Scarlett strolled through the main plaza, where people were scattered, doing their normal work. She still had James by her side, travelling toward the mayor's office. She was intrigued by the information James had gathered about Divina.

She pushed open the door to the mayor's office.

Greyson looked up, eyebrows lifted like he hadn't expected them this soon. Red and Zack—two boys from Uden who always looked lost—were already in the office, probably pestering about security stuff.

"Out," Greyson ordered.

Red and Zack brushed past Scarlett, nearly tripping over each on the way out.

She smirked, then turned to watch James sink into the couch. His hands trembled slightly, and he clutched them together.

Greyson raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Well, James has something," Scarlett said.

"They call it Divina," James said quickly. "Jason and a few others saw it take a form. Ashley... she's considered a god. And David... he's connected somehow."

A chill crept down Scarlett's spine. It was a reminder that she could've died. The thought brushed against her, but she shoved it aside. He was dead.

"Which means?" Greyson pressed.

"Like... partly alive," James said, eyes glued to the floor. "Apparently, he and Vickie went charging after Divina. Ashley controls them and makes them do whatever she wants."

"No need to waste time worrying over a little grass," Scarlett said dismissively with a smirk.

"Keep digging," Greyson snapped.

James nodded quickly and pushed the door—just as Luke entered, Maverick trailing behind him. Uden's most crippled pair that looked anything but harmless.

Ever since Emma healed Luke's wound, he'd been forced to operate one-handed. That should've made him less dangerous to her, but Scarlett knew better. With Greyson at her side, she was untouchable.

"Everything's in motion," Luke said with a sinister grin.

"Good work, Luke. Make sure they know their roles," Greyson said as the two left the room. "Where was James?"

"With your brother and Esme," Scarlett said, dropping on the couch. "But he doesn't know how to stop the vanishing."

"With Luke's sneak attack, we'll create the perfect distraction," Greyson said, grinning.

"The only distraction around here is his missing arm," Scarlett mocked.

Cindy appeared into the room, almost tripping over her own feet before collapsing onto the floor. Her teleportation powers let her jump between places, but balance was clearly not one of her strengths.

"Devon tried to rob Burger King with Henry and Stick," Cindy reported breathlessly. "Henry and Stick just grabbed some vegetables and fled. Devon ended up getting caught."

She knew that the plan for stealing door from Burger King would fail. Stick could barely look up, and Devon was a brat nobody could stand.

"I talked to James about the goddess business. I'm guessing you already heard," Cindy said.

Scarlett knew Greyson was keeping Cindy close for a reason, since the fight ahead meant having eyes everywhere. It was a way to figure out what was going on in Simcoe from behind the scenes, since she still helped out in the infirmary.

"Anything else?" Greyson asked with a smile.

"Ashley set Bella's house on fire, " Cindy said grimly. "She'd already two others before Zane, Yara and some others managed to put them out."

"Did she get bored with making holes?" Scarlett quipped.

"Round up anyone slacking and put them on fire duty," Greyson ordered.

Cindy nodded and bopped away.

"Holes, and now fires. You definitely ranked her wrong." Scarlett sighed, shaking her head at Greyson's comment.

"I ranked her before the substance went inside her," Scarlett replied, looking up. "Now, she'a barely even touchable."

"Divina is supposed to be powerful, right?" Greyson asked.

"I don't know. Maybe," Scarlett spat, her eyes narrowing. "Just focus on whatever's going on with your brother."

Greyson hadn't dropped the goddess subject. She thought it was pointless to dig deeper, especially with his birthday just days away. Once that day came, he'd stop the vanishing, and she wouldn't be stuck dealing with Luke alone.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Teagan stormed into the office, her face flushed with anger.

"Did you hurt Bella?" she demanded.

"Accusing me of something?" Greyson shot back, his eyebrows knitting together in suspicion. "Scarlett, who is this?"

"Teagan Baker," Scarlett said, stepping toward the desk. "She's a friend of Bella's with no supernatural powers, and often helps out at the daycare."

"You shouldn't be so quick to point fingers at your leader," Greyson said coolly.

"I'm just asking for the truth," Teagan hissed.

"Devon's the one behind all that," Greyson said nonchalantly.

Teagan covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. It was laughable how easily  people in this place could be manipulated. It just took a few small actions to sway opinions.

"I'm pretty sure he was downtown," Greyson remarked.

Teagan met Scarlett's gaze for a brief moment, then broke the heavy silence.

"Thanks," Teagan said, nodding once before turning and leaving the office.

"I'm not wasting time on a guy who can't get the job done right," Greyson sighed deeply, planting both hands firmly on the hardwood desk. "Even with powers popping up everywhere, he's not worthy."

Scarlett smirked, knowing James possessed enhanced strength, which was something Greyson was unaware of. She had chosen to keep it secret, planning to reveal it only when James failed her tasks.

"I still need that substance Jason hid," Greyson continued, locking eyes with Scarlett. "Bring Henry and Stick here."

"They barely finished the last task. Wouldn't it make more sense to use someone else?" Scarlett suggested, raising an eyebrow.

Henry and Stick were barely more than minions to Greyson—already ready to follow orders without question. But lately, their dynamic had shifted; Stick was having a breakdown after killing Vickie.

"No. Henry and Stick will handle it. Bring Preston along," Greyson said.

Hearing Preston's name, Scarlett sighed. His invisibility power was less about helping and more about sneaking into girls' dorms or spying around town. She disliked having him around, but it was the best way to get things.

"I have to drop by their party?"' Scarlett groaned.

"Bring the substance back so James can research it," Greyson stated, nodding firmly.

Scarlett stepped in front of his desk, hands on her hips. "I don't even know where they are. Why not just send some thugs to grab them?"

"We can dealt with the others later. Right now, we need Luke and Preston," Greyson said, narrowing his eyes.

"What's the big deal with dragging so many people into this?" she challenged.

"Jason probably has security in the cafeteria. Plus if we find anything else," he said. "Time to go."

He headed for the door and opened it. Outside, a dark cloud of smoke flew through the air. It was near a neighbourhood, where she could see a tree on fire. Others were looking in that direction—some running toward.

"What the hell? I thought they put out the fires." Greyson hissed.

"Maybe next it will be killer snow," Scarlett mocked.

Tumbles came running over, tripping on the ground. The ten-year old girl looked up, her face covered in dried blood and scrapes. At least Emma had healed some of it face to make her look less disgusting.

"Fires!" Tumbles exclaimed, waving her hands from the ground.

"I've noticed," Greyson said. "Nobody has created fires except for that child early on. I'll deal with them later. Where's Preston?"

"With Luke at the school," Tumbles informed him.

The school in Simcoe wasn't far from downtown, but Luke wasn't supposed to be there. He was supposed to be making sure everyone was doing their assigned job.

"This will be quite a sight," Scarlett remarked with a smirk.

They used one of the parked CRVs to drive to the empty school parking lot. As they approached the building, Scarlett noticed a couple of bikes leaning against the wall near the open school door, and Maverick and Oscar stood at the entrance.

Greyson used an invisible hand to pick both boys up and hold them high in the air. "Where is Luke?" he demanded.

"Gym," Oscar admitted.

They walked down the empty halls until they reached two brown double doors, already open. Peering inside, they saw a few people scattered throughout the gym with weapons beside them. At the front, Luke had a ruler in his hand, wearing a sadistic grin and waving it at them.

"Luke!" Greyson roared.

Maverick and Oscar were dropped onto the gym floor as Greyson's grip released. Without hesitation, Luke went flying into the green wall with an invisible fist.

"I didn't say come to Simcoe's school," Greyson spat.

Scarlett snickered at this situation, since she wasn't the once getting in trouble for messing with Greyson's orders.

"I was getting Simcoe people!" Luke hissed from the ground.

Scarlett knew Luke couldn't be trusted to recruit anyone. Everything always seemed to come back to his psychopathic tendencies, resulting in fights between others.

"Preston, come here," Greyson ordered. "All of you go to Uden."

Preston, who had been lurking invisibly against the wall, widened his eyes before quickly making his way over to Greyson.

"Luke said—"  a boy began, but Greyson cut him off.

"You follow my orders. Go to Uden Academy," Greyson snapped.

All thirty kids quickly filed out of the gym, while Maverick and Oscar stayed behind.

"You said I was leading the ambush!" Luke growled.

"Scarlett, go with Preston and Maverick to the cafeteria. Find the substance," Greyson ordered, glaring down at Luke. "I'll finish him up."

Scarlett sighed as she walked out of the gym. She didn't know this school well—most of what she'd seen was the gym, but she assumed it would be around.

"What are we doing?" Preston inquired, without looking back at Greyson.

"Getting something. Stay invisible," Scarlett said, opening a large, closed door.

The cafeteria was empty when they entered. The lights were off, but the long grey tables were still lined up, with some chairs scattered against the wall. She noticed some soda cans sitting near a long counter stacked with green trays.

"This way," Preston mumbled.

They went to the kitchen entrance, where a fridge stood beside two stoves. Scarlett waited by the door while Preston made his way quietly to the fridge. The yellow door opened, revealing a test tube filled with purple liquid.

Scarlett examined it for a moment before handing it to Preston. The purple substance how had a black tint pooling at the bottom.

As they made their way back toward the gym, they passed by some kids lying on the ground.

"We can't go on TikTok," one boy complained.

"Move!" Maverick snapped.

They rolled to the side slowly. Scarlett leaned down and wrapped her fingers around the boy's wrist, sensing a low rank. No sign of self-awareness or control of his power. When she grabbed the girl's hand, there was none.

Back into the gym, Luke sat against the wall with a furious expression. Greyson glanced back with a glare, which quickly changed into a grin. Preston became visible, handing the light purple mixture to Greyson.

"We need James," Greyson remarked, looking at Maverick and Preston.

Scarlett stepped closer to inspect the vial. It looked nothing she'd seen before—not been science class, which experiments were extremely controlled. She caused on explosion on purpose once. The teacher had been a bitch.

"Melany or Cindy probably know, " Scarlett stated.

"James may know. This gives us a way to stop this thing," Greyson said.

Scarlett didn't believe it. James may be a computer geek, but he was in the sixth grade. All she knew was that this thing probably burned through something.

Stick's thoughts were a mess, tangled in smoke and guilt. The joint had dulled his body but sharpened the ache in his chest. He slid down the living room wall, clutching a half-empty vodka bottle.

"Stick, you need to chill," Henry said from the armchair across the room. "Wanna throw some darts or something?"

He barely had time to consider Henry's suggestion before a sharp knock hit the door. He froze. For a split second, his heart twisted, like it might be Vickie somehow.

Henry stood up and pulled open the door. Teagan was on the other side, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Stick blinked, thrown back to the mess between her and Bella, all that drama that had gone on for months.

"What do you want?" Henry snapped, stepping halfway into the doorway.

"Did you hurt Bella?" Teagan demanded.

Stick struggled to follow. That was before everything—before Vickie, before the blood. Back when life still felt normal. Now he was just a criminal. A murderer.

"Yeah," Henry said flatly.

The word hit like a gunshot. Stick flinched, then braced his hands against the floor, trying to stand. His limbs trembled under the weight of everything that was too heavy and too weak.

Golden boy turned murderer. The thought ran in Stick's mind like a verdict. Tears welled up as he dragged a shaky hand through his hair—the same golden hair everyone used to compliment.

When he looked up, Teagan was staring at him. Her eyes softened, then narrowed. He braced for a slap. Instead, she flicked him on the forehead instead.

"Why are you defending her now? Thought you and Bella hated each other," Henry said, stepping toward Teagan with narrowed eyes.

"It doesn't matter," Teagan snapped.

"You're lucky Scarlett let them go," Henry remarked coldly.

"Why would you kill someone?" Teagan's voice cracked, disbelief bleeding through her words.

Stick's could hold it in anyone. The tears came hard now, blurring the room. Vickie's death looped in his mind like a curse that wouldn't let go. The hospital. Her body. The blood. He saw it all again—awake, asleep, it didn't matter.

"We just wanted to do our own thing," Henry growled.

"There's enough drama already," Teagan fired back, eyes flashing.

"Drama between freaks and normals? Romance bullshit? Or Ashley? Which one's got your attention?" Henry sneered.

Teagan pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I heard it all from Nevaeh."

"Then don't come ranting to us. Go talk to Jason or someone who actually gives a damn," Henry snarled.

Teagan spun toward the door but paused, glancing back over her shoulder. "Greyson isn't a good person."

Henry scoffed. "At least he knows how to lead."

Teagan's eyebrows knitted together before she slammed the door.

Stick's hand knocked over the vodka bottle before he even realized. Clear liquid spilled across the floor in slow motion. He stared at it for a long moment, then grabbed the empty bottle. Sliding down to lie on his back, he fixed his eyes on the low ceiling—the one he'd bumped his head on more times than he could count.

"Stick," Henry said, his eyes scanning him. "You need to ease up on the booze. You're not gonna be a stick anymore."

"It's what I deserve," he whispered.

They were opposites in every way, especially in size. Everyone expected Stick to only hang out with the jocks, and he did, but Henry had shown him there was more to life than just school and sports.

"Come on, let's head downstairs," Henry said, reaching out to help him.

With Henry's support, Stick pushed himself slowly, legs unsteady as they crept down the stairs. Empty beer bottles cluttered the floor, their presence fuelling a fierce craving he fought to ignore. Drinking was the only escape he had left from the weight of Vickie's death.

Henry stopped at the bottom step, eyes scanning the chaos with empty beer bottles everywhere, one shattered on the floor. Stick's stomach clenched. He removed knocking that bottle over days ago and never bothering to clean it up. Clutching the railing, he eased down the last few stairs.

"This isn't a normal party, Stick," Henry called from the stairs.

Stick dragged his feet through the mess, grabbing a broom to sweep up the shattered glass. His efforts were clumsy and slow. Frustration boiled over, and without thinking, he grabbed a sharp shard—pain flared as it sliced into his palm. He stared down at the blood slowly seeping from the cut.

"I'll grab some band-aids," Henry muttered, heading back upstairs.

Stick stared at the blood trailing down his wrist, dripping onto the floor. Was this how it would always be? Running from the blood on his hands, like something twisted symbol of everything he'd done wrong?

Henry came back with paper towels and a couple of band-aids, setting them gently on the floor.

"You don't bleed much," he huffed, tossing the bandages at Stick.

Henry knelt down, trying to the cut, but only succeeded in smearing the blood further.

Stick sank down slowly, the bandages still lying untouched on his palm. This place felt like a world apart—no social media, no photos, no texts. Just face-to-face conversations.

Henry yanked the band-aids from Stick's hand, peeling one open.

"Get your head out of the gutter," he said sharply. "How about some soccer? You still got that ball in the shed, right?"

Stick had once been destined for soccer greatness—maybe even Canada's national team. He'd played in U.S tournaments and had a shot in junior leagues.

"Sure," he whispered, thoughts still tangled in fog.

Maybe it was the weed. Or the vodka. Or both. He stared down at his cut palm, flipping his hand back and forth. It throbbed faintly, but he barely noticed.

He slapped a hand against his forehead, blinking hard to shake the haze. Henry was right—he needed to clear his head. But telling himself that felt like a lie he wasn't ready to believe.

Emma placed a hand on Luke's head as his teeth clenched. "I'm so pissed," he growled.

Oscar had explained why Luke appeared battered. There was blood smeared on the back of his head and a fresh trickle on his forehead. He was still armless, but the rest of him seemed unharmed.

"Maybe you should have listened," Emma whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

The moment that left her lips, she felt Luke's glare bore into her like a dragger. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest as a cold chill crawled down her spine.

"Are you siding with them? Saying this was right?" Luke barked, his eyes narrowing.

"I mean... you wouldn't have gotten hurt," Emma said quickly, her body trembling.

The last thing she wanted was to provoke Luke's anger. She'd seen what happened to people who disobeyed orders—broken bones, concussions, sometimes worse. She wanted to help, but not if it meant ending up in the infirmary herself.

"And you still listen to him," Luke snarled.

Before she'd even arrived at the gym, Tumbles had told her to check Simcoe's school for Greyson. But by the time she got there, Luke was alone—slumped against the wall, bruised and bleeding, with his injuries on full display.

"You have all these healing powers and even broke it off with him," Luke said with a smirk on his lips.

Despite his missing arm, Luke sprang to his feet with ease. Emma knew not to say anything. Luke hated help, even when he was in pain. Especially after she'd seen him cry the night before to stop the bleeding of his sawed arm.

He flashed her a devious grin, one of the wires from his brace dangling loose. "I'll just cut it off," he spat, pulling a pistol from his pocket.

The glint of metal made Emma catch her breath. Guns were rare. Most had been confiscated or locked away by campus security, though some still turned up in homes.

"Don't you need—" Emma started but stopped cold when she saw the look on his face.

He used the gun to move the loose brace wire that clicked off. "Nope," he said before walking out.

She turned to leave the empty gym but froze when Esme skidded into view, sliding across the floor like a comet. A cloud of dust puffed up around her as she landed flat on her stomach. Groaning, Esme rolled over and sprang up at the sight of her.

"Emma!" Esme exclaimed breathlessly. "Have you seen Jade?"

"No," Emma mumbled. "Have you checked if that substance is still here?"

"Nope. I don't come here," Esme shrugged.

Suddenly, Emma felt a tight grip on her wrist. Before she could react, Esme yanked her forward, and she screamed as they shot down the hallway. It was like being strapped to a race car in overdrive, where one wrong move would send her flying.

They collided with a closed door and skidded into the empty cafeteria. Emma's mind spun in dizzy circles as Esme propped to her feet like nothing happened.

"It's gone!" Esme shouted, grabbing a bottle of vinegar from the fridge.

Emma rushed over and peeked inside the fridge. The test tube filled with the mysterious purple substance they had found in the Simcoe ditch was missing.

"We need to find it. It's like acid," Esme said. "Remember when Bryce burned a hole in the counter in your science class at Uden?"

Emma could never forget. Just a couple of months ago, Bryce had poured a chemical mixture on the back counter. It melted a hole and set off the fire alarm. Emma had panicked, while Bryce laughed at her freaked-out expression.

"Basically, it can kill us," Esme declared, but she knitted her eyebrows. "I think."

She looked down at her purple running shoes, surprised they were still in intact. Normally, her speed destroyed them within days.

"Do you know your way around here?" Esme asked

"No," Emma said.

Esme sighed. "Who else is here?"

"I only saw Luke, Maverick, and Oscar," Emma replied.

Esme's snorted with laughter. "The crippled were here?" she exclaimed with an amused grin.

"Are you seriously thinking about fighting them?" Emma panicked.

"Now that Luke has one arm, he's got less chance of catching me," Esme said.

Luke wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. Neither was Greyson.

Luke punished with brute force—he didn't hesitate to injure or kill.

Greyson was different. He used his mind, like an invisible weapon. He could slam you into a wall without lifting a finger.

Esme grabbed Emma's hand, and they bolted down the hallway. They burst into a classroom where a couple of kids sat in the corner, wide-eyed.

"Odd combination together." Emma jumped as they heard Nevaeh's voice from the doorway.

"Have you seen Jade?" Esme asked. "Black hair, grey eyes. Tall."

"I do not," Nevaeh replied. "Sorry about the news."

"It's okay," Emma whispered.

"Did someone die?" Esme asked, flailing her arms.

Emma grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the hallway. They turned a corner, now walking down a corridor lined with dark green lockers.

"Cindy caught Greyson and Scarlett kissing," Emma said.

"Gross," Esme cringed.

"I'm surprised they did it in public," Nevaeh commented. "Greyson doesn't seem like the type to show off his romance."

Emma couldn't shake the heavy feeling in her chest. She'd only broken up with Greyson a week ago, and now he was already kissing someone else.

"Did you see anyone carrying anything weird?" Esme asked, snapping Emma out of her thoughts.

"Some kids mixed Sunny D and milk in a bottle," Nevaeh said.

"Do you have any other information?" Emma asked.

"Why? Looking for something? Or are you just bored and fishing gossip?" Nevaeh asked slyly. "I heard one girl at Uden a huge stoner."

"We lost something that could kill us," Esme replied.

Nevaeh inquired, "What does it look like?"

Emma glanced at Esme, realizing that Nevaeh might know more than she let on.

"It's purple. In a test tube," Emma replied.

"Is it that Ashley freak stuff?" Nevaeh asked.

Emma leaned on the locker door, but suddenly it crashed as she fell inside a small metal area. Fortunately, some books broke her fall and both girls helped her onto her feet.

"Did you really go to this school?" Esme asked Nevaeh.

"Unfortunately. Uden Academy sounds entertaining," Nevaeh implied.

However, there was nothing entertaining about Uden Academy. While she enjoyed being with her friends, classes could often be chaotic and disruptive, but she got used to it.

"Really? You'd want to learn about the Catholic system, and..." Esme burst into laughter before she could finish her sentence.

"Jesus Christ Superstar," Emma sighed.

Every December, the school put in a play called Jesus Christ Superstar. It was always performed by students who were interested in acting for their future careers, which gave them experience.

"Your gossip sounds way better. Here, all you ever get is cheating," Nevaeh sighed.

Emma noticed a scrape on her arm, but it vanished when she touched it. This was a common occurrence for her, as scrapes would normally heal quickly if someone fell down.

"We should keep searching. If you find anything, let Jason or Zane know," Esme said, grabbing Emma's hand.

"If you need gossip, I'll be around," Nevaeh called after them with a smirk.

Esme sped off, causing Emma to scream once again.

Don't forget to comment and vote!
-Lexi