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ISADORA WATCHED AS BEATRIX MADE HER WAY OVER TO JOIN THE GROUP, HER EXPRESSION UNREADABLE AS SHE SLID INTO THE MIX.

The group had returned to the trailer park, their minds heavy with the grim reality of what they had just witnessed. The sun cast an eerie orange glow over the park, which only heightened the dread that had settled over them. Nancy, trying to regain her composure, was explaining why she and Kendra had been at the trailer park in the first place, her voice tinged with anxiety and urgency. Isadora, seated next to Billy, found herself lost in the swirl of conversations and memories that collided in her mind.

Flashes of that fateful night at Starcourt Mall flooded her thoughts—her heart pounding as she stood face-to-face with the Mind Flayer, the heat of the battle, and the suffocating terror that came with the knowledge that any one of them could die. She shuddered, her muscles tensing involuntarily as the images danced behind her eyes. Without meaning to, she flinched, drawing Billy's attention immediately.

"Is, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Billy's voice was soft but firm, pulling her from the labyrinth of her own mind.

"I'm fine," Isadora replied quickly, her words coming out sharper than she intended as she forced herself to sit up straighter. Billy's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his skepticism evident, but he didn't push. She could feel his eyes on her, and though she avoided his gaze, the comfort of his presence beside her was grounding in a way that she wasn't sure how to articulate. Beatrix, however, didn't miss a beat and nudged her brother with her elbow.

"Scoot over," Beatrix demanded, her tone commanding but light. Billy, with a roll of his eyes, shuffled over to make space for his twin sister, the familiar sibling dynamic between them easing a bit of the tension.

As the group began to catch Nancy and Beatrix up on everything they knew so far, the weight of it all seemed to settle deeper into Isadora's chest. It felt like a ticking time bomb, one that she had no idea how to disarm.

"So, you're telling me that the thing that killed Fred and Chrissy is from the Upside Down?" Nancy asked, her brow furrowed, clearly trying to make sense of the impossible.

"If the shoe fits," Dustin replied with a resigned shrug. "Our working theory is that this guy—Vecna, or whatever we're calling him—attacks with some kind of curse. Whether he's doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just has a thing for killing teenagers, we don't know yet."

At the mention of the Mind Flayer, Isadora's body instinctively went rigid, and her grip on Billy's hand tightened. It was as though just hearing the name aloud had the power to summon the trauma from her very bones. Billy, ever attuned to her, noticed immediately. His eyes flicked toward her, concern deepening the lines on his face as he gently squeezed her hand in return, hoping to draw her back into the present. Isadora, sensing his touch, glanced at him but quickly looked away, her mind too tangled with fear and memories to fully engage.

"All we know is that this is different. It's something new," Max chimed in, her voice shaky but determined. "But it doesn't make sense."

"It's only a theory," Dustin countered, but even he didn't sound convinced.

"No, Fred and Chrissy don't make sense," Nancy pressed, her frustration mounting. "I mean, why them?"

"Maybe they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Steve offered, his voice unusually cautious. "They were both at the game."

"And near the trailer park," Dustin added as though piecing together a puzzle with mismatched edges.

"We're at the trailer park. Uh, should we maybe not be here?" Steve asked, his tone laced with unease as he glanced around the now eerily quiet park.

Isadora, who had been silent throughout the conversation, felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she too surveyed the trailer park. Every shadow, every rustle of wind seemed to harbour something sinister, something waiting. She tightened her grip on Billy's hand once more, trying to ground herself against the gnawing feeling of dread that clawed at her insides.

"There's something about this place," Nancy continued, her voice dropping lower as though the words themselves were dangerous. "Fred started acting weird the moment we got here. He just took off, and that's when I called Kendra for backup."

"Acting weird how?" Robin asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Scared. On edge. Upset," Nancy said. "Like something was wrong but he couldn't say what."

"Max said Chrissy was upset too," Robin added. "But that wasn't here. She was crying in the bathroom at school."

Billy, his focus divided between the conversation and Isadora's well-being, glanced over at her again. Lately, she had been on edge, her anxiety heightened in ways he hadn't seen since the Starcourt incident. She had tried to mask it, tried to be strong, but it was clear that something was eating away at her. Billy tensed as he saw her fidgeting with her hands, the anxiety she'd been hiding finally bubbling to the surface.

"Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecnam guy—" Steve began.

"Vecna," Dustin corrected him, his tone serious.

"Right, Vecna," Steve repeated. "If I saw some freaky wizard monster, I'd definitely mention it to someone."

"Like how we mentioned the Demogorgons, Demo-Dogs, and the Mind Flayer to people?" Kendra retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, like your best friend who you kept everything secret from for two years," Isadora muttered under her breath. Her words, though quiet, carried the weight of unresolved anger. Steve's eyes flicked toward her, guilt flashing across his face. Though Isadora had said she'd forgiven them, it was clear the wound was still raw—the fact that they had kept her mother's death and Will's disappearance a secret for so long. Steve sighed heavily, making a mental note to try and talk to her later, knowing he had to try and make things right.

"... I don't know how many people are going to believe you if you said you saw a freaky wizard monster, Harrington," Billy said, breaking the awkward silence that had followed Isadora's comment.

"Maybe they did try," Max said. "I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley's office. If you saw something like that, you wouldn't go to the police, but you might go to—"

"Your shrink," Ellie finished, her eyes widening as the pieces clicked together.

"Okay, say they told Ms. Kelley what they saw. How does that help us?" Isadora asked, her voice steadier now as she latched onto the conversation.

"Maybe we can find out what they said," Billy suggested. His gaze was back on Isadora, a silent reassurance that he was with her, no matter what.

The group began to stand, ready to investigate further when Isadora noticed Nancy quietly slipping away from the group. Something was off.

"Nance, where are you going?" Isadora called, her voice sharp with concern.

"There's something I need to check on first," Nancy replied, not meeting her gaze.

"Care to share with the rest of us?" Dustin asked, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.

"I don't want to waste your time," Nancy shrugged. "It's a real shot in the dark."

"Yeah, okay, are you out of your mind?" Steve snapped. "With this Vecna creep on the loose, it's too dangerous to go off on your own."

"Steve's right. You shouldn't go alone," Isadora said.

"Why don't we split up?" Kendra suggested, glancing at the group. "Robin, Beatrix, and I can go with Nancy. The rest of you can head to Ms. Kelley's."

"Us ladies will stick together," Robin agreed, grabbing a walkie-talkie from Dustin and joining Nancy.

"Looks like I'm with you," Isadora whispered to Billy, who wrapped an arm around her waist, squeezing gently.

"Be careful," Steve called after the girls as they moved toward Nancy, while the rest of the group piled into the car. As Steve settled in, he shot a look at Dustin.

"Wipe your feet, on the outside, not inside," Steve instructed.

Billy smirked as he whispered to Isadora, "Now's probably not the best time to mention I didn't wipe my feet before I got in, huh?"

Isadora couldn't help but laugh at the horrified look on Steve's face. "Something tells me he heard you," she giggled.

Steve turned around, his expression incredulous. "You put dirt in my car?"

Isadora smiled as Billy and Steve bickered back and forth, the familiar banter offering a brief reprieve from the darkness looming over them, but as they drove away from the trailer park, the uneasy feeling in her stomach returned, heavier than before. No amount of laughter or distractions could shake the sense that something terrible was waiting for them, just out of reach. She gulped, trying to push the feeling down, but it remained, a haunting presence that refused to leave her alone.

The group drove in uneasy silence, the tires crunching over gravel as they wound their way through the darkened streets toward Ms. Kelley's house. The atmosphere inside the car was thick with tension—each of them on edge, their thoughts consumed with questions they didn't yet have answers to. The streetlights flickered intermittently, casting long shadows that danced eerily across the car's interior. Every so often, one of them would glance out the window, scanning for any sign of danger, but it wasn't the external threats that weighed on them. It was the unseen, the unknown—the terror that had already claimed Chrissy and Fred.

When they finally arrived at Ms. Kelley's house, the sight of the small, unassuming home did little to ease the tension. Max wasted no time, climbing out of the car with purpose, her boots scuffing against the pavement as she made her way up the short flight of stairs to the front door. The rest of the group watched her go, their unease growing with every step she took toward whatever answers lay behind that door.

"I didn't know Max was seeing Ms. Kelley," Billy said from the back seat, his brow furrowed in mild surprise.

Ellie shifted in her seat, casting a glance toward Billy. "Neither did I," she replied, though there was something in her tone that caught his attention. Billy narrowed his eyes at the younger girl, suspicion flickering in his gaze.

"Why would you know?" he asked, his voice edged with a subtle challenge.

Ellie hesitated, her eyes darting away before she answered. "Well, Max and I talked every day while I was in California, but she never mentioned anything about seeing Ms. Kelley." She shrugged as if it was nothing, but Isadora, sitting next to Billy, caught the slight unease in Ellie's voice. She furrowed her brows, wondering if there was something going on between Ellie and Max that she wasn't aware of. It was an odd feeling, one she couldn't quite place.

Before Isadora could dwell on it further, Steve's voice cut through the silence. "Okay, she's in."

Dustin, always quick with a retort, leaned forward in his seat. "I'm missing collar bones, not eyes," he quipped, rolling his eyes as Steve gave him a pointed look.

Isadora couldn't help but sigh in exasperation as the two boys fell into their usual banter. The tension between them was almost a comfort—it was familiar, like background noise to the constant danger they always seemed to be in, but it wasn't enough to distract her from the worry gnawing at her insides. She turned her gaze to Billy, who was unusually quiet. His jaw was clenched, his hand gripping hers just a little too tightly.

"You're worried, aren't you?" she asked him softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of the car engine.

Billy's eyes remained fixed on the house, his expression hard. "If this Vecna creep is targeting people who've been seeing Ms. Kelley, what if Max is next?" His voice was low, laced with fear he rarely let anyone see.

Isadora bit her lip, her own fears bubbling to the surface. "We won't let anything happen to her," she said firmly, though her voice wavered slightly. "And besides, we don't know for sure that Vecna is targeting Ms. Kelley's patients. It's just a theory at this point."

Billy exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That's all we've got—just theories. No real answers. We're sitting in the dark, and people are dying."

Isadora reached over and squeezed his hand gently, grounding him. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

Despite her reassurances, Isadora couldn't shake the growing unease that settled in her stomach. As the minutes ticked by and Max still hadn't returned, the silence in the car became unbearable. Billy's fingers drummed restlessly against the car door, the rhythmic tapping breaking the stillness.

"Billy...?" Isadora's voice was soft, her gaze flicking to his hand.

"She's taking a long time in there," Billy muttered, his brows furrowed as he stared intently at the house. "Doesn't that seem strange?"

"It hasn't really been that long," Isadora replied, though she glanced at the house again, her heart skipping a beat. "We need to give her time. She's trying to get information. The more she finds out, the better our chances of stopping this thing."

Billy didn't look convinced, but he nodded, leaning back in his seat. The unease lingered between them, thick and palpable. Isadora sighed softly, her eyes fixed on the front door as if willing Max to reappear. A few agonising minutes later, the door creaked open, and Max stepped out.

"Here she comes," Steve said from the front seat, relief washing over him.

"What'd she say?" Dustin asked eagerly, watching as Max quickly made her way down the steps and back to the car.

Max climbed into the back seat, her face tight with frustration. "Nothing," she muttered, buckling her seatbelt. "Just drive."

"Nothing?" Ellie asked, leaning forward with concern. "Are you sure?"

"Steve, drive!" Max snapped, cutting off any further questions.

Steve, startled by her sharp tone, quickly turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the curb. The car sped down the dark streets, but the tension inside remained thick. After a few minutes of strained silence, Max reached into her pocket and held up a small silver key. Isadora's eyes widened in surprise.

"You took that from her house?" she asked, her voice a mixture of shock and curiosity.

Max nodded, her jaw set. "Ms. Kelley wasn't going to tell me anything, but I'm sure the answers we need are in her files. We're going to break into the school, get into her office, and read them."

Isadora stared at her, her mind racing to process what Max was saying. "You want us to break into the school?"

"Yeah," Max replied, her tone resolute. "That's the only way we're going to figure this out. Ms. Kelley knows something, and it's in her files."

"And what if we get caught?" Isadora asked, her voice rising slightly. "Breaking and entering isn't exactly something we can just explain away. We could get arrested!"

Before Max could answer, a loud buzzing sound filled the car, cutting through the conversation. Dustin quickly reached for his walkie-talkie, holding it up to his ear. "Dustin, it's Lucas. Do you copy?"

"Lucas, where the hell have you been?" Dustin asked, his frustration evident.

"Just listen," Lucas replied, his voice crackling through the static. "Are you guys looking for Eddie?"

Dustin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and we found him, no thanks to you."

"You found him?" Lucas sounded surprised.

"He's at a boathouse on Coal Mill Road. Don't worry, he's safe," Dustin said, glancing at the others as he revealed Eddie's location. Isadora and Billy exchanged uneasy glances, their worry deepening.

"You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?" Lucas's words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode.

"That's bullshit," Billy snapped, his grip tightening on the seat. "Eddie didn't kill Chrissy. He tried to save her."

"Then why do the cops say he did?" Lucas challenged, his voice tense with doubt.

Max, clearly fed up, snatched the walkie-talkie from Dustin's hand. "Lucas, you're so behind, it's ridiculous. Just meet us at the school, and we'll explain everything."

"I—I can't," Lucas stammered, his voice crackling through the static. "I think some real bad shit's about to go down."

"What are you talking about?" Max demanded, her voice rising with panic. "What bad shit?"

Only static greeted her in response. Isadora's stomach churned with unease as she watched Max desperately try to reach Lucas again. "Lucas? Lucas!"

Billy's jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. "Can we even trust Lucas? You just gave away Eddie's hiding spot, and he thinks Eddie killed Chrissy. What if he tells someone?"

"Lucas wouldn't do that!" Ellie shot back, her voice rising in defence of her friend.

"Look, I know he's your friend, but how do you know for sure?" Isadora asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the growing fear in her chest. "How do you know he won't tell anyone where Eddie's hiding?"

"I guess we're just going to have to trust him," Dustin said quietly, though there was a flicker of doubt in his voice.

Billy and Isadora exchanged another look, their shared concern evident. Trusting Lucas felt like a dangerous gamble, one that could have catastrophic consequences if they were wrong, and as the car sped through the darkened streets, the weight of that uncertainty hung over them like a storm cloud, ominous and inescapable.

The group arrived at Hawkins High, the imposing building shrouded in eerie shadows beneath the pale glow of flickering streetlights. The silence of the night felt unnatural, pressing down on them as they exited the car. Flashlights clicked on one by one, their beams slicing through the darkness. Their footsteps were muted against the cracked pavement, the faint echo only heightening the oppressive quiet as they approached the school's entrance. Every creak of the old building seemed amplified, like the very walls were holding their breath.

"You know, we could be doing literally anything else right now, but here we are, breaking into our old high school to track down a potential serial killer," Isadora said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she adjusted her flashlight. She cast a pointed glance at Billy, who was already smirking. "Seriously, what are we doing with our lives? I swear, we're living in some kind of horror movie."

Billy chuckled, handing her another flashlight. "I think I need to start watching the horror movies you're apparently into, because this exact scenario? Not in any of the ones I've seen. And really, it could be worse, Love. Plus, you loved school. Thought you'd be thrilled to be back."

Isadora shot him a glare, swinging her flashlight lightly against his arm. "Oh, come on, William," she said, as he winced and rubbed the spot dramatically. "I barely touched you. You're acting like I hit you with a crowbar."

"Well, it felt like one," Billy teased, grinning at her.

She groaned, exasperated. "And for the record, I'm sure there's at least one horror movie set in a high school."

Ellie, walking a few steps ahead, glanced back. "Uh, Isadora's got a point. There are tons of horror movies set in high schools."

"Thank you!" Isadora said, throwing her free hand up in triumph. "See? And just because I loved high school doesn't mean I want to be sneaking back in during spring break, of all times. We graduated! And doing it at night, of all things? No thank you. Can we just get this over with already?"

Billy raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying her frustration. "Alright, fine. Name one horror movie set in a high school."

"Easy," Isadora shot back. "Carrie."

Billy stopped walking, his flashlight lowering as he stared at her in disbelief. "Wait—you've watched Carrie?"

Isadora smirked, clearly pleased by his reaction. "Yup."

"You?" Billy asked again, folding his arms as they reached the locked doors of the school. "You hate horror movies. When did this happen?"

Isadora rolled her eyes, sighing like she had rehearsed this explanation. "Ellie, Max, Beatrix, Kendra, and I had a movie night. They... might've tricked me into watching it."

Ellie grinned. "Oh, we definitely tricked her."

Billy's curiosity deepened. "How'd you manage that?"

Ellie's grin widened. "We told her John Travolta was in it. That's it. That's all the info we gave her."

Billy looked back at Isadora, his expression torn between amusement and disbelief. "Seriously? They got you with John Travolta?"

"Yes, okay?" Isadora threw her hands up in mock surrender. "They used my love of Grease against me. It was completely unfair."

Ellie raised her hands, feigning innocence. "Hey, you sat through the whole thing. Nobody forced you to do that."

"I sat through it because I was waiting for more John Travolta scenes," Isadora muttered, her tone defensive.

That was all it took for Ellie and Billy to dissolve into laughter, their flashlights swaying wildly as they struggled to keep moving. Isadora crossed her arms and scowled, though the faintest hint of a smile betrayed her.

"Are you two quite done?" she asked, her voice laced with dry impatience.

"Not even close," Billy managed between chuckles.

The laughter was abruptly cut short when Dustin turned around, glaring at them. "Hey! Can you two maybe focus? Some of us are actually trying to stay alive here." He gestured pointedly to the crackling walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Dustin, do you copy?" Robin's voice broke through the static, her tone sharp.

"Yeah, I copy," Dustin replied, gripping the walkie.

"Okay, so Nancy's officially a genius," Robin said, her voice urgent. "Vecna's first victims date all the way back to 1959. Her wild guess? Totally on the money."

Dustin's eyebrows shot up as he stared at the walkie. "1959? That's insane."

"Yeah, well, welcome to Hawkins," Robin said. "What are you guys doing?"

Dustin hesitated, glancing back at the group as they reached the doors to Ms. Kelley's office. "Uh... breaking and entering to grab confidential files."

"Come again?" Kendra's incredulous voice cut through the static.

"Just get here. We'll explain later," Dustin said, stuffing the walkie into his pocket.

The group exchanged uneasy glances before turning back to the task at hand. Max crouched in front of the office door, expertly working a bobby pin into the lock. After a few tense seconds, the lock clicked open, and the group slipped inside.

Billy leaned closer to Isadora as they scanned the room with their flashlights. "This might not be a horror movie, but it's starting to feel like one."

Isadora tightened her grip on her flashlight, her voice low. "Let's just hope we make it to the credits in one piece."

Max rifled through the filing cabinet, the group holding their breath as every drawer squeaked loudly in the silent office. The tension in the air was thick, the faint creaks of the building making it feel as though they weren't alone.

Isadora watched silently as Max rifled through the files, her heart pounding as the realisation of what they were doing settled in. She glanced at Billy, who stood beside her, arms crossed, eyes sharp and focused.

"Holy shit," Max muttered, pulling out several folders. "I found it, and not just Chrissy's file—Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley too."

The group gathered around as Max laid the files out on the desk, flipping through them quickly. Isadora leaned in, her breath catching in her throat as she scanned the pages. Each one seemed to confirm what they feared: headaches, nightmares, visions of terrifying things. The same symptoms, over and over.

"Let me see Fred's file," Isadora asked quietly, reaching out for the manila folder Max handed to her. As she opened it, her eyes fell on the words she had been dreading: headaches, nosebleeds, constant nightmares. Her heart lurched, and she stumbled backward slightly, feeling as though the room was spinning.

Billy noticed immediately, his expression shifting from focused to concerned. "Issi? What's wrong?"

Isadora forced herself to breathe, her mind racing. She'd been having the same symptoms for days—bad headaches that never seemed to go away, nightmares that dragged her back to Starcourt, back to the terror of the Fourth of July, 1985, but she couldn't say it. Not now. Not with everything else going on.

"Nothing," she lied, offering a weak smile. "I'm just... this is a lot."

Billy studied her for a moment, his brow furrowed. "You sure?" His voice was gentle, but the concern was unmistakable.

Isadora nodded, pushing down the rising panic in her chest. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Max, meanwhile, seemed to have slipped into some kind of trance. Her expression was vacant, her eyes wide as if she were staring into another world entirely. Ellie reached out, shaking her gently. "Max? Max, snap out of it!"

Billy crouched beside Max, his voice urgent. "Max, what's going on? Talk to me!"

Max didn't respond, her gaze fixed on something none of them could see. The room seemed to grow colder, the air thick with an unspoken dread as everyone watched, helpless. Isadora's pulse quickened, a sinking feeling growing in her stomach.

Suddenly, Max gasped, snapping out of her trance with a jolt. Her breathing was shallow as she blinked rapidly, looking around the room in confusion.

"Max, are you okay?" Ellie asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Max didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stood up, still dazed, and walked out of the office, the rest of the group trailing behind her in silence. She led them down the hallway, stopping abruptly in front of a plain wall, her eyes wide with fear.

"It was here," Max whispered, her voice trembling. "Right here."

"What was here?" Ellie asked, stepping closer.

"A grandfather clock," Max replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It felt so real. And then, when I got closer, I woke up. Just like Eddie said happened to Chrissy."

The group exchanged uneasy glances. Dustin's voice was tight with dread as he spoke. "It's Vecna."

Max turned back to the group, her face pale as she led them back toward Ms. Kelley's office. "Chrissy and Fred both went to Ms. Kelley because they were having the same symptoms—headaches that wouldn't go away, nightmares, visions of terrible things. It kept getting worse, and then... everything ended."

"Vecna's curse," Kendra muttered under her breath, her face pale.

Isadora's heart pounded in her chest as the gravity of the situation fully hit her. She had been experiencing the same symptoms—the relentless headaches, the nightmares that haunted her sleep. She hadn't told anyone, hadn't thought it mattered, but now, standing here, hearing Max describe it, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

"Chrissy's headaches started a week ago," Max continued, her voice shaking. "Fred's, six days ago. I've been having them for five."

Ellie's voice cracked as she asked, "Why didn't you tell us, Max?"

"I don't know how much time I have left," Max whispered, her voice raw with fear. "Chrissy and Fred both died less than 24 hours after their first vision. And I just saw that goddamn clock."

A heavy silence fell over the group, the weight of Max's words sinking in like lead. "So... that means you could die tomorrow?" Isadora asked quietly, her voice trembling despite her efforts to stay calm.

Max's eyes met hers, and the terror in them was unmistakable. "Looks like it."

Suddenly, a loud clanging noise echoed down the hall, breaking the tense silence. Isadora jumped, her heart racing as she turned toward the source of the sound.

"Stay here," Steve ordered, grabbing a nearby lamp as a makeshift weapon and heading toward the noise.

Billy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because that lamp's gonna do so much," he muttered under his breath, earning a small, nervous laugh from Isadora.

They followed cautiously behind Steve, the flashlight beams dancing across the floor as they rounded a corner. A figure sprinted toward them, and Steve screamed, swinging the lamp.

"It's me!" Lucas cried, skidding to a stop just before Steve could hit him.

"Lucas?" Steve asked, his voice breathless.

"Jesus, Sinclair," Billy muttered. "What's wrong with you?"

Lucas, panting, held up his hands. "Sorry, guys. I've been biking for eight miles. I've got news. We've got a code red."

The group exchanged confused glances. "What kind of news?" Dustin asked.

"I've been with Jason, Patrick, and Andy," Lucas explained, his voice urgent. "They've gone totally off the rails. They're trying to capture Eddie, and they think you know where he is. You guys are in serious danger."

Dustin sighed heavily. "Great. Well, that definitely sucks, but we've got bigger problems than Jason right now."

Isadora glanced at Max, her heart sinking as she realised they were running out of time to figure out how to save her. And yet, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that this might not be just about Max. She could feel it creeping in, a gnawing sense of dread she couldn't shake.

But for now, she couldn't tell anyone—not even Billy.

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Back with an update!

Enjoy! Xo

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