Bella's heart raced as she lay in the small classroom, unfamiliar classroom. The walls were a clean maroon and there were four windows, but many desks were missing and there were random shoes scattered in the corner.

"It had been a prayer room," Maverick implied.

Bella felt hazy seeing someone with curly brown hair. Seeing that he had nothing in his hands made her feel safer, but she still felt herself sinking in front of him. Suddenly, she found herself falling into a dark hole, screaming and shaking with her eyes shut.

"Stop!" she screamed.

When she opened them, she saw the boy again and heard laughter, but she couldn't tell who it was coming from. A person wearing green running shoes crouched in front of her, and Maverick stood with a smirk on his face.

As the door opened, Bella heard a female voice and realized that she was tied up and unable to move. Someone flipped her onto her back and she saw Eden with a smile.

"We've brought Eden to tell you about the Bible. God is especially important to her," Maverick said, wearing a devious grin.

Eden was that girl they had just met an hour ago during the public humiliation, wearing a white blouse and long black skirt that made it seem like she was actually going to church.

"Psalm said I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from my fears." Eden began reciting more verses. She continued to explain the creation story, but Bella failed to notice a dangerous look in her eyes.

Bella started to feel like she was going crazy, with all these religious verses being thrown at her. Every time she tried to think of a way to escape, she felt blocked and unable to think clearly.

"Let's all pray!" Eden cheered, hands laced together.

"I think she enjoyed it, Eden," Maverick snickered.

Bella's head felt numb, and everything around her just felt slow. Her entire body felt drained of energy, like the time she had passed out from dehydration during gym.

"We must spread the great name of God!" Eden exclaimed.

Slightly opening her eyes, Bella's gaze drifted towards the windows, where she spotted Eden. Why did her mind and body feel slow? Had she been drugged by something? Maybe that thing that's been in the ditch ended up being an illness. The room had become quiet, and the floor was cold. Did she even fight her way out of this situation?

"Hey, slut," Luke snarled.

"Eden gave her some preaching," Maverick chimed in, his voice tinged with amusement.

The sound of Luke's voice made Bella's close her eyes again, trying to block out the reality of what was happening. An unsettling memory surged back into focus: the echo of the gunfire and the panic reflecting in Jason's eyes as he desperately tried to revive the girl in Burger King.

"Eden can numb people's movements and thoughts with talking," Luke laughed. "It prevents people from thinking rationally and moving."

Numb movements and thoughts? Wasn't that similar to what the dentist does to freeze a tooth? Or is it like when your feet fall asleep? Both felt similar, except she could barely say words towards him. Her entire body felt tired and weak.

"She enjoys having people learn about Jesus," he snarled.

Bella could barely even feel her own racing heart. All she could determine was that Luke held something in his hands, but she felt hazy. Did that mean if you had conversations with her, she could put you to sleep? It seemed similar to Nevaeh's power, where she could hear dark secrets.

Suddenly, Bella was jolted from her thoughts by a shout. "I found Christmas lights!" The high-pitched voice pierced through the haze as she turned her head toward the doorway.

Her gaze fell upon a short girl with dark brown hair and brown skin. Clutched tightly in both hands were strands of vibrant rec and green lights. The girl wore a bright smile, topped off by a teal bike helmet on her head.

"Everyone knows we have Christmas lights. We hosted Jesus Christ Superstar," Maverick spat.

Suddenly, the person at the door fell to the ground. Bella couldn't help but think someone at Uden's was clumsy. Even trying to think of a person's name became foggy. As she observed, the person slowly hot back on their feet.

"It's May," another person said, waving their hands around.

"We can swing from them," one boy remarked, with his tongue out.

Bella couldn't help but think Simcoe had seemed sane compared to Uden. Actually, she had seen people trying to ride bikes off the stage. Some had done backflips into the fountain or even tried to get into Uden cars. That didn't exactly work because some kicked or threw them out.

As she surveyed the scene, Bella's gaze landed on a new boy leaning against the wall nearby. He had coarse brown hair, and his hazel eyes sparked with mischief as he raised an eyebrow at her. Despite his handsome features, she wasn't sure who he was.

"Get away, Bryce," Maverick spat.

"Jesus freak always seems to go overboard. Why can't I just use the Christmas lights to swing around the basketball hoop? It literally won't be long," he said.

"Actually," Luke started. "I have an idea."

Luke walked over and grabbed the lights from Tumbles. Bella's body was lifted off the ground, her limps feeling weightless as she was dragged down the hallway.

Oh, were they going to get food? Some potato chips would be good right now. Looking around, all she could recall were classrooms. Some people stopped or walked by, but none of them helped.

"It isn't Christmas, Luke," a female voice said.

It couldn't be Esme because she had been in town. She assumed everyone she did know wouldn't be here, so it had to be someone on Uden's side.

"I got her a dog leash," Luke snarled.

Bella felt herself being picked up and slammed hard onto a surface that felt wooden. As her vision swam, she noticed a face hovering over hers who was undeniably pretty. Oh, right, it must be Scarlett.

"Eden gave her preaching with a mix of Maverick," Luke sneered.

Wait, wasn't Jason taken somewhere else at the school? Normally, he'd be getting beat up or injured somehow. Maybe this is what it feels like to be on drugs. Bella tried rolling, but ended up falling on another bleacher seat down below.

"I'm glad I'm not religious." Bella heard Scarlett's snarky comment.

Hearing a loud slam, she spotted someone with narrowed eyebrows. "I thought I said to keep her in the classroom!" Greyson barked.

"Well, Eden's preaching went pretty far on her," Luke said.

She spotted another handsome boy looking at her. Oh, right, Greyson is Jason's twin brother. Someone's hand waved in front of her face, but her entire mind felt slowed.

"Well, it mainly works when people don't talk back," Greyson said.

Bella felt herself being lifted, restrained by an unseen but tight force that seemed to hold her in place like a helium-filled ballon. Despite the strange predicament of being tied up, she couldn't help but laugh. As she floated above the ground, Looking from where she floated, she felt the gravity kill her on the hard floor.

Being bullied was not something Bella was used to. Is that what you would call all of this? It had already become a war, even when they decided to do their fair share of everything. Plus, weren't there still other problems in this mixture?

Goddess and God, along with the same weather in May. Wasn't May supposed to be for rain and puddles? She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt her ankle hit the door.

"Are you going to tell her to bark next?" Maverick asked.

"Nah, I thought of another thing," Luke remarked.

Bella felt a jarring impact at her head slammed against a flight of stairs. The sudden pain shot through her head, and tears spilled down her cheeks. She could feel an intense throbbing at the backseat of her head, making it difficult to focus on anything.

Around her, Uden Academy loomed like a labyrinthine maze, its familiar hallways and classrooms blending in a blur. Suddenly, Bella felt a foot on her forehead before she heard a female voice.

"Get lost, Jade," Luke spat out in irritation.

From her position on the the ground, Bella caught sight of a girl with raven hair and long legs who faced Luke. She was tall for her age, with her green eyes looking between her and Luke.

"Isn't Greyson going to be pissed?" Her voice was sharp.

"Too busy with other relative issues," Luke said. "Want me to get Scarlett, or are you going to stay quiet?"

Scarlett? What did she have to do with Jade? Were the two best friends? No, that would be abnormal for Scarlett to have someone other than Luke and Greyson by her side.

Bella felt herself being pulled again from the floor. The lights squeezed her body tight, and she gritted her teeth. Slowly, she became self-aware again, but she knew she had no idea how to get out of this situation.

"Have they been kidnapped again?" Esme asked, almost laughing.

Zane nodded, leaning on a shovel in hand. Nevaeh had told them they were being taken back to Uden Academy for some reason, but she didn't have all the information. This was unexpected news, but he was not entirely surprising.

"If you go by yourself, you'll end up like them. Let's bring Cindy," Esme said, bouncing on her shoes.

"Okay, let's go." Esme sped off before Zane could finish.

She rushed around the main plaza, still seeing Trevor and Andrew being humiliated. What idiots they were for thinking they could starve people at Uden Academy.

She flung open the door and hurried down the stairs, tripping over one of them. Smacking her chin, she sat up and held it with her hand.

"Esme! Don't run so recklessly!" Emma scolded.

"Cindy, we need your help!" Esme rushed.

Cindy looked at her with confusion resting in her eyes. Did the girl even know the layout of Uden?Probably not, since she was from Simcoe in the first place.

"Jason and Bella have been taken hostage again," Esme explained.

Emma hit her head flat on a pillow. Nobody seemed surprised by this situation. Honestly, the infirmary should just have a separate cot for Jason.

"Get Devon too," Zane added. "The one who can lift heavy stuff with one arm."

"Where is he?" Cindy asked.

"Probably carrying a car or truck," Esme said.

She sped away, scanning the town for him. There were still people all over the place, going about their own business, which didn't help. She headed towards the water fountain, where she spotted him trying to lift it up. It wasn't working because it was still attached to the ground, and he was only using one hand.

"Devon!" she called, looking over at a crowd of people around him. "Come on, we're going to Uden."

Walking in front, Devon seemed as if he were some type of king. He tilted his chin up, as if he were a Broadway movie star.

"I'm so cool," he declared with a self-satisfied smirk, taking slow, deliberate steps down the staircase.

"Uden has four main buildings, but Greyson usually does his schemes im the days and west ends because nobody goes there," Esme explained.

"Let's go," Zane said firmly. They headed into the fire truck with Yara. Sitting in the back, she bounced in her seat. Luke is probably doing some task where she could stop him.

Security stopped them halfway, one with a baseball bat. "We're just going to Uden. Greyson wanted to see us," Esme called, leaning out the window, waving at some former classmates. They let them through, parking on the grass.

"We need to stick together," Zane said firmly. "Cindy, teleport away once you get used to the area."

They went toward the gym first. As they opened the heavy doors, Esme saw Jason tied up in the ground. Surrounding were Greyson, Scarlett, Henry, and another boy whose name she forgot.

"Well," Greyson started, walking toward them with a charming smile.

Scarlett rose slowly from the bleachers, walking over. Esme assumed that Scarlett had likely spotted Devon who had not been ranked yet.

"What brings you here?" Greyson inquired casually.

"We've come for Bella and Jason," Esme replied firmly.

Devon interjected with bravado, "I'll beat you with my arm if you don't let them go!" He puffed out his chest defiantly.

Greyson's expression quickly shifted into a glare as Devon now floated up into the air with nothing other than Greyson staring at him.

Esme knew she could beat Greyson, but she needed to go find Bella. She sped down the hallway of the school, weaving past startled students and dodging lockers. The thrill of running filled her with energy that she enjoyed.

Suddenly, her foot slipped on a slick patch of ice that had formed on the polished floor. "Jade!" Esme exclaimed.

"Your feet are going to fall off sooner or later," Jade mumbled.

Esme lay sprawled on the floor, a ware of the dampness seeping through her clothes. As she lifted her head, she caught sight of Jade approaching from behind with a sigh.

She knew deep down she should probably stop running before her body gave out entirely, but there was an undeniable thrill that accompanied each sprint.

"I don't even feel the pain," Esme said, standing up and noticing that the bottom her left foot was bleeding. "Oops?"

Jade shook her head, glancing up the stairs and knelt down. "Luke has her upstairs," she informed.

"Did he slip?" Esme asked.

"No," Jade sighed.

Jade may have a medium rank, but she can only use her ice for a wide range. One of the many ways Esme could trip. It was similar to Tumbles, except she didn't have a nose that had been dislocated twelve times, causing it to become crooked.

Esme ran up the stairs, blood trickling down her knee. She quickly scanned the classrooms but stopped when she spotted Luke in one. The Christmas lights were tied around Bella's neck like a collar. She seemed barely awake and dazed by the world around her. Uden people probably ended up grabbing random drugs that some have.

She looked around the classroom beside her and crept in. Everything seemed normal, with the desks pushed around and some chairs missing. She needed to find a weapon or something to distract Luke. Crouching behind the teacher's desk, she took off her bloody shoes, and used her sleeve to wipe the blood from her knee.

Esme could only think of one solution. Standing up, she grabbed a chair and rushed toward the classroom. Inside, Luke wore his sly grin, while Bella just stared at her, dazed.

"What did you do?" Esme demanded, holding the metal chair over her head.

"Eden did some preaching," Luke said.

Eden's power had something to do with the mind. Emma thinks it more of a state of paralysis, but people can still slightly move or look like they are on laughing gas.

"You've come to get beat too?" Luke asked, holding a golf club in his hand. It probably had to be from the gym, since they normally get the clubs in a separate room.

"Har, har," she chuckled sarcastically.

Luke struck Bella hard in the stomach. In an instant, Esme rushed to get Bella in a flash that barely allowed her to take on the scene around her. However, Luke seized Esme's arm, handing it back and causing her to stumble. just as she reached Bella, Luke yanked on Esme's arm. Bella fell to the ground with a harsh thud, skidding in front of Esme.

"You should be scared," Luke taunted, as he hit the club directly in her gut.

"You don't scare me," Esme spat, staring at him.

She quickly pulled back her arm free and hurried over to Bella. She dashed down the stairs and ran around the large school. A dull pain throbbed in her gut, but she chose to ignore it. It wasn't anything compared to how her feet normally felt.

When she reached the double doors leading to the gym, it was empty. "I knew it," Esme said to herself.

He r gaze shifted upward as she spotted Devon tied to the basketball hoop. He hung there limply like a soggy piece of bread and didn't even bother to look up at her arrival. As she walked over, she noticed one eye was open.

"I thought I had been the strongest, but Henry and some others beat me up..." Devon mumbled weakly.

His eyes were swollen and bruised, and blood trickled down the side of his head. A large purple bruise marred his forehead, while his wrists appeared ghostly white, drained of colour from the binds that held him.

"No, that's a lie," he added defiantly.

"You aren't the best if you lose," Esme spat back sharply, unwrapping the Christmas lights from around Bella's neck.

"Of course I am!" Devon exclaimed with fervour.

As Esme walked open to the wall, she plugged in the Christmas lights as they lit up. The red and green lights glowed even with some blood on them. She glanced around and noticed Bella sleeping on the floor.

"Get me down!" Devon demanded.

"Nope." Esme heard Scarlett's voice as she neared the basketball net. "I'm pretty sure basketball is played with a ball."

"Greyson did this?" Esme asked, already knowing Scarlett's answer.

"I could ask Greyson to get you down and call you the most powerful if," Scarlett implied. "You grab us some free food from Burger King."

Esme knew Nelson had been charging money for the food at Burger King. It wouldn't be long before all the food would be gone and they'd be left with nasty canned beans.

"Deal!" Devon agreed.

"I'll go grab him," Scarlett sneered, glancing at Esme for a moment before walking out of the gym. She grabbed the Christmas lights, knowing Devon might not even back down from this.

"You shouldn't follow her orders," Esme said.

"Why do you care?" Devon spat.

Esme went over toward the sleeping Bella, grabbed her, and walked out of the gym to the fire truck.

Yara had been hanging out the window, peeking over, spotting her. "What happened?" She freaked out.

Esme tried to fit Bella through the open window, but it didn't exactly work. Yara opened the heavy door, sliding Bella onto the seat.

"Where's Cindy? She'll know what to do," Esme said, rubbing her forehead with her palm.

"Don't know, but I should probably go looking for them." Yara implied.

Esme hurried back inside the open doors to find the rest of them.

"And how did you convince him?" Greyson asked, walking with Scarlett toward the gym.

Esme may have taken Bella back, but Luke, Henry, and Maverick were willing to torture Devon.

"Stealing some food, of course," Scarlett replied. "He thinks you're going to take him off the hoop and praise he's the strongest."

Greyson scoffed at the idea. "That guy thinks he can beat me? Nothing but a useful henchman," he declared confidently.

The two walked into the gym, where Devon was still hanging from the basketball hoop. It stuck Greyson as surprising that neither Esme or Zane came back for this guy.

"Scarlett told me what you agreed to do! I'll steal as much, and then you'll praise my name," Devon said.

Greyson gave the boy a friendly smile. It wasn't one that was genuine or filled with praising someone who was weaker than him.

"Yes, but we're doing it my way," Greyson implied. He threw him harshly to the ground with an invisible force, still wearing a smile. "You can go like that."

"I need a ride," Devon said, his arms trembling.

"You can take the old Ford car with Henry," Greyson stated.

Devon struggled to pull himself out of the gym, leaving behind a trail of blood that dripped from onto his cheek. Tears welled his eyes, blurring his vision as he made his exit. Once Devon was gone, Greyson turned towards Scarlett with a smile.

"With Henry?" Scarlett spat. "What good will that do?"

"Gives Jason something to deal with. I may be mayor, but they can do the dirty work," Greyson implied.

Greyson felt a swell of pride as he considered how easily he could manipulate those around him. The people of Simcoe often struck him as stupid, and then there were the idiotic Uden people who had been a nuisance.

"What?" Scarlett snarked, an amused smirk settling on her lips as she leaned in closer to him. "See something you can't resist?"

"I know what you're doing," Greyson spat.

"What would that be?" Scarlett asked innocently. "It's not appropriate to kiss someone when other people are around."

If someone else had said that to him, they'd be injured. Scarlett wasn't just someone else, but she stood up to him when barely anyone else could.

"I wasn't going to do that," Greyson said.

"Just stare at me then?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No," he said sharply.

It wasn't that she was new to Greyson kissing her. It wasn't just from past experience; she'd act that way when he'd advanced in his skill. Even when he had been "dating" Emma, which had been considered using.

"You sure?" Scarlett pressed.

Greyson groaned before leaning in to kiss her. She kissed him back, placing a hand on his cheek.

Suddenly, they heard a loud thump echoing across the gym. Greyson pulled away and saw that Cindy was still sitting on the ground. He had assumed she would have gone back to the infirmary by now, since he had let everyone in the gym go.

"Wait," Cindy said, before being lifted into the air by an invisible force. She screamed and panicked as she dangled in the air. "Listen, I won't tell people!"

"Tell them what? That you saw us kissing?" Scarlett asked.

"I won't tell Emma or anyone else," Cindy rambled.

"Do people really make a big deal about seeing a kiss?" Scarlett inquired.

"We'll keep it a secret if you help me with something," Greyson said.

"Help?" Cindy asked, confused.

If they had teleportation, this could help with many topics. It's easy for her to transmit information that she hears, but Nevaeh knowing secrets helps with that too.

Greyson smiled and explained, "You know about that purple substance, right?"

Cindy nodded while he dropped her to the ground, stumbling slightly. "The thing with Ashley?" she clarified.

"Yes, that's the one. If you see anything suspicious, could you update me with information? I'm just trying to look out for the town," Greyson proposed.

It was a quicker way to get information. Nevaeh has to either wait for him to get to Simcoe or tell someone who is heading to Uden about the new information that's relevant. Teleportation would be easier since she seems to be getting a better hold on it.

"Of course I can! You've been a big help with both the infirmary and especially with what happened at Uden," Cindy exclaimed.

Greyson travelled toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just doing what's best," he said.

Cindy nodded her head before teleporting away.

Scarlett let out a sigh. "Really? You're still trying to find that goddess?" she asked.

"We can't have anyone stronger than myself or Jason here. Well, just me, actually," Greyson stated.

He knew that using Cindy to gather information about the goddess was a quicker way to avoid having someone who was stronger than him in The Bubble.

"My plans will succeed," he gloated.

"Which plans are we talking about?" Scarlett asked, her tone laced with mockery.

"All of them. I'll beat Jason and find this goddess." Scarlett seemed irritated but let out a sigh regardless.

"What if that goddess ends up being a plant?" Scarlett mocked him, but Greyson shook his head at her. He looked toward the doorway, impatiently waiting for James.

"It wouldn't be a plant if that thing were scared of goddess," Greyson said.

Deep down, he was certain that the so-called goddess would not be something trivial as a plant. It felt grander that it could change The Bubble. If they could change this place, perhaps this thing would have the capability to destroy Ashley.

"Maybe the plant barks," Scarlett quipped with a laugh.

"I'll find that person or thing," Greyson asserted firmly.

"I still think it's some plant," Scarlett replied dismissively as she waved a hand and turned away from him. "By the way, your brother might be wandering around here."

Greyson scowled at the thought. It frustrated him that Jason got the free pass of having their mother, along with some bystanders. As he stood there, biting on his pinky nail, he narrowed his eyebrows in concentration. He has his act in order for the war to occur before their birthday.

Just then, James walked into the gym and made his way towards toward Greyson.

"Well?" Greyson questioned.

James settled on the ground and opened a document that lay flat in front of him. The page was filled with details about every person they knew with their supernatural power and their rank. There was a second column for those who didn't have powers that could be the goddess.

"From the looks, nobody seems to hold power over you other than Jason," James stated.

That Vickie girl could have been lying about this whole topic. Did he really have to get people to test plants? Standing, something clicked inside his head.

"We're going to Simcoe to get whatever they're hiding in the fridge," Greyson started. "We need that substance and Emma."

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-Lexi