𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

Cate's ears ring as everyone's screaming thoughts hit her at once. All accept one. Iliana's mind was quiet.. And it terrified her.

𖤓

My heart thumps so loudly in my ears I can taste it as my chest heaves slowly up and down. Shetty is dead.

And I don't think I could be any happier than I feel in this moment right now.

For a moment, my brain just... shut off. No thoughts, no screaming, no whispers, no pain. It was just pure peace, and pure silence. Finally. It was like those scenes in tv where there's a slight ringing to show they character's hearing silence, or about to break. It only lasted for about a minute, but what I would give to relive that minute over and over again. All of the pain, and suffering, and agony Luke felt while I was gone, before he killed himself. What Sam had gone through in The Woods... is bleeding out on the fucking ground right now, and I'm enjoying every single second of it.

"Okay, look, let's all just calm down and assess the situation." Jordan's voice snaps me out of my daze.

"The situation's bleeding all over the fucking rug." Emma retorts.

"We just... we have to figure out what to do now." Jordan says, looking panicked.

"Why?" I shrug, looking at them. "Our problem is dead."

"You murdered her." Marie stares at Cate. I sigh, wishing everyone else would be as fine and calm with this as me. Cate didn't murder a saint... not that this makes me fucking like her again.

"Marie, I did this for you. For you, Iliana," Cate glances at me. "I did this for all of you." Mmm. Damn, cause that's so fucking comforting coming from the bitch who mind-fucked us, right?

"We do not owe you shit for killing Shetty." I speak up, narrowing my eyes at her, snapping my head at Jordan. "You need to calm down." I shift my gaze over to Marie. "And you need to chill." Marie's brows furrow slightly at my words. "I don't give a flying fuck about 'Dean Shetty.'" I mock. "I don't give a damn. That woman is the reason Luke is dead!" Emma jumps at my shrill. "She made my life a fucking hell, and Sam's too. Good fucking RIDDANCE!" I shout. "But, we are not all going to stand here and like we're fucking angel's sent from heaven." I scan around the room. "And if Cate didn't kill her, I was five seconds away from doing so." Jordan inhales, untensing a bit. I have never claimed to be a fucking hero. And I won't start today.

"When I'm done, maybe eventually you'll realize I'm being a hero." Cate claims, her voice edging with the last couple words as she goes to leave.

"I want to be a hero, too." Sam says hastily, stepping in front of her. Oh, dear God.

"Sam." I sigh.

"Of course, Sam." Cate tells him softly.

"Leave him alone." Emma tries, stepping around Marie.

"My sister is right. Shetty sucked." Sam looks at her. I throw my hands up, thank you. When am I wrong? "I'm not an experiment." Okay, yes, buttt we don't need to be listening to Cate of all fucking people?!

"What are you gonna do, Cate?" Marie looks at her warily before glancing at me, her eyes full of concern and I just now, foolishly, realize this is only the beginning of her little plan. Problem is I didn't actually mind this part. But I'm sure her psycho ass isn't going to continue to satisfy me.

Cate and Sam exchange a glance before she looks at us, determined. "We are gonna free The Woods." She states. I'm sorry, what... did I just go deaf or suddenly unlearn English?

Marie's eyes widen

I lean forward, not quiteee sure I heard her correctly. "You're gonna what?" I look at her wildlyyy, feeling the blood vessels in my brain explode as I speak.

"Sam, don't go with her." Emma warns him lowly.

Oh, my God. I chuckle like a fucking mental patient. I actually heard her correctly.

"This is about you, too." Sam tells her. "And you, Illie." He looks at me dragging me back to the conversation. "If they find out what happened here, we're not gonna be the only one they torture." His words stab me as he shifts his attention back over to Emma. "Maybe it's time for me to save you." Then back to me. "Both of you."

"Sam." I tilt my head at him, pinching the bridge of my nose between both my thumbs before clasping my hands together. "Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam." My brain is slowly unraveling itself, spiraling erratically.

Releasing The fucking Woods full of students with a VIRUS to KILL US ALL?!

"Come with us." Sam's voice grasps my ears, swallowing me whole. I stare at the boy in front of me, suddenly, for the first time since I got him back, seeing a young man and not my baby brother. The small, curly headed child who had me fill the living room, his nursery, the kitchen with sunrays and tell him stories til he fell asleep on my shoulder that would just be me reciting old Hollywood movies word for word. He's 19. And could make decisions for himself. He didn't need his sister to light up his bedroom with her hand because he thought monsters and puppets were hiding in his closet and under the bed. He didn't need to hid behind my legs from Luke as we played tag outside in the backyard. He can think for himself. And I think that's what scares me the most. Is that he will. He will think for himself and it won't be what I want him to think. That some part of me liked being in charge of him, being the older sister who could tell him what to do and know he would listen no matter what...

I'm no better than Shetty. Or Cate. Or anyone vile person who worked here or for Vought. I liked being in control, and telling people what to do. And feening off the fact that I was more powerful than any person on this godforsaken campus.

And what's even worse is... I don't give a fuck. I don't feel any remorse. But I never claimed to be a hero... just a girl who wanted to get to the top and go to The Seven. No matter what it took, what sacrifices I had to make, who I had to destroy, how much of myself I had to kill in the process. But I wanted to do it for Luke. With Luke. And guess what? Luke's. Not. Here. Anymore. So who was I kidding? Who am I doing all of this for at this point?

"Come on, Illie." Sam's ton almost sounds like he's pleading if there wasn't an eerie undertone pairing with it. "For Luke." He says. "You know you want to." He holds his hand out for me. Our eyes meet and it makes me want to rip my heart out of my hallow chest. Because those eyes still hold the little boy who would want to team up against Luke with me. Rather it was fake wrestling, or a race, or board games.

But I can't. As much as I want to burn this school to the fucking ground... releasing The Woods is fucking stupid. It's fucking suicide. And I'd rather not release a viral disease to kill our own kind just because I'm feeling really pissy and have had a shit start to the semester. I want to punish the few. Not the ton. Which is surprising, because if you would have asked me a week ago I would have told you I want to make every single fucking person on this campus pay for what happened to Luke. But it's not their faults. Not everybody's. Sure some people watched. And laughed. And fake cried. But a week ago I believed Cate and I would have went to the ends of the earth for each other... so what the hell do I know? Everything's a joke around here. A lie. This whole school is a fucking facade. And nobody here knows the truth. So why should I punish people who knew just about as much as me before these past 24 hours. Or less.

And I know for a fact Luke wouldn't go. And at this point what do I have to lose?

"No." The words leaves my lips, slipping right off my tongue. And the room falls silent once again.

𖤓 𖤓 𖤓

𝟶ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀʙɪsᴄᴜɪᴛ𝟽 sᴘᴇᴀᴋs!

Holyyy fucking shittt, I ateee.... I ATE!!

Hey... *giggles* hey... how y'all doing? Sooo... it's been a hot minute lmao. How are y'all doing? Hahaha. Unfortunately, I got caught a very ball busting case of... I've been in a writing slump these past couples weeks lmao. I truly have been so unmotivated to write these past couple weeks & ughhh did it fucking suckkk. I missed this book sooo fucking muchhh & I kept feeling so guilty for not updating it for y'all. But, I think I just burnt myself out, & truly needed a break. I've been writing basically almost non-stop since I graduated college & came home in May, & really couldn't even tell you anytime between now & then that I went more than like 2 days max not writing or updating, whewww, so this slump was probably needed lol.

ANYWAYSSS, with that big long mess being said haha, we backkkk babyyy!! And I thank y'all so much for waiting & hopefully sticking around haha. BECAUSE EPISODE 8 IS HEREEE!!

I truly cannot believe how much I fucking love this chapter. Oh my goshhh, my brain just started moving & my fingers just started typing & suddenly the words were writing themselves!! I seriously cannot believe how real & raw Iliana felt this chapter & I am just so fucking proud of her character & her character growth/progress from this chapter to where we first started out... like my mind is actually blown. Ever since creating her character I knew she would have such a long & hard journey but that her character growth & development throughout this book would seriously be like writing gold (hehe).

So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! Even half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I am truly very excited & desperate to hear y'all's thoughts & reactions for this chapter & Iliana's pov/reaction to this whole situation lol. SO don't be afraid to comment & I hope y'all are ready to buckle tf up for this wild ass ride we're about to take heading into this final episodeee!!

So... until next time!! ;) And happy early 1 year & 1 month to this boookkkk bc it's gonna fall on MY MF BIRTHDAYYY THAT IS THIS SATURDAYYY!! (And I will be updating my WWE book on that day in honor of the Royal Rumble haha) so take this update as a comeback & an early celebration <3333 AND THANK Y'ALL SO FUCKING MUCH FOR 26K+ READSSSS!! MWAHHHH!!! <33333