YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.

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LOST IN FIRE (book three).
°• CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE •°

" WHEREVER SHE GOES,
YOU KNOW I'LL FOLLOW. "

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        That following night felt like breathing. It was almost like taking a minute to actually rest and catch her breath. Harley had almost forgotten what doing so was like. She's been constantly moving into battle after battle, war after war, smacking into another enemy as soon as she was on her feet. She didn't realize how tired she was. Harley was so exhausted that she was dozing every few seconds. Fighting had really taken a toll on her. Her muscles and heart were both begging for a break. And all they could do now was wait with many questions, but no answers, and with the fear that a war would hit them again when their friends returned from space, Harley laid down in her tent with her sword tucked in her sheath.

It pokes at her side uncomfortably when she lays upon a bundle of blankets in a tent outside of Sanctum's palace. Harley exhales so strongly that her lungs ache before she breathes in sharply through her nose. She's momentarily grateful it isn't cold so she doesn't need much to stay warm. It must have something to do with the two suns.

The sound of her tent unzipping causes Harley to jump and hurriedly reach for the handle of her sword. She calms when she sees it's only Octavia. The girl smiles back at her. "Easy, it's just me."

Harley huffs as the panic leaves her body. "You scared the crap out of me."

She sees Octavia's bright smile through the darkness. It's so wide that her dimples appear above her sharp jawline. Harley's nearly forgotten she has dimples, it's been so long since she genuinely smiled with joy. Her heart hammers in her chest as Octavia climbs in and zips the tent's flaps shut behind her again. "Sorry. It was too quiet out there, you know? Bellamy's still waiting for Clarke, Madi, Raven, and everyone else to come down."

A beat of silence follows as Harley scoots over to make more room and Octavia lays down to take up the space. She was right. It was so quiet that she could hear a mix of their hearts beating and bugs chirping outside. Harley rolls over until they're face to face, close, but not yet touching. They had all night for that.

Harley tries to smile too, but she's exhausted. She's so worn out that she was too weak to try. Everything felt so heavy, Harley felt as if she could collapse under all of the weight. "I'm so tired."

The palm of Octavia's hand is warm as it rests over Harley's cheek. "Get some sleep," she says softly. The tips of her fingers brush her cheekbone. Harley's heartbeat speeds up when she sees the pure love in Octavia's gaze, so tender it would've been enough to give her the extra strength she needed to smile. "That was so brave. What you did today."

The memory would've made Harley tear up all over again if she wasn't torn between being exhausted and struck with so much love her heart could've burst while staring at Octavia. "Yeah." Harley's voice lowers into a whisper. She didn't feel brave. "I'm probably more scared than brave." She shifts and flexes her back muscles where she knows the swirling tattoo that nobody could take their eyes off of was. "I don't know what any of this means. I'm afraid to go back and find out," she admits.

"Don't be. I'll be with you every step," Octavia promises. "We said we were in this together." A small silence passes before Harley feels her hand slowly stroke downwards until it reaches her back. "Hey, let me see the tattoo again. Gabriel wanted us to sketch it."

Harley shrugs and rolls over. The tips of Octavia's fingers are warm as they draw underneath the clothing. Before she retrieves a pencil and paper, Harley can feel every second that the other is admiring it. The way that she traces over the lines and symbols with her breath stuck in her throat as if this was the most beautiful sight Harley had to offer. She already misses the touch as soon as Octavia pulls away after the drawing was completed. She rolls on her side again and comes face to face with an equally beautiful sight.

Harley does try to offer a smile even when it hurts to do so. Octavia's words and touches were exactly what she needed to have after all of the battling at Sanctum today. It brought so much reassurance that she could've fallen asleep then and there but she doesn't in the fear she'd miss something important. She reaches up to squeeze Octavia's hand as it falls close to her again. "So we're in Eden, then?" Harley asks, quiet, but wondering. It's been so long since they've had the chance to catch their breath and talk - years, technically.

"Ugh," Octavia groans. She rolls her eyes. "If this is Eden, then Earth was Hell."

Harley laughs. "Maybe the anomaly did give us a second chance," she says hopefully. Even though she can't piece together the fragmented memories in her mind, she's praying it's true. That whatever happened there, Harley Murphy and Octavia Blake had moved on from their past mistakes. That they were only looking towards the future now, a future where they both realized they were good.

"We'll find out tomorrow." Octavia twists her hand before planting a lingering kiss on the bruised knuckles. "For now, get some sleep."

It's been too long since Harley actually had a good night's rest. But this felt different somehow. There's no space between them as they fall asleep that night, curled together in the tent, like nothing in the world - even thoughts of the anomaly the following day - could ever pull them apart.

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It wasn't until the sun, blazing a beautiful orange, peeks over the mountains that their friends from space return. Harley had been waiting eagerly since the light peered through the tent and woke her up. She nearly hated herself for being stuck in a good mood while the people of Sanctum realized how many of their own were dead and wept over the bodies of their loved ones. It was hard for Harley to tear up at the sight so she isn't sure when the tears build if it's because of the scene or seeing her friends climb over the slope, Clarke and Madi in lead, hand in hand.

"Don't let this delay you," Gabriel warns them as he follows Bellamy, Echo, and Harley down the palace's stairs. "We're still leaving. The anomaly awaits."

"Yeah, yeah," Harley hushes. She breaks away from them to rush past the red field. She releases a deep breath she didn't even know she was holding as she collides with Clarke.

They throw their arms around each other. Harley's so grateful that she's crying, releasing a wet laugh over Clarke's shoulder. "I'm so glad you're okay." She pulls away, eyes holding tears that start to spill despite the true smile, and squeezes Clarke's arms. "I'm glad you're here."

Clarke's smile is weak, but returned. Her eyes are rimmed red like she hadn't stopped crying or had even slept, and yet, they still become wet within seconds. "You too, Harley," she says softly but with meaning.

As much as Harley would like to stay with her best friend, she knows it's Bellamy's turn, and she has other people to see too. She sends Clarke one last smile before retreating to Raven next. The mechanic is already giving a few weak laughs as she tosses her arms over Murphy and Emori's shoulders, leaving enough open space for Harley to squeeze in. The four of them soon weave together, thankful one another was alive, even if it was here, in Sanctum.

Harley feels a tight squeeze from Murphy's hand on her shoulder that grasps her attention. "Hey, I overheard Gabriel." Harley lifts her head to see his forehead was creased with concern, damp eyes clouded with worry. He's already planning to speak words that'll stop her, attempt to guilt her into staying. "El - "

"It's okay. I'll be okay, John," Harley interrupts to promise. She lets go of Raven and Emori so she can hug her brother alone. Her cheek pressed against his black tux, soaking it with her tears, and she feels his hand cradle the back of her head a second later. Harley soon pulls away. Murphy isn't in a better state. His eye colors are practically crystals, shining with tears. His lips are trembling, parted as they try to make words, but nothing croaks out. Harley lifts her hands to grasp his cheeks. "I have to go, John. I have to," she insists quietly.

Because she does. Harley can feel the magnetic pull from the anomaly so deeply it rattles her insides as it tries to drag her back. Something was still hiding in the green glow, calling for her, bidding for her to follow. She doesn't know what's on the other side. It could be a person, a voice, or the truth. But Harley has to go. She has to know what was waiting to greet her on the other side no matter how terrible.

"I know. Just come back," Murphy whispers shakily. He squeezes Harley's hand on her face before planting a kiss on her forehead that she shuts her eyes at. It's been so long since she's had time to catch her breath with Murphy. Events have been hitting them nonstop since they landed.

Harley embraces them all one last time. "May we meet again," she utters.

One by one, they echo the same words. It's like ripping half of Harley's heart out of her chest, but the other half is glad her feet were finally moving towards the anomaly. It was nice to pretend Harley could stay, help her family build a better life in Sanctum. But she knows Gabriel is right. The anomaly was awaiting her return with Octavia. The goodbye is still left heavy in her heart as the small group parts way. It's a long trip through the woods again to mull over it again and again.

"I have to tell you, I'm very excited about this," Gabriel confesses as he kicks aside rugs and dirt. He doesn't have to tell them so. Harley can see his eyes lit up, the excitement in his smile, how much joy this was bringing him. "I've been studying those symbols since we found the stone. We built the camp here because of it."

Bellamy curiously surfs through the piles of drawings Gabriel had collected over the many, many years he's been alive. He carefully picks out an old one that had another anomaly drawing scrawled over it. It nearly matches the one placed on Harley's back.

A sudden creak under Gabriel's shoes sounds. He grins wider and lifts the rusted hatch he stepped over. A ladder is rested on the edge that invites them into the dark hole. Harley takes a deep breath. She still can't believe she's doing this despite how badly she needed to. Gabriel eagerly leads them inside the hole, bidding them to follow after. Harley feels as if the wooden ladder could collapse under all the pressure after the years it's had to rot there, but the wood plates held well as her boots take a step over step until they hop onto solid ground.

A light soon fills their visions as Gabriel flipped a switch on the wall after a slight flicker. Harley takes a long minute to scan their new area. She can feel the way her heart suddenly drops into the pit of her stomach. It feels like a rock by the way that it sunk and it's heavy as it settles on the bottom.

This was what was quietly calling Harley, she realizes. This is where she was meant to be. This was what she was meant to be doing.

Gabriel has been hiding a large secret under the ground of his shelter. A beautifully sculpted piece of stone curves its layers until it almost forms a sphere with over a hundred different symbols etched into it. It's practically glowing a soft golden under the dim light.

"The tattoo," Octavia gasps in wonder. Harley can suddenly remember the feeling of it on her back like a few dozen pins have poked her skin.

"It's thousands of years old. We have no idea who made it or what generates the magnetic field that holds it up. But we're pretty sure it's what sucks in all the radio signals," Gabriel explains.

"It's... It's beautiful," Harley says. She clears her throat when her voice cracks. Her atoms almost vibrate as if it was magnetic, drawing her closer, but Harley takes it slow. Her steps towards it are cautious as if it could explode with one wrong move. "But what does it mean?" She asks Gabriel.

Echo's gaze darts to Harley's back which was once again covered after last night. "Some of the symbols on her back are red. It's a code," she realizes.

Gabriel nods. "Very good. We're about to find out what it's for." He extends his hand to Octavia. "May I see the drawing, please?"

A folded-up piece of paper was tucked in the belt wrapped around Octavia's waist that she retrieves and passes to him. She's wordless, still marveling at the stone before them. Harley can tell she's left in the same state of shock and being placed into such a feeling, it was difficult to just form words that would make sense.

He unfolds the paper and takes a long glance as if to memorize it. "Moment of truth," Gabriel breathes out before he begins pressing his first two fingers upon a symbol. A quiet humming pulse follows.

No one moves or speaks as they watch. Not at first. It seemed like the wrong thing to do as if they were made to just stand and witness Gabriel follow the red splotches on the drawing, matching them to the symbols on the sphere walls. Bellamy eventually clears his throat. He hadn't made a move to speak almost their entire trip there. "What happens if you're right?" He questions like they all feared the question.

Even though Gabriel was still buzzing with excitement, Harley can still sense the uncertainty in his voice as he answers, "I filled a hundred notebooks with possible answers to that question." Harley knew he was telling the truth, given the number of years this man has been alive or how much he admired the secret about the anomaly, but couldn't exactly tell if the statement was supposed to make them feel better. She was afraid, could feel it strangle her, but didn't make a move to run. She had to stay. She was meant to.

"The last symbol in the series is called an octonion," Gabriel finally announces. His eyes have locked on Octavia. "Advanced mathematics way above my head... But I don't think it's a coincidence you share a name." He gestures to the stone before requesting, "Please. It should be you."

"Me?" Octavia repeats. She glances at Harley hesitantly. "But Harley has the tattoo. It should be her."

Harley shakes her head. "No, not me. Gabriel's right, it should be you." The fear is powerful and it weakens the smile she forms, but she still manages to send one to Octavia that's reassuring enough. "It's meant to be."

The final symbol was waiting to complete the code, but Octavia still takes her time. She smiles back at Harley before they're both under the daze of the anomaly once more. She takes a single step forward before pressing the pads of her fingers on the symbol, a carved O. It gives another quiet hum as Octavia pulls her hand away.

The truth was, Harley didn't know what she expected to happen. It wasn't like the code on her back would've caused an explosion. She still flinches at the touch, but nothing follows. No one moves again as they wait for a full minute to pass of silence before Gabriel finally loses it. He fishes to look over the paper again in a panic. "No, no, no, no, no..." He mutters anxiously. "This can't be right." He quickly turns to Harley. "Let me see the tattoo again, I must have got something wrong."

Harley fumbles to unbutton her jacket. But her fingers barely graze the buttons before Echo orders them to be quiet just as the sudden explosion Harley was waiting for hits them. She's worried it's an actual one at first and they might've just destroyed another planet, but figures the blast would have taken them too. The outside world above them is rustling as if blasts of winds have started flowing through the trees to greet them. A flashing, green light comes along with it that shines through the open hole where the hatch was still open. Something was happening and it may not be a bang, but they'll have to figure out what.

"Oh my God," Gabriel gapes. "I knew it."

She keeps her jacket on to hide her tattoo as they bolt for it. Harley races up the ladder and back to Earth's soil where Gabriel's shelter was trembling with the gusts of wind, the green glow so bright that she has to squint at first before her vision adjusts. Her ears roar with the noise. But as soon as Harley freezes in place, she realizes something. The sound of Echo's shout towards Gabriel, demanding to know what the hell this was, is just a quiet ringing. The storm around them is nothing compared to the one that rages inside Harley's head.

A million memories start to flood through Harley as if they had been there all along. And maybe they were. They were still scratching at the corners of her brains, waiting to be freed, and bring either pain or happiness with them. Maybe both. She's been waiting so long for this to happen that she doesn't know how to react.

But Harley remembers. She remembers everything.

"It'll be okay," Harley whispers to her. The reassurance is barely audible. She can hardly hear herself as everything falls into place.

Octavia nods. "She's here."

Hope swells in Harley's heart as a shadowy figure ducked under the tent's flap. Octavia eagerly clenches Harley's hand in her own and drags them both forward, calling, "Diyoza?"

The figure comes into light as she walks inside. She's tall, sporting ratty clothes held together by a few chains, including one that places a green gem on her forehead. Two buns are tied on either side of her head with a few stray hairs that are draped over a few symbols scattered across her cheeks and nose like freckles. Harley feels waves of love that she has to swallow at the sight of her, tears brimming her eyes, as Octavia breathes out a shaky name. "Hope!"

"I couldn't get out of it," their niece chokes out in distraught. "He has my mother."

Harley's lips part to reassure Hope that it'll be okay, they'll figure this out together once they're on the other side, but stops when Hope becomes closer. She's clenching something in her hand and Harley can see the glimmer of silver.

She moves before she can think.

It takes a harsh nudge to get Octavia out of the way, but she buckles out of their path as Harley throws herself forward just as Hope drives the knife into the air. The thrust causes the weapon to pierce Harley's lower stomach.

She can feel it the second it does. The pain spreads through Harley's skin, burrows its way underneath, and reaches her ribs until her knees start to wobble. She grasps Hope's arms as she catches her, chin hooked over her shoulder, eyes wide. Harley swallows the pain just for her, the little girl she loves more than her own life. She already knows Hope didn't want to do this, knows long before Hope cries out, "I'm so sorry, Harley."

"What's happening?!" Bellamy exclaims from behind them.

Harley's lips brush against Hope's cheek. "It's okay, Little One," she whispers over the girl's sob, soft, but full of a pang no one would be able to shake. Not after being stabbed. "Wherever she goes, you know I'll follow."

One hand lowers to grab the wrist holding the knife while the other grazes Hope's arm. Harley uses the last bit of strength she has to rip the weapon out of her stomach. She no longer has the ability to stand without support and falls back. She would've smacked against the ground if it wasn't for Echo leaping to catch her with an alarmed cry of, "Harley!" As she encircles her arms around the wounded from behind, her worry clouding her judgment. No one can see it coming when Hope attacks Octavia, the movement a blur in the corner of Harley's eye.

But Harley can't move. She wouldn't have been able to stop her anyways. Gabriel has run to disarm Hope, but he's too late. No one could save them now. If this is what the anomaly wanted, then so be it, she believes. Together. Just like it was always meant to be.

She feels both hands press over the bleeding wound in Harley's stomach. Echo has lost herself in a fit of sobs, desperately reassuring her loved one, "It's okay, it's okay, I got you, Harley!"

Harley places a shaking hand over Echo's, the one covered in blood. She repeats herself once more like a mantra because she truly believes so.

Things were okay now.

"It's okay," Harley whispers. She tilts her head back until her neck weakly lolls onto her friend's shoulder. Harley gives the world one last, delicate smile. "See you on the other side."

It's the last bit of Harley she has to offer before waves of the anomaly pour in and swallows her whole, dragging a girl with a beautiful heart too large to pound in her ribcage into the other side of worlds unknown.

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END OF PART SIX.

author's note:

😱

you didn't see that comin ❤️

i remember when this episode first aired and i was so pissed thinking they killed octavia off. SO. PISSED. i was watching it air with my mom, trying to plan where i'd place harley as it goes, and this woman was literally like "she's dead huh kota" and i was like no. NO. NO WAY. so glad i refused to believe it.

i'm also so god damn glad that i have FINALLY finished season/act 6??? holy crap!!! it's been a long ass journey but we're nearing the finish line huh. crazy to think about it. i'm so excited harley's development is finally coming. i don't want to say a lot, but you guys will for sure love it as much as i do.

thank you so much for sticking by this long. i've been having a lot of fun writing harley's story and i can't express just how much this character means to me. writing her story brings me so much happiness i can hardly put it in words. it's become a safe place for me ❤️

i'll see you guys (on the other side) soon.

- koda