Sam heads back inside the shared bathroom just to make sure this isn't no illusion. But it's not as her fingers tighten around the edge of the bathroom's doorframe. The glaring absence of medical supplies in the cabinets echoes in her mind like a siren. She slams one cabinet shut and pulls open another, her breath quickening with each empty shelf she encounters. There's nothing. Not a single roll of gauze, not a single bandage, not even a bottle of antiseptic. The implications hit her like a punch to the gut.

She rushes back into the Central Room where the others are scattered, each burdened by the weight of paranoia that has been festering over the past days. "I'm not seeing things!" Sam blurts out, her voice shaking with anger and disbelief. "The med supplies are really gone!"

Austin looks up sharply from where he's been slouched on the couch, his face contorted in a scowl. "Are they really, really gone?"

"I'm not joking." Sam snaps, gesturing toward the hallway behind her, "There's nothing in the bathroom. No gauzes, no bandages, no disinfectant. It's all gone."

"It can't be that gone. You just didn't look hard enough?" Austin challenges, standing and stalking toward her. His hazel brown eyes flash with something between skepticism and anger.

Sam meets him head-on, stepping into his path. "Go check for yourself," she spits. "Maybe you'll find it hiding behind your massive ego."

"You think this is funny?" Austin retorts, his voice rising. "Someone took it. Maybe you're covering for them. Maybe you're the one hoarding it."

"Oh, that's rich," Sam says with a bitter laugh. "Coming from the guy who'd sell us all out for five minutes with his precious daddy."

Before Austin can respond, Lynne's voice breaks through the argument, shrill and panicked. "Guys, stop!" Lynne is kneeling in front of the pantry, her trembling hands clutching the sides of the cabinet door. Her usually warm brown face is pale, her wide eyes brimming with unease. "The food. It's... it's almost all gone."

Sam and Austin whip around to face her. "What?" Sam crosses the room in a few quick strides and peers into the pantry. The shelves that should have been stocked with dry goods-pasta, rice, cereal, bread, canned vegetables-and fresh goods-meats, veggies, fruits, and more that would suffice an entire month's worth. Except they are bare. A few lone items remain: a half-full bag of rice, fruits, cans of baked beans, crackers, half boxes of cereals, a carton of milk and a bottle of juice. That's it.

Austin pushes past her and kneels beside Lynne, rifling through the sparse contents as though willing more food to appear. "This can't be real," he mutters. "It was full last week."

"Looks like SEED wants us to starve," Sam says grimly, stepping back. Her arms cross tightly over her chest as her gaze darts between her uneasy companions.

"How do we know it's SEED?" Austin stands abruptly, turning to face Sam. "How do we know it wasn't one of you? Maybe someone's stashing food for themselves."

"Oh, give me a break," Sam scoffs. "Why would I take the food? I'm the one who found out the medical stuff is gone. If I wanted to screw you all over, I'd just keep quiet."

"Maybe it's guilt," Austin ponders. "Maybe you took it and now you're trying to cover your tracks."

"Will you two stop it?" Lynne's voice trembles with frustration. She stands, clutching a near-empty cereal box to her chest. "This isn't helping."

Sam's jaw tightens, but she doesn't respond. She glances at Maddie, who is leaning against the doorframe of her room, pale and weak. Her left arm is still wrapped haphazardly in makeshift bandages. Blood has soaked through the layers of towels and tape, staining her pale skin. Maddie's usually wide, curious eyes are dull with exhaustion and pain.

"We need to figure this out," Henry says, his voice steady but strained. He's standing near the couch, his fingers drumming against the laptop he clutches. "We can't survive on..." He gestures vaguely toward the nearly empty pantry. "This."

Before anyone can respond, a chillingly familiar voice echoes through the house. "Oh, my poor children," Mother purrs, her tone laced with mockery. The red light of her camera lens flickers to life above the screen in the Gathering Zone.

All five teens freeze, their faces snapping toward the light. Even Maddie straightens slightly, her weakened posture tensing with instinctual dread.

"How have you been?" Mother continues, her voice dripping with false concern. "I trust you've been enjoying some... introspection during my absence."

"What do you want?" Sam demands, stepping forward. Her fists clench at her sides, her body taut with defiance.

Mother chuckles softly. "Such fire, Samantha. I do so admire your spirit." The red light dims briefly, then flares brighter. "But I didn't come back to exchange pleasantries. It's time to prepare for your next challenge."

A tense silence falls over the room as the teens exchange wary glances.

"What kind of challenge?" Henry asks cautiously.

"Ah, Henry," Mother croons. "Always so eager for answers. But patience, my dear boy. All will be revealed soon enough. Let's just say this challenge will..." She pauses, her tone taking on a sinister edge. "Determine the true measure of your trust."

"Trust?" Lynne echoes, her voice barely above a whisper. She hugs herself tightly, her dark hair falling into her face as she looks at the others with thinly veiled apprehension.

"Indeed," Mother replies. "Trust is such a fragile thing, don't you agree? So easily broken, so difficult to rebuild. But don't worry, my darlings. I'm here to help you... explore its depths."

"What does that even mean?" Austin snaps, his voice rising with frustration.

Mother doesn't answer. Instead, her red light flickers one last time before dimming to darkness. The camera lens goes lifeless once more, leaving the teens in a suffocating silence.

"What the hell was that?" Austin mutters, running a hand through his reddish-blonde hair. His frustration seems to boil over as he kicks the base of the couch. "Trust? What kind of sick game is she playing now?"

No one answers. Still not trusting each other, they fringed away. Austin heads to the bathroom still hoping to find at least one bandage or something. Lynne checks back to the kitchen, doing whatever she can to fix something with the dwindling food items there is left. Maddie slumps to her room, trying to get some sleep but doesn't know if she can. Henry races back to the small desk and to the laptop, hoping to get any good news.

Still at the Gathering Zone, Sam's eyes remain fixed on the darkened camera lens, her mind racing with possibilities. The uneasy quiet stretches on, broken only by the sound of Henry typing furiously on the laptop.

"What are you doing?" Sam finally asks, her voice sharp with suspicion.

Henry scours through the laptop screen, the glow shining among the lens of his glasses. "Checking for a message from our friend," he mutters, his tone distracted. Suddenly he gets the message.

Subject: Still Believe

Sorry to hear that Data, the outsiders are doing what they can to break those flaming bricks and help expose those bad seeds. I admit, I have seen you guys, and I really hate mom. She's a real drag. Yet to help ease your mind I have something to share with you. If you want it, I need to know if you are still there.

- Spock out

Henry reads it and seizes the chance to reply back.

Subject: It's me

This is Data, Yes I'm still here. Go on, tell me...my mind need the easing. Whatever it is, I can take it.

- Data Out

As Henry waits, he slowly glances back at Sam who is making some noises and still eye focused on Mother's camera lens. Henry is curious what she is waiting on yet worries what she will do to him. Before Henry usher anything towards her, he still waits for Elijah's response.

Sam's eyes narrow, but she doesn't press further. Instead, she returns her gaze to the camera lens, her jaw tightening as she whispers under her breath, "We'll beat you."

Henry holds tightly to the laptop waiting for Elijah. And after an intense long minute, his eyes widen slightly. Finally the inbox pings, and a new message appears. He exhales in relief, clicking on the email.

"Sam!"

"What is it?" Sam asks, taking a cautious step toward him.

Henry glances at her, then back at the screen. His voice is quiet, almost reverent. "It's my other friend. He left us something."