leave if she so chooses. Even though it isn't amusing, she doesn't let herself wander away.

It feels like that ghost is targeting Bev personally, but now she has a way to defend herself. She tries to piece together exactly how Flo is only holding on to Tim's clothes and not Tim, but none of it makes any sense.

Hubert wanders off alone. Clara chases after him, and Mickey chases after her. When Hubert falls down, because he can't contain the guttural animal that rips through his throat and roars in pain, Clara runs up to him. She stands over top of him, unsure how to help.

He sobs in French. They don't understand him (but I do, so I will bless you with his truths). He blames himself for Tim's death, because he told Tim to go away. He told Tim there would never be salvation. He blames himself because staying neutral has done nothing to help. He'll lose them, just like he lost Élise. He was able to mask himself the pain with the entertainment of Frederique for a while, but he is no longer able to contain himself.

The world has gone topsy-turvy.

At the horror of Hubert, Clara finds comfort in Mickey's arms. She lets him hold her, even though she knows it is unkind of her. His arms are warm, and she needs an anchor in this storm.

Mickey cradles her. It's easier than thinking about the pain in his stomach, at the idea of Tim vaulting off a cliff, a thought that had crossed his mind a few days ago.

When it grows dark, they go back to the beach.

They gather around, and Mickey and Alvaro start the fire. Maverick hangs far away, up to his knees in the bay. Once the fire is started, Alvaro cuffs his pants up so that they don't drag through the water as he walks over to Maverick.

"You know, this isn't anyone's fault but Tim's," Alvaro offers.

Maverick kneels down in the water, and puts his head in his hands. He hasn't cried yet, which fills him with all the more guilt. In turn, it becomes a rage. He is a bully, always has been and always will be. "It was my idea never to speak to him again."

Alvaro puts a hand on Maverick's shoulder, and Maverick recoils. Alvaro steps backwards, and nearly falls in the water.

"We can't keep doing this," Maverick says. Not because it's wrong, but because Alvaro is a good man, and Maverick isn't.

Alvaro wants to smirk, but he scrunches his nose and bites his lip. "And what are we doing?"

Maverick stands so quickly that the water splashes all over Alvaro. In turn, Alvaro tries to shake some of the water off of his shirt.

"You know what we are doing," Maverick says. He brushes past Alvaro, walking back on to the beach. "And we are done."

When Alvaro grabs his hand, Maverick turns around. He doesn't pull away, and he curses himself for it, but he can't help but relish in the touch.

"Why?" Alvaro asks. He shakes his head back and forth. "We weren't even... none of this makes any sense to me. If you think I'm just playing games with you, well, I'm not. I actually like you, Mav."

Maverick lets their hands stay connected. "I've killed Tim."

"Tim literally killed Tim," Alvaro argues.

Even if Maverick wanted to believe him, he couldn't. He wouldn't. So, he pulls away.

Alvaro balls his fist at his side. He wants to explain more, but he feels a pinch in his chest. "What does Tim have anything to do with me?"

It has nothing to do with Alvaro, and everything to do with Maverick. It is punishment because there is no absolution for a crime so great.

Besides, Maverick decides that Alvaro may be a better person than he is, but not perfect. After all, with no answer provided, Alvaro walks back to the group.

With the others, he stands in silence.

When Flo throws Tim's clothing in the fire, it roars up above them, bright. Ashes blow in the wind, landing in their eyelashes. Like charcoal snow. Like beauty in ugly times.

Flo for once, is oblivious to aesthetics. She puts her head on Bev's shoulder and sobs silently. Flo doesn't let her hands move up, lest they cling to Beverly too tightly. Even though Beverly seems ragged, everyone has suddenly become more fragile. Glass doesn't want to break, but when moved haphazardly it cannot be helped.

Beverly likes Flo's presence, and she would admit it too. Nobody asks though. Contact between men and women, and between men and men is forbidden. This is accepted and even expected. And even though she feels at peace, Beverly has never felt so low before. She feels at level with the rot. Maybe because Flo picked the side of Beverly's body that is decaying, probably because like Tim knew that he would die so does Beverly, and definitely because Beverly knows that she will be missed, even by those who do not like her. Exploring the forest might be the closest she will come to being a pirate, and even that has been tainted.

And Clara cannot decide what brings her to do what she does next. She would never describe herself as reckless, or careless, but some things come naturally. Like Hubert, standing next to her. His face is blank, but his hand is so tantalizing. The skin is rough, and the nails are short, and he looks rugged in a way that she has only ever wanted.

She takes his hand.

He squeezes back for only a second. Then a shiver passes through him, and he lets go. He looks down at his hands, at the fire before him, and then at Clara, and he can no longer bear to be himself for all the things he has done. With stumbling feet, he walks away.

Only Mickey sees the exchange between the two of them. He is frozen, deep to his core because it has only just occurred to him that Clara could seek out Hubert. Maybe he had hoped that Hubert would be a far-off prize, never to be won. Mickey is down and ready for the taking.

He can't help himself. He walks away from the fire and heads back up the hill.

There are tears in Clara's eyes, but they aren't for Tim. They are for the death of her pride.

Adwin follows after Mickey, because he wants to make sure he is okay. Even if it isn't the proper thing to do. Adwin is done being proper. He is done second-guessing himself and cursing himself and being self-deprecating. It's easier not to focus on Tim or on himself, and instead to focus on the mystery and the others.

He casts a glance back at Flo. Now is not the time to get her alone.

"I don't need a nanny," Mickey turns to look at Adwin, but he doesn't stop walking.

Adwin sighs. "I'm not trying to be a nanny. I'm trying to be a good friend."

Mickey finally stops walking. He turns around to look at Adwin. Mickey lost many friends in the war. It seems impossible to turn down a new one, and he hopes those he loved and lost would understand. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like there are many people in his corner.

"You are a good friend," Mickey relaxes his shoulders. At that moment he realizes something.

He hasn't been a good friend to Clara. But neither has Hubert.

~~~~~

I know this is shorter, but with fewer characters the chapters are all going to be getting shorter. Hopefully, this means that I will be paying better attention to the quality of writing.

This chapter is just *chef's kiss*. It's so tense, and I honestly love every single moment. All of them.