Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

My name is Alodia. I thought I knew who I was. I remember who I have been, since the day I landed on La Huerta. I am the best friend of Diego Ricardo Ortiz Soto. I am the lover of Jacob Lucas McKenzie. I am a student at Hartfeld University, but Hartfeld University is gone. Everything is gone, and now I do not know if I can trust my memory.

I have heard stories of the Endless, the great god of the Vaanti. I saw a vision of them once, back before I understood just how deep the mystery of La Huerta ran. When I was just a scared, lost college student, barely keeping it together on a dream vacation that had gone horribly wrong for reasons I did not yet understand. That was the day I first met Varyyn, then a Vaanti prince. Before his mother gave her life for us, before he was crowned the Elyyshar. Before he fell in love with my best friend. That day on the beach, as I knelt in surrender between Sean and Jake, he touched my forehead and flooded my brain with visions. Of Elyys'tel, his village, built into the trunk and branches of a tree massive enough to be Yggdrasil of the Viking stories. Of Ximedra, his mother, her green-tinted face covered by a sheer drop veil. ...And of the Endless, a figure dressed in a blood-colored space suit, their face concealed behind a black visor, a ball of flame dancing over the skeletal fingertips of a mechanical right hand.

Uqzhaal, the Vaanti shaman, spoke of how the Endless had foretold my coming. Mine and the coming of my eleven friends. The Catalysts, they have called us. We are meant to prevent Raan'losti, the end of the world. It seems we have failed, though. The world outside this tiny island in the Caribbean is a fiery hellscape. I collected our scattered idols, forged of pure amber. Each one granted me a terrifying vision of its owner dying, but I continued to gather them, trusting that knowing the future would prepare me to change it—to prevent the vision my own idol gave me, a vision of eleven graves, with only one left alive to dig them.

But now...now, I am at the Threshold. The place where I saw myself covered in blood and digging eleven graves. Now, deep in the mining tunnels beneath Mount Atropo, with Uqzhaal and the pirate Yvonne beside me, I am face to face with the Endless. Her helmet is off, and my own face stares back at me from atop the crimson space suit. My pale skin has gone slack with age, my honey-blonde hair is gray and thinning, but there is no mistaking my face.

“I had to be certain you were ready, Alodia,” she says. “Now our work can begin.”

I feel my knees turn to rubber. I sink down onto a stone that juts out of the cavern wall. Yvonne edges closer to me, her dark eyes wide and wary as she looks between me and the Endless.

“What devilry is this?” she demands.

I hazard another look at the Endless. My stomach threatens to rebel, but I keep my gorge down. “You...you're...”

A smile plays around the Endless' wrinkled mouth. Vague amusement flickers in her bright blue eyes. “I am you,” she confirms patiently. “Yes. Don't worry. The suit will prevent a paradox from being caused by our proximity to one another.”

Ice water flows in my veins. I hug myself, shivering. The armor of polished amber that I wear rattles just a little. It is the armor of Andromeda, my Hadean zodiac sign. Less than a full day ago, I discovered it on the roof of a dorm building at Hartfeld University, half-submerged in molten lava, and yet comfortably cool to the touch. After a total of six months trapped on La Huerta, my friends and I had found our way home—only to discover that our home had burned the same day we left it.

“You lied to us!” Uqzhaal's angry voice pulls me back to the present. “Lied to the Vaanti...for generations!”

The Endless does not flinch as she regards the blue-skinned shaman. “I did not lie,” she replies mildy. “The Twelve are integral to preserving Vaanu.”

“You used my people as mere pawns! Fodder! Caring only for your so-called Catalysts!”

“You needed something to believe in, didn't you?” the Endless retorts. Uqzhaal's jaw tightens. He glares at her, his crimson eyes snapping with fury, hurt, and betrayal. There is a smugness in the Endless' smile that fills me with the desire to slap her, but that urge quickly deflates. I want to reach out to Uqzhaal and offer him comfort, but I am paralyzed. What could I possibly say, when the most terrible part of all of this is my certainty that it is all sickeningly, terrifyingly true?

Two-thousand one-hundred thirty-nine. That's how many times the Endless has watched her friends die. And probably several versions of herself—of me—as well. Unbidden, their faces flash through my mind. Diego. Jake. Estela. Sean. Craig. Michelle. Raj. Quinn. Zahra. Grace. Aleister. The Endless gave them names that the Vaanti would know them by. She named them after constellations in the Hadean zodiac. But knowing now who is behind that helmet, those names start to take on new meaning.

Diego. My oldest and dearest friend, my brother in all but name. Canis. The dog. What more fitting symbol for my sweet, tender-hearted best friend than man's best friend? Jake, my lover. Once a lone wolf, now fighting for his pack. The Endless named him Lupus. Proud, fiery Estela, as deadly as she is beautiful and majestic, is the Dragon. Sean is Aquila, a noble eagle. Craig is a bear, fiercely protective and steadfastly loyal. Michelle is a beautiful peacock. Raj is a centaur, as wild as he is wise. Quinn is a gentle dolphin and Zahra a crow, the symbol of the trickster in many cultures. Grace is a swan, beautiful to look at, but not to be trifled with. And Aleister...Aleister, who betrayed us all at MASADA. Though I care for him as much as the others, the Endless called him Serpens. The snake.

“I know this must all seem very strange,” the Endless remarks, pulling me back to the present. “Is there anything you'd like to ask me, Alodia?”

I am silent for a long moment, my thoughts racing. I don't know where any of my friends are. I was unconscious when Yvonne pulled me from the frigid water surrounding the MASADA complex. The last thing I remember is Jake's terrified face as he reached for me while I clung to the landing skid of the doomed Arachnid chopper. Sean, Estela, and Craig were also in that chopper. Zahra had been pulled out by Lundgren. Quinn...Quinn had vanished into thin air. Overtaken by the Island's spirit, she had stopped the missle from killing us all instantly, even if the blast wave had ultimately destroyed the chopper. Raj, Michelle, and Diego had managed to escape with Varyyn, but God only knows where they are now.

...But...they are alive. I know they are alive. Because if they were not, the Endless would not be standing in front of me now. ...This is the first time I have made it this far. The first time in two-thousand one-hundred thirty-nine loops that I have made it to the threshold with all twelve idols and every one of my friends still alive.

I look up at the Endless, swallowing. “Wh-what is this 'work' you mentioned doing?”

“Everett Rourke seeks to harvest La Huerta's time-altering energy by triggering the island's destruction. We cannot allow that.”

“So...you can't just go back in time and terminate his parents or something?”

“I told you, I cannot leave this island. My powers are restricted to this time bubble. Besides, there is no need. There's a crux of extradimensional crystal inside the core of the volcano. All of the fragments on the island originate from it. By harnessing the crux's power, you and I will stop Rourke for good. We must act quickly though. Now that he has the Island's Heart, Rourke has no more use for the Catalysts. Or me. And he is not one to leave loose ends.”

“Yeah.” I mutter. “I got that impression. But...how is any of this possible? What are you? What...am I?”

The Endless lowers her mechanical right hand toward the tunnel floor. “My journey to self-discovery was long and difficult. Yours will happen much faster. It's important, however, that you develop that understanding on your own.”

Flames swirl from the Endless' metal fingertips, igniting a line of black powder that I had not even noticed was there. An orange spark travels the trail's length, disappearing around a bend in the tunnel.

“In the end,” she continues, “it's up to you to decide who you truly are.”

I don't know how to answer that. I feel a deep, cold fear spreading over me like a stain, filling me to bursting and leaving me empty all at once. I want my friends here. I want Diego. I want Jake. I want all of them. I want to hold them and beg them not to leave me, not to let me slip away. I want them to tell me who I am...

A distant explosion echoes through the caverns. The Endless nods with satisfaction.

“There. That should activate the crux. We'll...” She trails off abruptly, frowning. I barely notice the tremor at first. It's so subtle, it might as well be my own heart fluttering with anxiety. But the Endless looks alarmed. “...This is not as I'd expected.”

The earth under my feet pitches violently, throwing me to the ground. I go sprawling, tumbling into Yvonne. The walls around us shake and a blast of blisteringly hot wind rushes through the tunnel.

“The mountain is erupting!” Uqzhaal cries.

“Right now?!” I shriek.

A blood-curdling howl rises above the roar of the explosion, coming from somewhere below us, sounding like a cruel mockery of a human voice. Yvonne clutches me.

“By the black depths, what--”

“Now I understand,” the Endless interrupts her. “The core is missing. Destablizing the entire structure. We need to leave immediately.”

No one needs to be told twice. We charge through the caves towards the mouth of the Threshold, Uqzhaal supported between me and Yvonne. Hot air licks at our backs, spurring us on until we burst back into the open air.

A plume of fire and smoke billows from Mount Atropo's summit. Streams of shimmering lava ooze down the slopes like blood trickling from a wound. Uqzhaal closes his eyes, slumped with despair.

“Too late,” he murmurs. “It's all too late. Raan'losti has come.”

Yvonne puts herself in the path of the Endless, stopping her in her tracks. “Arrete, demon!” the pirate snaps. “You told me that if I brought you Alodia, you would give me the Fountain.”

“The legendary Fountain of Youth. Yes. It's inside the mountain just as you and your fellow pirates believed. But not in the form you expected. In any case, I wouldn't go back there now.” The Endless gestures toward the mountaintop, where geysers of lava are rocketing into the night sky. “This is no ordinary eruption. The entire island is about to change. Just as it did when Rourke tampered with the crux.”

I stare at her in disbelief. “You didn't know this would happen?” I cry angrily. “You saw everything else, but not this?!”

“This is as new to me as it is to you,” she confirms grimly.

Helpless tears are burning in my eyes. “Can't we just go back in time and stop it?” I ask pleadingly.

“These kinds of eruptions cannot be reverted. They shatter apart time itself.”

“So you are saying the Fountain is lost?” Yvonne asks.

“What you seek can be found to the east,” the Endless replies. “There is another temple on the coast. A place once known as No'ax Naj. Your brother, Patrice--”

She is cut off by a bubble of lava that crashes into the nearby slopes, converging with a pyroclastic flow that starts to ooze down the mountain toward us.

“Oh, god...” I whimper. “I don't think we're going to survive this...”

“Alodia!” The Endless' sharp voice draws my eyes instantly to her face. She has pinned me with a penetrating gaze. “Listen to me. You are the miracle I've waited for. You're the only one who could keep everyone safe. I need you to recover the Island's Heart from Rourke. With it, we can preserve La Huerta and protect our friends. Do you understand?”

“I...” My voice falters. I close my mouth and open it again. “...I...”

“Alodia, do you understand?!” Suddenly, in the Endless, I can hear my own voice clearer than ever. In her eyes, I see her love for our friends. Our family. All we love in the world. All we have left.

“...Yes. I understand.”

“Good. Stand back.” We do as she tells us. The Endless affixes her helmet to her head. Slowly, she extends her arms toward the approaching inferno. “Go. Find everyone. Find the Island's Heart!”

And then she's gone, vanished beneath the rising blaze.

“No! Wait!”

“Laisse tomber!” Yvonne snaps, grabbing my arm. “We must go!”

She drags me off, and the three of us take off, crashing through the rainforest. As we crest a hill, I dare to look back. A sea of liquid fire is gathering at the base of the volcano, glowing hellish red. My chest feels tight. That's what the whole world looks like, on the other side of La Huerta's time bubble. A lifeless sea of lava that gleams the color of blood.

“We should be safe up here,” Uqzhaal murmurs. A series of yellow flashes light up the sky, reflecting the smoky clouds drifting off the mountain. Yvonne frowns.

“...A storm?”

“Not a natural one,” Uqzhaal says grimly. Then, I see something familiar. Yellow-orange orbs of energy flaring to life in the sky, exploding into wild arcs of lighting.

“It's happening again. ...Just like when we flew in....” A deafening crack like thunder rips through the air as several tongues of lightning lash out at the earth, igniting the foliage around us.

“Zut alors!”

“No longer safe!” Uqzhaal exclaims. “We must move! Quickly!”

I hear the telltale crackle of splintering wood, and feel the rush of air as the tree trunk hurtles toward me. Acting on pure instinct, I spring out of the way, diving into the smoking brush. The tree crashes to the ground, sending up a thick cloud of sparks and smoke. The next breath I draw fills my lungs with smoke that burns like cinders. My lungs rebel violently. If I don't get away from the smoke, I almost expect them to climb up my throat to escape on their own.

“Alodia...!” Yvonne's voice is thick and strained. “Got to...keep...moving...”

I try to answer her, but my throat is already swollen almost shut. The most I can manage is a whimper as I stagger to my feet, only to land on my knees again. The fiery glow around me is growing brighter as trees and undergrowth are rapidly consumed. My head is starting to swim. My vision narrows, filling with static at the edges. I can only pray that the smoke kills me before I start to feel the flames...

A hand, the palm rough with callouses, grasps my wrist. I feel my arm pulled over a pair of shoulders. Another arm wraps around my waist and pulls me firmly against a torso. As I'm hoisted to my feet, a familiar, gruff voice cuts through the haze in my brain.

“...I ain't losin' you twice, Princess.”

I look up weakly, hardly daring to believe it. “...Jake?”

“Let's get you out of here.” I manage to get my feet under me enough to limp out of the immediate danger zone. Through the curtain of smoke, I can see another familiar figure. Estela, bracing Yvonne, keeps close to us. As I manage to take in a few lungfuls of clean air, my head starts to clear. The spastic coughs tearing through my chest start to ease. Jake holds a canteen to my lips, and I take a long swallow of water before passing it to Yvonne. He rubs my back.

“You all right?”

“I think so.” I grin shakily. “Nice timing, by the way.”

“Oui, the two of you really know how to sweep in at just the right moment,” Yvonne agrees, winking at Jake. “How do you call it when there are two couples? A...'double date'?”

Jake snorts. “You wish.”

“Can we save the flirting for when we're not about to be burned alive?” Estela snaps.

“Wait...” I look around, my stomach twisting as I realize that someone is missing. “Where's Uqzhaal?”

“He was on the other side of the fallen tree,” Yvonne says grimly.

“Grandpa Smurf knows these jungles better than we do. We're gonna have to hope he can make it out on his own.”

“But...” Another flash of ball lightning rents the sky apart, raining down arcs of electricity. I turn to Jake. “H-how did you find us?”

“The chopper went down right after you fell. We've been combing the forest while Cap and Big Guy search along the eastern coast.”

“So Sean and Craig are all right?”

“We can only hope,” Estela murmurs. “It's been three days since we saw them.”

“Didn't think it'd take this much time to find you, but Michonne over here will tell you that I'm wrong every great once in a while.”

“Th-three days?!” Relief gives way to dread again. “But we were only separated a few hours ag--”

“Stop!” Estela cuts me off sharply. “What's that up ahead?”

On the path ahead of us, rays of bright blue light stream from a glowing rift hovering in the air. It as if the air itself has been torn apart. A wound in the skin of reality...

“It's...like a window,” Yvonne remarks. “There is a...place on the other side...”

A piercing shriek echoes from the other side of the rift. I squint, peering through the tear, where I can clearly see a herd of dinosaurs roving through a prehistoric jungle—as well as a massive pterodactyl streaking through the sky, diving straight towards the rift.

“Run for it!” I scream. I don't have to tell anyone twice. We launch away from the rift just as the prehistoric creature bursts through and soars into the sky on leathery wings.

“C'est un monstre!” Yvonne gasps.

“Dinosaur,” Jake corrects her. “But close enough for my mustard.” Overhead, the creature disappears into the darkening clouds.

“Okay, let's not hang around this rift or whatever it is. I am in no mood to be a dinosaur dinner.”

“Agreed,” Estela says flatly. The four of us run on into the forest until the rift disappears behind us. Finally, we dare to slow down for a moment.

“This kind of thing didn't happen during the last storm,” I murmur. “...Did it?”

“Hard to say,” Jake replies. “I was busy trying to keep Delilah from making a swan dive into the Caribbean at the time.”

“We were lucky.” Estela's voice is soft and heavy. “We were spared...along with this island. And now there's nothing out there to go back to.”

Jakes reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder. “Take it easy, Ripley. I ain't having you crack at a time like this.”

Estela shrugs off his hand. “I'm not cracking!” she snarls. “I'm being honest with myself. Everything's gone. This is all we have now.”

Any response any of us might have had is cut off by another series of blue flashes ahead of us. Two more tears in reality float among the trees.

“Looks like Rourke's about to get that prehistoric theme park he always wanted,” Jake mutters. The ground under my feet heaves suddenly, a spasm that throws me right into Jake's arms. He grabs a tree branch, bracing himself, and I see Estela and Yvonne do the same.

“What now?” Yvonne moans in exasperation. The earth heaves again, groaning as the forest floor splits apart behind us. A blood-red light burns through the network of fissures, followed quickly by bubbling lava that bleeds out over the forest floor. Everything it touches immediately bursts into flames. Jake swears through gritted teeth.

“Figures. My day was going well for once.”

“The rifts!” Estela shouts. “We've got no choice!”

“Copy that!” Jake agrees, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards one of the rifts.

“Wait! Are you sure it's safe?”

“Again, we don't have a choice! Come on, Princess! Hurry!”

For a moment, everything is a blur. A blue flash, searing heat and hellish red light, then warm, muggy air engulfs me and I'm on the ground, clasped in Jake's arms. The roar of the eruption is suddenly gone, replaced with the chirping of insects and gentle, lapping water. I raise my head and take in the scene around me, the mossy bank beside a softly flowing river. To my horror, I realize that Jake and I are the only ones here. Jake lifts his head, meeting my eyes.

“You okay?”

“I'm fine...where are Estela and Yvonne?”

“I think they're okay. I saw them dive at the other rift.” He helps me to my feet. “...Looks safe enough here...”

I turn around, peering through the rift behind me. I can still see the burning rainforest. I can also almost make out the second rift, and Estela's face on the other side. She meets my eyes and nods. My heartbeat slows its frantic rhythm. I back away from the rift.

“...I guess we'll have to pass the time here until the fire dies down.”

“Guess so,” Jake agrees. We sit down by the water's edge. He picks up a stone and tosses it into the gentle current. “Whatever this place is, it's a dead ringer for Pearl River.”

For the first time since MASADA went up in flames, I start to feel a genuine smile playing around my mouth. “Is that where you grew up?”

“Yeah. We moved around a bit before I headed off to Annapolis, but my grandparents always had their place out in the backcountry. That house was the center of the family.”

“What was it like there?”

“It's a different world out there. Simpler way of life.”

I sigh. “Simple sounds pretty nice right now...”

“You're tellin' me. ...My sister and I would spend the day swimming, fishing, pranking the neighbor kids... Our favorite trick was a little thing called 'Crabby Britches'.”

“'Crabby Britches'? You mean...”

He grins. “Exactly what it sounds like. Strategically placed crawdad when you least expect it.”

I can't help laughing. God, how long has it been since I laughed...? It can't have been more than a few days, but it feels like a lifetime.

“You two were little brats,” I say, elbowing him lightly.

“We were. It was great. But I'm sure you and Petey got into your fair share of trouble, too.”

“...Yeah...” I try to swallow the fear that bubbles up in me at the mention of Diego. “I'm sure we did...”

“Hold still.”

“What? Why?” His hand flies up and gives my neck a sharp swat that makes me jump. “Hey!”

He grins at me, wiping his fingers on his pants. “Maringwin. Otherwise known as a mosquito. Got him though. Not to worry.”

I chuckle. “My hero.”

“I do what I can. Can't have my Princess itchy.” His smile seems to slip very suddenly. He turns his gaze towards the water, his eyes distant.

“...Something wrong?”

He doesn't answer me immediately. Then, he sighs heavily. “...I keep going back to the moment I lost him.”

I instantly know who he's talking about. “...Mike...”

“Lundgren got his claws in him. Made him something inhuman. I could have saved Mike from all of this...And I didn't. And now whatever's left of him is in there watching, suffering...” His voice breaks, and tears start to glisten on his eyelashes. He looks back at me, helplessness and desperation in his eyes. “...I can't take it, Princess...”

I draw him into my arms, guiding his head down onto my shoulder. He clings to me, shuddering. As I rub his back, the tears start to come in earnest. I hold him while he cries, rocking him gently, just as he did for me back at the Celestial, when I feared Diego was gone forever after having been a prisoner for six months.

“We're gonna get him out,” I murmur soothingly. “That's a promise.”

Jake shudders, gulping audibly. He slowly sits back, scrubbing at his eyes. He nods. “...We will. No matter what it takes.”

“Damn right.” I lay a hand on his back, making slow, gentle circles. He exhales slowly, shaking his head.

“...Helluva place, this island...”

“You're telling me,” I say wryly.

“We've been through a lot here. But I gotta say...for you, Alodia, I'd do it all again.” He reaches over to take my hand, and leans in to rest his forehead against mine. I grip his hand, and let my other arm wind around him to draw him closer. Outside, the world is burning, nine out of the eleven people I love most in the world are missing, and some version of me is an old woman in a red spacesuit with a skeletal claw where her right hand should be. But in here, I am in his arms. Just for a moment, I don't need anything else.

“...Hey, Top Gun?”

“Yeah, Princess?”

“...Kiss me. Now.”

He chuckles. “Don't mind if I do.” His lips find mine, warm and soft. I taste them hungrily, and he answers with slow, gentle passion, caressing my mouth as if he wants to savor it. Even when we break the kiss, he keeps his forehead on mine, reaching up to run his fingers through my hair.

“Hey, Princess...you ever think...maybe...we were meant to be?”

I nod against him, nuzzling him like a cat. “I do think that. Yes.” I have to. If I believe anything less, if only for a moment...I don't know how I could bear it.

“All the craziness this place has thrown at us couldn't keep us apart. Even brought us to this Land Before Time swamp that looks just like my old stomping grounds.”

“I'm glad I could see it with you.”

“Me too, Princess.”

I feel something heavy settle in the pit of my stomach. Images still nag at the back of my mind: a red spacesuit, a mechanical limb, my own aged face. ...And another face, the face of my best friend and brother. I don't even know if he's safe. Jake kisses the top of my head. Over his shoulder, I see the shimmering rift. The sliver of rainforest visible through the tear is dark and smokey.

“I think the fire's died down.”

“Well. As we say in the south, 'tempus sho' does fugit'.” He exaggerates his Louisiana drawl to such an extreme that I can't help laughing. He grins and stands, holding out his hands to help me to my feet. “You ready?”

Hand in hand, we emerge from the rift. The ground is still a little hot through the soles of my shoes, and covered in writhing smoke. The cracks in the forest floor still emit a faint glow, but the surrounding brush is no longer in flames. Estela stands near the second rift.

“Welcome back.”

“...Where's Yvonne?”

“A third rift opened just before we dove in.” She gestures at it. “I think she got into it all right.”

Jake hops over a cooling fissure and peers into the third rift. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he speaks into the gleaming tear. “Ground control to Buccaneer Barbie. You can come out now.”

Yvonne's head pokes out of the rift. After taking a moment to observe her surroundings, the rest of her emerges.

“That was a surprisingly pleasant sieste. Shall we be on our way?”

“Absolutely,” I agree. “Let's get moving before that volcano comes up with a new way to kill us.”

I hazard a glance back at the mountain as we trudge on through the rainforest. The eruption continues, lighting the night sky with geysers of fire. I find Jake's hand and keep a tight grip on it. For almost two hours, we continue in relative silence. Then, the shoreline comes into view through the trees ahead of us. We emerge from the jungle, arriving at a wide, moonlit cove. Pillars of natural rock rise from the see like fingers grasping at the stars.

“...Where are we...?”

“Magnifique, non?” Yvonne remarks, smiling at me. “Colonnade Cove. A trecherous harbor that only master sailors dare traverse.”

“So now what?” Estela murmurs.

“I...guess we have a look around,” Jake replies.

“And what exactly are you expecting to find? Look at the mountains. We're on the northern side of the island.”

“You said Sean and Craig were searching to the east, right?” I ask.

“Yes,” she replies flatly, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “And the eastern coast is probably one giant inferno of lava right now. ...We took too long.” She cries out suddenly, a loud, angry, helpless sound that makes me jump, and kicks furiously at a boulder.

“Hey,” Jake murmurs. “We'll find them, Trinity. Just relax.” Estela whirls on Jake, dark eyes flashing, and pins him with an icy glare.

“Use my name or don't speak to me again!” she growls through gritted teeth. Jake is too startled to answer immediately.

“Estela...” I say softly. I approach her cautiously, but she turns sharply away, sitting down hard on the sand.

“We were idiots to think we could all make it through this together,” she whispers. “Honestly, I doubt anyone is getting out of here alive.”

“Ahh, pardonnez-moi...but do you happen to see something out by that cliff?” I look where Yvonne is pointing, at a shadowy outcropping of rock a short distance away. I squint, but I can't make out anything unusual.

“Uh...more...beach?” Jake says uncertainly.

I'm about to give up and turn my attention back to Estela when I see it: something shimmering between the stone pillars. An indistinct humanoid figure approaching across the beach, appearing to reflect the silver moonlight.

“There!” I point. “I...think it's coming closer.”

“Is that...the shaman?” Jake calls out. “Jumanji! That you?”

The figure doesn't respond. Its approach is unhurried. I gulp, feeling my heart beat faster.

“Wh-who's there?”

Again, there is no answer. But now it is close enough to make out, and a chill races down my spine. The figure is shaped like a human, but it is translucent, sexless, its face without features. Green light undulates within its body, reflecting off the lines of a flat, broad chest and wide hips. Jake sucks in a sharp breath.

“...Holy...”

“What the hell?” I breathe, barely aware that I've said anything.

Yvonne backs away, her eyes wide with terror. “Non non non! This is too much! Yvonne will not suffer ghosts!” Before any of us can react, she turns on her heel, running for a cluster of palm trees. The fleeing pirate seems to shake Estela enough that she turns to look. When she sees the creature, her eyes go wide, her jaw dropping.

The figure approaches Estela. Jake and I tense, but the ghost's pace is slow enough that any of us could flee if we felt threatened, and it stops a few paces short of Estela. Its eyeless gaze seems to fall on Estela's grief-tinged face, as if studying it.

“What is this?” Estela whispers. “W-what's happening?”

The figure stretches a hand toward her, as if offering something. In fact, I can just make out an object within its luminous grasp. Estela gasps softly, a hand flying to her mouth.

“Is...is that...?” She looks up at the featureless face. “How did you get that?!”

“What is it? What does it have?”

“It's...it's a photo. A photo I kept at home in San Trobida. It's me, my mother, and Tio Nicolas...” She shakes her head. “It can't be real. Everything out there is burned to cinders.” Her whole body quivers as she stares at the spectral entity, her eyes wide and fearful. The light within the ghosts body falters. I read a sort of desperation in it as it turns and extends the photo to me. I look down at the picture, which is slowly darkening at its edges, flaking, looking as if its about to burst into flames. I reach out to grasp the picture. Before my eyes, the figure's body dissolves into smoke that dissipates in a matter of seconds. I turn to Estela, holding the photo out to her. With a trembling hand, she reaches out for it. The moment her fingers brush the picture, my whole world flashes white.

The experience is familiar. Too familiar. It's happened to me before on this island, too many times. I brace myself for visions, steeling myself to watch helplessly while Estela suffers...

I find myself in an unfamiliar room, sparsely decorated, but cozy and warm. A bearded older man, his graying hair tied back with a leather thong, leans over a desk, tinkering with an old typewriter, muttering in Spanish.

“Come on, you tonto...” He thumps the typewriter's cabinet with his fists. The machine clangs as its keys click back into place. The man snorts impatiently and sits back to resume typing. But as his fingers hover over the keys, he sighs. “...Now I've forgotten where I was.”

A knock at the door makes him look up. Without waiting for an invitation, Estela enters, pushing the door open with her back to accommodate the large box in her arms. The man gestures melodramatically.

“Ah. And here is my niece who thinks she can fix everything with her fancy college degree!”

Estela grins, rolling her eyes indulgently. “Hola, Tio Nicolas. I have something for you.”

Nicolas eyes the box suspiciously. It bears the image of a desktop computer.

“Estelita, I told you, I don't want that. Everything's traceable with computers.”

“You're not going to use it for planning revolutions, Tio. It's for your memoirs. You're never going to finish them on that rusty old thing.”

“It works just fine!” Nicolas declares indignantly.

“Does it?” Estela raises an eyebrow, gesturing at a thin stack of haphazardly typed pages on the desk. “Tio, how are you going to inspire generations of San Trobidans with your life's story if you can't even get a single chapter done?”

Nicolas opens his mouth to retort, but nothing comes out. He sighs. “All right, all right. I know how futile it is to argue with you.”

“Good.” She kisses his cheek. “Now help me unpack it.” They kneel together beside the box and Estela pops open the cardboard flaps.

“You never give up,” Nicolas grumbles good-naturedly. “Just like your mother. I should call you Livita.”

“I'm not a little girl anymore, Tio,” Estela complains, transferring a bundle of packing material into his hands.

“No, you're not. She would be very proud to see you now, all grown up and on your way to great things.” He sighs. “You should be somewhere exciting and full of promising young people. New York, London...”

“I like it here.”

“San Trobida is your past, Estelita.”

“It's my home. We fought for this place, remember?”

“I will never forget. But we're free of Salazar's corruption now. And we've sent a signal that fascism will not be tolerated here ever again.”

“Yes. And now it's time to take care of ourselves. Time to rebuild and plan for the future.”

“Are you...thinking of starting a family?”

Estela smiles conspiratorially. “Maybe I am.”

“Ha! Didn't think I'd see the day. Perhaps I'll even be a tio abuelo. Ahh, how the time escapes me.” His eyes start to mist over. He brushes at them, a bit self-consciously. Estela pretends not to notice as she plugs in the computer tower and powers it on. She hands her uncle the instruction manual.

“You got it from here? Call me if you need any help.”

“Help?” he scoffs. “I'll be fine. Just...show me where I insert the paper?”

Estela laughs merrily, putting her arms around him. “Oh, Tio.”

With another bright flash, I am back on the beach. My heart spasms in my throat, and my hands are shaking. I look up at Estela, who stares at the photo, her cheeks wet with tears.

“You two okay?” Jake asks worriedly. Estela looks up, locking eyes with me. In that moment, I know that she saw the vision, too, a revelation that leaves me breathless.

“I...was that...how...?”

“I think...” I say slowly, “...that we were seeing the future. A future that could have been.”

“Yes...” Estela swallows, her gaze drifting toward the shore. It lingers there, watching the waves breaking over the shore. I watch with her as foaming tongues taste the sand and then draw back again, leaving behind patches of dark, wet shadow.

I feel myself yanked off balance suddenly, pulled into Estela's strong arms. She clutches me hard, cradling my head against her soft breast. I lift my arms to grip her in return.

“It's okay,” I murmur, rubbing her back. “It's okay...”

“I'd forgotten how much I miss my home,” she whispers. “When I was little, all I wanted was to have a family one day...”

I don't really know what to say to that. I can only tighten my arms around her. After a moment, she pulls back, looking down at the photo in her hands. She brushes the tears from her eyes and looks up, pinning her gaze on me, then Jake, and then on me again.

“...We're going to fix this.” There is determination in her voice. Determination and fierce certainty. I cannot help but feel my confidence swelling. Apparently, neither can Jake.

“Damn right we are,” he says with a grin.

“No more anger. No more despair. We owe it to ourselves to fight for the future with all we've got.” She looks down at the picture in her hands, and presses it to her heart. “I think maybe I...I just needed to see it to keep believing in it.”

Jake nods, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. “Now that's the Estela I know.”

She lifts her head sharply, glaring at him. “It's Katniss, cabrón.”

Jake laughs. “You got it, Katniss.”

Estela draws in a deep breath, as if centering herself. “All right. Sean and Craig must've seen the eruption coming. Hopefully, the found a safe place to wait it out.”

Approaching footsteps make us all turn. Yvonne is jogging up to us. She stops, clearing her throat.

“Mes amis! While I was...ah...scouting, I found something else. Come. Follow me.” Without waiting for a reply, she takes off again, leading us further down the beach and around a bend. In the distance, we can make out a cluster of huts resting in the shadow of a larger cliff.

“A...village?” I squint. “Those look like Vaanti huts!”

“Maybe someone there will know where the other Catalysts are,” Jake suggests. “We're supposed to be kind of a big deal, after all...”

I look back at my friends. “Well, there's only one way to find out.”

Chapter Text

We make our way over to the cluster of huts. As we approach, I realize that some of them actually appear to be stalls, but if there are any wares for sale, they've all been packed away for the night.

“It's...some kind of market,” Jake murmurs. “But it looks like everything's shuttered up.”

I start to feel doubt creeping in at the edge of my mind. “Do you really think someone out here might have seen our friends?”

“It is an island after all,” Yvonne remarks with a shrug. I'm not sure if that answer is a yes or a no.

“Guess we're gonna hafta start pounding on doors.” Jake walks up to what looks like the central hut and raises his fist to knock. But before his fist meets the wood, a small round window on the door flies open. I yelp as a male Vaanti, his face covered by a bright orange frog mask with enormous red lips, appears in the window.

“Salabok tijii!” he growls. “We're closed!”

“Even for the Catalysts?” I ask.

Jake nods. “Twelve Catalysts of myth and legend. Well...three of them at the moment. Perhaps you've heard of us?”

“Catalysts, you say? Yes. That is very impressive. Still closed.” He grunts, drawing back from the window, preparing to close it. “There were others like you at the cove recently. But not nearly as annoying!”

“Others?” I gasp. “Like us? Who? How many?”

“How should I know? Go away!”

“Wait! I, uh...I might have something that'll interest you...”

Jake looks at me in surprise. “You're gonna barter with this guy?”

I pull off my backpack and dig around inside for something that might be useful. Unfortunately, I don't seem to have much. I've got the destroyed time-portal gun, an amber arrowhead that he probably has dozens of, a few filthy quarters that have probably been there since before I even left on this trip, a bottle of Midol that's probably been there even longer than the quarters...I look around frantically, and spot something sticking out of the pocket of Jake's green bomber jacket.

“How about this sublime cigar?” I pluck Lundgren's partially-smoked Havana cigar from Jake's pocket and hold it up. “You haven't lived until you've tried one of these babies!”

Jake grins. “Princess ain't wrong. I, uh...may have sampled it a little...”

“Hmm.” The Vaanti strokes his chin. “Promising.”

I hold it out to him. “Okay, so I'll trade it to you for--”

“Gurgi does not need it,” he snaps. “Have several. ...Your selling technique, though. That has promise.”

“I...what...?”

He stares at me for a moment, chuckling softly. “Come back tomorrow and Gurgi will have a business proposition for you.” With that, he slams the window shut.

“Rude,” Estela mutters in irritation. Jake brings a hand to his mouth, trying in vain to cover a yawn. It occurs to me that he and Estela have probably not had a proper night's sleep in three days.

“Sounds like our best bet'll be to ask around in the morning,” he murmurs.

“Agreed. In the meantime, we should probably all get some sleep.”

“Good call, Princess. I think that patch of sand over there is callin' my name.”

“I will take the first watch,” Yvonne volunteers.

We find a secluded spot near the treeline to spend the night. Before I sleep, I take off the heaviest pieces of my amber armor and set them aside. As much as I feel safer wearing it, particularly since it protected me from a hail of bullets back at MASADA, there's just no way I could possibly sleep in it. I lie down in the sand, curling up on my side. Jake's arm curls around me, and pulls me gently against his chest. I feel him kiss my ear.

“You looked like you needed a big spoon.”

I smile in the darkness, twining my fingers through his. “I definitely did.”

Curled up with Jake, feeling secure and protected in his embrace, I let my exhaustion take me, dropping immediately into deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The distant sound of shouting breaks through the darkness. Blearily, I climb back towards consciousness, making my way to wakefulness through a dense fog. I open my eyes to find Yvonne standing in front of a market stall, now laden with wares. The same Vaanti from last night, the one with the frog mask, is there, looking highly agitated.

“Gurgi said go away!” he shouts. “We have had enough of your kind raiding and pillaging!”

“Not all of us are like that, ami,” Yvonne protests. “Some of the most respectable people you will ever meet are pirates!”

“Oh, really? Is that why you pocketed those mezzberries?”

“What, these? Were they not samples?”

“You're all the same! Thieving good-for-nothings!”

Behind me, Jake stirs, sitting up groggily. “Mmmuh...whershtha fire...?” he mumbles. Nearby, Estela pushes herself up on her hands, blinking sleepily. I sit up and start to gather the discarded pieces of my armor, putting them back on.

“Come now!” Yvonne is saying. “I'm a customer like everyone else.”

“Leave! Unless you have some throats to cut or property to steal!”

“C'est dommage,” Yvonne sighs. She turns and walks back over to us.

“Everything okay?” I ask, fastening my cuirass. She merely shrugs, munching on a handful of berries.

I look back at the collection of huts. The little area seems to have come alive with Vaanti now, weaving in and out of stalls, examining the wares. The trader in the frog mask is trying to get their attention.

“Kostarii!” he calls. “Gurgi's stall is where dreams are bought and sold! Come trade with one who is patronized by Elyyshar Varyyn himself!”

Any lingering sleepiness vanishes in an instant. “Varyyn?” Three Catalysts escaped MASADA with Varyyn. And one of them was my best friend.

“That's our cue,” Jake says, getting to his feet. He, Estela, and I rush over to the stalls, Yvonne following behind us with a scowl on her face. Several Vaanti turn as we approach, peering curiously at us behind their masks. Gurgi looks up at me.

“Ahh! Just the one Gurgi wanted to see! Come, there's a deal to be made!”

I rush over eagerly. “Varyyn was here? When? Where did he go?”

Gurgi looks up at the crowd, and then back at the wares on his counter. “Gurgi can take you to the elyyshar. But first your help is needed. You see, there hasn't been a single sale today. If things don't turn around soon, Gurgi will have to close permanently.”

“We didn't come here looking for a job!” Estela snaps.

“Just help complete one barter,” Gurgi pleads. “Then we go see the elyyshar.”

I grit my teeth, curling my hands into fists. I don't want to delay. Diego was with Varyyn. I want him back. But I know better than to bite the hand that feeds me.

“...I...suppose that sounds simple enough.”

“Hawk Frog Mart's wares?” Jake says, shaking his head in dismay. “What even is most of this stuff?”

“Pah! The value of my goods will be obvious to any who see them!”

“If you say so,” Estela says skeptically. We each gather an item, and wander through the market, trying our luck with the various patrons. I pick up what looks like some kind of doll made out of wood and leaves. After about thirty minutes, I've gotten nowhere. And it doesn't seem the others have had much luck, either.

“Aw, come on!” Jake says to a disinterested Vaanti woman. “It's, uh...a hat made of bananas! What's not to like?”

“Come and get your seaweed crackers!” Yvonne calls. “Mes amis, I can attest to their deliciousness!” She stuffs one into her mouth.

“No, no!” Gurgi cries. “Those are opaba lisi! Dried leeches!” Yvonne's eyes widen and she spits out the mouthful onto the sand, gagging.

Nearby, Estela thrusts a bag at another Vaanti, her exasperation plain. “It's simple. I give you this bag of seashells and you give me something in return. Ready? And go.”

“Go,” the Vaanti repeats. Then he turns and continues on his way. I sigh, tossing the doll thing back on the counter. I wander over to Yvonne and cup my hands over my mouth, calling out to the gathered crowd, “Anyone wanna trade for some opaba lisi?”

To my mild surprise, a ram-masked Vaanti turns eagerly toward me. “Opaba lisi? Koh!” He removes a wriggling centipede from a pouch at his waist and holds it out to me.

“Oh!” I look down at the squirming thing. “You want to give me that in exchange?”

“Khalarat ryysa! Tosskal!” The man drops the cetipede into my hand, and happily accepts a handful of dessicated leeches.

“Yes, indeed,” Gurgi declares. “Opoba lisi is a powerful aphrodisiac.”

“Really?” Jake asks, wandering up to us. “Go figure.”

I glance over at Yvonne, who seems to have cornered a male Vaanti beside a hut.

“Mmm, I do like a man of mystery,” she says coquettishly. “Perhaps you'll give me a glimpse of your handsome face?”

The Vaanti lets out a weak, “Uhhh...”, glancing around for an escape route.

“An aphrodisiac is about the last thing she needs,” Estela remarks. I chuckle, turning to hand the cetipede to Gurgi. He accepts it eagerly.

“Oh, thank you, Catalysts! You have saved me!”

“Oh, don't thank us,” Estela says with a smile. “That was all Alodia.”

“Seriously, nice work, Princess.” But my attention is on Gurgi.

“Okay, we made a sale. Will you tell us where Varyyn and our friends are now?”

Gurgi pulls out a small bundle wrapped in leaves and places it on the counter. “These are the elyyshar's requested goods. He and his entourage are camped in a hidden inlet west of the cove.” He points toward a gap in the cliff face, through which I can see an expanse of beach. “Perhaps you would not mind delivering these goods to Elyyshar Varyyn?”

I don't need to be asked twice. I snatch up the bundle and run towards the inlet. Jake and Estela follow close behind me. I hear Yvonne's voice from across the market.

“I will be here if you need me, mes amis! Now where were we, mon beau mec bleu?” ...Good lord, I hope the poor man manages to escape. But selfish as it probably is, I can't think about him right now. I am thinking about another man.

We duck between an opening in the cliffs and arrive on a secluded strip of beach. Michelle, Raj, Varyyn, and Diego are sitting together on the sand. I drop the bundle and race towards them, my heart in my throat.

“Diego! Diego!” Diego turns and immediately leaps to his feet, his eyes wide.

“Allie!” I throw my arms around his neck and he scoops me up, gripping me so hard it almost hurts, even through my armor. “You're okay! I knew it! I knew you had to be okay!”

“It's Alodia! It's Alodia!” Raj's massive frame nearly knocks me and Diego over when he joins in the hug.

“Alodia, thank goodness...” Michelle comes up on the other side to add herself to the group hug.

“Ah...is this a proper greeting?” I hear Varyyn ask from where I am buried inside a magnificent pile of my friends' arms. I feel him approach from behind me and awkwardly put his arms around the group. “...It is good to see you, Alodia.”

“I missed you guys,” I croak tearfully.

Jake clears his throat. “Hey, Estela and I are okay, too, just in case you hooligans were wondering.”

They step back from me to look at Jake and Estela. Diego is the first to break away to pull them both into a hug. “Glad you two are all right. Thanks for looking after Allie for me.” Jake snorts and ruffles his hair.

“You gotta know by now I ain't gonna let anything happen to her.”

“Wait,” Michelle says suddenly, her expression falling. “Sean was in the helicopter with you. Is he...?”

“We don't know,” Estela says grimly. “After Alodia fell, he and Craig went to search along the coast while Jake and I went into the forest.”

“What about Zahra?” Diego asks. “And Quinn?”

Jake's face is tight with pain. “No idea, Short Stuff. ...Skrillex fell just before Alodia. And Red...”

He trails off. I glance at Jake uncertainly. ...There are things I know about him that he doesn't know I know. Things I saw in the visions that came when I touched his idol. I know that his habit of handing out nicknames came from Mike. Just three days ago, he saw Mike alive after believing he had been dead for three years. ...Alive, but with his mind imprisoned inside some wretched cybersuit. The fact that he has barely called anyone by name since I reunited with him has not escaped me. I take his hand and squeeze it, feeling him grip back.

“...I've sent my best scouts to locate everyone,” Varyyn says softly. “If the others can be found, they will find them.”

“I don't like that 'if'...” Michelle declares, her voice breaking.

Raj claps his hands. “Homies, what we need right now is a dope-ass brunch. You can't be anxious on a full stomach.”

“I am starving,” Diego admits.

“The supplies from the trading post should arrive soon.”

“Oh! Fuck me, I almost forgot!” I look around for the bundle. Apparently, Estela picked it up after I dropped it to hug Diego, because she passes it to me now. I hand it to Varyyn, who inspects it briefly before passing it to Raj.

“All right! The good stuff's finally here!” He eagerly tears into the bundle. His expression wavers slightly. “What the...a mango and a bunch of seaweed? Where's the coconut milk? And the spices?”

“Oh...I guess that's all he had?” I scratch my head awkwardly. “Sorry, I didn't look in the bundle beforehand...”

Raj shake his head. “It's fine. I've made feasts with less than this. I'll just...” He falters, swallowing. “I'll just...I can...um...” He stares at the pile of seaweed and the meagerly sized mango, his hands trembling.

“...Raj...?”

“I can't make anything with this!” he screams, making us all jump. He flings the ingredients to the ground and storms off down the beach.

“I...think we broke Raj again,” Diego murmurs.

I bite my lip. “You guys wait here. I'm gonna go check on him.”

I hurry to catch up with Raj. To my mild surprise, he slows down to let me catch up with him. For a moment, we walk silently along the water together.

“...You okay?” I ask. As we round a rocky outcropping, light reflects off the tears on his eyelashes.

“I'm sorry, Alodia. I can't do it.”

“Raj, it's okay. You don't have to prove your cooking skills. You're our resident top chef and everyone knows it.”

“I know. It's just...I'm always the one to bring everyone together, to lighten the mood...” He stops walking, his gaze falling. “I don't think I can do it now, Alodia. After everything we've seen...I don't think I have it in me anymore.”

I put a hand on his shoulder. I'm searching for words when a soft green glow filters onto his face. I look up sharply. The same translucent, sexless figure we encountered last night is suddenly there beside us, leading concernedly towards Raj.

“...You again?”

Raj sees who I'm talking to and yelps, staggering back. “Ohhh, god! I am too sober for this to be happening!”

“What are you?” I ask the ghostly thing. “What do you want from us?”

The figure flares with light, and extends its hand towards Raj, offering him a leatherbound book. It gestures with the book, almost imploringly. Raj looks down at it, trembling.

“...That's...Grandma's recipe book...? But...I thought that got burned up!” He shakes his head wildly. “I shouldn't. It's a trap. It's a trap!”

But my mind is making connections. I do not know what this thing is, if it's been sent by the Endless or if it's something else entirely. But if I'm right...

“It's not a trap. I've seen this before. I think it's trying to help us.” I reach out to take the book. Once again, the figure vanishes the moment my fingers close around the slim volume. “Here, Raj. You'll want to see this.”

Raj reaches out uncertainly, and I let the white haze consume me.

In an outdoor marketplace, stalls lined with brightly colored produce stretch as far as the eye can see. Raj stands in the middle of an empty walkway, surrounded by a small film crew and a cameraman.

“All right,” a woman I assume is the director says. “Let's take it again. Can I get starting positions?”

Raj frowns a little. “Sorry, uh...does somebody have my coffee?”

“Get Raj his coffee, please,” the director calls. “And we're rolling in 3...2...1...”

The crew quiets. Raj picks up a bundle of leeks and smiles into the camera. “Hey, guys! Raj Bhandarkar here. We're outside of one of my favorite outdoor markets in the world, La Boqueria in Barcelona! As you know, my cooking is majorly inspired by my buddies from college. That's why I'm here with my bro of bros, Craig Hsiao!”

Craig, in a T-shirt and denim jacket, steps up beside Raj, grinning. “Yo!”

“You ready to get sickly leeked, dude?”

“Uh...what?” Craig's face suddenly lights up. “Oh! You mean your grandma's chicken and leek curry? That stuff's bomb!”

“You know it! We're gonna need fresh ginger, a few cinnamon sticks, and, uh...” He suddenly trails off, frowning.

“You okay?” the director asks.

“I'm fine. Sorry. Late night last night.”

Craig grins, clapping him on the back. “Hey, it's not his fault everyone wants to buy drinks for the star of Bhandarkar Fills Bellies!”

“Okay, let's try starting with the interview instead. Ready? And...action!”

Raj grins into the camera again. “So, broseph, I'd ask you what your favorite food is if I didn't already know your feelings on the subject of fried chicken.”

Craig laughs. “I try to keep it gourmet, you know? Plus a little szechuan makes everything tastier.”

A series of beeps from Raj's pocket interrupts the filming again. He pulls it out of his pocket and glances at the screen.

“Oh, it's Chris! Sorry guys, I gotta take this real quick.”

“Like, Chris Winters?!” Craig yelps. “The movie star?!”

The camera man stops recording as Raj puts the phone to his ear. “Chris, my boy! S'up? ...Milan? Tonight? I dunno, man...All right, all right, now we're talkin'! It's a deal. See you there, dude!” He puts his phone away and turns to the crew. “I'm gonna have to cut this short, guys.”

“What?!” the director yelps. “Raj, we've barely got enough footage to work with for the episode!”

“We're about to get a whole lot more! We're gonna take Grandma's curry to a premiere afterparty in Milan!”

“Whaaaaaaat?!” Craig cries. “Hell yeah!”

“Chris wants me to take over catering. He says we can film whatever we want. You're coming, right Craig?”

“Bro, Imma keep living your dream with you as long as I can!”

The world is once again awash with light, and I am back on the beach with Raj. I release the book, smiling at him. He stares at the leatherbound volume quivering in his hands.

“Did...Alodia, did I just see the future?”

I nod, my grin widening. “Yeah. And I saw it, too.”

“In my family, my grandma was the only one who believed in my cooking...Do you really think I could have my own show someday?”

“Raj, your food is already legendary with us. It's only a matter of time before other people catch on.”

“...Yeah...you know, I think you're right.” He flips open the recipe book, drawing in a deep breath. “All right, Grandma, let's do this!”

The two of us head back to the others. They look up as we approach, concern in their eyes.

“Everything okay, Julio Child?”

“Guys,” Raj says seriously. “The X-Files was right. The truth is out there!”

“You know that was just a TV show, right?” Diego deadpans. I snort, coming over to ruffle his hair with both hands.

“You're one to talk!” He laughs, swatting my hands away. Michelle frowns at Raj.

“Hey, Raj...where did you get that book?”

He shakes his head dismissively. “Never mind, doodlejumps! We're goin' back to the market!” He jogs towards the break in the cliffs.

“Come on, everyone!” I call. “Follow that chef!”

As we're making our way back to the trading post, Varyyn suddenly stops and looks out at the water. I turn to see what's caught his eye, and spot brightly-colored sails bobbing and swaying amid the tide.

“Windsurfers,” he says wistfully. “This cave has the best waves in all of Vaanu.”

“Little do the people of Elyys'tel know that surfing is their king's true calling,” Diego says with a grin.

“You are my true calling, Diego,” Varyyn replies, smiling as a blush creeps over Diego's handsome face. “...But surfing is also very good.”

Diego snorts. “You just had to ruin it, didn't you?”

Varyyn smirks, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of Diego's head.

“There you are, mon chers!” We turn to see Yvonne striding over to us, smiling widely. “My masked beau was shier than I'd expected. Though he was kind enough to give me his sea catch for the day...” She holds out a woven satchel filled with oyster shells.

“Oh, sweet!” Raj exclaims. “I should be able to crack these babies open.” He digs around in the sand for a moment and pulls out a rock before sitting down next to the satchel.

“Yvonne,” I say, “are you sure he gave these to you? You didn't take them?”

“Oh, my,” Yvonne replies cheerfully, “but this is a beautiful view...”

“Ugh, these are tough,” Raj mutters in annoyance. “Where's Sean when you need him?”

I can't help but notice how Michelle's expression darkens at the mention of Sean. She wanders towards the trading post, searching for something to distract her.

“What's that hut there?” she asks, pointing. “The one decorated with flowers?”

“Ahh,” Varyyn says. “Someone has been joined in a handfasting.”

“A handfasting?”

“In Vaanti society, when two people love each other deeply, they may choose to bond their lives together in a ceremony called Niala'rei. Before friends and family, they are symbolically joined and must spend a year and a day in each other's presence. If they still love one another after that time, their spirits are believed to become one for all eternity.”

Jake comes up beside me, silently placing a hand on my back. I edge a little closer to him.

“That's...beautiful,” Diego says softly, meeting Varyyn's eyes.

“A beautiful hell perhaps!” Yvonne scoffs.

Jake looks over at Raj. “How those oysters comin', Cookie?”

Raj opens his mouth to reply, but he's cut off by a scatter of cries from the Vaanti bustling through the trading post. We look up to find that they've all stopped to stare in alarm at the water.

“He is back!” Gurgi yelps. “Run for your lives!”

I pull away from Jake to find a better vantage point, and squint out across the sea. My heart leaps into my throat as I see exactly what has the Vaanti in such a panic. A massive wooden sailing ship, like a brigantine or a galleon, is cutting through the waves toward the beach.

“Is that a pirate ship?” Diego gasps. Yvonne's hands curl into fists.

“Malatesta,” she growls through gritted teeth. “You bastard!”

Distant explosions accompany bursts of white smoke on the sides of the ship, and then there are cannonballs arcing through the air towards the Vaanti dwellings.

“Look out!” Estela screams. I drop to my knees, covering my head with my forearms as a hut next to me shatters apart, raining down sharp flinders. I feel debris striking at my arms and against my armor. When it seems to have all settled, I look up and find Estela in front of me. She takes my arms, helping me to my feet. The others are rushing over.

“You all right?” Jake asks anxiously, looking me over.

I nod, shaking a little. “I'm fine.”

“Good reflexes,” Diego quips.

“Well, someone around here has to be the clearheaded one,” Michelle remarks. Around us, the Vaanti are scattering, running for the cliffs. Gurgi is at his stall, frantically gathering his goods.

“Get out of here, Catalysts!” he cries. “He's coming to--” He is interrupted by a loud thunk from the side of his stall that makes him yelp. A harpoon is lodged in the wood, connected to a hemp rope in a makeshift zipline.

“Is it the Caped Crusader?” Raj gasps.

“Please be Christian Bale, not Ben Affleck,” Diego mutters.

The man in the long coat does not appear to be either Bale or Affleck. He is a tall, handsome young man with a bushy blond beard and the weathered skin of a sailor. He hops onto the sand beside Gurgi's stall. Yvonne marches over to him, her own lovely, sea-weathered face twisted with rage.

“Look what crawled out of the cesspools!” she sneers.

The man narrows his sapphire-blue eyes at her. “If it isn't my least favorite ghost. Stand aside, Yvonne. Unless you're ready to return to the grave.”

“What's going on here?” I demand.

“Parley's just finishing up. Now it is time to take what's mine.” He pulls a wheellock pistol from his belt.

“Malatesta, you scabrous bilge eel!” Yvonne roars. “I'm not about to let you sack this place!”

“These people live peacefully here!” Varyyn growls. “You will not harm them.”

“Wait, Malatesta?” I gape at the man in front of me. “You mean this is your old captain?”

“The very same,” Yvonne confirms flatly. She draws her own pistol, but with a sharp crack and a puff of smoke, Malatesta shoots it from her hand and sends it tumbling across the sand.

“Missed,” he sneers. “I was aiming at your head. Second time's the charm, eh?”

“Stop!” I shout. “That's enough!” Malatesta turns to me, looking me over with a critical eye.

“Tell me, Yvonne. Who is the tiny one with the yellow hair? She is the size of a kitten, and yet in that armor she clearly fancies herself a lioness.”

“My name is Alodia!” I snap. “And you can turn right around and sail away. There is nothing of value here.”

“How dare you!” Gurgi squawks indignantly.

“That's a little harsh, Allie,” Diego adds plaintively.

“Gurgi works night and day to supply this shop with...” He trails off suddenly, catching my eye. “...With...nothing! Gurgi has nothing!”

“You don't gotta tell us twice,” Raj agrees.

“You see?” I say, looking back at Malatesta. “Are you really gonna try to kill people over fruit and seashells?”

Malatesta is already reloading his pistol. “I said the talking is finished, little kitten. Get out of my way!”

Yvonne lets out a wordless roar of fury and runs headlong at Malatesta, tackling him into the surf. They devolve into what can only be described as a brawl, neither gaining the upper hand as they wrestle and box in the shallow water.

“That's it!” Gurgi shouts. “Give him a good throttling!”

Diego moans. “I can't watch! They're like bloodthirsty animals on National Geographic!”

“More like animals in heat,” I mutter, smirking in spite of myself. “I almost wonder if we should give them some privacy.”

Finally, soaking wet and heaving with exhaustion, the two pirates stop and break apart, glaring murderously at each other.

“You always thought you were better at everything!” Malatesta snarls.

“I am better, you pox-ridden guttersnipe! You remember what you told me on the coast of Barbados? That you were the greatest wave rider? You were wrong! I was I who was the best!”

“Tell it to my arse! You're a wave rider like a cabin boy's a first mate!”

“Okay, I'm seeing your point, Allie,” Diego murmurs to me. “This is clearly foreplay.”

Malatesta points to the natural pillars rising out of the sea in the distance. “See those columns over there? I'd bet my ship ye couldn't get a group around the lot of them in less than an hour's time!”

Yvonne straightens, raising an eyebrow. “What did you say?”

“I said, I bet my ship ye can't...” He stops, his eyes going wide. “Oh...never mind...”

“Oho! You can't get out of it now, you leprous barrel monkey! You're on!”

Malatesta growls in frustration. “Fine, ye fork-tongued scalamagdrion. But come back in more than an hour and I get every last plantain and filbert out of that stall, understand? Blasted blue elves owe me after what they did to me crew! And if your friends even try to stop me, I'll blast this place sky high!”

“What?!” Gurgi yelps. “No! No deal!”

“Bon,” Yvonne declares. “The wager is accepted. And since I get to choose a condition as well, I select Alodia to represent me in the test of skill.”

“Wait...windsurfing?” I sputter.

Yvonne retrieves her hat and straightens her jacket, making her way out of the surf and over to me. “Oui. For a ship. A ship that will help us find your friends.” She slings an arm around my shoulders and whispers in my ear. “The fact is, he's right. I am a terrible wave rider.”

“But then, why would you...”

“Tricks of the trade, ma fille!”

Malatesta pulls out a small hourglass and trudges toward the other side of the cove. The rest of us follow.

“Woooo! It's on!” Raj crows.

“Oh, boy,” I groan. “What have I gotten into...?”

“You will do very well,” Varyyn says reassuringly. “You bested even Uqzhaal at quuk'tanoi.”

“Yeah,” Jake agrees. “It was enough to win you a mask. You'll be fine.”

I look to where Malatesta has managed to acquire two boards. “I guess I won't be alone out there...but I don't know who I'm supposed to take with me.”

“Well, if you're looking for speedy maneuvering, Jake's your dude,” Raj says. “He killed it in our jet ski race at The Celestial. And we all know you two work well together.”

“But Alodia's going to need stamina and control more than speed,” Michelle argues. “Those pillars are scattered way out. I think Estela might be a stronger choice.”

“Or Varyyn,” Diego suggests. “He understands the area better than anyone. He's been coming to this cove for years.”

Yvonne is hoisting the single sails on the two unclaimed boards. She smiles coyly at me. “Who will it be, Alodia?”

I sigh heavily. “Sensible as it might be to take someone who knows the area, Raj is not wrong when he says Jake and I work well together. And not just for the obvious reasons.” In spite of myself, I grin at him. “We're proven to work well in tandem, by land, sea, or air.”

“I like the way you think, Princess. Time to get wet.” He pulls off his shirt and heads over to the surfboards. I carefully remove my armor, and strip off the clothes underneath until I'm down to my bra and panties.

“You've got one hour to make it around the farthest pillar and back,” Malatesta informs us. “A breath longer, and it's time to pay up or get blown up. ...Go!”

He flips the hourglass and slams it down in the sand. Jake and I grab the sails on our boards and run toward the water. When the water reaches our knees, we swing ourselves onto the boards and angle the sails backwards. I grasp the rig attached to the sail and feel the sail catch the wind and push me forward.

“I think this is probably the quickest path,” Jake calls. He maneuvers and harnesses the wind, taut muscles rippling under his skin. “Stick close, Princess, and we'll be home in time for supper!”

“Only if you can keep that up!” I call back.

We skim along the water's surface, and I start to wonder what I was so worried about. I survived quuk'tanoi, and it seems whatever windsurfing skills got me through that aren't as rusty as I feared. As we near the first set of columns, a huge wave comes crashing through the area around us, forcing us toward the cliffs. In the water below us, I see a school of fish riding the powerful current, and follow their example.

“Let's give it all we got!” I call.

“What floats your boat floats my boat, Princess!”

We angle our sails back and surge along the cliffside. Carefully, we make our way through the jagged spurs of rock. It's not long before the final column comes into view. We plot a safe course and round the pillar smoothly, turning back toward the shore. We wind our way back through the colonnade, eyes on the prize. As we pass a rock outcropping, something heavy and black drops onto my sail.

“What the hell is...” I look up and hear myself yelp when I find a large black spider crawling down the sail fabric.

“Good gravy!” Jake exclaims. “Keep cool, Princess. He probably just wants a ride or something.”

“Well, he's weighing me down!” I reach up to grab the creature. “Get off my boat!”

To my unwelcome surprise, my fingers close around something metal. The spider's limbs are mechanical. Instead of a head, there's what can only a tiny camera. The moment I tighten my grip even slightly, I hear a crunch as the delicate machinery crumbles. I keep it clasped in my palm as I turn my attention back to my task. I won't throw it overboard now. It may be useful later. I lean my sail into the wind, gunning for the shore.

Finally, Jake and I glide smoothly onto the beach. At the other side of the cove, I notice a small crowd of Vaanti have gathered to watch us. Our friends cheer as we climb ashore.

“Damn!” Raj gushes. “You guys were like a couple of those walks-on-water lizards!”

I rush towards Malatesta, my heart knocking painfully against my ribs as I peer at the hourglass. I let out a shuddering breath.

“There's still sand running through it! We did it!”

Malatesta stares at the hourglass, his eyes wide with disbelief. “...No...”

Yvonne grins wickedly. “Oui.”

“No!” he bellows, violently kicking over the hourglass and sending sand flying. “No! No! You cheating little wench!”

“I believe you mean Respectable Sea Captain, cheri. Now, say the words.”

“I won't!”

“Say them or I'll tell everyone from here to Tortuga--”

“Fine!” Malatesta grits his teeth, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “The Dorado...is yours.”

“Hahaaaaa!” Yvonne crows. She pulls off her hat and descends into a sweeping bow, grinning at us. “Make whatever preparations you need, amis! We depart at dusk!”

“Well, we won't sail on empty stomachs!” Raj declares. “Let me back at those oysters!” The others disperse slightly, but Varyyn and Diego hang behind with me as I pull my clothes back on.

“I guess we're gonna be a pirate crew,” Diego remarks, grinning. “Can't say I'm complaining!”

“If everything works out, maybe we'll find the others sooner this way.”

“Alodia, you have my deepest gratitude for solving this conflict peaceably,” Varyyn says. “I'll make sure my scouts know where we're headed.”

Diego shades his eyes, looking towards the sun, which is already sinking low on the horizon. “Gonna be another beautiful sunset.” He gasps. “Ohmygod, Allie! Have you been up into the hills yet? Varyyn showed me this spot where you can see for miles out to sea.”

He points to a secluded hilltop, thickly covered in soft, swaying grass. It looks inviting, even from where I am now.

“A very special place, that,” Varyyn says, nodding sagely. “The view of the sunset from there is...inspiring.”

Diego elbows me. “You should totally take a certain someone up there while we've got a couple hours to kill.”

“Especially if you would like them to fall in love with you,” Varyyn adds. I can't help myself. I burst out laughing.

“Geez, guys! Matchmaker much?”

Diego grins and comes up behind me, grabbing my upper arms and swaying with me while he sings, “Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match!” On the last word, he shoves me gently towards Jake, who is at the water's edge, vigrously rubbing sand and saltwater out of his hair. Relenting, I walk over to him. My armor is still discarded on the beach, but I have a feeling I won't need it for a bit.

Coming up behind Jake, I cinch my arms around his waist and nuzzle his neck. He chuckles. “Hello to you, too, Princess.”

“So, there's a secluded hilltop over there, and a gorgeous sunset due very shortly. Care to join me?”

“Is, uh, clothing optional?”

“Might be. Wanna find out?” Jake turns in my embrace and laces his fingers together at the small of my back.

“Absolutely.”

Hand in hand, we make our way up the hill. When we reach a sharp incline, Jake leaps it deftly before offering me his hand with a playful smile.

“You remember the last time we went hiking together?” he asks. I take his hand.

“That feels like forever ago,” I reply as I hop over the incline.

“Time is so weird on this island, maybe it was.”

“I'm glad there's no rock climbing on this one, though. I have a feeling we'll need our energy for the top.” I wink coquettishly.

We reach the top within a few more minutes. I immediately feel the breath rush out of my body. The sky looks like the sort of sunset painters dream of. The impossibly beautiful palette of pastel pink and lush orange brushed with fingers of purple, the dramatic swirl of color around the sinking sun, look like something a film crew labored to create to set the perfect romantic mood, even knowing no one would be paying that much attention to the background. Meanwhile, the sea glistens in the bath of light, the water dark and sultry in contrast to the colors reflected on its undulating surface. I feel my throat tightening.

“Oh, god...I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life...”

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Jake murmurs. I turn to look at him and realize he's staring at me. I can't help laughing, and give him a playful swat.

“That was corny as hell, Top Gun.”

“Aww, you saying you don't like corn, Princess?”

“It's like when those ridiculous action movies try to shove a romance plot in at the end.”

“Hey!” he says indignantly. “Action movies are awesome!”

I grin. “...I like them, too,” I confess. He raises an eyebrow.

“Seriously?”

“Diego insists on watching Die Hard every Christmas. You could say I was indoctrinated.” The memory tugs at the corner of my mind, an image of Diego curled up on the sofa under a blanket, munching air-popped popcorn from plastic bowl while the movie flickers on the screen across the room...

“So Pop Culture Petey has some taste after all.”

“Yeah...”

We sit down together in the grass, and I nestle into Jake's side. He winds an arm around me as the wind picks up, trailing cool fingers over our faces. For a moment, I close my eyes, savoring the scent of the man beside me. Sweat and saltwater, notes of spicy-sweet cologne woven deep into the fibers of his green bomber jacket and lingering even though he probably hasn't reapplied the stuff since we landed on the island god-knows-how-long ago...

“So, what do you like about action movies?” he asks me. I open my eyes.

“The protagonists,” I answer promptly. “They always manage to keep it together even when the world around them is falling apart.”

“That must be why I like you.”

“What?”

“Feel like you just described yourself there, Princess.” I snort, elbowing him lightly.

“Flatterer.” I turn to him with a grin. “You know...I may well be pretty, but I think I would look even better kissing you. I mean, have you seen yourself?”

Jake grins back, bringing his other arm around me. “What's a pair of good-looking people on a romantic sunlit cliff to do?”

“I have a few ideas,” I reply, brushing a few strands of hair from his eyes. I close the distance between us, pressing my mouth to his. He kisses me back eagerly, hands slipping under my shirt. I'm glad I didn't put my armor back on immediately.

Since I fell from the chopper, Jake's horrified face has haunted me. Suddenly, all the tension I've built up since then, all the fear I've been forcing down since we've been separated just so I could stand a chance of keeping it together long enough to actually find him...all the wild relief and desire I've held back since I saw him again...everything...absolutely everything is bubbling up and threatening to consume me. He tugs at my clothes, his whole body quivering, and I know he's feeling the same.

“Princess...do you want to...?”

“Yes,” I whisper. “Right now.”

“Good.”

We pull desperately at each other's clothes, tearing them off as fast as our hands will move, and it isn't fast enough. Not for me. He laughs in my ear as I fumble with his belt.

“In a rush there, Princess?”

“Are you asking me to slow down?”

“Not a chance.”

He sheds the rest of his clothes and rolls on top of me, kissing me hungrily. Then, for just a moment, he breaks the kiss and pushes himself up on his elbows to look down at me. One hand strokes my face, brushing stray wisps of hair from my forehead.

“Alodia...”

“...Jake...” His hand drifts down my body towards my hips. I gasp, arching my back as his fingers find a sensitive spot and press in gently. I reach down to grasp his lower back, pulling his hips towards mine. He sinks into me easily, and we find our rhythm. It doesn't take long. We may have not known each other long...but all things considered, we have probably known each other for at least a thousand lifetimes. How many times have we fallen in love? Did it take longer before? Did it happen so quickly this time only because we already knew it was meant to be? Does any of that really matter, when I'm here and entwined in pleasure with the man I love? No. Fuck destiny. Fuck fate. Fuck La Huerta. Fuck the Endless. Right now, nothing matters except me and Jake, together in front of the sunset.

“Alodia...Alodia...I love you...”

“I love you, Jake...” My fingers curl into his flesh as I throw my head back, moaning with ecstacy, not caring who hears. Finally, satisfied and slick with sweat, Jake rolls off me, nuzzling close to me on the grass. The breeze has turned cooler, and as it passes over my sweat-soaked skin, I shiver. Jake smiles a little, grabbing his jacket and drawing it over me like a blanket. I smile, curling into him.

“...How 'bout that sunset, huh?”

“It's pretty great, Princess. But it's great because I get to share it with you.”

“What can I say? I have a great copilot. Really makes a difference.”

… I don't know why I said that. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I know I've made a mistake. But the way Jake's expression suddenly alters frightens me. Suddenly, he's looking through me, his gaze distant and haunted. I raise a hand to stroke his cheek, trying not to tremble.

“Jake? You okay?” He shakes his head slightly, as if waking himself up. He clears his throat and sits up.

“We should...uh...we should go back...”

“Wait, what?”

He offers me a half-hearted smile. “Don't wanna climb down in the dark, right?” He starts to get up, but I catch his arm, pulling him back down.

“Jake, let me help you,” I plead softly. “I can't help you work through whatever's going on if you don't talk to me.” It's hypocritical as hell for me to be saying anything like that, but I'll let him scold me later if necessary. Right now, I only care about him. My grip on his arms tightens and he meets my gaze. His eyes start to water as his composure cracks. Finally, a strangled sob escapes him.

“I'm not good to my copilots, okay?!” he cries. “Everyone I care about's been hurt because of me! Whether I run or fight, something happens, and I...” He trails off, exhaling hard. He looks out over the water as if searching for answers from the sea. He picks up a fistful of dirt and grass and throws it over the cliffs edge. I stroke his back, gently.

“I'm here, Jake,” I murmur. “I'm right here.”

He lets his head fall into his hands. “...I love you, Alodia. I love you so much. I want to give you the best life I can. But when I think of everything I've had to do to survive the last few years, I just...” He tilts his head back, running his fingers through his hair. “You don't deserve to deal with that. To deal with me.”

He lowers his hands, looking back out over the water. I lay a hand on his shoulder and kiss his cheek.

“Hey. I think I get to decide what I deserve.” His eyes snap towards me. He looks uncertain. Skeptical. “We've been through more together than anyone else in this world could understand. By all accounts, we should be dead, insane, or both. But whenever things got tough, you were there. Whenever I didn't know what to do, you did. Given all we're facing, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have by my side.”

Jake stares at me for a long moment. Finally, I see the ghost of a real smile on his lips. He draws me close and kisses me gently, gratefully.

“You're somethin' else, you know that?”

“I try.” I look back out over the horizon, where the sun has almost entirely vanished. “We should probably get back. We'll be leaving for the ship soon.”

“Yeah. Don't want Blondbeard getting his panties in a twist.”

We gather our discarded clothes and start to pull them back on. Jake shrugs on his jacket, pausing a moment.

“Hey, Alodia...Thanks. I mean it.”

“Anytime, Jake. I mean it. ...I love you.”

“...Love you, too, Princess.”

* * *

Back on the beach, Raj has turned oysters, seaweed, and mango into stew with his usual skill and flair. We fill our bellies, and then Jake helps me put my armor back on. The moon is coming into view as we make our way onto a pair of rowboats bound for the galleon anchored in the harbor.

“Guess Frenchie and Cap'n Crunch are already aboard,” Jake muses.

Diego grins. “Hey, guys, think we'll get to release the kraken?”

“This time there'll be rum, right?” Raj asks. “I mean, there's gotta be...”

I chuckle, looking back towards the marketplace, where a large crowd has gathered around Gurgi's stall.

“Now Gurgi can not only boast that the elyyshar is his patron, but the Catalysts, too,” I remark. “Looks like he might be getting a little more than he bargained for.”

“May he do well with it,” Varyyn replies mildly.

As we reach the ship, a rope ladder is lowered for us, and we ascend it one at a time. At the top, I hop over the side and find myself on an ornately appointed deck. Yvonne waits to greet us.

“Welcome aboard The Dorado, mes amis! She is quite yar, non?”

“Lovely,” I agree, glancing around. “But...is it just us?”

“Just us and la femme mysterieuse.”

“...Who?”

“She means the witch,” Malatesta mutters, gesturing towards the prow of the ship. I turn to look, and I feel my heart stop.

A woman in jeans and a brown suede jacket stands at the prow of the ship, her back to me as she gazes out at the water. I can't see her face, but I don't need to. A long, copper-colored braid cascades over her shoulder, tumbling to her waist. I would know her anywhere. I speak her name, my voice coming out in a weak croak.

“...Quinn...?”

Chapter Text

Hearing what I've just said, the others are immediately beside me, staring at the woman silhouetted in moonlight on the prow. She turns towards us. It's Quinn all right, but for a moment, I feel dread flooding through me. Will she know us? Is it her, or just something wearing her face? Her eyes go wide as they find my face in the encroaching darkness.

“Alodia!” she cries.

“Oh my god!” Diego gasps. “It's you!”

“It can't be...” Michelle whispers. “Can it?”

“You were hit with a rocket!” Raj yelps. “We saw you explode!”

“Hang on,” Jake says. “Are we talking to Ariel? ...Or Ursula?”

Quinn puffs out her cheeks, her rosebud mouth twisting into her familiar, adorable pout. “It's me. Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt anyone.”

I laugh, rushing forward to pull her into my arms. She holds me back, resting her chin on my shoulder.

“It's you, Quinn! It's really you!”

“Of course it is, silly!” She pulls back to look at the rest of the group. “I'm so glad I've finally found all of you.”

“Have you seen any sign of the others?” I ask anxiously.

“They would surely be here if she had,” Estela says.

“You don't know that,” Diego protests. “She might have information.”

Quinn shakes her head sadly. “Estela's right, I'm afraid. I don't know where anyone else is at this point.”

Everyone, even Estela, looks disappointed at that. I can't say I don't feel the same, but I force myself to smile reassuringly.

“We're gonna find them soon. For now, we're just happy to have you back.” Almost before the last word is out of my mouth, Quinn sucks in a sharp breath, doubling over and grasping my shoulder for support. I brace her, my pulse accelerating. “Woah! Quinn, are you okay?”

“Malatesta!” Estela whirls on the pirate, her eyes narrow. “If you've hurt her--”

“It's not him,” Quinn says quickly. “It's...” she trails off, looking over her shoulder as if she's afraid she's being followed.

“Is it...the thing? The thing that gave you your powers?” Her eyes meet mine, and there's something in them that I've seen before. A mixture of relief and loss. It was the same look she gave me when she learned that the illness that had plagued her since childhood was gone.

“You make it sound like I'm a superhero. The things I could do before...I doubt I'd be able to do them again. I lost my connection to the presence after the rocket hit.”

“How do you know it's gone?”

“I tried reaching out to it again. I wanted to fly, to see if I could find everyone. But...I couldn't.”

“So...whatever it was got...used up? No more superpowers?”

“A lot less superpowers,” she clarifies. “I constantly feel...hollow. Incomplete. Like the most important part of me got taken away.”

“What do you mean?” Michelle asks.

Quinn draws away from me, turning back toward the sea. “I'm so sorry, everyone. I remember everything...What I did...what I felt when it was controlling me. The Island's Heart is broken into two halves. The presence wanted to find them desperately.”

“That would explain...a few things,” I say thoughtfully. “Then we need to get back the piece Rourke took and try to find the rest of it.”

“...We do?” Diego asks, startled.

“The Heart contains so much energy. More than you could imagine. If Rourke gets both halves, he'll be able to alter time however he wants.” Quinn clutches her chest, staggering a little. “It's like I'm chained to it. And anytime it pulls me, it hurts.”

“We gotta fix this,” Jake murmurs.

“It's okay,” Diego says, trying and failing to cover his anxiety. “Everything's gonna be alright. I'm sure there's something we can do...right?”

“There is,” Estela says firmly. “We can start by getting the other half before Rourke does.”

Varyyn nods. “Agreed. The Hydra has no right to command the Heart.”

“How would we find it, though?” I ask. “It wasn't exactly a cakewalk getting to the first half at Elyys'tel.”

“...I think I can bring us to its location,” Quinn says.

Behind us, Malatesta growls, crossing his arms over his chest. He is clearly not pleased by the direction of this conversation. Yvonne rolls her eyes.

“Zut alors, Mal, are you truly so thick-headed?”

“I don't care what kind of bet we made! This is still my ship! You lot won't be using it for your nonsense!”

“Mon dieu, I really cannot believe you! In any case, this is not your ship anymore! We are going to help Alodia's friend whether you like it or not.”

“So it's a 'we' now, Yvie? Since when did you reduce yourself to traipsing about with children?”

“Watch it, Davy Groans!” Jake snaps. “You're a little outnumbered here.”

Malatesta puffs his chest, swaggering up to Jake, who draws himself up to his full height and locks eyes with the pirate. Yvonne stomps her boot against the deck.

“Arrete!” she snaps. Suddenly, her expression changes. She strolls up to Malatesta, her hips swaying. Jake raises an eyebrow as she gets between him and the pirate, laying a hand on the blond man's chest and easing him back.

“I think I like where this is going.”

“I think you'll want to cooperate with mes amis enfants, Mal.”

Malatesta turns his impressive height on Yvonne, crossing his arms across his broad chest. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”

Yvonne grasps his lapels, pulling him down to match her short stature and brings her lips to his ear. I can't make out what she says, but Malatesta's eyes go wide.

“You wouldn't dare! You detest me!”

“Perhaps, just perhaps, I could be persuaded...”

As the two of them begin exchanging furtive remarks in whispered French, the rest of us watch in dumbfounded silence.

“You could cut the tension out here with a curved blade,” Diego remarks. Finally, Malatesta raises his sour gaze, pinning it on the rest of us.

“All right, we'll have it your way, but you'll follow my instructions all the way there! This is a pirate ship, not a play pen!”

Jake grins, saluting him. “Aye aye, Cap'n Crunch.”

As conversation resumes buzzing around me, I inch over to Yvonne. “So, what did you say to him to make him change his mind,” I ask under my breath.

Yvonne merely winks at me. “I never kiss and tell.”

Malatesta grumbles under his breath, pulling a flask from his coat and gulping its contents. “God help me.” He glares daggers at us all. “All right, beds are down below. Witch, stay put for navigation. Out with all of you!”

Quinn heads over to the helm and begins turning it with all her diminutive might. She smiles down at us. “Welcome aboard, everyone!”

On the ship's lower level, we find a series of crude bunks and hammocks with patchy blankets and shapeless pillows sewn from canvas and stuffed with feathers. Jake climbs into a corner bunk and holds out his arms to me.

“Room for another, Princess.” I smile and remove my armor before curling up with him. I'm asleep the moment my head hits the rough, shapeless pillow.

The next thing I am aware of is the sound of splashing, followed by Raj's yelping voice.

“No! Don't eat me! I know my name is on the menu, but that doesn't mean...Oh...I was asleep.”

I lift my head, blinking sleep from my eyes. Jake seems to have gotten up already, but Malatesta is there, glaring down at me, Raj, and Michelle, a wooden bucket full of seawater in his hand.

“Up with you!” he barks. “There's work to be done! This is a pirate ship, not a lodge!”

“I'm up! I'm up!” Raj answers with just a hint of a whine in his voice. “Geez, dude.”

Michelle rolls out of her hammock, inching away from Malatesta, eying the bucket in his hand. “Rude,” she mutters.

Malatesta turns to me, holding up the bucket threateningly. “And you, baby lioness? Will you also need encouragement?”

I scowl defiantly at him. “Don't you dare. It's hard enough to keep my hair nice these days without you dumping seawater on it!”

“An attack on Alodia's hair is an attack on my hair!” Michelle adds. “And you don't attack my hair.”

“Out!” Malatesta bellows. “All of ye!”

“I'll be right up,” I tell Raj and Michelle. “Just need to re-armor. Never know when we're gonna run into trouble in this place.”

I carefully secure the amber pieces into place and wander up onto the deck, where the others are milling about. Diego spots me and grins.

“Ahoy, Allie. Looks like it's a pirate's life for us!”

I grin back. “Your lifelong dream.”

“Scrawny one!” Malatesta snaps. “I told ye to clean those scuppers!”

Diego sighs. “Yeah, okay, but you never explained what scuppers even are...”

“Bonjour, Alodia!” Yvonne's voice comes from above me, and I look up to see her in the crow's nest, her legs dangling over the edge, a spyglass in her hand. I wave back to her before wandering over to the prow, where Jake and Raj are organizing bundles of rope. Jake is demonstrating an elaborate, many-looped knot, his calloused fingers moving deftly and surely.

“It's not that hard, Pineapple Express. You're overthinking it.”

“How are you so good at this?” Raj grumbles.

“Naval Academy taught a little, but I kept learning as a hobby. You'd be surprised at some of the situations where it comes in handy.”

“Is that so?” I can't resist asking. He starts a little at the sound of my voice, and I see a blush creep over his cheeks.

“Oh, Princess! Didn't see you there.”

I grin wickedly. “Please, I'd love to hear about all the practical applications of tying rope.”

Jake coughs into his fist. He looks like he's about to reply, but a cry from Yvonne above us interrupts him.

“Mes amis! You'll want to see this!” She descends the ladder down to the deck in a few graceful bounds and rushes over to hand me the spyglass, pointing towards the shore. I raise the glass to my eye and look in the direction she's indicating. My heart drops, splashing into my stomach. Sean and Craig are on the shore, bound, gagged, on their knees and surrounded by Arachnid troops.

“Sean and Craig.” My voice quivers. “And Arachnid. They've been captured.”

“You see them?” Michelle asks anxiously.

“Let me see.” I pass the spyglass to Estela. She peers through it and frowns. “...Did you see who else is there?”

She hands the spyglass back to me, and I look again, letting the lens drift away from my captive friends. As two more familiar faces come into view, I wince.

“It's Aleister. ...And Mike.” I yelp when I see them board a military speedboat. The other soldiers pull Sean and Craig to their feet and drag them toward the vessel. “They're getting on a boat!”

“Not on my damned watch!” Jake growls. “Let's board them. Now.”

I lower the spyglass and turn to Jake, knowing my worry is reflected on my face. “Jake, Mike almost killed us before. ...Are you sure we can stop him?”

“I can't just not try, Alodia. I can't.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Just focus on getting Sean and Craig to safety. I'll handle Mike.”

Malatesta clears his throat impatiently. “Quit yer gawking! There's much to be done!”

“Gawking?!” Quinn whirls on him, her sapphire eyes snapping with rare fury. “Our friends have been kidnapped! Are you really gonna try to stop us from rescuing them?!”

“Stop you? Miss Witch, I'm going to help you!” He smirks. “This is a pirate ship, not a peace vessel. You wanna raid a ship? Ye're speaking my language.”

Yvonne chuckles. “Nice to see you in bonne humeur for once, you sludge-eating flatfish.”

“Don't play nice, you conniving harpy! You'll not take more booty than me! Miss Witch, take us starboard!”

“Aye, aye!” Quinn agrees, dashing for the helm. “Changing course!”

I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to find Yvonne beside me. “If you are joining us on a raid, ma chere, you should fly our colors.”

“...What?”

“That beautiful armor is more befitting of a knight than a pirate. Besides, it is too heavy for a battle upon La Mer. Come.”

She grasps my hand and pulls me across the deck to where a plain chest sits between a couple barrels. She swiftly kicks the chest open, revealing garments of soft muslin and tailored leather.

“Woah...”

“Remove those amber pieces, quickly,” she orders me. “I'll find you something suitable.” She rummages around, yanking out several pieces and draping them over her arm, while I get out of my armor as fast as I can manage. Within a few minutes, I've swapped armor and the leggings and tank top I had been wearing underneath for a linen shirt, leather bodice, breeches, and boots. I look myself over and grin at my friends. I have to admit, I like the look.

“Arrr, me hearties!” I crow.

Diego laughs. “Yaaas! Jack Sparrow's got nothing on you!”

“Color me impressed,” Michelle agrees. “You somehow manage to make ren faire clothes look good.”

Jake looks up and does a double take, his jaw dropping. I waggle my eyebrows.

“Like what you see, sailor?”

“Damn, Princess. You can board my ship any time.”

I take just enough time to wink at him before hurrying to the side of the ship and raising the spyglass to my eye again. Aleister's narrow gaze is pinned on The Dorado. He turns to shout orders to the soldiers. The troops take up formation on the speedboat and raise their guns. The engine revs to life.

“They're trying to run for it! We'll never catch them in this ship!”

“Aye? Then I'd say it's time to even the odds. Miss Witch, bring us in! Yvonne, catch the sail to the wind!” Malatesta catches my eye and points to a pile of giant chains and a spear tip the size of my head. “Little Lioness, hook the spearhead to the boom chains, and then load it into the cannon!”

It takes me a couple of seconds, but I manage to hook the spearhead onto the heavy chain, and load it into the cannon. Under Malatesta's approving eye, I fasten the first chainlink onto the barrel.

Diego whistles. “You're a natural at this pirate thing, Allie.”

Malatesta prepares the flint rocks, looking down at me. “That was just the first test, Little Lioness. Once I light it, aim at the boat's broadside.” He whips around to the others. “Cover your ears and hold onto something!”

He strikes the flint, bringing the fuse to life. I throw my weight into holding the cannon's aim steady at the military ship's flank.

“There?”

“Aye, we'll make a salty dog out of ye yet! Now hold on!”

A deafening explosion rips through the air. The recoil sends me sprawling across the deck as the spearhead launches from the cannon with chains trailing behind like a kite tail. I scramble to my feet, watching anxiously. Just when it looks like the speedboat is getting too far ahead, the sharp blade pierces its metal-clad hull. The military ship lurches wildly as it's snared by the boom chain. Through the ringing in my ears, I start to make out shouting from the other ship. On the deck of The Dorado, everyone springs into action, rushing to prepare for boarding.

Malatesta claps me on the back. “Well done, lass! Now, I got three things to tell ye about raiding. One, don't die.”

Arachnid soldiers are taking aim at the boom chain, but their bullets ricochet harmlessly off the heavy links. Raj has found an armory cabinet and is pulling out swords and daggers, sliding them to the others.

“So what if they got guns! We're gonna slice, dice, and julienne them! ...And that just made me hungry...”

“Raj!” I call. “Over here!” He slides a cutlass over to me. I scoop it up and take a few practice swings before sliding it into the sheath at my belt.

“Secondly,” Malatesta continues, apparently unphased by the interruption, “the sea's as much a weapon as any blade. Use her to your advantage.”

The stretch of water between the two sea vessels is closing quickly. Jake pulls out a rope net covered in iron weights.

“We can subdue a bunch of them with this!”

“And three,” Malatesta concludes, raising his voice to address all of us, “TAKE NO PRISONERS!”

“Except, you know, our friends!” Diego clarifies hastily. “Who are prisoners. We want them.”

“Come, mes amis! A l'abordage!” Yvonne and Malatesta grab free-hanging ropes. Jake, Estela, Raj, and I immediately leap up to do the same. Looking down at the vast expanse of water beneath me, feeling the wind whip at my hair, I feel my heart wedge in my throat for a moment. Steeling myself, I open my mouth to let out a battle cry.

“For Sean and Craig!” I scream, taking a wild leap. For a moment, I'm free-falling. Then, the rope pulls taut and I swing towards the Arachnid speedboat. When I can see something solid beneath me, I let go, dropping gracefully onto the rear deck. Sean and Craig have been lashed to the rails on the far side of the deck. They cry out around their gags when they see us, struggling against their bonds.

“Enemy sighted!” I hear the modulated voice of an Arachnid soldier, and the click of weapons being readied and aimed.

“Stop!” Aleister's voice is shrill with alarm. “Don't shoot! All of you stand down!”

“What?!” one soldier cries. “We are literally being attacked!”

Aleister glares at the soldier, his breath coming through gritted teeth. “I represent Everett Rourke here, and I order you to stand down!”

The masked soldiers hesitate a moment, looking between each other. Finally, they lower their weapons. Aleister turns to stare at us, shock and disbelief plain on his face.

“Y-you're alive...you're all alive...”

“No thanks to you,” Estela snaps.

“Father said you tried to escape. That you were all gunned down. That you'd all rather die than be his prisoners.”

“Get a grip, Malfoy!” Jake growls. “For how smart you act, you're good at playing dumb when it's convenient!”

“That's not--”

“Think about it! Your father has lied to you your entire life. Why would this be any different?!”

“Aleister,” I say softly. “Rourke tried to kill us the moment you left with Grace.”

My words seem to fall like a physical blow. Aleister recoils, trembling. “I...I didn't know,” he whispers. “I swear. I'm so sorry!”

“Like hell you are!” Estela snarls. “If you're so sorry, why are our friends tied up and held at gunpoint?!”

Aleister's eyes dart between us as if searching for an escape route. He runs his hands through his hair. “It...it's complicated...”

Mike strides up beside Aleister, his bionic eye glinting menacingly in the sunlight. “Sir. The hostages are our first priority.”

I feel Jake faltering beside me. “Aw, Mike,” he says plaintively. “You'd never go along with this! Is any of you left in there? Wake up!”

Mike is still as a statue. Only his arm moves, arching slowly upward to level a gun at Jake. Impulsively, I get between them. Malatesta draws a pistol, aiming it at Mike.

“This is an awful lot of talking for a raid. We fighting or not?”

“Alodia!” Aleister looks at me with desperation in his eyes. “You're the leader here. Where you go, the others will follow. You know that, right? ...Walk away. Please. Just walk away. I don't want to hurt you.”

Still planted firmly between Jake and Mike, I put my hand on the hilt of my cutlass. “I don't leave without Sean and Craig.”

The desperation in his eyes gives way to heartbreak. “...You're a damned fool, Alodia.” Then the heartbreak turns to cold resignation. “So be it. Guards! Capture them! Keep them alive!”

The troops immediately take up defensive positions around Aleister, Sean, and Craig.

“Yvie,” Malatesta murmurs. “Ye still got your perfume?”

“I never leave shore without it.” From the pouch at her waist, she pulls out a small ball with a pin in it. Malatesta takes it, bites the pin, and tosses it towards the deck. As it rolls at the soldiers' feet, a smoke screen starts to pour out of it, spreading rapidly.

“Stay together!” one soldier cries. Through the haze, two fists that crackle with electricity rapidly materialize.

“Ready to dance, kid?” a feminine voice growls behind the mask in front of me. The tossing waves throw The Dorado into the side of the Arachnid vessel. As the deck tilts beneath my feet and I stumble into one of the box-shaped objects mounted on the deck, a metal pail rolls across the deck and taps my ankle. At that moment, Malatesta's voice echoes in my mind: ...the sea is a weapon...

The Arachnid soldier recovers and leaps at me to throw an electric fist into my face. I drop down, evading her high-aimed punch, and sweep my leg at her feet. As the ship lurches again, the soldier is flung into the railing. I press the advantage, grabbing her by the ankle and shifting my weight to flip her into the water. I hear a muffled cheer that I recognize as Craig's voice.

The wind rising off the sea quickly disperses the smoke cloud, revealing a chaotic battlefield. Diego and Varyyn have made it across. Varyyn climbs towards the helm to engage Mike, and a flurry of expert blows and dodges fly between them.

“As the humans say,” Varyyn snarls, “'Get wrecked'!”

“I've never been more proud,” Diego calls up to him with an encouraging smile.

Towards the prow, Yvonne and Malatesta stand back to back, peppering the soldiers with pistol blasts. It seems they've brought at least half a dozen pistols each.

“When was the last time we did this, Yvie? The Santo Domingo rum heist?”

“Oui, that was a good night. And good rum!”

On the rear deck, Estela bends backwards to dodge a punch. Jake closes his hands around a fist and sends the soldier reeling. Raj hides behind them, clutching the weighted net. Then, there are two soldiers in front of me, cutting off my view of the rest of the ship. One has a beatstick and the other a sleek, modern pistol. The beatstick flies towards my head, and I barely manage to duck under it in time. I leap back to my feet, only to realize I've popped up too quickly when the blunt weapon swings back around and catches me hard on the shoulder. I yelp in pain, stumbling.

“Alodia!” I hear Jake's frantic voice answering my cry.

“Jake, flank 'em!” I scream.

“On it, Princess!” Jake rolls under a soldier, and Estela spears her down. Keeping low, he flings a dagger that catches the pistol-weilding Arachnid in the hand. The soldier cries out, dropping his weapon. I leap at the one with the beatstick, knocking the weapon from his hand. I throw my whole weight into slamming the hilt of my sword into his head and he slumps to the deck.

“Allie, look out!” Diego's voice makes me turn. Beaten back by Varyyn, Mike has leveled his gun at me. I prepare to dive, but Aleister shoves the gun from Mike's hand.

“Do not kill her!” he shouts. I continue toward Sean and Craig, pulling a knife from my belt. I cut their gags off first. They both cough and stretch their jaws.

“Alodia!” Sean gasps. “You're here!”

“Yeah Alodia is!” Craig cries. “We owe you big time!”

I glance briefly back at Jake, Yvonne, Malatesta, and Varyyn, covering me while I free the two men. I cut through the ropes around their wrists as quickly as possible.

“Don't mention it.” I cut Craig free and start on Sean. “You guys okay?”

Sean's bonds snap open and he pulls his hands free. In the same moment, his eyes widen. “Duck!” he yelps.

I drop into a crouch. Above me, Sean catches an Arachnid soldier by the baton and twists it from their hands, bringing it back to connect solidly with their head. The soldier hits the deck and doesn't move. Sean looks down at me, breathing hard.

“Alodia...I'll never let you down again.”

I blink, startled enough that I almost forget where I am. “Sean--”

“Shit!” Jake's frustrated cry distracts me. I leap back to my feet and immediately notice the second speedboat racing towards us, laden with more Arachnid troops. “Jesus, how many people did Lundgren recruit?! Being Arachnid used to mean something!”

“Take Aleister!” Estela shouts. “They won't harm us if we have him!”

Yvonne aims her pistol at Aleister and gestures with the barrel at The Dorado. “Cross over to our ship!” she barks.

Aleister looks helplessly at her. “I've already tried to tell you--”

“Va! Tout suite!”

Aleister sighs, but however reluctantly, he jumps the narrowing gap between the two vessels. With Yvonne covering us, we manage to escape back to The Dorado. By the time I reach the deck, Michelle is already tying Aleister up. He yelps in protest as she pulls the ropes tight.

“Th-that hurts!”

“Good!” she growls.

“Michelle!”

Michelle's eyes snap up at the sound of Sean's voice. Forgetting Aleister for a moment, she rushes over to throw her arms around his neck. He catches her up in a tight embrace.

“Sean! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I'm okay. Are you?”

“Guys, we gotta go!” Craig shouts. “The other ship is coming!”

“We're not goin' anywhere without Mike!” Jake's voice is a desperate snarl.

“Uh...Jake...?” Diego's voice trembles as he points to a figure hovering in the sky. “I think he feels the same way.”

Mike's jetpack lowers him onto The Dorado's deck. He scowls at us, his bionic eye flashing in the sunlight.

“Return Aleister to the Arachnid vessel.”

“Or what?” Jake asks lowly, his hands balling into fists at his sides. Mike answers by engaging his jetpack to rush at him, but this time Jake is faster. He ducks and tackles Mike from the side, grappling him to the deck. They roll together, trading haphazard blows.

“Alodia!” Estela hisses. “Say something! Stop him! The longer this fight drags out...”

I don't need her to finish that sentence. I know I should tell Jake to let Mike go. Promise we'll get him back next time. But I can't. I of all people can't ask the man I love to leave his best friend.

“Jake! Make him remember!”

Jake rolls on top of Mike and pins his arms down. “Mike, listen to me! Remember that time in basic training when we filled the shower heads with sand and we had latrine duty for weeks? ...Or...how about that time we got our C.O.'s radio stuck on the kids' channel and had to listen to Dora the Explorer for two hours on loop...?” Mike doesn't seem to react. I feel my heart breaking as Jake continues, his voice getting tighter and more desperate. “...Or the crap Lundgren did? Or how he almost killed us for finding him out? Or my! Fucking! Name?!”

He pounds the floorboards beside Mike's head, howling in agony and frustration. Mike keeps still, not even flinching. Sobs bubble up in Jake's chest and make his shoulders heave. He looks just about ready to give up. He even rises to his feet and starts to turn away.

“...Grandpa...” Mike's voice is soft, but it gets Jake's attention. He inhales sharply, turning back.

“...Mike...? Mike, can you hear m--” With lightning speed, Mike pops upright and throws his fist squarely into Jake's chest with enough force to send him crashing at my feet.

“Jake!” His name comes out of me in a terrified shriek as I drop to my knees beside him.

“Mouse, stop!” Aleister cries. “That's enough!”

“Jake...Jake...” I take his hand, trying not to let him feel how much I'm shaking as I brush the hair off his forehead. I feel my veins turn to ice as he curls toward me, coughing violently and spraying the deck with flecks of blood. “Jake! Somebody help, please!”

Michelle is already kneeling at his other side. “Jake, can you roll onto your back?” she murmurs. “Alodia, help him. And get his jacket off him.”

“No more time,” I hear Mike say flatly. Jake moans as I help him out of his jacket. “We must go.”

The others cluster protectively around Jake as I cradle him on my lap, clutching his hand while Michelle lifts his shirt to examine his ribs. Taking advantage of our distraction, Mike moves to grab Aleister, cutting through the binding around his wrists with a small knife.

“Wait!” Sean cries. He steps forward, staring at Aleister.

“Sean, what are you doing?!” I yelp.

He doesn't answer me, looking into Aleister's eyes. “W-we never spoke much, but...I know what it's like to live in someone's shadow. You don't owe your father anything, Aleister. His praise isn't worth this.” He holds out his hand. Aleister stares at it in disbelief.

“Wh-what...?”

“Come with us. Try to make up for your mistakes. Help us win this.”

“Sean!” Michelle snaps. “Two seconds ago, he had you at gunpoint!”

“You sure picked...kff...a great time to have Stockholm Syndrome, P-Pretty Boy,” Jake gasps.

But I have images in my mind of a small idol forged from amber, shaped like a priest with the head of a cobra. And of a puddle of blood trickling off the edge of a small pedestal. Aleister's blood. The Endless had an idol for him, too. If he had died at MASADA, I never would have passed the test at the Threshold. Traitor or not, he is one of us.

“Sean's right,” I say. “Aleister, come with us. I know you regret what you did, and it's not too late to set things right.”

“...You...you would give me another chance? Just like that?” Wetness gleams at the corners of his eyes. Sean smiles gratefully at me.

“I knew you'd understand, Alodia.”

“Are you kidding me?” Michelle yelps. Jake shakes his head hard.

“J-just because he didn't...sh-shoot us...doesn't mean he didn't...ungh...load the gun! I ain't buyin'...any of this!”

Mike grabs Aleister's arm. The other Arachnid boat is waiting in the choppy waters nearby.

“We must go now.”

Aleister's shoulders slump. “...It's too late, anyway. The die is cast.” But there's a change in his expression now. He meets my eyes, and I hold his gaze as he grasps the straps of Mike's suit. As the two of them hover toward the approaching speedboat, Aleister still doesn't look away. As he vanishes from sight, I am left with the impression of remorse. Jake slumps in my arms, coughing weakly.

“...Mike...” he moans. As Michelle presses on the angry bruise forming on his ribs, a cry of pain catches in his throat, turning into a spasm of coughing that brings up another glob of blood. His grip on my hand is hard enough to hurt.

“Jake, you may have a bruised lung,” Michelle says grimly. “I need you to stay put for now.”

“Just try to rest,” I murmur, brushing sweat-damp strands of hair off his ashen forehead. He looks agonizingly up at me, a film of tears coating his eyes. “We'll find him, Jake. We'll find him and fix him. I promise.”

“Alodia, help me prop up his left side. It might help him breathe easier.” I do as Michelle tells me, piling discarded cloth under his left side, wincing at every pained noise he makes.

“...Will he be okay?”

“We'll keep him under close watch,” she replies, which does not reassure me much. “Jake, I know it hurts, but I need you to keep coughing periodically, deep as you can. The last thing you need is pneumonia setting in.”

Jake doesn't answer directly. He closes his eyes, and I feel his grip on my hand tighten subtly. “Hey, Maybelline...can you take a look at Princess's shoulder? She took a pretty nasty blow there.”

“Which shoulder?”

“What? Oh...the right.” Michelle comes over to examine it. “It's fine, though. I mean, it's not—ungh!” I grunt a little, wincing as she presses on the spot. Jake releases my hand to let Michelle manipulate my shoulder. For a moment, the only sounds are the lapping of waves against the ship's hull, Jake's labored breathing, and my own suppressed gasps. Then Raj speaks up.

“Uh...did we just successfully rescue Sean and Craig?”

Craig laughs. “Buddy, I've never been happier to see you! Come here!” The two embrace wildly, slapping each other's backs.

Yvonne and Malatesta have already begun raiding the abandoned vessel still chained to The Dorado.

“Yvie, ye better not cheat me! We loot together!”

“Mal, do you think I would steal from you? Because you're right.”

“...You'll be all right, Alodia,” Michelle murmurs. “It's just a bad bruise. It's not dislocated or broken or anything.”

“Thanks...”

I turn my attention back to Jake, stroking his hair. He opens his eyes to meet my gaze, but he doesn't speak. Michelle stands and wanders over to the side of the ship where the others are gathering, and embraces Sean again. He hugs her back.

“Sean, I'm so glad you're safe.”

“Same to you,” he says. “We got a lot to catch up on. But...I'd like to check in with Alodia first...”

Hearing my name, I lift my head to meet Sean's eyes. Michelle smiles up at him.

“Go on. But we're catching up later. I'm holding you to that.”

“I wouldn't expect any less.” He gives her another squeeze before making his way over to me. I stand up, holding out my arms for a hug, but he takes me gently by the shoulders instead, studying my face as if he can't actually believe I'm standing in front of him. I shift a little awkwardly.

“...I'm not a ghost, Sean.”

“You're really here. You really made it.”

“Remarkably, yeah.”

“...Last I saw of you, you were falling into the ocean.”

“And you were on a crashing helicopter. ...And Quinn had just been blown up. ...Believe me, Sean, I'm just as shocked to see all five of you mostly unscathed.”

Sean swallows hard, tears gathering in his eyes. “I'm so sorry, Alodia...”

I blink. “...Uh...for what?”

“What do you mean, for what?! I wasn't there for you when you fell out of the chopper! I mean...I didn't have a plan. I couldn't protect everyone.”

I take a deep breath, gathering my patience. I love Sean as much as the rest of the Catalysts, but I can't help but wonder when he's going to get it into his head that he doesn't have to be the hero all the time. That some things are outside his control, especially on this island...

“Sean, seriously. It's not your fault.”

“Guys...” Craig pipes up, his expression of elation giving way to worry. “You haven't seen Zahra yet, have you?”

Everyone goes quiet for a moment, the momentary elation of our reunion dampened by the weight of the fact that we are still incomplete. We all shake our heads. I drift back to Jake's side to take his hand again. Craig's gaze falls to the deck. Michelle reaches out to rub his shoulder comfortingly.

“Zahra's the smartest of all of us, Craig. I'm sure she's out there.”

“She better be. 'Cause if she's not, Rourke is gonna pay.” His expression falters slightly as a wobble enters his voice. “I-I know she's tough, but after all these weeks, she might--”

“Hold up!” Michelle interrupts. “Weeks?! It's only been a few days for us!”

“It's been a month since I've seen all of you,” Quinn says.

“Wait, we've all been experiencing different wavelengths of time within the island?” I ask incredulously.

“Have we ruled out being in the Matrix?” Diego quips. “Or is that still a possibility?”

“Something's changed,” Sean murmurs. “La Huerta wasn't like this before.”

Yvonne, combing through her plunder nearby, catches my eye and gives me a meaningful look. I shrink a little from her gaze, feeling my stomach clench. I know what she's trying to communicate to me, and I know she's right. I just wish she weren't. I take a deep breath.

“Look...there's something I should probably tell you guys...” But I trail off when I notice Quinn slumped and gasping against the railing, her face twisted with pain.

“It's...happening again...” she groans through clenched teeth. Michelle and Estela hurry to brace her. Concerned, Jake lifts his head, and I help him sit up.

“Is Quinn okay?” Sean asks anxiously.

“Not exactly,” Diego answers grimly. “It's actually why we were here. A piece of the Island's Heart is nearby. And when it calls to Quinn...it hurts her.”

“It...it wants me to go...there.” Quinn aims a quivering finger at a large atoll along the coast.

Malatesta looks where she's pointing and shakes his head. “Reefs are too dangerous to ford with the ship. We'll have to send her in a rowboat.”

Quinn looks at him sharply, eyes widening. “S-send me...alone?” she asks, her voice small.

“Nobody goes alone,” Estela replies firmly. “I'll go with her.”

“You're both basically sisters to me,” Michelle declares, “and sisters don't split up.”

“If you're all going, I wanna go, too,” Raj chimes in. As Diego, Sean, and Craig echo everyone else's sentiments, Malatesta sighs in irritation.

“A tamed monkey could do this task alone! Why're all of you going?!”

“Well, you know I'm going with everyone,” I say, ignoring Malatesta.

“Good,” Diego says, grinning at me.

“Are you having me on?!” Malatesta squawks. “What manner of lily-livered, hand-holdin'--”

“We all lost each other once already,” Estela snaps. “We're not splitting up just after finding each other again.”

We all turn to Estela with raised eyebrows. We were all thinking it, of course, we just didn't expect her to be the one to say it. She clears her throat, blushing deeply. Jake smirks.

“Guys, I think Katniss is finally opening up to us.”

“Shut up, cabrón,” she mutters, even as a smile plays around her mouth.

“Basically, what she's saying is that we're all in this together,” Diego says. “Nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

“Two boats should fit all of us,” Jake remarks. “I can swim down to ge--” He cuts himself off with a cough that turns into another, and then a third. The fourth one brings up another bloody glob, and he slumps a little in my arms, groaning. With the edge of my sleeve, I gently blot sweat off his forehead. Michelle shakes her head grimly.

“Jake, in your condition, the last place you should be right now is underwater.”

Craig claps Sean on the shoulder. “Looks like you're up, brah!” But Sean's expression suddenly resembles a deer in headlights.

“I...I don't know if I'm at my best right now...”

“Then I'll go with you.” I meet Sean's eyes. “You haven't let anyone down, Sean. But if you need some support right now, I'm offering. We can handle this together.”

He looks at me for a long moment. His eyes shift over to Quinn, still supported between Michelle and Estela, then down towards Jake, breathing laboriously in my arms. He meets my eyes again and smiles a little.

“Spoken like a born leader.”

“Takes one to know one,” I counter.

“Let us depart, then!” Yvonne calls enthusiastically. “Prepare the rowboats!”

“Well you're not leaving me behind!” Malatesta snarls, his face the color of raw meat. “I was promised a crew, and I can't trust you not to galavant off on your own! And we better make it quick! While the sun's still high!” He marches over to yank a tarp off a pair of rowboats on the deck, muttering curses under his breath.

The others move to help him get the boats into the water. For once, though, I let the others take care of the practical stuff. I don't want to leave Jake right now. Not before I have to. And from the way he's clutching my hand, I don't think he minds.

“...Princess...” he grunts, wincing a little. “...You didn't mean it, right? ...'Bout Malfoy coming with us?”

I sigh. “Of course I meant it, Jake. He's one of us. He's a Catalyst.”

“He...betrayed us!” His hand comes up to cup my cheek. “Almost got you killed!”

“Almost got all of us killed,” I agree. “But he's still a Catalyst.”

“That...don't...mean shit...”

“It does to me. It has to. I don't really have a choice. He's a Catalyst. He matters. He has to.” I sigh. “Look...I'll explain it all later. Promise. Please just concentrate on breathing right now.”

For a long moment, he's silent. Then he whispers, “...You're an old soul, Princess.”

“...What?”

“Sometimes...I look in your eyes...and they look a thousand years old...or more...”

I shiver. His words hit just a little too close to home. I bend to kiss his forehead. “I think you're delirious. Stop talking now and focus on breathing. ...I love you.”

* * *

The sea under the boats is gentle as Malatesta and Yvonne row us into the atoll, following Quinn's directions. We can't help but take a moment to marvel at the kaleidoscope of colorful fish, coral, and plant life shimmering underneath the water's surface.

“Welcome to Neptune Cove,” Malatesta announces. “A great place to show a wench a good time.”

“Poor wench,” Yvonne teases.

I frown. ...Neptune Cove... Something about that name tugs at my memory. I feel certain I've heard it before, but at the moment, I can't place it.

“Broskies, are you seeing these colors?” Craig breathes.

“I've heard some fish have psychadelic effects when you eat 'em!” Raj remarks, grinning.

Diego laughs. “Guys, look! I found Nemo!”

“Is that your people's name for that fish?” Varyyn asks. “How fascinating.”

“I wonder if I could use some fresh-cut seaweed in a facial,” Michelle muses. Sean cranes his neck over the edge and whistles lowly.

“How far down does it go? I can't even see the bottom.”

“You'll see soon enough, Michael Phelps,” Jake quips. As jagged coral formations start to catch along the undersides of the rowboats, Yvonne and Malatesta draw the oars inside.

“This appears to be the furthest we can take you,” Yvonne remarks. Quinn, huddled up in Michelle's arms, looks up at the rest of us. Her face is pale and tight with pain.

“It's definitely close by,” she confirms, her voice weak. “Feels like it wants to rip me through the boat.”

“That's a deep reef,” Jake remarks. “You got anything to help you breathe underwater?” I can't tell if he's talking to me or Quinn, but I give him a quick kiss.

“You just worry about breathing up here, Top Gun.”

As Sean strips off his shirt, I pull off my boots and bodice. After a moment, I cast aside the shirt and breeches, too. I don't want to sit in wet clothes all day.

“Ready, Alodia?”

I nod. “Ready when you are.”

Balancing on the edge of the rowboat, I arch my arms over my head and dive into the reef. The water is pleasantly warm. A few seconds later, tepid pulses hit me as Sean dives in beside me. I open my eyes to let them adjust to the saltwater, and I can't help but take a moment to appreciate the beauty of my surroundings. There's a perfect circle of sea anemones, fronds of jagged coral, filled with deep crevices, and a peculiar sand dune. I surface for a moment to meet eyes with Sean.

“Should we just go for it?” he asks uncertainly.

“Nothing else we can do, I think.”

I take a deep breath and dive again, going for the sand dune. Sean follows me, taking my hand to help pull me down faster. I stretch out a hand and plunge my fingers into the sand. A golden cloud of sand billows up, obscuring my vision, and I grope blindly. My fingers brush something solid, and I grasp it, just as my lungs are starting to burn. I push off the sea floor and hurtle back towards the surface, breaching with a deep breath. Sean surfaces beside me, disappointment plain on his face.

“...We didn't find it, did we?”

I look at the object in my hand. It's not the Island's Heart, to be sure. It appears to be a brass padlock, aged and corroded by saltwater. I turn it over, and find some words etched into the back, just barely readable: No land, no sea, no one will keep us apart. Flora & Eugene, 1920.

“Huh. It's unlocked.”

“...It's not the Heart...” Sean punches the water in frustration, sending up a splash.

“Easy, Sean. It's nearby here. We can try again.”

“I can't!”

I sigh. “Hey, Sean--”

“I said I can't, okay?! I can't do it! I can't do anything without screwing up and someone getting hurt! The whole time, I've tried to be the Q.B. Call the shots. Do everything right! And where are we now?! At the end of the world, some of us missing, some of us hurt...”

“Sean, this isn't your fault. I don't care how strong or how tough you think you are. You can't shoulder the blame for things that were out of your control.”

“...I...”

“You didn't know we were going to be stuck on this island, or about Rourke, or any of this.”

“...I could have done more. Made better split decisions.”

“Oh my god, will you cut yourself a break?!” My voice rises to a shout. Partly because I am losing patience with him, but also because he has responded to tough love in the past. “We're all out of our depths here! Even Jake and Estela—an elite military pilot and an honest-to-god revolutionary—have been groping in the dark most of the time we've been here! Every day, we're doing all we can just to survive. And somehow, we're doing it. So stop blaming yourself for everything and come help me find a magical rock with space-time powers, please?”

Sean looks away. His cheeks are wet, but I can't tell if it's seawater or tears. He is quiet for a very long time. Long enough for me to figure out that tough love wasn't going to cut it this time.

“...You don't understand, Alodia. Ever since I kicked my dad's abusive, alcoholic ass out of the house, I've done everything to carry the load. I didn't want to be a burden on anyone. Not like he was. But now, after all that's happened...you saving my ass, keeping us going...I just don't know how to keep pretending like I'm good at this.”

I stare at him for a long moment, entirely lost for words. In all this time, I have tried again and again to make him understand. I have scolded. I have soothed. But somehow, I cannot reach the heart of him. I cannot reach the depths of his fears. Just as I feel frustration and despair creeping into my heart, the water around us begins to shimmer. I inhale sharply.

“Sean, do you see that?”

Beside us, a ghostly, featureless head breaches the surface of the water.

“Alodia, get behind me!” Sean pushes himself between me and the ghost. Unfazed, the figure withdraws something small and shiny and holds it out to Sean. It's a gold-plated watch.

“That's...not possible! It doesn't exist anymore...” The figure imploringly pushes the watch at Sean.

“What is that, Sean?”

“It's...my father's watch...” He looks helplessly at me. “Alodia, what do I do here? Do I...take it?”

“Take it. I think it will help.” When he still hesitates, I take it myself and hold it out to him. A part of me thinks it may only work with both of us touching it, anyway. Sure enough, as soon as he touches it, the world flashes white.

We are in a training room somewhere, with rubber floors, floruescent lights, an array of fitness equipment, and the faint odor of sweat that will probably never fade. Sean, dressed in a purple and black Condors uniform, sits crosslegged on the floor, pouring over the playbooks strewn in front of him.

“If the Seagulls' safety tries what he did last game--” His musing is interrupted by a crisp knock. A short woman wearing a Condors jersey rounds the corner. Sean looks up and smiles.

“Momma!”

The woman's name is Tricia Gayle. I don't question how I know this. She smiles at her son.

“There's my starting quarterback!” Sean stands to pull his mother into an embrace. She laughs. “Hold on, hold on! Lemme get a good look at you.”

She pulls out of his arms and cranes her neck to look up at Sean's face. He grins.

“Look all right?”

“Oh, those cameras won't know what to do with you!” she gushes.

“Well, hopefully they only catch me when I make the good plays.” Tricia steps back, launching into a cheer routine with invisible pompoms.

“Get 'em with a forward drive! Keep that winning streak alive! Get 'em Gayle, give 'em hayle! Goooo, Gayle!”

Sean looks like he's biting his cheek to keep from laughing. “Wow, okay. Did you just mispronounce 'hell' to rhyme with our name?”

“Chant's gotta rhyme somehow,” she replies with a shrug. Sean can't keep the laughter in anymore. Tricia joins him, and the two sink breathlessly down onto a bench. As their laughter dies down, the silence that follows is suddenly heavy. There is worry in Sean's eyes. Tricia puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Coach said you were working too hard. What's wrong, baby?”

Sean sighs. “...I've already had reporters ask me if Dad'll be here. They keep asking about what he's telling me. ...I'm glad we've kept everything under wraps, it's just...I'm trying to be a better man than he was. But it's like I can't stop feeling him over my shoulder.”

“Oh, Sean...” Tricia reaches up to cup his cheek and turn his face towards her. He smiles weakly.

“I know, I know. I'm not Dad. I'm a different person. I get it.”

“But he's a part of you, Sean. Just as I am. You can't just ignore someone that shaped so much of your life. I know you still have his watch in your desk drawer. You deserved so much more from him.”

“Yeah, well, we don't always get what we deserve. But even thinking of letting someone down a fraction of the way he did us...”

She takes his hand and gives it a squeeze. “You have his strengths, too. He did actually have a few. Do you remember Thanksgiving the first year your dad was gone? How I wouldn't let anyone help me in the kitchen?”

“Oh, do I ever. Especially the trip to the E.R after you dropped the turkey pan on your foot.”

“I wanted to prove to everyone that I was fine without him. That I could do everything for everyone else, and take care of myself. 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger,' I thought. The truth is, baby, no one is indestructible.” She chuckles ruefully. “My bones sure wished I sucked it up and asked you for help that day.”

He snorts. “I bet.”

“Reporters will say what they want about you. You can't control them. But don't let worrying about your father's mistakes push you into making your own.”

Sean exhales slowly. “Thanks, Momma. I...really needed to hear that.”

“That's why I said it. Just try to relax. Remember this is the beginning. You were the number one draft pick, and you're already defining your own legacy. Most important, remember that you don't have to carry the world on your shoulders. You got plenty of good folks to share the load with.”

Sean pulls her into a tender embrace. “...Thanks, Momma. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby. Now relax, take a breath, and go win your first game.”

When I find myself back in the ocean again, the sun is sinking low on the horizon. Sean stares at me, dumbfounded.

“...You okay?”

“Alodia, that was...” he swallows hard. “...That was just what I needed.”

He looks down at the watch. For the first time, I notice the inscription on the back: Marcus Gayle. The watch doesn't look like it's going to be able to tell time anymore, but as he clutches it to his chest, Sean smiles at me. I smile back.

“So, you're feeling better?”

“Lots.”

I look over at the ghostly figure, which has started to become hazy. Before it can fade completely, it beckons us down into the shining reef.

“...I think it wants us to follow it. ...I'm gonna do it.”

“Okay,” Sean agrees. “I'm coming too.”

He takes my hand to pull me down again. There is intense light coming from somewhere amid the coral formations. We swim fiercely after the rapidly descending spirit. When I reach the bottom and dare to glance at the source of the light, I catch sight of the shimmering edge of a broken sphere. I grab hold of it and let myself float to the surface.

By then, the sun has set. Stars are starting to appear in the dusky sky. I hold aloft the second half of the Island's Heart triumphantly. Sean stares at it, smiling faintly.

“You found it...”

I grin. “We found it. Give yourself some credit sometimes, huh?”

We dogpaddle back to the rowboats. As we approach, I hold up the Heart again, grinning.

“You did it!” Quinn exclaims.

“We had a little help,” I quip.

“What happened?” Diego asks, helping me into the boat. “From here, it looked like an Electric Light Parade.”

“Hey, if that glorified disco ball wants to show you houw to get to it, I'm not complaining,” Jake drawls.

Malatesta eyes the Heart. “...Mighty fine gem ye've got there.”

“Yes,” Michelle agrees, glaring at him. “And it's not yours.” She holds out her hand for the Heart. I pass it over and let her place it in her backpack. She keeps her eyes locked on Malatesta as she zips it up.

“We should get back to the ship before Rourke's men come searching for it,” Estela declares. Yvonne and Malatesta need no more encouragement. They take up the oars and begin rowing us back to The Dorado. I pull my clothes back on.

“Uh...Doodlejumps?” Raj suddenly speaks up, his voice quivering. “...Friends?” I look over at him. He aims a shaking finger at the water. I look. My blood runs cold. An enormous form is darkening the water underneath us. Through peaks of waves, I can make out dark fins writhing in the deep.

“Oh, no...” I whisper. “No, no, no, please...not now...”

A massive wave pummels the rowboats as a gaping maw rises in front of me, large enough to swallow both boats in a single gulp. Rows upon rows of sword-like teeth crackle with electricity that makes my hair stand on end. The massive serpentine beast is too close for me to make out his shimmering blue face, or his eyeless gaze, but I don't need to. I feel my heart sinking into my belly.

You are Andromeda, a voice in my head taunts. Did you really think you could escape Cetus?

Chapter Text

Malatesta swears fluently under his breath. Jake edges closer to me.

“Ol' Nessie is harder to shake than mono!” he mutters ruefully. Helpless frustration bubbles up in my gut.

“Damn you, Cetus!” I scream. “Why can't you just leave us alone?!”

Dark clouds rush in overhead, following the ocean Guardian. A peal of thunder crackles through the air, and Cetus lets out an ear-splitting roar. As if answering him, the storm erupts in earnest, bright lines of lightning arcing across the angry sky as rain batters us below.

“I don't think he came to mess around this time, yo...” Craig says nervously.

“Back to the reef!” Sean shouts over the rising storm. “He can't get to us in the shallows!”

Yvonne and Malatesta struggle to turn the boats in the choppy water, but a dark shape rises to block our path back to the atoll.

“Oh, god,” Diego whispers. “That's his tail!”

“The grinning devil has us trapped!” Yvonne growls.

“Cetus!” Varyyn roars furiously. “I swear on my mother's grave, I will cut off your head and mount your skull over my throne!”

A wave swells beneath us, sending us scrambling to keep our balance. Michelle's backpack slides across the boat, wedging beneath an oar handle. The light of the Island's Heart streams through the half-zipped flap. Cetus' terrible visage turns, drawn by the brilliant light. For a moment, there is relative calm. Quinn stands on the prow of our boat, facing Cetus boldly.

“Guardian!” she shouts. “I command you to leave this place!”

Cetus turns his attention on her, but only seems to be angered by her words. He howls furiously. Sean and Michelle rush forward to protect her.

“Stop him!” Varyyn suddenly cries. “He has the Heart!”

“What?!” I whip around to see Malatesta raising the shining half-sphere toward Cetus.

“Ye want this, do ye, monster?!” he roars. “Then take it!” Before anyone can react, he lobs the Heart at Cetus. Horror floods through me as I watch it arc through the air and disappear into the serpent's cavernous maw. Cetus closes his jaws. Then, as soon as he appeared, he is gone again, disappeared beneath the raging waves.

“Did he just...eat the Heart?” Diego asks incredulously.

“Yup,” Jake confirms numbly. “That just happened.”

“Malatesta, you bastard!” I hear myself screaming as I come out of my stupor. “Do you have any idea what you just did, you selfish, double-crossing...”

“Plague-eating gut worm!” Yvonne finishes for me from the other rowboat.

“I did what none of you wallflowers were willing to do to keep us alive!” he snarls. Deafening thunderclaps explode overhead. Forked tongues of lightning strike the waves with ear-splitting pops, and a piteous cry rises from somewhere below.

“He's leaving!” Estela shouts. “But the storm's only getting worse!”

She's right. The waves are getting higher and stronger, and our rowboats are bucking and rearing, rising and falling like roller coaster cars.

“Hang on! Everyone just hang on!” I grab the oars, trying to control the boat. I row furiously against the tide, and the boat steadies slightly as we climb and descend the waves.

“Yeah! What a ride!” Craig crows. I turn frantically to look at the other rowboat, and a flash briefly illuminates a cluster of rocks directly ahead of Yvonne's boat.

“Yvonne, left! Break left!”

Yvonne pitches her weight left, turning the boat. They narrowly miss the rocks. I turn help them, but my eye catches the sight of the sea turning and falling away.

“Guys!” Craig cries. “It's a tidal wave!”

Caught in the current, the boat is drawn higher and higher by a towering wall of water. The dark sea churns beneath us, looking at least a mile off. As the wave crests, I find myself airborne, and hear screaming all around me. Some of it is probably my own. Then the dark water breaks painfully underneath me, rushing in to close over my head. Sinking figures surround me as darkness fills my vision, and even the rush of water singing against my ears starts to fade into silence...

… Light suddenly stings my eyes. My chest feels tight. There is a salty-tasting mouth pressed against mine, surrounded by scratchy stubble. Air rushes into my chest.

“Come on, Princess,” Jake pleads desperately. “Come back to me.” His mouth presses to mine again, and another rush of air sends a wave of seawater crashing up my throat. I feel my whole body seizing violently as the water in my lungs explodes out of me in a fit of coughing.

“Oh, thank goodness!” I hear Quinn breathe. I try to focus my vision. Jake is beside me, Quinn and Diego are kneeling at my other shoulder. Jake helps me sit up. He pulls me into his arms, trembling and kissing my hair.

“You're okay...you're okay, Princess...”

“I'm fine...” After taking a moment to catch my breath, I pull back to look at his face and gingerly lay a hand on his injured ribs. “Are you okay?”

He flinches at my touch, gasping sharply, but he forces a smile. “No worse off than before, I think.”

Diego smiles weakly at me. “How many near-drownings is this now, Allie?”

“Too many,” I admit. “Honestly, it's getting embarrassing.”

I glance around me. Besides Quinn and Diego, I see Sean, Michelle, Raj, Craig, Estela, and Varyyn are all gathered nearby, all soaking wet, but apparently unharmed. Jake kisses my forehead.

“There's no sign of the pirate duo,” he murmurs. “Maybe they washed up somewhere else.”

Abruptly, Quinn frowns, tipping her head to the side. “Hey...does anyone else hear that?” We all go quiet, listening. A faint melody is drifting through the trees, strains of an acoustic guitar.

“What the hell?” I murmur.

“Sounds like we ain't alone,” Jake remarks with a frown. He helps me to my feet. We all make our way into the rainforest, following the dulcet tones until we reach a ruined stone structure almost completely overgrown with clinging vines. At the center of what must have once been an impressive courtyard, an amphitheater descends toward a small stage.

“I think these are Mayan ruins,” Diego says. “I learned about them in Pre-Colonial Art History.”

“Yeah,” I murmur. I can't help pausing for a moment to admire them, to imagine them whole and filled with people living their daily lives. How many generations have walked this ground before me, unaware of what will come in the future, unconcerned about what came before them? Consumed with their own lives, their own problems, each making a thousand tiny decisions that shape the world into what it is now...

The mysterious guitar strains break into my thoughts again. I look toward the source of the music, which turns out to be a handsome young man sitting against a wall at one side of the stage. He's ruddy-skinned, with dark hair that brushes his shoulders, wearing a brown military-looking uniform and dogtags, like the kind Jake wears. Sensing our presence, he pauses.

“Hello? Someone else here?” We're still mostly concealed by the trees and the decaying building, but after scanning his surroundings, he seems to notice us. He starts to put his guitar away.

“...He's kinda cute,” Diego murmurs, with an unmistakeable grin curving his lips. “Don't you think so, Allie?”

“Down, boy!” I quip.

“He's more than cute,” Michelle replies. “He's downright dreamy.”

“No argument here,” Quinn agrees.

Jake raises an eyebrow. “You kiddin' me? That's a paratrooper kit he's wearing.”

“He's probably got some firearms on him,” Estela says flatly. “We'd better watch ourselves.”

“Definitely,” Sean agrees, he glares at Michelle and the others.

The man in the paratrooper kit walks over to a small pot perched atop a campfire and stirs its contents.

“Plenty of room here if you'd like to share my camp,” he calls.

“...Should we?” I ask uncertainly. “Call me paranoid, but I'm inclined to be suspicious of humans here who aren't...you know, us.”

“I'm with Alodia,” Craig agrees. “This guy is waaaaaaay suspicious.”

“Yeah. But we should find out what he's up to,” Sean murmurs.

Quinn rolls her eyes. “Oh, come on! Did you guys even hear that music?”

“Yes,” Varyyn says mildly. “It was very beautiful.” I can't tell if he's agreeing with Quinn or with us.

Sean shakes his head and steps warily toward the young man. The rest of us follow.

“Hey!” Sean calls.

The young man smiles warmly. “Hey, Mac. Pleased to meet you. I'm Kele.”

“You with Arachnid?” Sean demands.

“Arach-what?”

“Don't try to play dumb, bro!” Craig growls. “Lundgren give you all this gear?”

“Hey, look, don't snap your cap, pal. I don't know anything about any Arachnid or Lundgren. I'm on my own out here. Have been since the Shenandoah got brought down by U-boats.”

“You sayin' submarine torpedoes sunk your ship?” Jake asks, frowning.

“Germans really know what they're doing with those things,” Kele says ruefully. “We got hit in the zero dark hundred and we were taken totally unaware.”

“We're stranded on La Huerta, too,” Quinn admits.

“Now that's a sure shame.” Kele smiles disarmingly at her. “Pretty girl like you must have a lot of friends back home.”

Quinn blushes. “Oh, well, heh...Actually, all of my friends are here...”

Jake leans over to murmur in my ear, “Princess, his uniform is downright antique!”

“Kele,” I say, “don't take this the wrong way, but what year do you think it is?”

He shrugs. “Last I saw a calendar, 1941. But there's not much use in keeping track of time here.”

“So you are a World War II soldier!” Diego exclaims. “You were fighting Nazis before it was even cool!”

“Yeah, something like that.”

I feel Jake relax beside me. “Well, you got my respect.” He steps up to Kele and holds out a hand. “Jake McKenzie, former Navy pilot.”

Kele shakes the offered hand. “Oh, a flyboy. Pleasure.” He returns to the pot and starts stirring.

“How long have you been here?” Estela asks.

“Long enough to stop worrying about it,” he replies. “Can I interest you all in some chili or do you wanna keep beating your gums all day?”

Raj chuckles. “Dude's unflappable. I like him.”

“I saw him first,” Michelle retorts.

“No fair!” Quinn laughs.

“I guess he's all right,” Sean finally relents. “So, you really don't know anything about the Arachnid paramilitary outfit? Or Rourke?”

“Oh, you mean the machine men? Yeah, they've been around. I saw a bunch of them come out of the ruins. Looked like they were searching for somebody.” He frowns, looking up at us. “...Is it you they're trying to find?”

We all exchange glances. Finally, I take a deep breath. “Well, the short answer is...yes.”

“Huh.” He shrugs. “Well, you can hide here for as long as you like. There's a vista over a waterfall a few minutes away that's good for scouting.”

“Probably a good idea to send a couple people up there to keep lookout,” Jake remarks.

“Not you,” I say firmly, before he can volunteer himself. “You're still injured.”

“Alodia's right,” Michelle agrees. “We won't even know the real extent of the damage for a day or two. You need to rest as much as possible.”

“I'll go,” Sean volunteers.

“Not alone you're not,” I say. “I'll go with you.”

Kele arches an eyebrow at me. “Think I've figured out who your CO is.”

Jake chuckles. “That's Alodia. She may be tiny, but don't tangle with her. She's a firecracker.”

“Duly noted. I'll show you how to get there.” Kele puts down the ladle and wipes his hands.

“Need any help in the kitchen in the meantime?” Raj asks.

“Sure. More cooks means more food. There are some mangoes you could slice up in that rucksack.”

“Comin' right up!”

Kele directs me and Sean on the proper route up to the vista. We take the hill in silence for a few minutes, concentrating on keeping our footing on the steep, uneven terrain.

“It was good of you to volunteer,” I remark after a time. “I know you really haven't had much time to unwind since we found you. But if you hadn't, I know Jake would have, and in his current condition...”

“It's fine. Honestly, I kinda think I needed this.”

“Yeah?”

He sighs, flexing his fingers anxiously. “I dunno. So much has happened in the last few weeks, but there's so little that I was able to do about it. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to get a break, but...I just need to feel useful right now.”

“I feel like I ought to be telling you to chill out,” I reply ruefully. “But the truth is, I totally get it. It's just generally tough to enjoy yourself when you feel like you're not doing enough for those around you. And in a situation like ours...honestly, I feel like I'm forgetting how to relax.”

“I think it's like using any muscle. If you don't practice with it, it gets weak.”

“Well, for my money, staring at a waterfall together has to be a pretty good place to start.”

“Only one way to find out.”

I can hear the water rushing before it comes into view. When it does, my breath catches in my throat. I have found myself on the edge of the placid pond that spreads from the bottom of the waterfall. The water that flows over the cliffs above me is clear, crystal blue, and the whole scene is framed with mottled green and brown foliage. Beside me, I look out to see verdant greenery rolling below us.

“...There's worse places to be lookouts, that's for sure,” I murmur. I take a seat on a large boulder beside the waterfall and pat the spot next to me. “Sit down. Take a load off.”

Sean comes to sit beside me, casting his gaze over the valley. The gentle smile on his face starts to fall. He points somewhere in the distance.

“That's where Craig and I were held,” he says softly. “When we were captured.”

“So close?” I taste alarm at the back of my throat, but Sean quickly shakes his head.

“They moved camp awhile ago, so we're fine. ...It's just weird to see it again.”

It takes a moment for my heartbeat to return to normal, for my breath to descend from my chest into my abdomen. “...That must have been really hard...”

“It was,” he agrees. He is quiet for a long time, searching for the words. Finally, he shakes his head again. “It's hard to explain.”

“...What were they going to do with you?”

“I'm not sure. They clearly weren't there for us to begin with, which explains why we stayed in one place for so long. They would ask us questions sometimes. If we knew where the Heart was. Or what the Vaanti were planning. ...About halfway through, we overheard Aleister talking to someone about how we were the only survivors.”

I swallow hard. “...Shit...God, Sean...”

“...That was really hard, hearing that. After all that time, it seemed likely. And then after awhile, they wouldn't let me or Craig speak unless spoken to...”

“...Did they hurt you?”

“Some of them got a little rough, but nothing too bad. ...Aleister made sure they didn't treat us like garbage, so that was something.” He sighs. “I bet everyone thinks I was insane to ask him to come with us.”

“It's not insane, Sean. You saw something in him worth saving.” It's my turn to sigh. “The others...just aren't in a place to even ask that right now. They're still too raw.”

“That's fair,” he admits. “Regardless, I'm glad you had my back on the ship. It felt good to not be alone on this. ...It just hurts, Alodia. To see what he was doing. How he was doing it. I mean, I won't say Aleister was my favorite person to begin with...”

“You're not the first to feel that way,” I admit wryly.

“But while we were captured, I realized how similar our lives were. We both had to pretend to adore our fathers when they were horrible behind closed doors. We both felt this pressure to carry on a legacy, terrified of failure. Sometimes I would see him at the campsite, and all I could see was myself. Maybe I'm just scared that if I give up on Aleister...”

“...That you're giving up on yourself?” I finish for him. He nods, leaning a little closer to me, perhaps unconsciously. “...It's taken a lot of courage and strength for you to get where you are. But in the end, this is Aleister's journey to figure out. It won't matter how strong you are if he just won't move.”

“You're right. I know you're right. It just...sucks, you know? Seeing someone make the same mistakes you did?”

“I know. But you gave him more chances to do the right thing than anyone. It's not your fault he didn't take any of them.”

He regards me thoughtfully, a smile lifting one corner of his mouth. “What's it like, always knowing the right thing to say? It seems pretty great from here.”

I chuckle. “Oh, you know. I try not to let it go to my head.”

A sudden sharp breeze whips over the waterfall, sending a tepid spray over us. Sean puts himself between me and the waterfall, shielding me from the soaking blast. As the spray dies down, he smiles at me.

“Hi there.”

I grin back up at him. “Heh. Thanks.” Impulsively, I give him a light shove, enough to throw him off balance, and he topples over into the shallow pool. He lands with a splash, sputtering. Soaking wet, he emerges in the knee deep shallows.

“Oh, now you've done it.” With a wicked grin, he lunges at me, grabbing me just under my hips and throwing me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I yelp as I find myself upside down, staring at his backside.

“Sean? Sean, w-what are you doing?!”

“If I'm getting a bath, so are you!” I shriek indignantly as he turns and marches straight for the waterfall, pounding at his back with my fists.

“You put me down, Sean Gayle! Put me down this instant!”

“No way!” Taking in a deep breath, he rushes in to stand directly under the frothy falls. “It's shower time!”

I yelp with helpless laughter as the lukewarm water crashes over me. “You are a dead man! The moment you put me down, you are so dead!”

“Well, then I guess I can't ever put you down, can I? I guess you live on my shoulders now.” With a few shifts of his weight, he shifts me from sack-of-potatoes position to drape me over both shoulders like a baby lamb. “God, you're tiny, aren't you?”

“I'm not tiny, you're just a big ol' hulk!” Still under the waterfall, he starts to spin in place, making me shriek again. And then I hear another shriek answering mine from somewhere in the hills, a shrill, inhuman cry fused with a cackle. The sound sends ice trickling down my spine. Sean stops cold, quickly setting me back on my feet.

“...What was that?”

“Nothing good,” I answer grimly.

“Hey, you two!” Quinn's voice drifts up the cliffside. “Food's ready! Come and get it!”

Sean looks down at me. “...It...might have just been the wind. We can't let this place make us jump at shadows, right?”

I smile in spite of myself. “Heh. Look at you relaxing.”

“What can I say. You're a great teacher.”

We head back down the trail toward the ruins, where everyone is gathered around a roaring campfire. Craig is clumsily picking at Kele's guitar. Michelle sighs wearily.

“Okay, Craig, whatever you're trying to play, just stop.”

“Isn't it obvious? It's that song about going over rainbows.”

“It's not obvious,” Estela deadpans. “Not at all.”

“At least you're better than Jake,” Diego says with a grin.

“Hey, my rendition of Wonderwall was beautiful!” Jake snaps back.

“I'm sorry to have missed that,” I quip, coming to sit beside him. He regards my freshly soaked clothes with a smirk.

“What happened to you, Princess? You fall in?”

“Something like that. I had help.” I shoot a mock-glare at Sean.

“Hey, she started it,” he retorts. Jake chuckles.

“Somehow, that does not surprise me,” he drawls, softening his words with a kiss on my cheek. I still stick out my tongue at him.

Kele and Raj are leaning over a bubbling pot on the fire, grinning from ear to ear.

“Smells like you've been busy,” Kele remarks.

“I'd love your feedback, dude.” Kele ladles out a bit, blows on it, and takes a sip. His eyes go wide.

“This is...amazing! How did you get so much flavor in there?”

“Coconut milk! And love. Always cook with love.”

Kele gets out a few shelled-out coconut halves from his rucksack. Sean takes the ladle and starts to fill the makeshift bowls, passing them out.

“Sit down, Raj,” he says. “You've earned it.”

When we've all been served, we raise our spoons in a toast and dig in. I sigh rapturously as the flavor collapses across my tongue, savory and hearty with just the right amount of spice.

“Oh my god,” Jake mumbles appreciatively around a mouthful.

“Best chili I have ever tasted,” Estela agrees. Craig has already wolfed down his bowl and gone back for seconds. I am not far behind him.

“Buddy's still got his skills!” Craig declares enthusiastically.

“Thanks to Grandma,” Raj says with a smile. He passes a grateful look to me as I ladle out another helping. “...and Alodia.”

Any reply I might have made is cut off when a sound floats up from out of another part of the ruins, something between rustling, chattering, and shrieking that makes every hair on my body stand to attention. Ice trickles down my spine.

“...Please tell me I'm not the only one who heard that...”

“I heard it,” Sean confirms lowly. “What was that?”

“Oh, that?” Kele shrugs nonchalantly. “That's just the ghost.”

The collective look we give him suggests he has just removed his own head and set it beside him to spoon-feed.

“Just a ghost?” Michelle repeats.

“How auspicious!” Varyyn says brightly. “Has it been here long?”

“Not sure. I've not tended to stay in one place.”

“So, is this a Casper the Friendly Ghost Situation or--” Diego is cut off as the noise surges in strength. We all drop our bowls, clapping our hands over our ears until it dies down a little. “Nope. That's definitely a Dementor.”

A loud crash comes from the trees on the other side of the clearing. My heart wedges in my throat.

“Everyone hide!” I hiss. We all scramble ot flatten ourselves to the ground and huddle against a ruined wall. I dare to peek my head out, and spot a flash of Arachnid armor. Jake grabs my hand, his breath catching, but the soldiers are too busy retreating to even notice the campsite.

“Squad Beta Commander to Control,” one of them calls frantically into his comm unit, “we need backup here! Repeat, requesting backup!”

“Wait!” the other soldier cries. “Don't leave me behind here!”

They vanish into the trees again. As their voices fade, we cautiously emerge from our hiding spots.

“That is not a friendly ghost,” Raj declares.

“Actually,” Estela murmurs, “I...think it might be...”

“Katniss, you did see the soldiers running like babies, right?” Estela pulls the photo of her family out of her pocket.

“Remember the thing that approached me on the beach? What if that spirit is this spirit?”

“I hear you,” Raj agrees. “That ghost thing pulled me out of a real tight spot.”

Sean rubs his father's watch on his wrist. “Helped me, too. Whatever this spirit is, it's definitely a friend.”

“Friend or not, if the soldiers are here, it probably means Rourke's interested in it,” Quinn points out.

“You think it has to do with the Heart?” Sean wonders.

“If Rourke wants it, it's likely,” I agree.

Diego groans a little. “Guys, this isn't fair. I left my proton pack at home.”

“How do we keep a friggin' ghost out of Rourke's hands?” Jake asks.

“Forget that, how do we get it to talk to us?”

“Maybe we should offer it tribute?” I suggest.

“We could light candles and make sugar skulls,” Diego says. “Like my abuelita on Dia de los Muertos.”

“And where would we get either candles or sugar?” Michelle asks irritably.

“We could kill a small animal,” Raj offers. Sean makes a face.

“As delightful as that sounds, Arachnid could be back any moment. We don't have time for that.”

“Why not just walk in and see what we can find?” Kele suggests with a sigh.

“Stay out of this, Jason Mraz,” Jake snaps. “We don't need your help.”

“Jake, be reasonable!” Quinn chides.

“Walking in does seem like less work than killing a squirrel,” Raj concedes.

“How do we know this won't end like a horror movie?” Diego asks nervously.

“I think there's only one way to find out,” I answer grimly.

“I'm coming,” Michelle declares. “But only so I can say 'I told you so' when we get murdered.”

We all turn toward the dark doorway at the end of the courtyard. As we approach, the noise fills our ears again. I grit my teeth, trying to block it out.

“It's not too late to turn around yet, is it?” Diego mutters.

“Come on, bro,” Craig says. “We don't have time to chicken out. Let's just do this before it gets dark.”

“You mean like you did at the haunted house sophomore year?” Michelle drawls.

“I got no idea what you're talking about,” Craig replies haughtily. “The zombies led me out the emergency exit so I could see the real hardcore part of the house.”

I sigh and gather my courage, gently shouldering by Craig to start walking up the steps. I fold my arms tightly over my chest, trying to disguise the fact that I'm shaking.

“See?” I hear Michelle say. “Alodia's going! You can't not go now!”

Craig grumbles under his breath, but he follows after me. As we all walk through the shadowy doorway, the rustling noises seem to close in around us. I shiver, feeling as if I've just stuck my finger in an electric socket.

“Is it just me, or is it really cold in here?”

“Hey, Spirit Dude,” Raj calls softly. “Buddy, ol' pal, ol' friend. We're not here to hurt you. Be nice. Pleeeeeeeease...”

“It's a ghost, Raj, not a puppy!”

I make my way down a rough, uneven staircase, stumbling slightly on one loose step. I put my hand on the wall to steady myself.

“You okay there?” Quinn asks.

“Yeah, fine. I just...” I trail off as I happen to look at my hand. It's smeared with blood. I look up at the wall and find words written in thick swaths of blood: STAY AWAY

“This is friendly-ghost-speak for 'Hi, be my friend', right?” Diego deadpans.

“There's more!” Kele remarks. “Cast an eyeball at this!”

I look where he's indicating, and see more bloody messages: YOU DON'T BELONG HERE and I CAN TASTE YOUR FEAR

“What emo punk band is this ghost listening to?” Jake mutters.

“Hopefully one that's pacifist,” Raj says.

“All right, gang, we don't know when Arachnid is coming back,” Sean points out. “Let's look around and be quick about it.”

We all fan out to poke around the ruins. Sean immediately pulls himself into the branches of an overgrown tree entwined with one ruined wall.

“Think the ghost is hiding up there?” I call up with a smirk.

“No stone unturned, right?” he calls back.

“Well, if by stone you mean branch, I guess that works.”

Quinn wanders over to a crumbling stone fountain. Picking up a stick, she gingerly stirrs the algae-thick water. She recoils slightly, putting a hand over her mouth and nose.

“This is like stirring soup,” she mutters. “And it stinks!”

“Hey, Allie. Come take a look at this.” I turn my attention to Diego, crouched with Varyyn near what appears to be a makeshift shrine. I come closer and find trinkets spread around a small wooden figurine.

“What's this?”

“Do you remember the religious war my people fought?” Varyyn asks. When we both nod, he continues. “Some sects believed that praying to individual Catalysts would bring them sooner.”

I squint at the idol, trying to make out some distinctive feature, dragon wings, a wolf's head, bear paws...

“Can you tell which one of us this is for?”

Diego lifts the idol to inspect it. As he does, something drops from a hole in the side into the dust at his feet. I bend to pick it up. It's a tarnished silver pen, with an engraving along the side: Grace Tamara Hall. My heart beats faster.

“This belongs to Grace!”

“What?” Diego snatches the pen from my hand to read the engraving. “She was here?”

“Perhaps,” Varyyn says.

Diego swallows and meets my gaze, his dark eyes troubled. “Allie, this pen looks old. I mean like old. This much tarnish on silver...”

“NO!” Craig's terrified cry makes us all jump. We all rush over to where he is stooped inside a narrow alcove, cradling something in his arms. My blood turns cold as it rushes out of my head to collect at my feet. Time seems to stop.

A body, mostly decayed, rests in Craig's arms. Still attached to a flap of rotting flesh on the scalp is an unmistakeable streak of maroon hair.

“...No...”

“...Th-that can't be Zahra...” Quinn whimpers. “...Right...?”

Trembling violently, Craig slips the bracelets off the corpse's bony wrists. They're familiar. Too familiar. Raj sucks in his breath sharply, hand flying to his mouth. Michelle backs away, her face ashen.

“No...”

“Th-there's writing over here,” Raj says weakly, pointing to the wall. “It says, 'You will be next.'”

Quinn dissolves into tears beside me. Sean curses under his breath, furiously kicking at the tree. I stare numbly at the grotesque pile of sloppy flesh and brittle bones. It...it can't be. It's not possible. ...I passed the test. They were alive...they were all alive... At least...they were alive when I reached the Threshold. But now the cycle has been broken. And this may have been my last chance. ...Have we lost her for good this time? Our Zahra? Our snarky lich queen, our brilliant hacker, our strong, fearless crow? I never saw her flinch, never saw her break. In another lifetime, I watched her singlehandedly destroy Rourke's entire empire. ...How could she be the first to go now, of all of us, when I was supposed to have finally gotten it all right?

Craig straightens slowly, clutching the bracelets, his face a twisted red mask of grief and fury.

“We had only just...I was going to...” He chokes on a sob, looking uncharacteristically small and helpless. Michelle reaches out to lay a hand on his shoulder, but he pulls sharply away, whirling to slam his fist into a wall with a furious cry.

“Hey, man, hold on--” Sean steps forward to pull him away, but Craig throws all his weight into a shove that actually sends Sean sprawling to the stones. His breath starts coming out in fast, shallow gasps.

“Craig, stop!” I cry. “Craig, you need to breathe!”

He ignores me, whipping around to face the dark recesses of the ruin. “Hey! Ghost! Come out so I can kick your ass!” He beats his fists wildly on the stone walls. A loud snap echoes across the plaza. Suddenly, the floor under my feet is trembling.

“Uh, Big Guy, I think you made it angry...” The floor drops about a foot beneath us, throwing us all off balance.

“Hang onto something!” Kele shouts. The stone under our feet starts to split apart, receding towards the walls and leaving us less room to stand on by the second.

“...I told you so,” Michelle mutters.

“Grab onto the walls!” I shout. I grasp whatever handholds I can find on the uneven stone walls, looking worriedly over my shoulder at my friends. Everyone scrambles to get onto the walls or the trees. Except for Craig. He stands still as the floor recedes. His back is to me, but I don't need to see his face to guess at his thinking.

“Craig, don't be stupid!” Michelle screams. “Grab hold of something!”

Before anyone can stop him, he jumps into the gap.

“No! Craig!” There is a distant thud as he lands. Suddenly, the gap in the floor starts to close again, edges slowly creeping together.

“Dammit!” Michelle jumps off the wall and runs toward the narrowing gap.

“What are you doing?!” Sean cries.

“I'm not letting him get stuck down there alone!” she snaps, scrambling over the edge. She lets go of the ledge and disappears.

“Hold on!” Sean yells. “I'm coming too!” One by one, the others jump down into the gap. I raise my eyes to meet Diego's beside me. He smiles weakly.

“All for one and one for all, right?”

“...Here goes nothing...” I turn myself against the wall and reach out to grasp his hand. Together, we launch ourselves into the gap. As the stones snap shut over our heads, all I see is darkness. We tumble through the air and land in a pile with the others.

“Whose elbows are in my back?” Estela groans.

“My arm is goin' numb,” Jake complains.

“This is not an ideal cuddle puddle,” Raj concedes.

As we slowly untangle ourselves, my eyes start to adjust to the darkness, broken by one small shaft of light from above. It illuminates Craig as he pounds his fists against the wall.

“Come out, asshat!” he howls. “I need to punch you out of existence!”

“Dude, the ghost might not even have a corporeal form,” Raj points out.

“I don't care!”

Sean seizes Craig's shoulders and turns him around, forcing them to lock eyes.

“I know it hurts, man,” Sean says gently. “I know. I feel it too. We all do. We all cared about Zahra. But just take a second. Breathe. Just let yourself feel whatever you're feeling.”

For a long moment, Craig just stares at his friend. Then his face crumples, his lips quivering. He pulls away sharply and collapses onto the stairs. I rush to his side to put a hand on his shoulder.

“Craig. I promise, we'll avenge her.” I grip his shoulder, speaking through clenched teeth. “I swear, whoever or whatever took Zahra from us, we will make them pay.”

“Hell yeah we will, Alodia.”

“Will both of you stop and think for two seconds?” Estela snaps impatiently. Craig scowls at her.

“Of all people, I thought you'd understand!”

“I do understand. But whatever this ghost is might have information about the island.”

Craig's shoulders sag under the weight of his grief. “I'm just...I'm so tired of never being good enough. I wasn't good enough to get drafted--”

Sean looks sharply at him. “Wait, what?!”

“I wasn't good at school,” Craig continues, ignoring Sean. “I wasn't...I couldn't get to Zahra fast enough. It's just...why couldn't it have been me?!”

“Oh, Craig...” Michelle murmurs.

“She beat me at everything!” he cries. “She was smarter, cooler, always knew what to do...Why is she gone and a dumb, worthless loser like me still here?!” He dissolves into ragged sobs, tears running down his cheeks in rivers. For a long while, no one speaks. Then Diego yelps, raising a finger toward a glowing rock wall.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“There! That's it!” Estela exclaims.

Sure enough, the glowing ghostly figure is coming through the rock wall and descending the stairs toward us. Shock and disbelief momentarily halt Craig's tears as he stares at it. Then his face twists with rage.

“You! You killed my friend!” He lunges at the figure, throwing punch after wild punch, but his fist passes through it. The figure endures Craig's furious assault placidly, not moving. “I hate you! I hate you! I...why isn't it hurting me?”

“...Because it's Zahra?” Michelle suggests.

“What?!”

“Think about it. Who else's spirit would do things to try to help us?”

“Of course,” Sean murmurs. “It does make sense...”

Craig's face twists with fresh anguish. “Z-Zahra...? I'm...I'm so sorry...” He clasps his hands in what looks almost like a prayer. “I didn't find you fast enough. I wasn't there when you needed me. I was so sure that you'd be okay, and then I...I...I failed you...”

The ghost bends toward him, holding out its hand. A small, silvery ring rests in its palm. Craig looks at me, his eyes begging for guidance. I nod.

“Take it. I think you'll want to see this.”

He stretches out a trembling hand to accept the ring. “It's my class ring,” he mumbles. “My parents picked this one out a while ago. They were gonna give it to me at graduation.” I hold out my hand, silently asking permission to touch it. He passes it toward me, and I feel the familiar weightlessness as the world around me dissolves.

A football stadium, packed with spectators. “Ultra Bowl” is emblazoned on the grass beneath the players' feet. The Eagles lead the Condors by four points, with five seconds on the clock.

“We can still pull this off, Craig,” Sean says. “Can you make a hole for me?”

“All day, every day, bro,” Craig replies.

“All right, let's do this. 64, 96, Fireball...Hut hut!”

The defensive lineman barrels down toward the quarterback, but the linebacker pushes him hard to the side. The quarterback scrambles up the middle, flying past the front line. Two defenders come from the side and begin to pull him down. He laterals the ball to the linebacker before he's taken down.

“Get it!” Sean yells.

The defense goes for the linebacker, but he rolls through them, straight into the endzone.

“I don't believe it!” the announcer shrieks. “The Condors win! The Condors win the Ultra Bowl!”

“That's what I'm talking about!” Sean crows as fireworks explode over the field.

In a comfortable, cheerful office, Sean and Craig set down their controllers and high five each other. On the computer screen in front of them, animated figures are carrying out a giant trophy. The sound of a cheering crowd floats out from the speakers. Sean, dressed in his purple and black Condors uniform, grins at his friend.

“You're as good a lineman in game as you are in real life!”

Craig, dressed in jeans and a plain T-shirt, laughs. “Maybe real-life me five years ago!” he says, ruefully poking at his belly, which has grown a little bit rounder. “Not a lot of lineman training behind this desk.”

He closes the test rig on the screen, and Sean leans back, lacing his fingers behind his head. “It's good.”

Craig grins. “For real, bro, thanks for coming in for our cover photoshoot. You've become Touchdown 2021's biggest selling point.”

“Hey, anything for you man. Just gotta make sure the game only has my good plays in it.”

Craig snorts. “Dude, don't worry. We literally had to nerf your stats because you were so OP.”

Sean smiles, casting his eyes over the office. His eyes fall on a photo sitting on the desk in front of him, of him and Craig in their Hartfeld uniforms, side-by-side. Craig notices where his gaze has landed and frowns a little.

“...Hey, Sean?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you know when you're good enough at what you do?”

“Where's this coming from?”

“Okay, so you're literally one of the best athletes in the world, Raj basically owns the NomNom Network...Sometimes, I just...don't know if I can keep up, you know?”

“Aw, dude--”

“I know, it's dumb.”

“You're working on one of the biggest game franchises in the world. You found a life that makes you happy. Honestly, man, I'm really proud of you.”

“...Really?”

“Since getting this job, I gotta say I feel like you've come into your own. You stopped trying to pull people down, and found something you loved. I think that's awesome.”

“And I haven't even told you about CheeseFry-day.”

“Is that where you get cheese fries on Friday?”

“It's the best, dude.”

A photographer wanders in from the next room. “Mr. Gayle, we're ready for you. Follow me, please.”

“That's my cue.”

“Sure is,” Craig agrees. “And I got a meeting coming up. But hey. Thanks, man. I mean it. I don't know how I woulda gotten here without you.”

“Nah.” Sean claps him on the shoulder. “This is all you, Craig.”...

… I'm back in the cavern again, my hand and Craig's still on the ring. The others stare at us and the ghostly figure between us.

“Did...did you just see...?”

I smile. “Yeah. I did.”

The ghost is shining brighter now. Craig turns toward it. “I think...I know what she's trying to tell me.” He offers the spirit a watery smile. “Zahra, if it's you, I just wanna say something, before you go...”

The spirit looks down at him, apparently waiting for him to continue. He draws in a shuddering breath.

“I...I think I'm in love with you. And I don't know how to stop. I don't think I can. I just started to think that I could be your Player 2...” His voice cracks with anguish, and he covers his face. “I wish I could've stopped this from happening. But I know why you showed me the future. You want me to keep going. So...I'll do my best.”

The spirit starts to recede into the wall, but it keeps its hand stretched toward Craig. As it fades, Craig dissolves into fresh tears, crying brokenly into his hands. Sean and Michelle rush forward, wrapping their arms around him as he sags toward the floor.

“We're right here, Craig,” Sean murmurs, looking ready to cry himself. “Right here.”

“I'm such a wuss,” Craig says bitterly. “Why couldn't I tell her...?”

“...Tell me what?”

Everyone freezes at the unmistakeable voice behind us. We turn slowly, hardly daring to believe it. But it's true. Her dark hair is ragged and uneven, as if she's been stubbornly maintaining her undercut with sharpened rocks, and her signature maroon streak is faded and somewhat off-color. But there's no mistaking her. It's Zahra.

Quinn is the first to say it. “...Y-you're alive!”

Estela blinks, looking back towards where the ghost has faded. “Then what just...”

“Z...?” Craig's voice trembles. “Is that you?”

Zahra coughs awkwardly, shifting her weight. “Craig, did you, uh...mean all that stuff? About me dying?”

Craig is off like a gunshot, pulling Zahra into a crushing embrace. She yelps as the breath rushes out of her, grimacing. Craig lifts her bodily off the floor, bouncing with elation.

“It's you! You're not dead! You're really not dead!”

“To be not dead, I need to breathe!” she croaks, squirming. He sets her down, but he only pulls back slightly.

“Sorry about that. Actually, not sorry. You're alive!”

“If I do die, you are not allowed to speak at my funeral. That was cheesy as hel--” She's cut off by Craig's lips pressed firmly to hers. Quinn laughs.

“Aww!” she cooes.

“Should we turn around?” I quip, aware that I'm grinning like an idiot and not really caring. Zahra, kissing Craig back with passion, puts her middle finger up at us. After a moment or two, they reluctantly break apart. Zahra looks Craig over.

“I guess it's cool that you're not dead or whatever either.”

“So...Zahra, you're buddies with the ghost?” I ask. She looks reproachfully at me.

“No, you doofus. I am the ghost.”

“Then, the spooky noises? The floor opening up?”

She grins, clearly pleased with herself. “Speakers playing sounds based on a randomized time interval.”

“The blood?” Jake asks.

“Had to eat a few squirrels the last couple months. Figured the blood was a nice touch.”

“A couple months?!” Raj yelps.

“Yeah, let's skip past that part,” she mutters.

“What about the floor?” Michelle asks.

“You mean my masterpiece,” Zahra answers with a wicked grin. She digs a small flashlight out of her pocket and points it at the ceiling. A large series of wires and supports rest under each stone square. I whistle lowly.

“You have been busy. And you managed to fool those Arachnid troops.”

She laughs. “Did they piss their pants this time? I hope I got it on video.”

“Okay, I get pretending to be a ghost,” Quinn says. “But why fake your own death?”

Zahra shrugs. “Rourke can't kill me if he thinks I'm dead.”

“You almost convinced us,” Sean replies softly.

“Yeah, well...you're here. I'm here. It all worked out.”

“That still doesn't explain the glowy thing that's trying to give us stuff,” Raj points out.

“Glowy thing?” Zahra repeats, blinking. “I didn't have a glowy thing.”

“Okaaaaaay,” Jake drawls. “Then who the hell is Beetlejuice and why is he coming after us?”

Heavy, clunky footsteps on the staircase distract us from speculating further. We shrink into a protective huddle, turning towards the sound. I feel my blood run cold.

Oh, no...please, no...not here...not now...

The Endless stands in front of us, her aged face once more concealed behind her visor. The flame that once danced over her mechanical right hand is gone.

“I'm afraid there is something else you need to worry about.”

Chapter Text

“How did they get past my security system?!” Zahra demands in a whisper. “No one comes in here without me knowing about it!”

A familiar blue light catches my eye. Somehow, without my noticing, several small time rifts have opened in the skin of reality inside the cavern. I look back at the Endless. In spite of myself, I feel my initial horror at the sight of her giving way to relief.

“...You're alive...I...thought I saw the lava cover you...”

“This suit makes lava a momentary inconvenience, at worst.”

“Wait.” Michelle frowns at me. “Alodia, do you know this person?”

Suddenly, I feel all resistance bleeding out of me. I don't want to fight the truth anymore. I can't keep it to myself. I don't want to face it alone. I want their help. My friends. My family. The people I will...the people I did put the spacesuit on for. The people the Endless lost her hand for. I exhale slowly, my breath shaking.

“Guys...this is the Endless.”

Varyyn immediately drops to his knees, looking reverently up at the red-clad figure, slackjawed with amazement.

“Uqzhaal said that the Endless prophesied the end of the world,” Diego murmurs. “And us stopping it.”

“Right. About that.” I swallow hard. “Endless, will you remove your helmet please?”

“Very well.” She unhooks the clasp at the neck of her suit, and pulls her helmet off, revealing my own aged face. I close my eyes as the others gasp and murmur around me.

“...As you can see,” I say softly. “The Endless is...me.”

“W-what?” Varyyn cries, incredulous.

“Nope,” Jake says. “Nope! This is too weird.”

“How can this geezer be you?!” Craig demands. “You're way younger! ...And standing right in front of us!”

“I've been in La Huerta's time loop for many, many years, Craig,” the Endless replies. I wrap my arms around myself, keeping my eyes closed.

“We've landed on the island several times. The first time, everyone died...except me. That version of me learned how to reset the time loop in order to save everyone.” In spite of my best efforts, tears trickle out from beneath my eyelashes, slipping down my cheeks. “It didn't work. So she tried again. And again. And again.”

“What...?” Raj gasps. “Old-Alodia, how many times have you done this.”

“Two-thousand, one-hundred thirty nine times,” the Endless answers. “But thanks to Alodia, it has all been worth it.”

“We've...died over two-thousand times?!” Quinn cries.

“It turns out altering the course of time and history takes a lot more effort than you'd think,” I quip bitterly.

“I don't understand,” Varyyn whispers. “The Endless One is a prophet to our people! Without the Endless--”

“Without the Endless, the Vaanti religion wouldn't have Catalysts, Raan'losti...any of it,” I confirm mournfully.

“That can't be! Endless One, tell me this isn't true!”

The Endless' bright blue eyes are heavy with pain as she regards the elyyshar. “I tried,” she says softly, “so many, many times, in so many ways, to convince your people to keep my friends alive. In the end...this was the only way.”

“My people fought wars for you! They died because of you!”

“As a king, you must understand the hard decisions that are made to protect those you love.”

Varyyn has nothing to say to that. Kele shakes his head, bewildered.

“I've seen some sights on this island, but this...”

“Alodia, you've known this whole time?” Estela asks, looking hurt.

“No, not this whole time. I had just found out when I met up with you and Jake during the eruption.”

“But why didn't you tell us anything? We're your friends!”

“And was I supposed to tell you that I was watching you die?!” My friends startle at my words and the sudden heat in my voice. Tears start to flow from my eyes in earnest now. “Every time I touched one of those damn idols, I watched one of you die! Eleven fucking times, I watched someone I love die and I couldn't do anything about it and I didn't understand why it was happening! Then I found out that these visions were actual things that happened, over two-thousand times...and all that could be for nothing if we don't stay one step ahead of Rourke...I tried...I tried to explain...but every time I had the chance, I just...couldn't...”

Quinn pulls me into a tight hug. I hold her back, trembling. “Oh, Alodia...I understand,” she murmurs, stroking my hair. “Sometimes it's easier to bury the pain than to talk about it.”

“...It does explain how you were acting,” Diego admits with a sigh. “Oh, Allie, I wish you'd said something...”

“I know this is a lot for you to process,” the Endless says. “But time is not on our side. We've much to discuss.”

I pull out of Quinn's embrace, looking around at the circle of bewildered faces. “Please, everyone...I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but it's because of the Endless that we've survived this long. We ought to hear what she has to say.”

“Rourke is mere days away from perfecting his method of extracting energy from the Island's Heart,” the Endless says. “Soon, the loop will collapse and this island...all of you...may cease to be depending on his whim. I've come to tell you of a way you can reclaim the first half of the Heart.”

“What, are we just supposed to put on the military gear again and march back into his hideout?” Craig snaps.

“That barely worked the first time,” Zahra adds.

“He's probably expecting us, anyway,” I agree.

“We don't even know where Rourke is right now,” Quinn points out.

“He has move his base to a sealed compound beneath the Observatory. From there, he can oversee all of his facilities at once. This time you'll need a very particular set of skills to bypass his defenses. Do you recall the Vaanti warriors that you sent through a portal at The Celestial?”

“If by recall you mean having nightmares about it on the reg,” Raj replies, “then yeah.”

“Some of them were killed by Rourke's assassin. But others were transported to an extremely distant future, where their descendants learned to survive by foraging through fractures in time. The recent eruption has shifted the chronoscape of La Huerta again, bringing them back to our present. Go to them. They can help you reach the Heart undetected.”

“If this is so urgent, why aren't you doing it yourself?” Estela asks.

“Due to the instability of the crux within Mount Atropo, I'm afraid my hands are tied.” She looks down at her mechanical limb and smiles ruefully. “Well. Hand.” She turns back towards the staircase. Seeing her making ready to depart, I am gripped by sudden anxiety. I still don't want to believe it. There is a part of me that still wants to resist her and the truth of her.

“Wait!” I cry. She turns back to me and I swallow hard. “...How can we trust you?”

“Good point,” Jake agrees. “Few too many mirrors and smokescreens goin' here for my comfort.”

The Endless sighs patiently, and turns her gaze back onto us, locking eyes with Quinn. “...Quinn likes dolphins because her first family outing once she got better was to Marine World.”

Quinn's eyes widen. “H-how did you...?”

“Zahra and Craig frequently prank the group to raise everyone's spirits,” the Endless continues. “Sometimes Raj helps.”

Zahra clears her throat. “I mean, I personally wasn't doing it to raise everyone's--”

“Sean won't eat until everyone else has food, or until Michelle nags him to stop letting his food get cold.” Sean and Michelle exchange glances. The Endless continues. “Peace makes Estela nervous because she can't know where everyone stands during peacetime. Jake...Jake gives nicknames because Mike gave nicknames, and the habit keeps Mike alive for him, even now. Diego believes the best Star Wars movie is objectively The Empire Strikes Back, but Return of the Jedi is his favorite because he likes the happy ending. Alodia, wherever you are, if you stop to let your thoughts catch up with you, you imagine every generation that walked the same ground before you.”

A stunned silence descends over us.

“I...think that about settles it,” Sean mumbles.

“Yeah,” I admit. “This is definitely...me...”

The Endless regards us all thoughtfully. “Alodia, I must say I am proud of how well you have looked after your friendships. These people care about you more than anyone else in the world.”

“I think they're pretty special, too,” I reply, smiling in spite of myself.

“Treasure every moment you have with them.”

“I always do,” I whisper.

There is a sharp click from above us. The stone ceiling is reopening.

“Look out!” Estela yelps. A shadowy figure drops down behind us. Light reflects off the metal barrel of a flintlock pistol.

“Red demon!” A familiar voice snarls. “I grow tired of your games! Take me to the Fountain before I cut your suit to ribbons and tie your innards like a...mes amis?!”

“Yvonne...?”

“She has been following me for some time,” the Endless remarks blithely. I ignore my aged self.

“Where's Malatesta? After the storm we couldn't find either of you.”

“La Mer brought us to shore a ways to the south. Mal, the slithering codfish that he is, immediately left to find The Dorado. Which is when I saw this scarlet cretin and tracked it here!”

“Welcome to No'ox Naj, Yvonne. What you've looked for all this time can be found here.”

“C'est ici? Where?!”

“I will show it to you,” the Endless replies patiently. “Everyone else should prepare for the journey to Quarr'tel.”

“Quarr'tel?” Varyyn repeats. “But the City of Heretics was lost in the Three Tribes' War.”

“Not so lost these days, you'll find.” The Endless is already leading us up into the hidden alcove where Zahra's decoy skeleton was found. “Yvonne, Alodia, stay with me a moment. We will join the rest of you shortly.”

As the others start to drift off, Jake and Diego hesitate. Jake takes my hands and gives me a searching look.

“Are you sure about this, Princess?” I give him a quick kiss.

“I'll be fine. I don't think I'm going to hurt myself.”

He reluctantly steps back, and Diego pulls me into a gentle hug. “We'll meet you back at camp, Allie.”

The group files out until only Yvonne, the Endless, and I remain in the main hall. The Endless walks over to the tree that Sean and Kele had investigated earlier.

“Here it is.”

“I grow tired of your tricks, cretin,” Yvonne snarls. “This is a tree, not a fountain!”

“Trust me, Yvonne. Place your hands on the bark. Think back to the year you left France.”

Yvonne looks nervously at me. Then, she purses her lips and firmly grasps the tree's trunk with both hands. Her eyes widen as the bark beneath her hands turns transluscent.

“Zut alors! What is this?” The glow spreads the length of the tree's trunk, and a small boy with dark hair and ruddy skin becomes visible within. He sits on a crate, though where exactly he is, I cannot tell. Yvonne gives a small cry. “Pattie! Pattie, mon doux petit frère! Je suis la!”

The child looks up, apparently hearing something. But after a moment, he frowns and looks down at his feet again. He starts to cough. Rough, barking coughs that make his small body spasm. I feel my ribs ache in sympathy.

“...Yvonne...is that your brother...?” Yvonne ignores my question, glaring at the Endless.

“Red Devil, why is he coughing? Is he all right? Will he live?”

“No,” she replies softly. Her wrinkled face is sorrowful, but calm. Too calm for my liking. “He has only a few months left.”

“Then why take me here?! What are you playing at?! How could you--”

“Yvonne, stop!” I say firmly. I put a hand on her shoulder and feel her shuddering under my touch. “Endless, what is going on?”

“Patrice...” Yvonne whimpers. “I left him, promising when I came back, we'd be rich as kings. But when I returned from my first tour...I found that he had been taken in the plague.”

“The Mayans called this tree 'Fountain of Youth,” the Endless explains. “But it does not restore one's vitality per se. You may reflect on a time. On a place. But that is all.”

“Then use your magic!” Yvonne snarls. “Go back in time and save him, as you did your friends!”

“Yvonne.” The Endless' voice is heavy. “It took hundreds of changes to history and circumstance just for them to survive one day on this island. If we had the luxury of many years, with nothing else on the line, perhaps we could save Patrice from his illness. But we have neither.”

Yvonne is quiet for a long moment, trembling violently. Within the spectral tree, Patrice sings under his breath in English.

“Yvonne the Fair, sails the seas, in search of fame and gold. She fight and raids and cuts down knaves who dare to call her old...” He cuts himself off with another fit of coughing. Yvonne moans, bowing her head.

“Please...please, I have come all this way. What can I do for him...?”

“Reach out with your heart. With all your love, and focus on being there with him. He will hear you. See you.”

“And then...?”

“You will have only a few minutes to speak with him. But he will remember what you say.”

Yvonne turns a helpless gaze on me. “Alodia...I don't know if I can do it. I want to. With all my heart. But...”

“Say goodbye to him, Yvonne,” I say softly. “This is your only chance. Take it while you can.”

After a long moment, she nods. Her grip on the tree tightens, and she brings her forehead to rest on the bark.

“Pattie! Mon petit...can you hear me?”

Patrice stops singing and whirls to face Yvonne, his eyes going wide.

“Yvie...? C'est vous?”

Tears start to run down Yvonne's cheeks, but she can't hold back a laugh. “Oui...oui, mon petit. C'est moi...”

“Yvie!” He rushes towards her, arms open for an embrace, but he can't press through the tree. He speaks in rapid French, his voice concerned, his words too quick for me to follow. He pushes against the tree, puzzled. He stops, coughing weakly. Yvonne chokes on a sob, answering. As the tree's aura expands, I find I can understand them.

“Little Pattie, I do not have long. I only have a few minutes.”

“Are there guards chasing you? I can fight them off--” Another series of coughs rips from his chest.

“Pattie, no. Just sit down, all right? I have something to tell you.” Yvonne sinks to her knees, her head level with her brother's. “This...this is the last time I will see you.”

“What? But why? You promised you would come back for me! You--” The coughing comes again, sounding rougher and harsher with each breath.

“I did, my dear,” Yvonne says softly. “I did. I'm right here.”

Patrice's face falls. “...I'm sick, Yvie...”

“I know...”

“...Madame la Roche from church says it won't get better.”

Yvonne swallows hard. “...No. It won't.” Her voice breaks as a sob escapes her, her shoulders convulsing. “I am so, so sorry, Pattie. I was an idiot to leave you by yourself. Every day I regret not taking you with me...”

Patrice raises a hand to press his palm against hers on the spectral window between them.

“It isn't your fault, Yvie,” he says gently. “If I had come with you, you might have gotten sick, too.”

“...But...”

“No but. If we don't have long, I need you to listen to me now, Yvie. Whenever I can, I sneak down to the Rotting Pig and listen to the pirates talk.”

“What?! Those are dangerous people, Pattie!”

“I'm not done yet!” he says firmly. His sister closes her mouth, startled. “One day, Captain Malatesta came in, singing about you.”

“H-he did?”

“I said, 'That is my sister!' and he said that you are a great pirate...”

“Oh, Pattie...”

The light within the tree is beginning to flicker. “Yvie? What is happening?”

“You are almost out of time,” the Endless warns.

“You must listen to me now, little Pattie,” Yvonne says gently. “I promise that when I conquer my own island, and run a port revered by all pirates...it will be called Patrice Port. I...I wish you could see it...”

“I will,” Patrice replies softly. “Through you. I love you, Yvie.” He leans in to nuzzle his sister's forehead through the glass like a cat.

“I love you, my little brother. So, so much...” Patrice is fading further now, barely visible through the darkening bark.

“I will be with you soon, sister...”

“I know you will, Pattie. I know. Until then...au revoir...”

Then, just like that, he's gone. There is nothing beneath her hands but dark, mossy bark. Yvonne slumps against the tree, sobbing.

“I am sorry, Yvonne,” the Endless says gently. “I wish there was more I could do.”

Yvonne doesn't respond. She clings to the tree like a scared child clinging to a parent, keening and howling with grief. I can't help but wrap my arms around her shoulders. She releases the tree and clutches me instead, sobbing into my chest.

“That stupid, beautiful, wonderful boy!” she wails. “What right's a child have saying such things?! If he's so wise now, what could he have become if...if...”

“I wish I knew what to say that could make this better...if there even is anything I could say...”

Yvonne shakes her head. “You've already done more than I could ever ask, Alodia.”

“...I have?”

“I was ready to turn back. To not take this chance. I am grateful that you made me take it.”

“...You're welcome.” Abruptly, she stands and turns away.

“I must go. I need...time. On my own.” She gathers her scattered possessions.

“Now?” I ask. “Don't you even want to say goodbye to the others?”

“No. Not now. Wish them well for me.”

“But what about Rourke?”

“I will rejoin you in time, Alodia,” she says firmly. “But I cannot just now. ...Until we next meet, ma petite blonde.”

She dips her head to us both and steps out of the ruined temple. By the time I emerge, she has already vanished into the wilderness. The Endless and I return to the camp in silence. The others are waiting expectantly for us there.

“Where's Buccaneer Barbie?” Jake asks, frowning.

“She...needs some time alone,” I murmur. “She said to go on without her.”

“I hope she'll be okay,” Quinn says worriedly.

“Oh, don't worry too much about her. She's got tricks enough up her sleeve.”

With the Endless leading, we make our way deeper into the jungle. Gradually, the lush green landscape begins to change, turning rougher and browner. Vibrant foliage is replaced with withering, decaying plants and dry, scorched earth. Finally, we reach the edge of a vast expanse of burnt, blackened husks of trees, most of them branchless, barely standing in the barren earth under our feet. A thick fog envelopes the scene. Estela kneels, examining the ash-covered forest floor.

“What did this?”

“The war between my people was vicious,” Varyyn says grimly. “Too vicious.”

“The Lorax would not be happy,” Diego deadpans.

“Can't even escape war here,” Kele mutters bitterly. The Endless catches my eye, pointing into the distance.

“Stay east and you should reach the city. The Vaanti there can help you reach Rourke's compound.”

Zahra shivers. “Am I the only one who feels like we're out of extra lives on Evil Mode?”

“What are you afraid of, ghoulie girl?” Kele scoffs. “It's a field of dead trees.”

“Never call me that,” Zahra growls. “Ever again.”

Jake snorts. “Looks like Uncle Sam and I are on the same page.”

“Oh, please,” Michelle snorts. “You two aren't even in the same book.”

“Guys,” Sean says impatiently. “We've got a lot to do before the sun goes down.”

The Endless chuckles to herself. She meets my gaze, smiling knowingly. “The more things change...”

In spite of myself, I feel a smile playing around my mouth. “...The more they stay the same,” I finish.

“There will no doubt be trials along the way. But I have faith you will succeed.”

“You have faith?” I ask incredulously. “After everything you've seen?”

“Faith is all I have left, Alodia. Faith that you will stop Rourke. Faith that you will protect our friends. Faith that the cycle can be broken, one day very soon.” With these words, the Endless turns and begins climbing back up the hill we just came down. I watch until she has vanished from sight.

Estela is still crouched low, examining the ground. “There are footprints here. Fresh. Maybe they will lead us to someone who knows the way.”

“There's something else.” Kele gestures to a slash mark along the blackened bark of a tree. “A tracking mark. If we follow trees slashed like this, it might take us where we need to go.”

“Perhaps. I think the footprints are a safer bet, though. Fresh tracks mean that whoever it is won't have gotten far, and I'd rather have a guide we can communicate with if possible.”

Estela nods approvingly. “Let's go.”

We trace the footsteps along the scorched earth. Within half an hour, we spot a figure leaning against a tree. He has the blue-tinted skin of a male Vaanti, but he is not dressed like any Vaanti I've ever met. His auburn hair is cut short, rather than the braids favored by the warriors of Elyys'tel. His attire looks like something out of an anime, all leather and denim in bright orange, dark blue, and black. He doesn't wear a warrior's mask like any I've ever seen, but a gray leather half-mask does cover his eyes and the length of his nose. Over his mouth and nose, he wears what looks like a white surgical mask.

Varyyn waves to him, calling out in Vaanti. “Los'na! Pashtara makla pren Elyys'tel!”

“Quis es?” the strange Vaanti replies. “Quid tu hic agis?”

Varyyn blinks, staring back at him. The rest of us exchange bewildered glances.

“...Was that Latin?” Michelle asks uncertainly.

“Uhhh...” Jake clears his throat. “Pouvez-vous parler français?”

“Ich kann nicht Ihnen verstehen,” the Vaanti answers. “Vielleicht sprechen Sie Deutsch? Or English?”

“Hey, I think he said English!” Craig exclaims. “We speak that one!”

The strange Vaanti sighs with relief. “Why did you not say so?”

“Can you help us?” I call. “We're trying to find Quarr'tel.”

“Quarr'tel is a place for those who live not today, yesterday, or tomorrow, but all of them at once.”

“Okay, listen here, Fortune Cookie,” Jake snaps. “The world depends on us getting to your treehouse. Could ya try to make some sense?”

“Cool your heels, flyboy,” Kele murmurs. “I'm sure we can work something out.”

Varyyn shakes his head. “We are wasting time. As Elyyshar of Elyys'tel, I command you t--”

“To what?” the other Vaanti sneers. “All citizens of Quarr'tel have revoked titles, property, gods...everything in service of the eternal continuum. If you want to get in, you'll have to relinquish the title of elyyshar.”

Varyyn recoils slightly, eyes wide. “Wh-what?”

“Look, we know you're just trying to do your job,” Sean says, “but is there nothing else we can do to get him in?”

“There is no room for elyyshars, kings, or prophets in our ranks. Only brothers and sisters, cogs in the great wheel.”

Varyyn steps away from him, casting a nervous eye over the rest of us. “I...I cannot do this.”

“Varyyn...” Diego murmurs, taking his hand gently.

“You must go on without me, Diego.” Varyyn lowers his eyes. “All of you. I made an oath the day my mother died. I cannot go back on it.”

I nod reluctantly. “...I get it. You have a responsibility to your people. We can't ask you to abandon them.”

Raj nods. “What Alodia said, dude.”

“What does it matter what you tell this punk?” Craig mutters. “You could always lie.”

“You are not helping your friend's case,” the strange Vaanti snaps.

“I have no choice then,” Varyyn sighs. He draws his obsidian blade and carves an X into a nearby tree. “I will await your return here. If any of my scouts come to this place, I will tell them what we know.”

Diego swallows hard. “...Okay. Just...be safe, all right?”

Varyyn winds his arms around Diego's waist, pulling him into an embrace. Their foreheads press together and they both close their eyes.

“You be safe as well. I will never forgive myself if you get hurt.”

Diego lifts his chin and captures Varyyn's mouth with his. After a moment, they reluctantly break apart. Varyyn turns to the rest of us.

“Good luck, my friends. I hope you do not need it.” He settles himself beside the tree, crossing his legs in a meditative pose. Diego bites his lip, hesitating.

“You okay, Diego?” Quinn asks.

He nods. “Let's just...do this quickly, okay?”

I meet Varyyn's eyes briefly and he dips his head to me. The strange Vaanti leads us deeper into the dead forest. Jake sighs.

“All right, Hot Topic. You win. Now how do we get to the city?”

“You will see. In time.” He turns and walks right through the center of the group, bumping Raj as he passes him.

“Hey!” Raj yelps. And suddenly, the Vaanti is gone, disappeared into the mist that hangs over the ground like a veil.

“Jerk,” Michelle mutters.

“Which direction do we go from here?” Estela wonders.

I look up at the sky, but thick gray clouds are obscuring the sun. “I...guess we should just keep walking,” I say uncertainly. “I don't know if we'll find anything, but we sure as hell won't find a damn thing just standing here.”

We walk deeper into the skeletal forest. As far as the eye can see, there is nothing but burnt-out trees ahead of us.

“Are we there yet?” Craig whines.

“Don't look now,” Jake groans, “but I'm very sure we've seen that burned stump before.”

“I knew it,” Estela sighs. “We're walking in circles.”

“This is going to take forever,” Quinn says worriedly.

“Allie, maybe we should try--” Diego is interrupted by a startled yelp from Raj. I turn just in time to see him tumble face-first into the dirt.

“Raj!”

“I'm okay!” he quickly assures us. “Just tripped over a root. No problem.”

Michelle reaches out a hand to help him up. As he climbs to his feet, she frowns. “Uh, Raj? Why is your pocket glowing?”

“What?” As he dusts himself off, he notices the fuscia glow emanating from his pocket. “Oh, God! What is it?!”

“Calm down, Raj,” Sean says quickly. “Let's just--” But Raj has already ripped the glowing thing from his pocket and flung it into the dirt. The glow is bright enough to hurt my eyes at first. But as they adjust, I approach cautiously for a closer look.

“It's a crystal! One of those crystal fragments!”

“The fella we saw earlier must have put it on you when he bumped you,” Kele concludes.

“Maybe it's--”

“Part of the solution!” Sean interrupts Diego. “That must be it!”

“Y-yeah...” Diego agrees, shifting awkwardly. “That.”

I pick up the crystal, turning it thoughtfully in my hands. As I shift to the right, the glow intensifies slightly. I draw back to the left, and the glow dims again.

“Hey, guys, look at this!” I demonstrate for the others. Each time I turn right, the glow gets brighter.

“Huh. Wonder if that means something,” Zahra muses.

I move to the right, along the path the crystal seems to be making for me. Each step makes it glow a little brighter.

“Okay, I think this is a good thing...”

“Nice work, Alodia,” Quinn says cheerfully.

Ahead of us, a small patch of ground appears to be glowing the same bright fuscia color as the crystal in my hand. I point to the spot.

“There! Look!”

Zahra jogs ahead to the spot. Pulling out her switchblade, she kneels and begins digging in the cracked soil with the flat of the blade.

“Jackpot!” she crows, holding up a second crystal. She tosses it to me, and I catch it deftly. Side by side, both crystals look shinier and glossier.

“Well, now we have two crystals. What now?”

“Do they still light up and dim depending on which direction you point them?” Jake asks me. I turn slowly in a circle, and the crystals glow brighter as I face the back of the group. I move in that direction, watching the light dance between the crystals.

“Rad,” Zahra declares approvingly.

Up ahead, there is a tree marked with a familiar X. Diego lights up like the crystals.

“Hey, we're gonna pass Varyyn! We gotta show him these cool crystals!” There is a bit of extra bounce in his step as we approach the tree. But when we reach it, Varyyn isn't anywhere to be found. His smile fades into confusion. “...Varyyn? Hello? ...Varyyn?”

I look around me, feeling my pulse flutter with concern. There are no footprints in the ash. No sign of movement in the trees.

“He...did say he would wait here, didn't he?” Quinn asks.

“...Varyyn?!” Diego calls a little louder, alarm showing in his eyes.

“No footprints, no markings, no sign of a struggle,” Estela murmurs. “It's like he--”

“...Like he disappeared,” Diego finishes in a weak whisper. He runs his hands through his hair, pacing nervously. “I'm so stupid...I should have stayed behind with him...I should have been here!”

I reach out to lay a hand on his shoulder. “Easy, Diego. We don't know what happened yet. Maybe he went to hunt down some food, or one of his scouts found him, or--”

“Allie, the entire time I've known Varyyn, when he makes a promise, he never goes back on it! That's why he stayed behind here!” He pulls away from me, going back the way we came.

“Diego, wait! Where are you going?!”

“To find whatever took him!” he snarls. Sean claps a hand down on his shoulder, impeding his progress.

“Diego, we don't have time right now. The Endless was pretty clear that we need to move fast if we want to stop Rourke.”

“So we leave him behind?! Are you kidding?! He would come back for any one of us!”

“Diego, please!” Michelle pleads gently. “You've got to calm down.”

“How can I calm down?! What if...?” His voice breaks, tears shimmering in his eyes. “...What if he's gone for good? No one in my life has ever made me feel the way he does. Can't you guys understand that?”

“Diego...” I murmur. I reach out to him, but he recoils from me, his eyes flashing.

“I'm going back for him, Allie! Don't try to stop me!” He whips around and runs, charging into the charred, barren forest.

“We're not letting him do this, are we?!” Jake yelps. I draw in a breath, steeling myself, and push the crystals into Jake's hands.

“Hold these a minute. I'm gonna talk to him.”

“What? But...wait...”

“Let her go,” Michelle says. “She knows Diego better than any of us. If she can't talk him down, I don't think anyone can.”

“Go, Alodia,” Sean says. “Just remember that we're tight on time.”

I don't answer that. I run after Diego, keeping him in my sight as he bobs and weaves between the trees. Abruptly, he skids to a halt, and I nearly crash into him.

“Ohmygod,” he whispers. I become aware of a shimmering in the air in front of him as the ghostly figure descends. He staggers backward against me. “Allie, run! I'll try to distract it!”

“Diego, wait! Look!” The ghost has extended its glowing hand. In its palm are two small objects. “It's trying to help you, Diego. Trust me.”

When he still hesitates, I stretch out my own hand to the figure, keeping one arm around my friend's shoulders. I take the two small action figures from the ghost's hand and hold them out to Diego. He stares at them, disbelieving.

“Th-those are my--”

“I know. Take them.” Our palms meet around the figures, and the world around me is awash with light.

I don't recognize the lecture hall I'm standing in. I don't think it's anywhere on Hartfeld's campus. But I do recognize the man at the head of the classroom. He is older. His face is once again clean-shaven, his hair trimmed close to his neck. He wears dark-rimmed glasses and a navy blue sweater vest. But I would know Diego anywhere. He leans easily against the desk as he addresses the students.

“...And when you watch a film or take in any work of art, try to let go of your expectations. Look at what the work is attempting, and consider whether or not it's succeeding at that.”

“But, Mr. Soto, The Warmest Winter is virtually unwatchable!”

Diego chuckles. “Yeah, sometimes a movie will fail at even being a movie. There's still a lot that can be learned from that.” A phone begins buzzing on the table behind him. He glances at it, and

claps his hands. “Okay, good first class, everyone. See you next week!”

The students begin milling out of the classroom. A few of them stop to snap pictures of their professor.

“Man, I can't believe they got Diego Soto to teach here,” one of them murmurs as he leaves.

“I know, right? He literally rewrote the book on film theory!”

Diego, overhearing, smiles slightly. His phone starts to buzz again. He glances at it, and his eyebrows lift. He hesitates for a moment. When the students have cleared the room, he taps the screen, putting the phone on speaker.

“...Papa...?”

“Diego?” A familiar voice on the phone says. “Can you hear me?”

“Yeah. Uh...long time. What can I do for you?”

“Son, I wanted to...your mother and I just saw your book.”

Diego sighs. “Oh. Okay. So you're calling to tell me you disapprove of what I wrote.”

“What?”

“Papa, I'm at work right now. I really don't have time to--”

“No! Diego, please...just listen to me a moment!” His father draws in a breath. “We didn't know you were writing a book. Nancy handed me the paper and it has your name on this little list.”

“The New York Times Bestseller list,” Diego says indignantly. +

“Yes! And then I watched my morning show and they talked about you on there too!”

“Well, yeah. It came as a pretty big surprise to me too.” He pauses a moment. “...So you haven't read it then?”

There is a rustling of pages on the other end of the call. “Ah, here! I like this part. I want to read this out loud, son...'People ask me why there are not new stories. How can film and television just go on doing variations on the same tired scenarios? I tell them to look around. Really look, with an open mind. If you look at life, you'll see the stories we've been shutting out'...”

“ 'And all you have to do is let them in',” Diego finishes softly. He glances at a pair of action figures on his desk. He swivels the heroes' arms so that their hands come together.

“Diego, my son...” His father's voice is thick with unshed tears. “I'm sorry I never told you before...I am so very, very proud of you.”

“I know, Papa,” Diego whispers. “I know.”

Another flash brings us back to the dead forest. I look into my best friend's dark eyes, shimmering with tears. He opens his mouth to speak, but a sob bubbles out instead. I wrap my arms around his shoulders. I rub his back as he clings to me.

“Shhhh. It's okay. It's okay. I'm here.” For a moment, I think he's going to start sobbing, but his sorrow is ebbing away.

“I...I'm gonna write a book...”

I feel myself smile. “A best-selling book.”

Diego pulls back, scrubbing his eyes and looking down at the action figures in his hands. He draws in a shuddering breath. “...Wherever Varyyn is, I've got to trust that he can handle himself.”

“He'll come back to us, Diego.” I grin. “The Force is strong with that one.”

Diego laughs weakly. “Yeah...it really is. Thanks, Allie.” He puts an arm over my shoulders as we walk back to the others. As we rejoin the group, all eyes fall on Diego.

“Welcome back, Short Stuff,” Jake says. “...You holding up okay?”

Diego inhales slowly, his breath still shaking. His eyes are still red-rimmed, but he nods resolutely. “I'm still worried about Varyyn. But I know he'd tell me to keep going. So I'm gonna keep going.”

“We'll find him as soon as we can,” Quinn promises.

“I know. I know we will.”

I take the crystals back from Jake, and we resume our search. Up ahead, I spot a pulsing blue light sticking out of the top of a broken tree trunk.

“There!” Estela exclaims. She runs ahead and scales the charred husk of a tree, reaching deep into its cracked cavity. “Got it!”

She tosses the third crystal fragment down to me. I manage to catch it, and hold the three fragments together. They shine brighter than ever, almost painfully so. But just as I close my eyes, the light fades. The fragments go dull in my hands.

“...Did we break them?” Craig asks uncertainly.

“I guess a game of hot-and-cold would be too simple,” Sean grumbles.

“Let's just think this through,” I murmur. “What was the last thing that Vaanti told us?”

“You will see in time,” Quinn says.

“That might be a riddle,” Michelle says thoughtfully. “It might mean something else.”

“...See in time...” Frowning, I raise one of the crystals to my eye and peer through it. I gasp. “Woah! Guys, look at this!”

The light refracting through the crystals casts the image of time rifts and trails before me that weren't there a moment ago. The others gather behind me to look.

“Triiiiippy,” Raj drawls.

“We're still stuck, though,” I mutter. “It'll take days to explore all of these trails.”

“Let me see those crystals. I got an idea.” Zahra holds out her hands for the crystals, and I pass them to her. She stacks them together, squinting into the overlapping area. “There it is! I see it!”

I position myself behind her and look over her shoulder through the crystals. Among all the trails, one illuminated path stands out. We follow Zahra along the trail, finally making some headway through the dead forest.

We keep up pace for about an hour. By that time, the sky has gone dark. Stars glitter in the silky blackness above us. And up ahead, a tree-village rises out of the surrounding forest. It looks nothing like Elyys'tel. The great tree of Quar'tel is as charred and dead as the forest around it. But bright neon signs—honest to god neon signs—and throbbing electronic dance music bring it life. I thought of Elyys'tel as the Vaanti city, but it seems it's more like suburbia compared to this place. Raj stops in his tracks.

“...Are we in Oz?”

“If we are, let's hope the Munchkins have whatever we need to get to Rourke,” Jake mutters. As we approach, the thumping music becomes more distinct. Craig and Raj bop their heads appreciatively.

“That is a sick beat,” Craig says enthusiastically.

“Dude, that drop though!”

“Are we sure this is the right place?” Quinn asks uncertainly. As if to answer her question, a pair of Vaanti rush past us, heading for the great city. One is a woman in a brown leather corset and skirt, wearing a half-mask over her eyes, and a swatch of leather tied over her mouth and nose. Her maroon hair sticks up in a kind of mohawk. The other is a male with silvery-purple hair in a black shirt and brown leather jacket, with a paisly bandana tied over the lower half of his face. He looks back at us, a gleam in his eye.

“Come to crash our party, outsiders?” he calls.

“And if we did?” I call back.

“Then I'd say you're more than welcome here!”

The female produces a small metal disc and proceeds to twist it in her hands. I am suddenly surrounded by blue light as a time rift opens around us. The ground drops out from under my feet, and I find myself falling into empty space. I hear Diego yelp in surprise. As quickly as it vanished, the ground returns, except it isn't the same ground. I land hard on a wooden platform of some sort, where the music is even louder. As I leap to my feet, I realize I am on a walkway inside Quarr'tel, high above the forest floor. My friends land around me. When a quick headcount assures me that no one has been left behind, I relax a little. The two Vaanti alight with cat-like grace. Above us, the rift wavers and disappears.

“It's not an Anacronist party without a crash,” the female purrs.

“Wait a minute, so you're the ones making all the portals?” I ask.

“Hmm? Oh, right.” The male Vaanti shakes his head. “Rifts are only just starting to appear in this time.”

“When we come from, outsider, fractures in the facade you call reality are everywhere. We've simply learned how to make use of them.”

Jake holds up a hand. “Gonna stop you right there, Team Rocket. We're here to find a way into Rourke's compound, not trade riddles.”

The male Vaanti laughs, spreading his arms wide as he takes a few steps back toward the sounds of the party coming from within the tree's trunk. “Hey! Enjoy the party! It's bound to be more interesting than anything you've seen in your monochronological life!”

The two of them laugh uproariously as Jake scowls. Craig snickers.

“Yo, check it out. Jake just got played for a fool by a dude with purple hair!” The female sidles up to Craig, her hips swaying. She leans in close.

“Time is broken. If you've failed to realize that, it's you who are the fool.” She turns sharply on her heel, and the two of them saunter down the catwalk towards the trunk, leaving Craig glaring after them.

“...The hell do they think they are?” he mutters. Raj peers over the edge of the platform.

“Ohhh, guys, do NOT look down!”

“We must be at least a mile up!” Diego remarks, whistling.

“Actually,” Jake says thoughtfully, “Insane Clown Posse over there did us a favor. Now we only have to worry about getting down.”

For my part, I'm more concerned about finding what we're looking for. I scan our surroundings, and my eyes are drawn to a familiar figure, hunched on a nearby platform.

“Uqzhaal!”

The shaman's head snaps up. As his gaze falls on me, he scowls. Without a word, he ducks into the jumbled structure that pulses with light and music within Quarr'tel's leafless branches.

“He didn't look too happy to see us,” Quinn observes nervously.

“No, but he must have some clout with the Vaanti here,” Estela remarks. My stomach is quivering a warning, but I nod.

“We...should try to talk to him...” I hurry after him, the others following behind me.

The sight that greets us inside is a pulsing, pounding amalgamation of steam- and cyberpunk all rolled into a nightclub. Neon lights, strobe lights, and gas lanterns illuminate a dance floor crowded with Vaanti, all dressed in leather. At one side, a DJ changes records on a trio of antique phonographs, blasting EDM. A male Vaanti, balancing a tray on one hand, approaches us.

“Outsiders? You shouldn't be here.”

I squint at him through the flashing lights, certain I know him from somewhere. “Wait...didn't I see you out in the forest?”

“Entirely beside the point. The Party Before the End has rules. Unless you're here to partake and participate, we'll have to--”

“Of course we're here to have fun!” I interrupt.

“Hell yeah!” Craig agrees. “Let's get it poppin'!”

The Vaanti eyes me through his faceplate, his gaze wary. I meet his eyes steadily. Finally, he extends his tray, loaded with drinks.

“Pick your poison.”

I look over the selection. There's something on fire in a brandy glass, something in a beautifully painted china tea cup that probably isn't tea, some kind of silvery-gray sludge oozing out of a tiny ceramic jug... Curiosity gets the better of me, and I select the drippy jug.

“Are you really gonna drink that?!” Michelle hisses.

Craig laughs. “Check it out, Alodia's got an iron stomach!”

“...I think that's the stuff we drank from the roots under Elyys'tel!” Raj exclaims. I lift the lid and peer inside. He's right. The metallic-looking liquid is the same tree sap.

“I think you're right. But Quarr'tel's tree looked pretty dead from the outside...” I raise it slowly to my lips and take the most delicate sip I can manage. It tastes like everything at once. ...And ash. The others select their drinks, and the Vaanti turns away to replenish his tray. Zahra chugs a beer and slams the empty bottle down on a table.

“So far, this ain't half bad,” she declares.

Jake scans the crowd, frowning. “Jumanji ought to stick out like a sore thumb here, but I don't see him.”

I weave through the crowd, making my way over to the DJ. I wave to catch his attention.

“Excuse me, have you seen--”

“Not now!” he barks.

“Oh. Sorry. I'll wait until the end of your set.”

“Not later! Not earlier! All time, all the time!” Apparently, that means something to the gathered Vaanti, because they roar with approval, raising their arms over their heads and dance as if the pulsing beat is in their very veins. Abruptly, the DJ freezes, his eyes widening. The music fades, and a murmur of confusion ripples through the crowd. I follow his eyes and feel my heart drop into my belly.

Uqzhaal, wearing a fearsome gray skull mask topped with brown feathers, climbs up onto a platform.

“Anachronists!” He shouts. “Heed my words! Our kind, all of us...we have been betrayed!”

Something ice-cold is wrapping around my heart and lungs. I try to focus on Uqzhaal, but the room around me is starting to turn hazy. I feel myself sweating.

“Yo, I think somethin' was in those drinks...” Craig's voice wavers as it hits my ears. Uqzhaal's voice comes again, sounding monstrous.

“The Endless lied to us for hundreds of years while secretly absorbing the power of Vaanu!”

“How do you know this?!” A voice from the crowd demands.

“Because I have heard the Endless confess it to an alternate version of herself!” He levels a gnarled finger at me. He's separated from me by a sea of Vaanti anacronists, but I can practically feel his touch in the accusatory gesture. “If you don't believe me, ask her!”

Their faces turn toward me, some bewildered, some contemptuous.

“W-wait a minute! I--” My voice deserts me as the colors and shapes before me begin to swim nauseatingly. I feel myself falling.

“Princess!” Jake's terrified cry is the last thing I hear as I tumble into darkness.

Chapter Text

...Music is filling my ears. Piano music, a classical melody, familiar and cheerful. Mozart, I think...one of the sonatas. Underneath it is the ticking of an old-fashioned gear clock. As the image of Uqzhaal in his fearsome skull mask tumbles into my mind, I inhale sharply, my eyes flying open. I'm lying on an overstuffed couch in a treehouse room crammed to the gills with bizzare objects. I feel pressure on my right hand, the touch of a familiar calloused palm on my cheek.

“You all right there, Princess?” Jake brushes stray wisps of hair off my forehead, studying my face with worry in his eyes.

“I think so,” I mumble, feeling languid. “I'm a little groggy, but I'll live.”

I roll my head cautiously to the side to take in my surroundings. A Vaanti woman leans over a worktable. Her clothing is Anachronist, her hair dyed half pale lavender and half bubblegum pink and partially twisted into a topknot. She sets down her tools and wanders over to peer down at me through a pair of steampunk-looking goggles.

“Well, well. Still functioning.”

I feel my heavy tongue start to loosen, and I start to babble. “Look...I'm not the Endless! I didn't have anything to do with betraying the Vaanti or...” I trail off as her words register. “Wait...what's still fuctioning?”

“Your internal clock. Woke you up at just the right moment.” The Vaanti wanders over to a boom box sitting on the shelf along one wall and turns it off. The Mozart sonata cuts off. “You'll find that most of us aren't too interested in the Endless or the Catalysts. You had a hand in our story, certainly, but for us, that was quite long ago.”

With the hand that Jake isn't clutching, I reach up to rub the side of my head, still aching savagely from my fall.

“...What the hell was in that drink?”

“Liquified time crystal. Harmless to us, but extremely toxic to others. Seems the shaman had it out for you.” She leans over me, flicking a set of magnifying lenses over her goggles. “No symptoms other than drowsiness, though. You're very lucky. Or perhaps...different.”

I scowl, swatting at her with my free hand. “Hey, back off! I didn't come here for a physical.”

“No.” She straightens. “You came here seeking help. Our help. With the Island's Heart. Your friend Zahra told us.”

“Zahra? Where is she?” I look anxiously at Jake. “Where are the others?”

“They're nearby. They're fine. They just spent the night elsewhere in the city.”

“Fortunately, no one else consumed what you did,” the woman remarks.

“...And Uqzhaal?” I ask, bitterness creeping into my voice.

“On his way to Mount Atropo to stop the Endless, I presume. I pointed out to him that one can't be held accountable for the actions of an alternate self.” She pauses a moment. “Oh...you're probably wanting a name to call me. Clockmaker will do.”

“What's Jumanji planning to do?” Jake mutters. “Beat up Moon Man with his stick?”

Clockmaker sighs. “I'm afraid his words have managed to inspire a few of us who'd grown restless.”

“Restless about being trapped in the past?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Restless while waiting for Vaanu to depart.”

“...I'm not sure I follow.”

“We don't simply revel for hedonism's sake, you see. It's a farewell party. At some point, an eventuality may occur where Vaanu is finally able to continue on its journey. Then, at long last, our party will end.”

“Wait. The island is going somewhere?”

“Not the island, but the life force that created it. Our ancestors worshipped the former, but it's the entity at the heart of La Huerta who we call Vaanu. Vaanu's arrival on Earth tore its body into hundreds of fragments. And when it broke, space and time broke too, trapping Vaanu here.”

“Sounds like some kind of alien...” I murmur thoughtfully.

“Stories speak of a bright light. Visions. A faceless angel guiding those in need.”

Jake's grip on my hand tightens. “That's our guy!”

“But I still don't understand why it would want to help us...”

“Perhaps Vaanu is hoping you might help it in return,” Clockmaker suggests. The ticking clock begins to toll the hour, its bell low and musical. Clockmaker picks up a small desk clock and delicately turns back the hour hand. “As for me, I can get you into Rourke's facility in exchange for an answer to one, simple question.”

“This oughta be good,” Jake mutters.

Clockmaker takes a seat in an odd-looking chair placed conspicuously in the center of the room and casually folds her arms.

“What is time?” she asks.

Jake raises an eyebrow. “...Seriously?”

“Like...the abstract concept of time?”

“Yes. What does it mean to you? Answer carefully.”

I am quiet for a pregnant moment. I close my eyes, trying to picture time. Trying to imagine forever. I start to feel dizzy again. Visions and memories tumble through my mind. The visions of the twelve idols. Memories of conversations I have had on this island, or things I have heard people say.

Time is inevitability, the Endless said.

Marking the passage of time is a fruitless effort, Varyyn said. It is time that marks the passing of us. Every end is a new beginning. Except the last one.

We are all slaves to time.

Time is a largely superficial construct.

We are all temporary, I said to Quinn. Every last one of us is a physical thing that eventually weathers away...killed by the very thing we were trying to keep alive.

Two-thousand one-hundred thirty-nine loops. Loops. Circles. An endless spiral of seasons and years that spirals up and out and moving ever onward as the lights of souls on its path are born and flicker out. ...Spiraling like...a DNA helix....

“...Time is inevitablity,” I say softly. “There is no escaping it. ...It always wins in the end...”

Clockmaker seems disappointed by my answer. “An interesting perspective, and an informed one. It is also the perspective of the Endless.”

I look up sharply. “I already told you, I'm not--”

“Not now. Not yet. But you are starting to think like her.” She sighs and rises. “In any case, you have answered my question, and now my end of the bargain is owed. Come.” She opens a sliding metal door and beckons for us to follow. Jake helps me to my feet, supporting me until I find my balance.

We emerge into hazy daylight onto one of the upper walkways. Anachronist Vaanti are still carousing on every level of the city.

“Alodia!” I turn to see Zahra approaching unsteadily, her arm wrapped around Craig's waist, a bundle tucked under her other arm. She hiccups sharply, making Craig snort with laughter.

“Yo, you got the hiccups again.”

“No I...hic...don't!” she protests. I bite back a smile, trying to look stern.

“Have you two been up partying all night?”

They exchange a blank look and immediately dissolve into giggles.

“You say that like you're surprised,” Zahra snorts, hiccupping again.

“Oh, crap, Z!” Craig suddenly yelps. “Don't look now, but there's a mouse by your foot!”

Zahra yelps, looking around wildly. “Where?! Where is it?!”

“Boom,” Craig replies. “Hiccups cured.”

As Zahra glares reproachfully at Craig, Michelle wanders out of a nearby building, rubbing her temples. Her hair is tousled, her make-up smeared.

“How does anyone sleep around here with all the noise?” she complains.

“It's not 'noise,'” one Vaanti informs her haughtily. “It's EDM.”

“Whatever,” Michelle grumbles. The others are emerging behind her, looking varying levels of rested. Diego immediately rushes over to me.

“Allie! Are you all right?”

“I'm fine. No permanent damage. Just a slight headache.” I ruefully rub the tender spot on the side of my head. Diego sags with visible relief.

“Morning, Alodia,” Kele calls.

“What's up, doodlebombers?” Raj greets us. He immediately finds a warm place to lie down and closes his eyes. Clockmaker clears her throat.

“Alodia, when you're ready, I can open a rift here in Quarr'tel. It will take you directly to Rourke's compound beneath the Observatory, going back to a time before he'd expect you to arrive.”

“Oh, whaaaaaaat?!” Craig crows. “I like this already!”

“So...you're going to help us?” I ask incredulously. “Just for answering a question?”

“That question matters much more than you may realize,” Clockmaker replies. “As does the Island's Heart.”

“Hey, Alodia,” Zahra says. “If you're gonna be a freaking time ninja, you've gotta ditch the pirate look.”

I look down at the shirt and breeches I'm still wearing. “...I do?”

Zahra rolls her eyes. “Yes. Desperately. Here.” She takes the bundle out from under her arm and deposits it in my arms. “I grabbed some sick gear last night. Put these on.”

“Oh, fine, if you insist.”

I duck into the nearest building to strip off the shirt and breeches and replace them with Zahra's outfit choice instead. I pull on a purple, black, and navy blue dress of leather and silk with a low-cut bodice and a poofy, ruffled miniskirt. There's also a pair of strategically ripped black tights, sturdy black boots, and a pair of fingerless black leather gloves. I have to admit, it looks good. I'm not sure what I'd call the style. Steampunk? Cybergoth? Gothic Lolita? All three? I emerge, grinning.

“Okay, Zahra. I admit, I kinda like this.”

“What's not to like?” Zahra replies blithely. “You look like a rock star.”

Michelle whistles. “I feel like I need to create a new Pictogram account just to document that outfit.”

“Hell yeah!” Craig lifts a hand. “Gimme five, Alodia!”

I raise my own hand to comply, and he starts to pull his hand away. Suddenly, everything seems to be moving in slow motion, as if Craig is moving through syrup. I clap my palm against his, and he returns to normal speed.

“Too slow!” As the tingling in his palm registers, he stops and blinks. “Wait, what?”

I smooth the silky ruffles on my skirt. “...Woah...was that...?”

“Are we ready to go?” I glance over at Sean, who has pulled Raj to his feet. Raj is still blinking blearily, but he looks conscious enough.

“I think so.” I look over at Clockmaker, who nods. She takes a stopwatch from her pocket, and adjusts a few dials. The gathered Vaanti back up as she clicks the button on the top.

“Xiaoxin!” Clockmaker shouts. The air in front of me ripples and implodes like a burning film slide. A glowing wound opens in the skin of reality, surrounded by pulsing rainbow light.

“Oh, god,” Diego groans. “Is this where some guy in a demonic bunny suit tells us to 'wake up'?”

“I'm awake! I'm awake!” Raj yelps. “...Am I awake?”

“We'll try to maintain it until you return,” Clockmaker says. “Don't dawdle.”

“Time for deploy,” Jake murmurs, looking over at me. “You ready, Princess?”

I nod. “Let's go turn the tables on Rourke.” I take a breath and run headlong into the rift. The voice of an Anachronist follows me.

“They don't stand much of a chance, do they?”

“May Vaanu guide them,” Clockmaker replies.

We land in an immense, high-ceilinged industrial room, lined with monitors and technical equipment, far too advanced for me to make any sense of it. Lights flicker and flash, machinery whirs. Zahra looks around, her eyes wide with wonder.

“Dang...I could spend some time in here.”

Jake holds up a hand in a sharp gesture that we've all come to recognize. Everyone freezes, quieting. He jerks his head at a lanky, pale-haired figure standing at a computer terminal.

“Malfoy,” he whispers. “Three o'clock.”

Aleister's back is turned to us. He connects a cable to a hovering drone, and then turns back to the monitor.

“Mother? Can you hear me?” I can just make out Iris' face on the screen. “Mother, it's me! Please, I need your help...”

“Access denied,” Iris chimes. “User is invalid.”

Estela grabs my arm. “Someone's coming!”

A small group of Arachnid soldiers are suddenly rushing at us. Mike is leading them, and it's already too late to hide.

“Intruders!” Mike growls.

Aleister starts, whipping around to face us. His eyes widen. “Wha--? No! Stand down!”

The soldiers hold their ground. Aleister disconnects the drone, and the monitor goes blank. His eyes lock with mine.

“Aleister!” I growl. “Give us the Heart, and we'll leave.”

“You must be really out of ideas,” Zahra mutters.

“Aleister, you don't need the Heart,” Sean says. “Rourke's gonna trash the island if he keeps using it.”

Aleister's eyes never leave my face. “...You shouldn't have come here.”

“Permission to capture the intruders?” one Arachnid soldier asks as if having to ask is deeply irritating. Aleister rounds on the troops.

“Just...leave!” he growls through gritted teeth. “I have the situation under control!”

“You're lying,” Mike says flatly. Jake takes a step towards Mike, but Sean grabs his arm, holding him back.

“Mike!” Jake cries plaintively. “Fight it, dammit!”

Aleister turns to a terminal and enters a series of commands. Mike freezes in place.

“I said leave!” he snaps.

“...Yes, sir,” Mike answers after a moment. He turns stiffly and walks off.

“Wait!” one of the soldiers protests. “We're just gonna--”

“We're moving,” Mike snaps. “That's an order.”

“...Copy.” The soldiers reluctantly follow him down the hall.

“You're controlling him?!” Jake cries, a hundred emotions flickering in his eyes as he looks at Aleister.

“Don't be ridiculous,” Aleister mutters, rolling his eyes. “I merely adjusted his memory of the last few minutes.”

“Where's the Island's Heart?” I snarl.

Aleister sighs, and gestures vaguely behind us. “...There.”

We turn. On the far wall, gleaming out of the shadows, is a giant red robotic form surrounded by wires and scaffolding. It's a mecha suit, straight out of Transformers or Power Rangers.

“Good god...” I whisper.

“...It's inside the Omega Mech,” Aleister sighs.

“What in the Sam Hill?” Kele breathes.

“...We...are...screwed,” Craig groans.

“Nice knowing you, dudes,” Raj agrees.

“Allie!” Diego cries weakly. I turn to see him leaning over a surveillance monitor. His face is pale, his hands shaking. I glance at the screen and my stomach drops. It's a feed from a security camera, showing Varyyn restrained on a lab table. He isn't moving. I know the room he's in. I saw it once when I touched the idol of Canis. In that room, my best friend was gunned down.

“Oh, no...oh, nonono...”

“Oh, god,” Quinn whispers. “Are they experimenting on him?” Diego wrings his hands, breathing hard.

“We have to help him,” he whimpers. “Allie, please say we'll help him...”

Michelle is scanning the monitors beside him. “Grace must be here, too. Why don't I see her on any of these monitors?”

I whirl on Aleister. “Where are they keeping Grace?”

“You should leave the way you came, Alodia,” Aleister says softly. “This is only going to end badly for everyone.”

This time, I'm the one Sean has to hold back as I lunge at Aleister. “Tell me, you little--”

“Easy, Alodia!” Sean says firmly. “We have to move quick. Do we go after Varyyn first, or the Heart?”

I settle, still quivering with rage. “...We go for Varyyn first. And Grace. We'll need to get out of here quick after we have the Heart, and we're not leaving them behind.”

“Our friends come first,” Quinn agrees.

“As it always should be,” Estela says firmly. Diego pulls me into a hug.

“Thank you, Allie.”

Aleister turns back to the terminal keyboard. “I warned you. Now you've left me no choice but to—ungh!”

He slumps against the terminal and sinks to the floor. Estela stands behind him, brandishing the blunt end of her spear. She tips her head, popping tension out of her neck.

“Been wanting to do that for awhile now,” she mutters.

Craig grabs a power cord and begins tying Aleister's hands behind his back. Sean watches mournfully.

“I can't believe we have to do this, but it's better to not take any risks at this point.”

With Aleister secured and his limp body concealed in the shadows under a terminal, we make a break for the elevators.

* * *

After a bit of searching, we make it to the Observatory lab. Varyyn is there on the cold, sterile table, wrists and ankles pinned by mechanical restraints. Diego rushes to his side, leaning anxiously over him and stroking his face.

“Varyyn! Varyyn, can you hear me?”

Varyyn moans, his eyes fluttering. “...Diego...I had hoped to see your face one more time...” His voice is weak. “They ambushed me...Too many...I couldn't...”

“Shhhh. I know. I know.” Diego kisses his forehead. “Just hold on. We're gonna get you out of here.” Jake and Sean are already struggling with the restraints.

“Damn things won't budge!” Jake growls. Sean manages to create a tiny gap in one of the shackles before it snaps shut again. Diego turns to a workstation, where Zahra is already peering at the screen.

“Piece of cake,” Zahra says. “All we need to do is release the--” The workstation abruptly goes dark. Iris' hologram flickers to life in the center of the room, projected from a pedestal on the other side of the lab.

“I'm sorry, Zahra. I can't let you do that.”

My blood runs cold. Diego isn't alone this time. But I know what happens next. “We need to leave,” I say lowly. “Fast.”

“Iris, you've got to let Varyyn go!” Diego pleads.

“Negative,” Iris replies. I can almost whisper her next words with her. “This specimen will remain in custody for the duration of the procedure.” I cast my eyes to the wall near the ceiling at the same moment that the panels open and the machine guns descend, attached to robotic arms. A camera drops down with them.

“Are you kidding me?” Craig cries.

“Defense sequence initiated,” Iris says calmly. “Final warning...” I dive under the table. The others follow my lead, except Diego, who stays beside the table, clinging desperately to Varyyn.

“Diego!” I cry, my voice shrill with terror. The fear in my voice must be enough to move him, because he finally ducks down beside me, tears in his eyes. I pull him into my arms, feeling on the verge of tears myself. For a moment, all is quiet.

“...No hostiles within range,” Iris finally declares. “Defense sequence suspended.” The tension rushes out of me in a heavy exhale, leaving me weak and trembling.

“We gotta do something about that camera,” Jake murmurs.

“Eye in the sky need taking out? Leave it to me.” Kele produces a slingshot from his pocket, along with a rock. He takes aim, and sends the rock flying. With a clang, the camera detatches and drops, smashing against the floor. Kele grins. “Bingo.”

I peek out cautiously, and see a wisp of smoke rising from the destroyed camera. Diego chokes on a sob, scrambling out from under the table and rushing back to Varyyn's side as the rest of us emerge behind him.

“How do we get him out?” Quinn asks. “We have to get him out!”

“Surveillance lost in Cloning Lab,” Iris says. “Alerting proper channels.”

“Wait!” I cry. As my eyes flick to the smashed camera, a crazy idea occurs to me. “Iris! We've got Rourke at gunpoint!”

The others look at me as if I've grown a second head, but Jake nods approvingly.

“If you don't release Varyyn, Rourke here gets a bullet in the head!” he says sharply. “What's it gonna be?”

Iris' hologram scans the area, but she's been blinded by the loss of the camera. “Data inconclusive...Everett Rourke was not seen entering the Cloning Lab.”

“Just try and test me, Hallie 9000!” Jake retorts.

Iris is still for a moment. “...Threat level too high,” she says at last. “Complying with hostiles' demand.”

Iris vanishes. With four metallic pops, Varryn's restraints fall open. Diego clasps his newly freed hand, kissing it and weeping with relief. Michelle rushes to Varyyn's other side, quickly checking him over for injury.

“Doesn't look like he's hurt. Not beyond a few bruises, anyway. But he may have been sedated.”

The piercing blast of a siren rips the air apart, making us all jump. Zahra swears under her breath.

“That little piece of holographic shit! She activated a fucking alarm!”

“We gotta move now!” Sean snaps. “Come on!”

Diego and Craig brace Varyyn on either side, keeping him propped upright. Varyyn struggles to keep his feet under him as we rush for the elevators, his chin dropping onto his chest. He lets out a weak croak.

“What was that, Varyyn?” Diego asks.

Another blast from the siren makes my heart spasm painfully. Every cell in my body is quivering with alarm. My breath comes out in shallow gasps. Varyyn raises his head with tremendous effort, nodding at a door on the other side of the lab.

“Grace...” he whispers.

A glance and a nod pass between us. We change course, heading towards the other door. We exit the lab at the meeting point of three hallways. Varyyn nods toward the left. The siren blasts a third time. As it fades, the sound of heavy footfalls approaching reaches my ears. Several Arachnid soldiers suddenly round the corner into the central hallway. Leading them is a hulking brute of a man with a shaved head, and two mechanical fists.

“Found yoooooooou,” Tetra sings, leering.

“Give yourselves up!” one Arachnid barks. “Or we'll have to use force.”

“Fuck you,” Jake replies coldly.

“Hey, Jakey-wakey,” Tetra sneers. “Wanna hear a good joke?”

Jake sighs. “Do I have a choice?”

“Why did the wolf cross the road?”

Jake edges back towards the rest of us, inclining his head. “On my signal,” he murmurs. “Princess, Ariel, Short Stuff and Big Guy, you take Papa Smurf and head left.”

“Uh...are any of those people even here?” Kele whispers back. I just pat his shoulder reassuringly. Tetra snarls impatiently.

“I said...Why did the wolf--”

“You got me, pal,” Jake cuts him off.

“He didn't. Somebody ripped his guts out first!” Tetra laughs uproariously, reaching toward Jake. His mechanical limbs stretch out like snakes, rapidly closing the distance between them.

“They rebuilt him!” Quinn gasps.

“Now!” Jake shouts.

Quinn, Diego, Craig, Varyyn, and I make a break for it down the left hallway. The rest of the group hold their ground, facing off against the Arachnid troops. I glance back over my shoulder and see Jake narrowly dodging Tetra's writhing limbs. The mechanical fists slam into the walls again and again, sending chunks of debris flying.

“Jake!” My cry is plaintive to my own ears. I don't want to leave him.

“Alodia, get out of here!” he shouts.

“Go!” Sean agrees. He, Jake, and the others take off down the opposite hallway. The Arachnid soldiers swiftly pursue. Tetra turns and notices me frozen in the hallway. His furious gaze shakes me from my stupor, and I turn to run.

“Oh no you don't!” I turn to see an arm of serpentine steel surging down the hallway towards me. I grab the handle of the nearest doorway and swing it open, ducking behind it. Tetra's mechanical fist smashes through the thick steel, becoming stuck halfway through, his mechanical fingers clawing the air inches from my face. I recoil, pressing my back against the door jamb. It's all I can do to keep upright, to keep myself breathing.

“Hell yeah, Alodia!” Craig whoops. I wonder how he can be cheering me when I'm trembling like a goddamn leaf.

“Stupid sneaky kid!” Tetra roars furiously. He forcibly retracts his arm to try again, but Quinn leaps in between us.

“Back off!” she growls. “Or I'll mess you up all over again!” She stares him down, raising her hands and waving her fingers as if preparing to cast a spell. Tetra shrinks as he suddenly remembers who she is.

“N-no! Get away from me, you freak!” He retracts his arm and turns to flee down the hall with the rest of his group.

“Never underestimate the power of jazz hands,” Diego quips.

“It's about all I've got at this point,” Quinn replies with a rueful smile.

“Grace...” Varyyn croaks. “...She...is there...” He nods toward a door at the end of the hall. Craig and Diego, Varyyn still braced between them, head toward the door. Quinn reaches out and slips her hand into mine, giving it a squeeze. She studies my face intently.

“...You all right, Alodia?”

I force a smile. “...I'm fine. Let's get Grace back.” But I grip her hand hard as we follow the others down the hall. On the other side of the door is a cramped interrogation room. An observation window looks in on a tiny cell. Grace is huddled in one corner of the cell. Her hair is matted, partially covering her face. What I can see of her expression, despondant and weary, makes my heart squeeze. She stares blankly into space.

“Grace!” I cry.

“Grace, can you hear us?” Quinn calls through the glass.

Grace raises her head. “...Alodia? ...Quinn? You're here, too?”

“We all survived, Grace,” I assure her. “We've come to get you out.”

Her gaze drops again. “Don't bother. You're better off without me.”

“What?” Diego yelps. “Grace, I don't know what the hell has been going on here, but we're gonna get you out!”

“We are here to help,” Varyyn agrees. He is starting to look a little steadier and more alert. A door into Grace's cell stands in the wall beside the observation window. Diego eases Varyyn into a chair and goes to the door, turning several latches. But when he pushes on the door, it still doesn't budge.

“I got this,” Craig says, putting a hand on Diego's shoulder and easing him aside. He takes a running start and body slams into the door, but it still doesn't give. He winces, leaning against the wall.

“I think there's something jamming it from the other side!” Quinn exclaims.

Grace curls towards the wall. “Just go away, you guys. They'll only catch you if you don't.”

A horrifying possibility creeps into my mind. What could Rourke or his Arachnid mercenaries have been doing to Grace that she jammed the door on her side to keep them out? I taste panic at the back of my throat.

“Grace, please! Open the door!”

“Why?! What's so good about being out there?! ...I'm better off where no one can get to me.”

A familiar light manifests on one of the walls inside the cell. The ghostly figure steps out of the cinder blocks, its faceless gaze regarding Grace curiously.

“They're baaaaaaaaack,” Diego sings without mirth.

Grace recoils. “Oh, no...I'm hallucinating again...”

“Grace!” I call. “That's Vaanu! It wants to help us!”

“No joke, Grace!” Craig agrees. “That thing's legit!”

“Just take whatever it gives you!” Diego adds.

Vaanu reaches inside of itself and pulls out a framed display containing colorful butterflies preserved behind glass. I press my palm to the glass of the observation window. Will she still see the visions if I'm not touching the object as well? Will I still see them? Grace reaches out a shaking hand towards the ghost. I close my eyes and let my forehead come to rest on the glass. Please...please let it still work...

A white light blooms behind my eyelids.

I am on a balcony overlooking a bustling city. The sky is the deep blue color of evening, but the soft glow of lights along the walkways and streaming from the glass-walled building behind brighten the balcony. On the other side of the glass is an upscale gallery. A large crowd is gathered inside, murmuring as they gaze at vibrant paintings featuring elaborate geometric patterns. The door to the balcony opens and Grace emerges. She is dressed in a bohemian skirt and blouse with a jeweled butterfly brooch. Her long hair has been woven into dozens of tiny brains, twisted off her face and held in place with a gold barrette. Michelle is beside her.

“I can't decide which one I like best,” Michelle is saying. “Really, Grace, they're all amazing!”

Grace beams. “Thank you! Just let me know if you do see one you want and I'll set it aside.”

The door slides open again. An elegant woman in a dark blue business suit, her hair flawlessly coifed and curled, steps out onto the balcony. I know in an instant who she must be. In spite of the stark contrast between Grace's gentle bohemian style and the woman's sharp, snappy business attire, Grace is the spitting image of her mother.

“Hello, Grace,” Blair Hall says pleasantly. Grace's eyes widen.

“Mom...w-what are you doing here?”

“Grace, what a question!” Blair laughs. “I've always supported your little hobbies.”

“'Little hobbies'?!” Michelle echoes indignantly.

“Mom, please don't try to embarrass me.”

Blair looks genuinely surprised by the accusation. “Never, darling! I just, well...I did notice that some of these designs of yours are a little lackluster...maybe some more splashes of color here and there to spruce things up, you know?”

“You're...missing the point,” Grace mumbles.

“I just don't understand why you don't take up something you're actually good at, sweetheart.”

“Okay, that's it!” Michelle snaps. “I'm sorry, Mrs. Hall, but shut the hell up!”

“Excuse me?” Blair scowls at Michelle. “You watch your mouth, young lady!”

“Tell her, Grace.”

Grace inhales and sets her jaw. “Mom, all of these paintings were generated by calculations and assigned geometric properties. The whole point of fractal art is to display the beauty of mathematics! It's not about being flashy or impressive, it's about celebrating the intrinsic patterns of the universe.”

Blair shifts a little. “Of course. I knew that.”

“No, you didn't. You've never taken anything I've done seriously, especially the things I'm passionate about.”

Blair's eyes pass from Grace to Michelle and back again. “...I see. I'll...just be going.” She turns on her heel, and stalks out with all the dignity she can muster. Michelle puts a hand on Grace's shoulder.

“You all right?”

Grace blinks in astonishment. “You know what? That...felt really good!”

Michelle grins. “Good! I think she will actually get it, by the way. Seeing how talented you are, she probably just feels threatened. Anyway, she's got about seven gushing art critics to get through on her way out of here, so I think it's gonna sink in.”

Grace chuckles a little, then sighs. “You know, when I was little, she gave me this glass box full of butterflies. Beautiful specimens in every color of the rainbow. It was my most prized possession. And then I started to realize that's all I was to her. A precious thing to keep under glass and hide away.”

“Grace, it's up to you who's really in your family and who's not,” Michelle replies. “Don't let the ties that bind you be the ties that break you. Okay?”

Grace smiles. “Okay. You're right.” She sighs again, but this time it sounds like a release. She straightens as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.

“Now,” Michelle says with a grin, “I think it's time for some of that champagne!” She links her arm through Grace's, and the two of them head back into the party...

… I open my eyes again in the interrogation room. Grace stands at the center of her cell, eyes wide. She lifts her gaze to meet mine.

“Alodia...I think I just saw...”

“Your future,” I finish, smiling. Behind her, Vaanu fades into the wall, its light vanishing. Grace moves to the door. There is a series of clicks, and the cell door swings open. Grace stares at us, clutching the framed display.

“...I'm ready to go now,” she says with a soft smile. I rush inside to pull her into a hug. She holds me back. “...It's good to see you, Alodia.”

“You too, Grace. So good...”

She's back. Our swan is back. My family is almost complete again. If only we can draw the snake back to our side.

* * *

Back at the entrance to the lab, I approach to see the others clustered around Sean, who sits against the wall, clutching his left leg. His breathing is labored, his jaw tight with pain. As I get closer, I see the shine of fresh blood on his pants.

“Sean!” I cry out, rushing to kneel at his side.

“It's fine,” he growls. “I'll make it.”

“What happened?” Grace asks anxiously.

“Got grazed by a bullet,” he mutters, letting his head drop back against the wall.

“It isn't a graze,” Michelle says flatly. “It's a wound, Sean. The bullet is inside your flesh. I need you to take it easy and not put too much pressure on it.” She pulls off her backpack and begins searching through for her med kit. Jake shakes his head.

“There's no time for that, Maybelline,”he says grimly. “We barely lost Tetra and his grunts back there. They're gonna find us again if we wait much longer.”

“Can you walk, bro?” Craig asks anxiously. Sean nods.

“I'll manage. Let's just get out of here.” But he can't hold back a groan as Michelle and Raj help him to his feet. As we start back towards the surveillance lab, Zahra pulls a cylindrical device from under her arm and presents it to Craig with a grin.

“Lookie what we found.”

“The laser cannon!” Craig gasps. “I thought I wasn't gonna see this again!” He takes the harness eagerly and begins strapping it to his shoulder.

Zahra's grin widens. “Just try not to get too trigger-happy.”

We make our way to the elevators to return to the floor we arrived on. The Heart is our next objective. But I'm starting to get nervous again. Sean being wounded puts us at a disadvantage.

We make it back to the surveillance lab and creep over to the Omega Mech. Michelle and Raj ease Sean down against the wall while the rest of us stare up at the towering machine.

“It's...everything!” Zahra breathes.

“It's something, alright,” Kele concedes.

Jake scoffs. “Leave it to Daddy Weirdbucks to paint his doomsday device mid-life crisis red.”

I shade my eyes as I stare up at the thing. Erratic flashes of light hit my eyes from a compartment near the Mech's torso.

“There. I think the Heart's up there.”

“Cool,” Zahra says. “I'll check it out.” She hoists herself up onto an elevating platform and starts it up. It rises slowly, gears whining.

“Wait up, Z!” Craig jumps at the platform and hooks his fingers over the edge. He laboriously pulls himself up. “We used to watch Gundam together, remember? It was our tradition.”

Zahra laughs, slipping her hand into his. “I remember, ya doofus.”

The platform finally comes to a stop next to the compartment with the flashing light. Michelle suddenly grabs my arm.

“Did you see something moving over there?” Michelle points to a cluster of desks, where I see a vague shimmering.

“I see it,” Diego confirms. “I think it's the ghost.”

“No,” I murmur. “It's not the ghost.”

Fiddler turns off her cloaking, appearing in front of us, a sickening grin on her ruby lips. “You should've asked permission before dropping in, sweeties.” she purrs. “Now I'm gonna have to kick you out!”

A dark katana comes whirling through the air towards my lower body. My friends cry out in alarm. I grab a flat monitor off a desk and hold it up like a shield, even as I grit my teeth and brace for the pain. I'm thrown off balance as the blade crashes against the heavy plastic and clatters to the ground.

“Oh, god, too close!” Quinn gasps. Fiddler scoops up her weapon from the pile of shattered glass and plastic on the floor. Raj and Jake rush to my side and pull me to my feet.

“Shouldn't her blade have cut right through that?” Raj asks. He's right. But there's no glow of heat around Fiddlers katanas.

“What's the matter?” Jake sneers. “Lundgren replace your toys with hand-me-downs?”

“Shut up, Wolf!” Fiddler snarls. Jake steps away from me as Fiddler levels her blades at him. High above, a flare of light catches my eye. Zahra meets my gaze. She holds out the Island's Heart, preparing to drop it on Fiddler's head. Jake steps towards Fiddler carefully, keeping his eyes on her face. My heart wedges in my throat as he slowly closes the distance between him and her blades.

“You missed your opportunity to backstab me a second time, Jeanine,” Jake says lowly. “But if I get half the chance, I'll make you pay for what you did to me and Mike.”

In spite of herself, Fiddler retreats a few steps as Jake approaches, putting her squarely beneath Zahra. “Business, Jake. Just business. But then, you always did mix up work and pleasure...”

“What'd you do, Fiddler?” I ask. “What'd you do to them?”

She pulls herself up haughtily. “Jake didn't like what Lundgren was up to.” She lifts her blade, bringing it up to Jake's throat. “And I didn't like Jake. When he told me he was going to expose our commanding officer, I did what anyone would have done. I let Lundgren know exactly what kind of scum he had working for him.”

“Really. Sounds like you forgot to tell him about yourself.”

Fiddler turns towards me, clicking her tongue. “I do not like that mouth of yours, little blonde brat. How about I cut you a new--”

She is cut off by a loud thunk as the half-sphere of heavy crystal crashes down on her head. Fiddler crumples, unconscious. Diego quickly scoops up the still-intact Heart as Craig and Zahra cheer from the platfrom, high-fiving each other.

“Pass completed!” Craig crows. “Nice assist, Alodia!” Zahra starts the platform back up again, and they slowly begin descending. Jake grins up at them.

“Nice shot, Skri--” The word seems to get caught in his throat. He grimaces, clutching his ribs. My blood sizzles with alarm.

“Jake? You okay?” He starts to cough, slumping against the crimson leg of the Mech. I cry out. “Jake!”

I hurry to brace him, easing him gently to his knees as the coughs tear from his chest, rough and painful. Michelle is at his other side in an instant.

“It's his lung,” she says grimly. She places a hand on his back as he spasms violently. “Nice, slow breaths, Jake. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

Jake struggles to follow her instructions. He trembles violently, his features twisted with pain. I stroke his face gently.

“Just stay with me, okay?” I murmur. “I know it hurts, but just stay with me. Just keep breathing.” In a moment or two, he has managed to get his breath back. He stands unsteadily, giving me a shaky smile when I try to support him.

“I'm all right,” he says hoarsely.

“We need to get out of here now,” I murmur. “You and Sean both need to get someplace safe to rest.” If such a place even exists on this godforsaken island, I don't add.

We start across the room, passing the still-unconscious Aleister as we go. At least, he still appears to be unconscious. I can see the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathes, but he isn't moving. Sean looks mournfully at him.

“...I had hoped he would see the light by now,” he says softly.

In the darkness under the terminal, something else catches my eye. I bend down and withdraw a piece of paper. I unfold it carefully and cast my eyes over a note written in elegant, looping script.

My dearest Grace,

I know we will never speak again, but I wanted you to know how much I regret everything. I caused you so much suffering and for that, I'll never, ever forgive myself. I hope only to live long enough to redeem myself in your eyes.

Yours respectfully,

Aleister

“Yo, Alodia. You coming?” Craig calls. I hastily stuff the note into my pocket. I'll show it to Grace once we're safe. This isn't the time.

“Yeah. Sorry.” I jog to catch up with the others.

“How are we going to escape?” Grace asks uncertainly.

“Same way we came in,” I reply. “Don't worry. We've got a portal that's gonna take us far away from here.”

Zahra abruptly stops short. “Problem,” she hisses. “That Arachnid jerk's in our way.” I look towards the rift on the far side of the room and see Mike standing guard, rifle in hand. His eyes search the shadows for any trace of us.

“That didn't go very well for you last time.” The voice comes from across the room, dryly admonishing. “Step blindly through a door, and you'll suffer whatever consequence lies on the other side.

“Wh-who's voice is that?” Estela whispers.

“It sounded like it came from...” My heart drops as the cockpit of the Omega Mech suddenly floods with light.

“Stay, my friends,” Everett Rourke sneers from within. “And witness history in the remaking.”

“We have the Heart!” Craig taunts, scowling up at him.

“That you do,” Rourke replies. “And I have its power.”

Conduits on the floor flare to life as blue-white energy flows through them, flooding into the Mech. One massive red foot lifts and plants itself ahead of the other, shaking the earth as it lands.

“Everyone run!” I scream. “To the portal! Now!”

“Father!” Beneath the terminal, Aleister has abruptly come around. He struggles against his bonds, staring up at the Mech with horror in his eyes. “Father, what are you--”

“Be silent!” Rourke snarls. “Sit and watch while I do what Prometheus could not! For the fire of the gods is now mine forever!”

A sphere of roiling blue energy hurtles out of the Mech, streaking towards us, expanding as it goes. I close my eyes and throw my hands up in front of my face, instinctively diving. Electric energy stings my skin and sets every hair on my body on edge as a flash nearly blinds me, even through my eyelids. I roll onto my back and pop to my feet. But when I whirl around, I realize that I was the only one who made it out of the way. Jake, Diego, Estela, Sean, Quinn, Raj, Craig, Zahra, Grace, Michelle, Varyyn, and Kele are trapped inside a pulsing, crackling bubble, apparently frozen in place.

“No!” I sink to my knees, my arms wrapped tightly around my own torso as if bound by a straightjacket. It's the only way I could possibly resist the urge to throw my fists against the wall of energy that keeps me from them.

“You're much too concerned with the material, Alodia,” Rourke sneers. “The fleeting. Allow me to liberate you as I've been liberated!”

Within the sphere, my friends are flickering. Fading. The Omega Mech is erasing them from time. One by one, they start to disappear. An inhuman howl of agony and fear tears from my throat.

“Stop!” I double over, sobbing. “Don't do this, Rourke! Please!”

“Grace!” Aleister cries.

“Not to worry,” Rourke purrs. “If you want them back, all you'll need is the rest of the Island's Heart. You see, Alodia, with the Heart's power, time is our plaything. You could not only save your friends, but anyone you wish, once, twice, a thousand times over.”

But I already have...I've already done that...this was supposed to be the last time, the loop that broke the cycle... Suddenly, a more horrifying thought occurs to me. He knows. Rourke knows. He knows who I am. Who I once became. He knows that I am the Endless...

“Imagine it,” he continues, his voice a hiss. “A savior is born!”

Somehow, a frantic clacking breaks through my own screaming thoughts. I turn sharply to see Aleister freed from his bonds and typing frantically into a terminal, a snake-hilted knife clutched in one hand. In front of the portal, Mike abruptly goes limp, slumping to the ground.

“I deleted his programming, Alodia!” Aleister shouts. “Go! Go now!”

I should do as he tells me. But I'm frozen, rooted to the spot. How can I leave without the others? How can I go on alone? Wasn't that why I became the Endless in the first place? ...Is this where it happens?

“Ah, my son,” Rourke purrs. “My greatest mistake. Does it give you a measure of solace to see your father triumph?”

“You were never a father to me!” Aleister snarls. “I ruined everything I cared about trying to make a connection with you! You're no god in the machine! You're just a scared, petty little man hoping to bend the world to his whim!”

“Divide and conquer is the family way, Aleister.”

Aleister's fingers tighten around the knife in his hand as he looks down at the energy conduits. His breath comes out through gritted teeth, each one a hiss.

“...So it is.” In one swift motion, Aleister raises the knife and dives forward, driving the blade into the terminal. A shower of golden sparks erupts from the wound. Wild arcs of blue-white lightning course across the Omega Mech from the damaged conduit. Rourke screams inside the cockpit and his son screams at the console as electricity surges through them both. A burst of energy throws Aleister onto his back, where he lies twitching, a trail of smoke rising from his body. At that same moment, the blue sphere dissipates, and my friends reappear. All of them are unharmed, all of them are returned. They look around, disoriented. I choke on a sob and throw myself at Jake. He catches me and holds me.

“What the hell just happened?”

“Everyone get to the portal!” Diego shouts. I pull away from Jake and push him toward the rift.

“Go! Everyone go!” We make a break for the rift. Jake stops, seeing Mike unconscious on the floor. He hoists his friend onto his shoulders in one swift motion.

“C'mon, you bastard. You'd better be alive after all this.” He vanishes into the rift. I stand beside the tear and guide my friends in one by one. Jake, Sean, Estela, Quinn, Raj, Craig, Zahra, Michelle, Kele... I turn back to look at Aleister. He moans, turning his head towards me. Our eyes lock.

“You idiot!” Grace screams. I look sharply at her and realize she's looking at Aleister. “You could have died!”

Aleister raises a shaking hand and gestures at the portal. “Go...go while you still can...I'll...hold them off...” As he struggles to turn himself over and get to his feet, Grace grunts in frustration and runs to help him.

“Get the hell up and come on!” she snaps. “We're not leaving without you!”

“Grace...”

“Come on!” She pulls his arm over her shoulder and braces him. They limp together over to the rift and disappear inside with the others. Diego ushers Varyyn through. He is about to go through himself, but he stops and reaches back to grasp my arm, anxiety in his eyes.

“You're coming too, right? I swear to God, Allie, if I lose you again...”

“I'm right behind you. Promise. Now go!” But just as Diego steps into the wavering portal, I hear Rourke's voice behind me.

“Soon you will understand what you must do, Alodia. But in the meantime, how about a parting...gift?!”

A blue aura bursts to life around the rift. For a moment, I can still see my friends. Then the image begins to distort like a funhouse mirror. The edges of the rift widen to engulf me, and I fall through, my own cry echoing in my ears.

La Huerta

The Eastern Coast

Seraxa, war chief of Elyys'tel, walks purposefully along the strand under the moonlight. On one side of her walks a blue-skinned child with pale, curly hair. On the other, a massive golden-brown feline with fangs like daggers. Seraxa strokes the child's hair gently.

“You and T'kal play on the beach until I return.”

“But I want to go diving!” Taari protests. The sabertooth growls deep in his throat, and it sounds like a sigh.

“Taari,” Seraxa says warningly. Taari sighs, rolling his eyes.

“Fiiiiine. Come on, T'kal.”

“Stay on the sand. Do not go past the cliffs. Do you understand?” Taari picks up a long rope of seaweed and flicks it back and forth over the sand. T'kal drops into a crouch, reaching out with a paw to swipe at it. “Taari! Did you hear me?”

“Yeeeeeees,” Taari sighs, pouting. “I'll stay on the sand, but Seraxa better be safe too!”

Seraxa purses her lips, watching them for a moment. Finally, she sighs, and wades slowly into the water. She lets herself breathe slowly and deeply as the water laps its way up her legs, to her hips, her belly, and finally, her chest. She draws in one more deep breath, and dives. She descends swiftly into sea trench, propelled by her powerful legs, her cat-like vision cutting easily through the dark water. Arriving at a patch of oyster shells along the trench wall, she pulls out her knife and begins carving each one free. She does not rush. She has trained for many years to be able to hold her breath for an impressively long time, even for a Vaanti. She works carefully, her emerald-green warrior braids drifting lazily through the water about her head, floating on the warm currents.

A faint green glow begins to bloom on the trench wall. Seraxa ignores it at first, struggling with the last pair of oysters. She stabs at their bases in irritation, and the motions sends vibrations pulsing through the water. The glow on the trench wall is growing stronger. Seraxa suddenly freezes, her nerves sizzling with a warning. Slowly, she turns.

Three heads loom before her. One blue and angular, with horns and glowing slits for eyes. One scarlet with bulging eyes and a lower jaw full of needle-sharp teeth. One green and finned with a snout like an eel. Three heads on three necks that descend onto one scaled, serpentine neck that descends down into the abyss. And each head is at least three times Seraxa's size.

Half her held breath rushes out in a scream smothered by the water. A flood of bubbles drifts towards the surface. The three-headed Cetus roars from his scarlet head, shaking the trench walls. The remaining oysters tumble into the darkness. For once in her life, Seraxa finds herself paralyzed with fear.

Please, she silently begs. Endless....anyone...preserve me...

The three heads bob in the dark water, three pairs of green eyes contemplating their prey. Slowly, they pull back into the abyss, until even the eerie green glow of their eyes is swallowed by the inky blackness. Seraxa wastes no time in kicking to the surface. She breaches with a greedy breath, turning her eyes towards the shore. A fresh knot of cold fear settles in the pit of her stomach.

The beach is empty. Taari and T'kal are nowhere to be seen. Seraxa rushes ashore, dropping her bag of oysters.

“Taari?!” she cries, desperately scanning the treeline. “Taaaaaaaaaariiiiiiiiiiii!”

Mount Atropo

Several hours earlier...

The Endless kneels stands beside a blazing lava pool, a blue-green glow flickering across her weathered face.

“Don't worry,” she murmurs. “We're going to return your core to you. Isn't that what you want?”

A voice rises from the pit, echoing off the cavern walls. “All is broken...Broken...all...” The taletell click of a gun being readied comes from somewhere behind the Endless.

“Freeze, Red Riding Hood.”

The Endless sighs, a rueful, bitter smile curving her wrinkled lips. “Rex Lundgren. I'd say it was a pleasure, but...”

“I've heard about you,” Lundgren growls. “I've got a rifle trained on your head, so no tricks, or I will end this conversation real quick.”

“What do you want, Mr. Lundgren,” the Endless asks wearily.

“Seems the Island's Heart is incomplete. Where's the rest of it?”

“Scattered...” replies the voice from within the pit. “Lost...”

“I said no tricks!” Lundgren barks.

The Endless curls her mechanical fingers, extinguishing the ball of fire that hovers over her palm. She raises both hands placatingly.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” she says calmly.

“Like hell you don't!” Lundgren swings his rifle, slamming the butt against the side of the elderly woman's head. The Endless grunts in pain, sinking to her knees. Gasping, she crawls towards the pit, towards the safety of the magma. Lundgren's hand shoots out to grasp her by the hair on the back of her head. She groans, gritting her teeth.

“Lundgren...”

“Alodia's bringing it to you, isn't she?!” he snarls. “Tell me!”

A spectre materializes beside Lundgren, a pale, gleaming figure, with a dark ball of energy stirring at its heart. The darkness spreads through the limbs of the ghostly entity until it glitters like the night sky. Vaanu takes Lundgren's head into its ghostly hands. Lundgren's eyes go wide. His fingers go stiff and straight, releasing the Endless.

“B-but they're dead. I killed them. All of them!” He whimpers, struggling. “I don't wanna see this...Make it stop, dammit! Make it--”

His voice rises in a scream as he pulls away and flees down a tunnel. Vaanu's arms lower to its sides. It turns an eyeless gaze onto the Endless, still curled on the hot ground, struggling to catch her breath. She looks up at Vaanu, blinking.

“...You...”

The spirit fades, leaving the Endless staring into empty air. She turns to cast a glance behind her at the gleaming pool of magma. Something like remorse flickers across her face. She turns sharply away.

Chapter Text

I fall through intangible light and color, my fingers clawing desperately for something solid to grab onto. Through the time rift that opens beneath me, I can make out a wide green field. Definitely not Quarr'tel. As I emerge, objects on the field take shape as they rush toward me. Chairs and tables spread with lace tablecloths, crockery, cutlery, and elegant centerpieces. There are figures falling around me. I make out Craig as he lands safely in the grass directly beneath me.

“Craig! Incoming!”

“Huh?” Craig looks up just in time to see me coming, but not quickly enough to get out of the way. I land hard on top of him, making him yelp. “Ow! Leave my kidneys alone, brah!”

“Heh...sorry.”

“Guys, where are Jake and Mike?” Sean asks anxiously. My heart leaps into my throat and I scramble to my feet, casting my eyes around at my friends. Everyone is there. ...Everyone except Jake and Mike. Estela looks up at the wavering rift.

“I saw them go in,” she says grimly. “They should have come through by now.”

“Oh, God,” Quinn whispers. “Are they still with Rourke?”

“They might've got dragged through another one of those holes after everything went all swirly,” Kele muses.

“Uh...guys?”

Aleister braces his hands on his knees, his face tight with the pain of his burns. “Then they must be in an entirely separate time period. ...This is all my fault...”

“Guys...?”

Zahra digs into her bag, pulling out the first half of the Island's Heart. “We've still got this, at least.”

“Guys!” Diego snaps. We all freeze, following his gaze to a dark-haired man in a threadbare suit who stands not ten feet away from us, staring at us with wide eyes and visibly trembling.

“W-where did you come from? Who are you!?”

“Uh...we're...” I glance helplessly around at my friends before timidly offering, “...time...travelers...?”

“Time travel--” The man's face twists into a snarl. “You work for Barnaby, don't you! You here to rough me up?”

“Woah, hang on,” Sean pipes up. “I don't know what's happening here, but--”

“You can tell your employer that I'm reporting him to the authorities!” Then, presumably before we can go through with roughing him up, he turns and dashes through the entrance of a nearby hedge maze. I don't know if the authorities are anywhere in that direction, but maybe he just wants to lose us. As we stare dumbly after him, the strains of live music start to reach our ears. Across the garden, guests in old-fashioned formal wear are dancing and sipping champagne, their faces concealed behind elaborate masks.

“I...don't think anyone else has noticed us yet,” Diego murmurs.

“In which case, do you idiots mind if we hide?” Zahra hisses. “Unless you want to cause a paradox!”

“Well, we could follow that man into the hedges,” Quinn points out. “But that might scare him even more.”

“Pretty much our only option right now,” Craig says. We scurry over to the maze entrance and duck inside. Electric lights twinkle among the carefully tended foliage.

“So...where...or when are we?” I mutter.

Grace examines the lights. “Well, judging by these lightbulbs--”

“Filaments like this were only produced for a few years after World War I,” Aleister cuts in. “That would place us--”

“Excuse me!” Grace snaps. “I was speaking! We've probably arrived in the early 1920's.”

An awkward silence stretches between Grace and Aleister. He shifts uncomfortably under her icy glare.

“Y-yes,” he finally mumbles. “Very astute.”

“Yo, we'll be older than the Endless when we finally get back to our own time,” Craig sighs. I look sharply at him, my hands curling into fists. He doesn't seem to notice. Zahra rolls her eyes.

“We're not just gonna wait ninety years, ya dork.”

“Whatever we do, we need to find a way back to Jake and Mike,” I say lowly, my hands still in fists by my side. Diego lays a hand on my shoulder, but a startled cry from Varyyn captures his attention.

“What?! What is this?!” We look over at the elyyshar, who is staring down at himself in horror and confusion. His body shimmers eerily, various items on his person beginning to fade.

“Varyyn? Are you okay?” Alarmed, Diego grasps his shoulders. “Please don't disappear. Please!”

Varyyn shakes his head. “Not me. Objects...made by my friends. My family. My subjects.” He watches helplessly as the items vanish one by one. “Taari has given me that bracelet. That ceremonial knife was a gift from Seraxa. And my mother designed those tattoos.”

“Wait...we've seen this before...” My mind is still clouded with fear for Jake, but the fog is starting to clear as memories nip at the edges. Zahra nods.

“The helicopter back at MASADA. It was jumping between realities because the past was in flux.”

“But if things given to Varyyn are fading away, that means...”

I nod grimly. “The Vaanti are at risk. The helicopter almost disappeared because Jake hadn't turned himself in. If everything Varyyn has that he didn't make is disappearing...then a paradox in this timeline might be erasing the people who did make them.”

“My people!” Varyyn gasps, clutching desperately at the phase-shifting objects. “I must do something...”

“Varyyn,” Diego murmurs.

“Okay, let's stop and think for a sec,” Zahra says firmly. “If we didn't show up here, what wouldn't have happened?”

“We wouldn't have made that man fear for his life,” Quinn points out.

“And he probably would have gone to that party,” Michelle adds.

“I don't think it was really us he was afraid of though,” Sean says. “He mentioned a name...”

“One of the guests was dressed like a bride,” Grace remarks. “...And they're all wearing masks.”

“...Masks are a sacred part of our culture,” Varyyn says, his voice soft with astonishment. “Because they were worn by the very first of our people.”

“Oh, god!” Diego gasps. “It's that wedding! The one in the creation myth of the Vaanti!”

I remember the Valley of Tombs, the carvings of the masked bride and guests. ...Jake was with me then...we got the ring off the statue's finger together and he held it out to me as he knelt before me...I made some joke about him proposing...

“...So it all started with a masquerade-themed wedding...”

“All right. We should probably...ungh!”

I turn sharply as Sean groans in pain, just in time to see him stagger and clutch his bloody thigh. Whatever strength reserves he has been running on seem to be tapped out. His face is ashen as he sags to the ground. Michelle and Estela rush to brace him before he collapses.

“Lay him down on his side,” Michelle orders flatly.

“I'm okay. I just need to--”

“Sean, you literally have a bullet in your flesh,” Michelle snaps. “Lie down. Estela, Alodia, Craig, I need you three to hold him still. Quinn, come play my nurse, please.”

I cradle Sean's head on my lap, grasping his hand. Estela takes his other hand, draping herself over his body to hold him still while Craig comes to brace himself against Sean's back. Estela meets my eyes, her expression grim. I feel my heart beating faster. Behind her, Michelle pours rubbing alcohol from her med kit on her hands and Quinn helps her slip on a pair of vinyl gloves.

“This is going to hurt, Sean,” she warns him. “But I need you to hold still.” Sean lifts his head slightly, but I gently push it down again.

“Don't look,” I murmur. “It'll be better if you don't look.”

“This doesn't seem like the ideal place for surgery,” Sean quips weakly. I squeeze his hand.

“Just close your eyes. Close your eyes and hold our hands. You're with friends, and you're safe.”

His grip on my hand tightens, and he screws his eyes shut. His first pained gasp as Michelle makes a grab for the bullet makes tears well in my eyes. Craig grips Sean's shoulder firmly.

“You got this, bro. You're okay. You've come through worse before.”

Sean's breath comes out in hard, shallow puffs, hissing through gritted teeth. Sweat forms on his forehead as he bites back a cry. Quinn pokes around in the medkit and comes up with a washcloth and a spraybottle of distilled water to moisten it with. She passes it to me and I bathe Sean's face gently. I can't help remembering that he did this for me once, holding my hand while Jake cleaned the bloody gashes the sabertooth had left on my ribs. From sabertooth scratches to bruised lungs and bullet wounds...it's no wonder this island has killed us over two-thousand times...

“You're doing great, Sean,” I hear myself say. “Just hold on.”

He must have felt the pain spike, because he suddenly jerks violently against Craig and Estela's combined weight, his grip on my hand tightening to an uncomfortable pressure. Craig and Estela hold him tighter. He moans, and the sound is heart-wrenching.

“It's won't be long now,” Estela murmurs gently.

“You hear that?” I say softly. “Just a little longer. Just hold on a little bit longer.”

After what feels like an enternity, Michelle holds up the bloody bullet, clasped between a pair of tweezers. Sean lies trembling and whimpering on my lap, soaked in sweat. I mop his brow with the washcloth while Michelle swiftly cleans and bandages the wound.

“Stay still for a little while,” she tells him. “And please don't argue with me on that point. No one is going to die if you take ten minutes to put your feet up.”

“Fine,” Sean mumbles, a hint of a watery smile on his lips. “But no one wander off...”

He rolls carefully onto his back, and I help Michelle prop up his head with her bag before rising. I can't stay sitting down right now. My stomach is churning, threatening to rebel. Diego comes up beside me, and rubs slow, soothing circles between my shoulderblades with his palm.

“Allie? You holding up okay?”

“I'm not the one to be worried about right now.”

“...We'll find him. Or he'll find us.” He smiles mirthlessly. “Knowing him, he'll tear open a rift with his bare hands if that's what it takes to find you.”

“...He was hurt.”

Diego's smile fades. “...Yeah. I know.”

I am distracted from anything else I might say when I notice Raj straining to reach under a hedge.

“Raj, what are you--”

“Something's...down here...Aha!” Triumphantly, he pulls out a weathered suitcase. “Hello, what's this?”

“It looks like it's been down their for awhile,” Grace remarks, gingerly brushing at the coating of dirt on the worn leather. Craig kneels down and helps Raj bust open the rusted latches. Inside, pale pink fabric shimmers in the soft glow of the garden lights.

“I think we may have just scored a disguise or two, dudes!” Raj remarks with a grin. Quinn wanders over to inspect the contents of the suitcase, and pulls out the pale pink flapper-style dress.

“Oh, Alodia! This looks about your size. Wanna try it on?”

“Well...I guess it's better suited to this environment than this cyberpunk getup...” I accept the flapper dress and slip behind a hedge to change. The fringe is soft against my bare knees, and the beads shimmer elegantly as they catch the light. As I step out from behind the hedge, Quinn offers me a pair of white gloves, a necklace of pearls, and a pair of t-strap pumps. I accept the items and put them on.

“And for the finishing touch...” Quinn smiles as she slips a bejeweled and feathered headband over my head to lay across my brow.

“Perfect,” Diego declares. “Straight out of The Great Gatsby.”

“Gams lookin' real nice,” Kele remarks, eyeing my calves appreciatively.

“Bro, what? Are you into teeth?”

Aleister groans. “Craig, for the love of-- he said gams, not gums! Gams is slang for legs. And you do look smashing, Alodia.”

“If not entirely en vogue,” I remark. “Long hair, and I haven't shaved my legs or under my arms since Elysian Lodge. Though I guess leg-shaving wasn't really a widespread thing until the 40's...”

Quinn waves a hand dismissively. “You're blonde. It's not noticeable. And anyway, that cut is fantastic on you. ...Unfortunately, it looks like there was only one outfit in there. The rest of us will have to go as is.”

I exhale slowly. “All right. If we can fix the paradox we created here, maybe it'll stabilize whatever's going on with that time rift.”

“Worth a try,” Estela agrees.

“So...I guess I'll sneak in as a guest?” I say uncertainly.

“Perhaps the rest of us can pose as servants,” Aleister suggests. “Our clothes might stand out, but perhaps less so if we're not trying to draw attention to ourselves.”

“Messing with the past might be asking for trouble,” Grace warns.

“Then we'll take every step with care,” Sean assures her. “It's all we got right now.”

“You're not taking any steps right now,” Michelle says firmly. “For once, let the others take care of things.”

“Michelle is right,” I say before Sean can argue. “You just had surgery for fuck's sake, and you're not Superman. Don't make me worry.”

“I'll wait here, too,” Varyyn murmurs. “I can't risk my connection to Vaanti history creating any more problems.”

“I'll stay with you,” Diego volunteers.

“Okay. We'll be back as soon as we can.” I pull Diego into a quick hug before turning and making my way toward the party with the others.

As we approach the ornate setup in the garden, a few of the guests cast their eyes over us, but our presence is otherwise unquestioned. At the main banquet table, a waiter is carving a massive roast pig while a group of masked guests chat nearby.

“...So he let her go,” I hear one guest in a wolf mask remark. “Why the Rosencrafts were keeping staff who couldn't even polish silver, who the hell knows.”

“They were unaccustomed to service, Ralston. Rosencraft Sr. knew as little about leading a household as he did about leading a family.”

I feel my foot slip a little, and glance down. A pamphlet has caught on the heel of my shoe. I bend to pick it up and read the heading: A Schedule of Events for the Marriage of Flora Sullivan and Arthur Barnaby.

I frown. Who the hell is Arthur? Didn't the padlock I found say Eugene? I glance over at the others who in their attempts to pass as servants are setting a table.

“For pity's sake, Craig!” Aleister hisses. “All of your forks are out of place! It's salad first, then entree...”

“Why do rich people need so many forks?” Craig grumbles. “What's the difference?”

Zahra grins. “One's for going in their mouths and the others are for sticking up their--”

“Okay, then!” Quinn interrupts. “Wanna explain that again, Aleister?”

I feel a smile playing over my mouth, until I hear the faint sound of sniffling coming from the trees nearby. I glance back at the others and catch Aleister's eye, jerking my head towards the sound. He and a couple of the others break off and follow me.

The woman in the bridal gown is there, weeping quietly, her elegant white mask clutched in shaking hands.

“How am I even to go about this?” she whispers to herself. “I can't possibly...”

I approach cautiously. “...Excuse me...”

She gasps, turning a lovely pair of gray-green eyes on me. Even with her face splotchy and red from crying, I can see she is a delicate, uncommon beauty with pale, smooth skin and cornsilk curls cut into a fashionable bob.

“W-who...?” She swallows, wiping her eyes as she looks me over. “Forgive me, I'm not sure we've met. ...That's a...ducky outfit, by the way.”

“We heard someone crying,” I say innocently.

“We are not in the habit of ignoring the tears of a lady, Miss Sullivan,” Aleister adds.

“I fear you have me at a disadvantage,” Flora sniffs. “I do not know you.”

“My name is Alodia. This is Aleister, Estela, Grace, and Zahra.” The others nod at the young bride in turn.

“Flora Sullivan. But it seems you know that.”

“Forgive me, Miss Sullivan,” I say, “but I couldn't help overhearing your...soliloquy. It seems you're facing a hard decision. Perhaps you would like to talk it through? At least I can listen. I'm good at that.”

“It's true,” Estela confirms. “She is.”

“And when faced with an impossible dilemma, one must give themselves a chance to pause and reflect.” When Flora hesitates, I meet her gaze and hold it.

“...Was a man supposed to meet you here?”

Her eyes widen. “Eugene! Where is he? What do you know?”

“He's fine. But I need to know more about what's going on if I'm going to help.”

Flora looks at me for a long moment, considering me. “I'm not even sure where to begin. You probably wouldn't believe me anyway.”

I can't help grinning ruefully. “I don't know about that. If you knew half the things I've been through...”

“Tomorrow, I'm supposed to marry a man I don't love.” She sighs. “Arthur is very practical, I'll give him that. But I suppose my heart doesn't exactly swoon for practicality.”

“And there is someone...impractical in the picture?”

She sighs again, brushing away the last glistening remnant of tears from her cheeks. “I'm so foolish. I should have known after Neptune Cove that he wouldn't come. He'd bought a ring. But it was just...it was too soon. So I tried to make it up to him at the cove and he never--”

“Flora!” A woman's voice comes over the strains of music, sharp and insistant. “Flora, where are you?”

“I must leave...” Flora's gaze meets mine as she refastens her mask. “Please keep Eugene out of harm's way. Arthur wants him dead.” Without giving me a chance to respond, she takes off. After a moment, the rest of us return to the party, where we are approached by a man in an elephant mask, holding a glass of champagne.

“Good evening,” he says pleasantly. “I trust your journey to our venue was not too stressful, what with that dreadful storm over the ocean.”

“Your...venue...oh!” I laugh nervously. “Oh, not at all. You must be Mr. Barnaby. Congratulations, I'm sure you'll both be very happy.”

He offers me a slight nod. An awkward silence stretches between us, and I find my eyes drifting toward the imposing manor house in the distance. He follows my gaze.

“Quite a place, isn't it. Thanks to the Rosencrafts' poor judgement, this entire estate was practically owned by the banks. Quack job who lived here before thought he could...'enhance humankind' with his little pills.” I glance down and see his free hand curling into a fist at his side. “We'll not speak of him. Eugene is a fool and a miscreant. How dare he try to place himself between me and my beloved...knows better now, don't he...”

He chuckles to himself as uncomfortable glances pass between me and my friends. It seems the guests who are near enough are just as uncomfortable.

“Well...it seems everything is sorted here,” I mumble, offering him a half-hearted smile. “I'll leave you to it.”

I turn away, eager to escape, and that's when I spot Eugene, staring through the shrubbery. When he realizes that I've spotted him, he takes off at a sprint. I curse under my breath, taking off after him as soon as I'm sure Arthur Barnaby has stopped paying attention to me. Eugene races towards the hedge with me and my friends in hot pursuit.

“Eugene, wait!” I call as soon as we have made it into the maze. “Flora sent me!”

At the sound of her name, he freezes and turns. “Flora...? Is she all right?” Diego and Varyyn round the corner with Sean behind them, braced against Michelle. Eugene looks behind him, and then back at me, realizing he's trapped. His breath starts to come a little faster. “If you're working for Barnaby, just get it over with already.”

“Relax,” Diego says gently. “We don't work for anybody.”

“But I know about the ring and Neptune Cove,” I add.

“How do you know about that?”

“Flora told me. Please, we're all friends here. Let's just talk about this.”

“A-all right...” Eugene swallows and nods. Sean chuckles a little.

“That's Alodia. Diplomat and group counselor all in one.”

“Literally the best person to tell your troubles to,” Quinn agrees. Eugene's handsome face twists with emotion. Looking at him while he's standing still, I can tell he has some mixed ancestry. His skin is a bit darker than olive. He rubs his hand over his face.

“I would have given her everything. I told her as much. But she turned me down. And then that bastard Barnaby swept in and took my everything. My home, my business...” He swallows hard. “...And now Flora.”

“She's clearly trying to protect you,” Aleister murmurs. “She knows what Arthur wants to do to you.”

“She tried to make it up to you,” I say softly. From my purse, I withdraw the padlock and hold it out to him.

“What is thi--” As he reads the engraving, he trails off, his eyes widening. “...She made this?”

“Alodia, where did you get that?” Michelle whispers.

“I wrote a message on the back of Z's computer lock once,” Craig announces, making Zahra snort.

“'Zahra smells' isn't exactly love poetry, loser,” she says affectionately.

Eugene chokes on a sob. “Oh, Flora...I...thought she was going to tell me never to see her again...” He turns the lock over in his hand. “That was over a year ago, though. Look at the wear on this. She may not still feel that way.”

“The ceremony is tomorrow, right? This is your last chance. You've got to be there to tell Flora how you feel.”

Eugene swallows. “You're right of course. But...Arthur would sooner have his man kill me than let Flora go.”

“We can take care of Arthur and his goons,” Sean says. “You just show up and do what you need to do.”

“I...” Eugene trails off, biting his lip. Finally, he nods. “Yes. I will be there. Thank you. ...Excuse me, please.”

I can see a shine in his dark eyes as he turns away and flees past Diego and Varyyn. For a moment, we're all quiet.

“...Hopefully that'll do it,” Quinn remarks.

“We'll find out tomorrow, it seems,” Varyyn sighs.

“I'd...better let Flora know,” I mumble.

“I'll go with you, Allie.” Diego glances at Varyyn, silently asking permission. When Varyyn nods, Diego steps closer to me. I smile weakly.

“Thanks.”

We make our way back to the party and find the man in the wolf mask, the one they called Ralston, talking to Flora.

“I think your household staff ain't dressin' right,” he mutters.

“Oh...well, I told them to wear costumes. Only appropriate for the occasion.” Catching sight of me and Diego, she clears her throat. “Forgive me, I should probably make another round with the guests.”

“Do your duty, Miss Sullivan. And remember who's watching your back.”

Flora nods and catches my eye with a furtive glance, making her way toward the tree. Diego and I follow her. Once concealed, she takes off her mask.

“Well? Did you find out anything?”

“Good news. He'll be there tomorrow.”

Flora can't hold back a happy squeak, her eyes lighting up. She claps her gloved hands like an excited schoolgirl.

“Oh, thank god! My Eugene! Alodia, you have no idea how much this means to me!”

“I might have an inkling,” I reply. I'm smiling, but even I can feel that it's faint. Amidst all this romance, I can't forget that the man I love is missing and I don't know how to find him. Diego seems to read my thoughts, which is hardly surprising. He puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes it. Flora reaches into her pocket and pulls out a small brass key.

“Have you already secured accommodations for the night?”

“Uh...not really,” Diego confesses.

“Well, you are all certainly welcome to the servants' quarters. There is also a private wing of the manor accessible by this key. Only one bed, but it could comfortably fit two if that would not be awkward.” She looks from Diego to me with a meaningful smile. “I don't think anyone is really going to buy that this handsome young man is your servant.”

Diego and I both start, exchanging a glance. “Uh...what?”

Flora's smile widens. “Oh, there's no need to be coy. You've seen Eugene, you must know that my tastes run dark and beautiful, too.”

I have to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. Diego manages to pass his laughter off as shyness. “Thank you, Miss Sullivan. Your offer is very generous.”

“Speak to the housemaid when you get inside. Her name is Rose, and she'll be able to tell you where to go.”

He accepts the key and we both hurry off. Once we're out of earshot, we both double over with laughter that doesn't let up for a few minutes.

“Oh, god,” I gasp, wiping moisture from my eyes. “Honestly, I'm a little surprised that doesn't happen more often.”

“Being mistaken for your boyfriend? Not sure I'm all that convincing.” He takes my hand and bows dramatically, kissing my knuckles. “Well, my dear, do you think you will sleep in the manorhouse tonight? Or slum it in the servants' quarters with the rest of us?”

“I don't know. Maybe you could take Varyyn up there? It's gotta be easier than trying to explain a blue man to the other servants.”

“You may be right. But honestly, I think Varyyn would rather sleep in the hedge maze. He prefers to sleep under the sky on clear nights.”

“And you?”

“Well, I did live with the Vaanti for six months, you may recall. I got pretty used to hammocks.”

“Well, if you two won't take it, maybe I'll give the room to someone else...”

“No, you should take it. You need a good night's rest.”

“I...don't want to be alone.”

“...You want me to come up with you?”

I sigh. “Yes. A lot. But I don't want to ask you to leave Varyyn. Not now. If we screw this up, the Vaanti might vanish. He needs you more than I do. And you need to be with him more than I need you to be with me.”

“Oh, Allie...” He pulls me into a hug. “You're wonderful and I love you for saying all that. But you're my best friend and my sister, you mean more to me than anyone, and right now, the man you love is missing. If you need me...”

“I'm okay, Diego. I promise. ...I'll take Quinn up to the room with me. Will that ease your mind?”

“A little. ...If it's not me or Jake, I think Quinn is the best choice to keep you company. The third least awkward person to share a bed with.”

“I have kissed her, you know,” I retort playfully.

“I know. But I don't think she's pining for you the way, say, Sean still is.”

“Sean? Pining? You think so?”

“Well, maybe not pining exactly. But I don't think he's totally over you. He'll get there, but...not yet.”

I sigh. “You're usually right about that sort of thing. ...But that is entirely not what I need tonight.”

“Agreed. What you need is a good night's sleep. I can't have you dying of exhaustion on me. I'dnever get over it.”

I grin at him, ruffling his dark, shaggy hair. “I love you for saying that.”

We rejoin the others and explain the situation. I keep quiet about the private room until the others are making their way to the servants' quarters. As subtly as I can, I take Quinn's arm. She looks at me curiously.

“Would you care to explore a fancy manorhouse with me?”

Her pretty face breaks into a wide smile. She takes my hand and tugs me towards the house. “Would I ever! They're sure to have an amazing art collection!”

We make our way to the house, and find the housemaid. She tells us where to go, and we follow her directions until we locate a door with a heavy lock. It springs open easily with Flora's key. We squeeze into a grand parlor. The room is rather sparsely furnished, with just a table and a few chairs, but the walls are lined with exquisite paintings, bathed in moonlight. Quinn gasps, studying with wide eyes.

“I could spend all night here,” she murmurs, eyes roaming over the paintings. “I wonder...” Suddenly, she trails off, her jaw dropping. Slowly, her fingers curl into fists at her sides.

“Quinn...? What's wrong?”

I follow her gaze, which has landed on a massive painting labeled Depiction of the Divine. A man dressed in Roman robes is haloed by the sun. A familiar man with a goatee, who appears to be writing the Ten Commandments.

“Oh, my god,” I groan. “It's Rourke.”

“I am so...tired of his stupid face showing up just when I get two seconds to forget about him!” Quinn cries. The uncharacteristic heat in her voice makes me jump. She moans, covering her face with her hands. I put an arm over her shoulders.

“It doesn't give him power. It just means he's desperate. He doesn't have people around him that he loves. So he just loves himself.”

Quinn draws in a shuddering breath, and brings her hands down from her face with a nod. “...That's why we'll win. Because we have people to care about.” Her eyes meet mine, blue on blue. The moonlight shines in her copper hair with a slight blue tinge. “What should we do, then? To give him the least amount of power?”

I grin. “...Wanna graffiti that painting?”

Her eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“Very. Come on, there must be something we can do to improve this thing.” Quinn darts over to the table on the other side of the room and comes back with two inkwells and fountain pens.

“What should we do first?” she asks eagerly.

“Hmm.” I study the painting, tapping my lips with a forefinger. “I know. We'll give him a diaper and a pacifier.”

“Ha! Perfect!” She pulls over a chair and climbs up on it. With her fountain pen, she skillfully turns the painted Rourke into an overgrown baby. I laugh.

“That is too good! I think it needs a few more details...” I take off my gloves and pick up a pen to put it to the painting. Within a few minutes the painting is completey defaced. The original title has been crossed out and replaced with Phony Stark's Ego. Quinn hops off the chair and steps back.

“All right. Let's take a look at our masterpiece.” I step back with her. My hands are splotchy with ink, but it's worth it to see the vain portrait transformed into something more indicitive of the subject's true character. Quinn dips her pen in the near-empty well and puts it to the painting again. With a flourish, she signs it, The Catalysts. I grin at her.

“Feeling better?”

“Much. Thanks for doing this with me, Alodia. I haven't laughed this much in too long.” Taking another look at the painting, she giggles again, but this one turns into a yawn.

“We should do this again soon. But for now, we should get some sleep. We'll need to be ready for tomorrow.” I lift my inky fingers and wiggle them in front of her. “And perhaps we should wash our hands.”

Still chuckling, we head off to the bedroom. We find soap and water in a bathroom and rinse the ink from our fingers. Then we strip down to our underthings and slip into the big canopy bed, huddling together in the moonlight. Diego was right to send Quinn with me. I'm still terrified about Jake. But having Quinn in my arms makes me feel stronger. She reminds me of what I'm capable of. What we're all capable of together. We made her well. We pulled her back from the brink of death. That may have had consequences, but the fact remains that we did the impossible. With Quinn lying asleep in my arms, I know I'll see Jake again before long. All the craziness this place has thrown at us couldn't keep us apart, he said before. And it won't keep us apart now.

The echo of his voice in my mind is a lullaby. I drift gently to sleep.

* * *

Quinn is already dressed when I manage to claw my way to consciousness the next morning. She smiles at me.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. Ready to save the Vaanti?”

I grin. “I thought you'd never ask.”

I dress in a hurry and make my way down to the ballroom, Quinn by my side. We are welcomed inside, where the guests and servants have gathered. The guests are still in costume, and even the decorations appear to have a masquerade theme. As Quinn and I make our way over to the corner where our friends have gathered, I find myself struck with deja-vu.

“This...feels familiar,” Quinn murmurs.

I inhale sharply as it hits me. “This is the same ballroom we found at The Celestial!”

“How is that even possible?” Diego hisses. “We're not in The Celestial, are we?”

“I don't see Eugene,” Grace says nervously.

“We need a back-up plan,” Zahra murmurs. “What if he...” She trails off as a man in a lion mask sidles up to us. Eugene tips his mask, discreetly revealing his face.

“What if I...what?”

I exhale with relief, grinning. “You made it!”

“Go get your girl, man,” Sean says, clapping him on the shoulder. He nods at Flora, masked, gowned, and positioned at the side of the ballroom with Ralston close behind her. Eugene gulps.

“W-what should I say? The ceremony is about to start!”

Grace puts her hand on his other shoulder. “Just tell her how you feel. All of it. While you still can.”

Eugene seems to consider her words. Then he takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders, and strides across the ballroom toward the bride.

“Flora Sullivan!” he calls, his voice strong and clear. “I'm here!”

The crowd stops murmuring. Flora lifts her mask. “Eugene...!”

“I know that we've been through a lot. I've made my share of mistakes, but I've never once stopped loving you. I am here to ask again for your hand. Flora Sullivan, will you marry me?”

Ralston takes a small step toward Flora, bringing something against her back. She inhales sharply as Ralston brings his masked face close to her ear. Flora swallows.

“Oh...Eu-Eugene...It's too late. I've made up my mind...”

Eugene falters, uncertain. “You...have...?”

Arthur clears his throat. “Forgive me, everyone. I thought I had taken out the trash, but it appears to have legs!”

A scatter of nervous laughter arises from the guests.

“We gotta do something!” Craig hisses. “We're gonna be stuck if we don't fix this!”

“All we have to do is take out Ralston,” Estela murmurs, looking at me for permission.

“I say we blow stuff up and get them out of here,” Zahra suggests gleefully. “I've got a few tricks up my sleeve.”

“No need,” Aleister whispers. “We can simply explain the evidence to the wedding guests and expose Arthur.”

“Ralston has a knife to Flora's back,” I whisper back. “Literally. Either that or a gun. Estela, take him out.”

Estela nods. “I will not fail you.”

“I don't know if violence is the best solution here, Alodia,” Sean cautions.

“Estela, don't be rougher than necessary. Just make sure Flora's safe.”

She nods curtly, and ducks behind a long banquet table and prowls forward like a hunting cat. The guests are oblivious to her until she appears behind Ralston and snaps her fist into the back of his neck. He drops with a grunt, a derringer pistol clattering across the floor.

“What the devil!” Arthur yelps as Flora runs to Eugene's waiting arms.

“Eugene!” she cries. “Yes! Yes, I will happily marry you! You're the only man I love!”

Their lips meet. I hear a gasp behind me, and I whirl to see Varyyn patting himself down as the objects that vanished last night start to reappear.

“We did it!” Diego cries happily.

A sharp bang splits the air. Cries of alarm go up around the ballroom as Flora pitches forward into Eugene's arms, a bright flower of blood blooming over her lower back, spreading over her white wedding gown.

“Flora!” Eugene cries. Arthur glares at him through his mask, the derriger sliding from his hand.

“No one refuses me,” he growls. “No one!”

The floor under my feet starts to tremble. Suddenly, the ballroom is wavering in front of my eyes, as if it is melting away.

“What--?!”

If he notices the sudden wavering, Eugene doesn't react. He gathers Flora into his arms. “Stay with me, my darling. I'm going to bring you to something that will help.” He brings her to a window, through which I can make out a grove of trees, glistening with silver sap...

I start towards them, only to be stopped by a time rift tearing the air in front of me. I yelp and stagger back. Clockmaker leans through, holding her hand out to me.

“Come with me! Quickly!”

I turn back to the others. “Come on, everyone!”

I dive into the rift, emerging onto a winding road, disused and overgrown, that leads up to beautiful old manorhouse draped in ivy. One by one, my friends step through beside me. I count them anxiously, and find them all accounted for. Clockmaker adjusts her stopwatch and the tear in reality's skin closes up again.

“That's that, then. I'm sorry it took us so long to extract you. That particular time is rife with anomalies.”

“I'm glad you got to us when you did,” I reply gratefully.

“But what happened?” Grace asks anxiously. “What happened to Flora and Eugene? And the wedding guests?”

“Well, the first eruption of Mount Atropo caused a chronoquake that sent the wedding party far into the future. Over time, and as a result of regularly consuming energy imbued sap, they became...feral.”

“Feral?” Diego repeats. “Like the vampires in I Am Legend?”

“That's a close approximation, yes. It would take centuries before civilization reasserted itself in the form of the Vaanti tribes you're familiar with.”

“All because of the trechery of the groom,” Varyyn says bitterly.

“Man, weddings are the worst,” Craig sighs.

“Y'all went to a wedding and didn't invite me?” The familiar voice behind me makes my heart leap. I whip around, my eyes landing on the face I've been missing so desperately, coming down the road toward me.

“Jake!” I race to meet him, throwing myself into his arms. He sweeps me up, crushing me against him.

“Not gonna lie, Princess,” he murmurs against my hair. “You had me worried that time.”

“You were worried!” I pull back and brush the hair out of his face before pressing my mouth to his. He holds me tightly by the waist, stroking my cheek.

“Okay,” he mumbles against my mouth. “That was worth waiting for.”

“There's someone else coming!” Raj yelps excitedly. I pull back and look over Jake's shoulder just in time to see a blue pile of fur streaking down the road. I gasp.

“Murphy!” I kneel and open my arms. Murphy leaps into them, wiggling excitedly.

“He showed up to keep Mike and me company while we waited.”

I look up at him. “What happened to you guys anyway? Where did you end up?”

“A fairly stable period in the recent past,” Clockmaker replies. “Once we'd extracted them, coming to Rosencraft Manor in the current time helped us to more easily reach you.”

Murphy wiggles out of my arms, trotting over to greet Quinn. Another Anachronist emerges from the manor and comes down the path toward us.

“Jake,” she calls. “I think your friend needs you.”

I feel Jake stiffen beside me, and I stand, slipping my hand into his. “...You okay?”

He swallows hard, squeezing my hand. “...Come with me, Princess? I...I don't know if I can face him alone...”

“I'm right beside you.”

He takes a deep breath and starts toward the dilapitated manorhouse. I stick close to his side. We enter the ballroom of the manorhouse. It looks just like the ballroom we fled from, except its worn and tattered with decades of age. Mike is resting against a back wall, cradling a cup of water in his hands. The cup is still full, its surface still and glassy as a mirror. Jake swallows. Impossibly, his grip on my hand tightens.

“Hey...Mike, how you feeling?” Mike doesn't move. Even his good eye remains still. “Mike...are you in there?” Jake reaches out to gently shake Mike's shoulder. The cup slips from his hands, clattering against the floor. Water splashes over his legs, but he doesn't seem to react to that either. I hazard a glance at Jake. His eyes are gleaming with tears. His throat works, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. I stroke his shoulder.

“...Jake...” His breath is coming out in hard gasps. Abruptly, he turns and storms out of the manorhouse. “Jake!”

Mike's head turns slightly. “Grandpa?” he mumbles.

“Mike?” I swallow hard. “Just...give me a sec to go talk to him, okay?”

I hurry outside. Jake is just beyond the door, kicking apart a decaying barrel. He glances up when he sees me, and immediately looks away.

“I almost killed him!” he growls. “And when I thought he was dead, what did I do? I turned tail and ran like the coward I am!”

“Jake!” I step up to him, taking his arm gently. “He spoke to me...”

“Great. Well, you wanna tell him that all we did was for nothing? That everyone we know and love is dead?” He trembles, his breath catching. “You wanna tell him how small of a chance we have left?”

There is nothing I can think to say to that, and the silence between us is heavy. Tears flow freely from his eyes, leaving trails on his cheeks.

“...I can't do it, Alodia,” he whispers at last. “I just can't. Not after everything else.” He stiffens suddenly, looking around like a stag who's caught scent of a wolf.

“What's wrong?”

“...We ain't alone.” Streams of green light come together in front of us, coalescing into Vaanu's body. Jake groans. “Slimer, I am not in the mood for this!”

Vaanu holds out a pilot's helmet, burned and partially melted. It does not move. When Jake doesn't take it himself, I grab it and thrust it insistantly at his chest.

“Come on. Take it.” Jake's mouth trembles as he regards the helmet in my hands. I can almost see the memories flickering in his eyes. Slowly, he reaches out.

We're transported to an empty courtroom. Empty, except for Jake and Mike, and my own invisible consciousness. Jake fiddles with the dogtags around his neck. Mike glances over at him.

“Nervous?”

“Nervous? Me? Come on, kid.”

“Grandpa, you're nervous.”

Jake sighs, rubbing his eyes. “Hell yeah, I'm nervous. Last five years of my life have led up to this one moment. If this doesn't work out, Lundgren gets off free and we lose everything...” He trails off, swallowing. “You're not nervous?”

“Nope. Just terrified.”

The two men sit up at attention as a judge enters, making his way to the bench. Lundgren is lead into the courtroom in handcuffs, scowling. He looks more sinister than ever. A well-dressed attorney follows him to the defendant's stand.

“Your honor, defense wishes to present another article of evidence,” the attorney says. He walks a stack of papers over to the bench. The judge purses his lips, looking over the pages carefully. He puts them down and pins his gaze on Jake and Mike.

“Witnesses Jacob McKenzie and Michael Darwin, according to these documents you both purchased anti-aircraft weapons and delivered them to the Kharzistani government. Is this correct?”

“No, your honor,” Jake answers flatly. “It is not.”

“Those weapons,” Mike mumbles, his voice barely a whisper, “were used against us on a mission ordered by Commander Lundgren.”

Lundgren gives a short bark of laughter, pinning Mike with an icy gaze. “And I guess I just accidentally filled out the wrong names on the report? Bullshit! Smearing a decorated officer has repercussions, son. Best to think before you speak.”

“Michael Darwin, please repeat your testimony.”

Mike swallows, sweat forming on his brow. “I...I said...uh...”

“He said that the weapons we did not purchase were used against us during a mission ordered by Commander Lundgren, your honor,” Jake snaps.

“Now you listen and listen good, Jacob!” Lundgren snarls. “I didn't get to the rank of--”

The attorney leans over, whispering in his client's ear. Lundgren falls silent. The judge regards him coldly for a moment.

“Very well. With all the evidence put together, I think my verdict is clear. Rex Lundgren, on counts of conspiracy against the United States, perjury, and first degree murder, this court find you guilty. You are hearby awarded a sentence of one-hundred and eighty years in prison, to be served consecutively.” The judge's gavel comes down decisively. For a moment, the sharp clack echoes in a silent room. Mike, Jake, and Lundgren all stare dumbly at the judge.

“...I...don't believe it,” Mike finally breathes.

“We...did it!” Jake whispers.

Lundgren's astonishment turns to fury. “Your honor, I served my country for forty-one years! This is the thanks I get?! I made these boys who they are!”

Jake leaps to his feet, glaring at Lundgren. “I didn't become who I am because of you. I become who I am in spite of you! And now you've got plenty of time to think about what a spineless piece of shit you are! Oh, and one more thing!” He pulls a Cuban cigar from his jacket. Grinning, Mike tosses him a lighter. The judge sighs.

“Mr. McKenzie, you can't smoke in here.”

“Overruled,” Jake declares, lighting up. He takes a long drag and blows a smokering in Lundgren's face as he passes, led out by the guards.

“Seriously, sir, you can't smoke in here.”

“Fine, fine. Mike, let's go get us a cheeseburger and apple pie. I'm feeling mighty patriotic all of a sudden.” …

… Reality comes back into focus. On either side of the helmet, Jake's fingers are interlocked with mine. His eyes are wide, shining with tears.

“Was that--” He cuts himself off with a slow, ragged exhale. “We can beat him. In the system. ...There's a way we can do it!”

“There is,” I agree. He drops the helmet, pulling me in by the waist and pressing his mouth to mine. When he breaks away, he rests his forehead on mine.

“Mike's sacrifice...all these years of running...”

“It could all turn out for the best, Jake. And I think someone deserves to hear that.”

I nod to Mike, standing in the archway of the manorhouse, eyeing us both shyly. Jake kisses my cheek and breaks from my side to walk over to his friend.

“Mike, I'm sorry. I just needed a minute. So much has happened and I didn't know where to start. But now I know where it could end. And when it does, we're gonna win.” A slight smile tugs at the corners of Mike's mouth. Jake pulls him into a tight embrace. “All right, kid. Let's find some beers, and I'll tell you all about it. I'll join you soon, Princess, okay?”

I smile and nod. “Take your time.”

* * *

While Jake and Mike catch up, the rest of us polish off a picnic and swap stories with the Anachronists as day turns to night. Murphy sniffs at Quinn's plate and begins nipping at the scraps.

“You rode a T-rex?” Craig says appreciatively. “Damn.”

“Doesn't traveling among only two or three time periods get boring for all of you?” one of the Anacronists asks.

“I don't know if I'd call it boring,” Aleister quips.

“I have photos of the Pleistocene Era inside the manor if anyone would care to see them.”

“Heck yeah!” Zahra exclaims.

“Absolutely!” Quinn agrees.

Everyone gets to their feet and heads to the manorhouse. I pause a moment, looking out over the moonlit cliffs. I am just making ready to turn away and follow them when I notice a white corner peeking up over the edge of the cliff. When I recognize it as the edge of a sail, I run over to peer over the cliff. In the water below, I can make out The Dorado. And Yvonne, leaning out from beneath the rigging.

“Ahoy, Alodia!”

“Yvonne! You're all right!”

“Mais oui, and look who I found!”

“I found you, you algae-covered hermit crab!” Malatesta snaps.

Yvonne ignores him. “Alodia, gather your friends and come aboard. We must talk, tout suite!”

There is a note of urgency in her voice that I cannot mistake, even from this distance. “Okay...I'll get everyone.”

I race back to the manor to round up the group. Within ten minutes, we're all gathered on the deck of The Dorado. All twelve Catalysts, plus Mike, Varyyn, Kele, Murphy, and a few Anachronists. Not to mention two pirates. Yvonne clears her throat.

“Mes amis, something foul is afoot.” She points across the sea, to where a crimson glow flickers along the horizon. Raj sighs.

“Damn. I promised myself I wasn't gonna stay up until sunrise anymore.”

“That isn't the sun, boy,” Malatesta says grimly. “Look closer.”

I lean over the edge of the ship, squinting into the distance. Writhing tongues of fire are rising from the glow on the horizon. Ice creeps into my belly.

“The lava's getting closer,” I whisper. “The barrier keeping this island safe must be shrinking.”

“Distance to the horizon is one point one seven times the square root of the viewer's height from sea level,” Grace murmurs. “In other words...”

“Not very far,” Aleister finishes softly. Quinn gazes at the distant haze, transfixed.

“It's the Heart.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about how much has happened to it. Being broken for so long, Rourke draining its power...It's no longer strong enough to maintain the time anomaly that preserves the island.”

“So we have to join the two halves together,” Estela concludes. “Soon.”

“Okay, woah!” Craig cries. “Estela, were you taking a nap when this dude fed the Heart to Cetus?” He jerks his head at Malatesta, who sighs.

“A mistake I rue, believe me. But I'm willing to risk my life to see it made right.” Malatesta's expression turns hard with determination. “We must bring down the beast and tear the stone from its gut. Are ye with me?”

“I'm with you.” I step up beside Malatesta and look around at my friends. “It's time we finish Cetus, once and for all.”

Chapter Text

“How are you thinking we do that, Princess?” Jake murmurs. “You got an atomic bomb hidden under that flapper get-up?”

“If what we did at Elyys'tel wasn't enough to bring down the Sea Guardian, I doubt it can ever be done,” Varyyn adds heavily.

“He ate the Heart a few days ago,” Craig muses. “And what goes in must come out, right?”

Michelle turns her horrified gaze off the horizon and onto Craig. “I know you're not suggesting we go look for sea monster droppings.”

“Well, I found out last year that chewing gum doesn't actually stay in your body for seven years, so...”

“Okay, can we get back to the whole 'killing a legendary beast' thing?” Sean interrupts.

“What's the point?!” Zahra cries. “We can't keep up with him! We just can't!”

No one seems to know how to respond to that. A heavy, despondant silence settles over the deck like a cold, wet blanket. At first I feel it, too. Covering me. Smothering me. Draining me. Then something hot and angry fills my blood. I set my jaw. I have not come this far to roll over and accept death now. Some version of myself may have given me the name of Andromeda, but I will be damned if I can't be Perseus, too. Kicking off my t-strap shoes, I leap up onto a barrel, gripping the rigging for support as I look out over the small gathering.

“Listen to me, everyone. We've beaten the odds before. Did you guys forget how much we've already survived? We're some of the brightest, strongest, most capable people anywhere. We've got time travelers, pilots, expert hackers, strategic minds, and more.” The more I speak, the more my resolve hardens, and it comes out in my voice. “I'm done worrying about odds. I'm done worrying about if we'll make it. Because I know we will!”

For a moment, no one says anything. Then Michelle calls out, “Say it again for the people in the back, Alodia!”

“I gotta say, you are very good at making odds look stupid,” Jake admits, smirking. Estela moves to stand beside me, nodding resolutely.

“We can do this, and we will.” She holds out a hand to help me down from the barrel. As my feet touch the decks again, Mike stands and meets my gaze, his good eye imploring.

“Let...let me help. Please.” Jake reaches out to grasp his shoulder.

“You got it, kid. No one's ever leaving you behind again.”

“Believe in each other, guys,” Raj says. “We got this.”

“You know I'll follow you to hell and back, Alodia,” Sean promises softly. “Thanks for keeping our morale up.”

“Let's do this!” Craig adds.

“Braveheart would be proud of that speech, Allie.”

Jake, with one arm slung over Mike's shoulders, winds his other around my waist and draws me close to nuzzle my neck. “If I have to die fighting a sea monster to save the world, I wouldn't wanna do it with anyone else.”

“All right!” Grace says. “Let's put our heads together and see what we can come up with.”

The Anachronist Vaanti pass a glance between them, uncertainty plain in their eyes even behind their masks.

“We've always avoided interfering with time transcendent entities,” the woman remarks.

“True,” Clockmaker concedes, “but with La Huerta's chronoscape shrinking away, we've little choice. We must help Alodia in any way we can.”

“Cetus is drawn to the Heart,” Quinn points out. “Maybe we could use the half we have to lure him out?”

“Dicey move,” Kele remarks. “But it's a start. Could put us in the hot seat.”

“That lightning's gonna lay down some harsh DPS,” Zahra agrees.

“I had nearly forgotten that the beast carries a storm in his belly,” Yvonne grumbles. “Lighting could be very bad for The Dorado, mes amis.”

Clockmaker nods. “You'll need a Faraday Cage.”

“A what cage?”

“Faraday. They're designed to redistribute and pull electrical currents away harmlessly. We could perhaps simulate the effect around the ship with nets and wiring.”

“I did a similar project in a robotics class,” Grace says excitedly. “I should be able to help set it up.”

“Now what about offense?” Jake asks. “Blondbeard, you got ammunition on this relic?”

“Enough to blow half a fleet to high heaven,” Malatesta replies proudly.

“Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us,” I remark. “All right, people, let's get to it.”

“A moment, Alodia,” Yvonne says. “We still have your shining armor below decks. I think you'll be wanting it for this battle.”

I regard Yvonne quietly for a moment, then I nod. “Thank you, Yvonne. Show me where it is.”

* * *

When I've swapped my flapper dress for a fresh shirt, breeches, and boots, and secured the Andromeda armor on top, I step back out onto the deck and find my friends hard at work preparing. Grace, Aleister and Zahra are going over defensive designs with Clockmaker, making chalk diagrams on the deck. Michelle and Quinn are stockpiling supplies. Yvonne nods at me as I reemerge, then gingerly draws Chouchou and begins making practice swings.

“Chouchou, I hope you are ready to taste the blood of a sea monster,” she quips. Suddenly, Malatesta yelps.

“That's where my sword went! You thieving, unsavory picaroon!”

Yvonne's lips curl into a vicious sneer. With a furious roar, Malatesta tackles her, and the two of them roll over the deck, brawling over the cutlass.

“No! I won't...let you...take Chouchou from me!”

“Take it...from you?! This blade is mine! Forged...by my...own hands!

“C'est n'importe quoi! I stole Chouchou from the corpse of--”

“Admiral Higgenbotham, who stole it from me! It's just like you to take and take until there's nothing left in the world but your damned ego!”

“And the pot calls the kettle black, you self-centered monstrosity!”

“I loved you, Yvie!” Malatesta snarls. “You were the center of my world!”

“And what of Lisette?” Yvonne growls back. “Your little mistress?”

“How dare you! Ever since Patrice died--”

Yvonne stiffens underneath Mal, every muscle in her body going rigid. “Stop talking. Now.”

“--you've been a coldhearted selfish piece of--” He is cut off by Yvonne's fist connecting solidly with his jaw. In his surprise, he tumbles off of her, and she pops to her feet, pointing the cutlass at him.

“Enough!” Aleister snaps as Malatesta scrambles to his feet. “We don't have time for this childish prattle!”

“Someone who doesn't have any attachment to the cutlass should decide who gets it,” Quinn declares. She holds out her hand expectantly to Yvonne. After a moment's hesitation, Yvonne turns over the cutlass. Quinn marches over to me and holds it out. I groan.

“Oh, Quinn, really? You're gonna make me decide?”

“Everyone here seems to trust your judgment, little lioness,” Malatesta admits grudgingly. “Including Yvie. So in this instance, I will as well.”

“Fine. Then I'll give it to Yvonne.”

“If she can fight better with it, she should have it,” Jake remarks, nodding approvingly.

“Yeah, but if he made the sword, it seems unfair to take it from him,” Sean replies uncertainly. Michelle shakes her head.

“Alodia's right. She's the one who's been here for us. She deserves it.”

Yvonne nods at me as I pass the cutlass to her. “Thank you, Alodia.” She slips the sword into its sheath and pats the hilt lovingly. The silence that had descended over the deck is slowly dissolved under a shower of murmurs as activity resumes. Sean and Jake approach me.

“Alodia, we were thinking it might be smart to get a better view of the area from back at the cliffs.”

Jake nods. “If we're gonna do this right, we gotta get a lay of the battlefield.”

“I can take you back,” Malatesta volunteers with a sigh. “I could use a change of scenery about now.”

“That would be appreciated,” I reply, keeping my tone reservedly polite.

Sean, Jake, Michelle, Raj, Clockmaker, Murphy, and I pile into a rowboat with Malatesta. We make the short journey across the water, drag the boat onto the strand, and start up the cliffside.

“There's a whole lotta sea for ol' Nessie to be hiding in,” Jake murmurs.

“Perhaps we could post a few lookouts here,” Clockmaker suggests.

“Yeah,” Raj agrees. “Some of us could use lights or something to signal when we see Cetus coming. Sean, what do you think? ...Sean?”

I turn around and spot Sean halfway down the trail, clutching his wounded thigh, his expression twisted with pain.

“I'm almost there,” he says tightly. “Just...hang on a sec...” But Michelle and I are already there, bracing him on either side. We help him up the rest of the way, and ease him down to sit on a boulder.

“We can't send you into the fight like this,” Michelle says grimly. Murphy places his front paws on Sean's knee, looking concerned. Sean sighs, reaching down to stroke the fox's ears.

“I can't sit idly by at a time like this...” He trails off as I grip his shoulder reassuringly, but after a moment, he shakes his head. “We just can't afford any mistakes. And if I'm useless--”

“You're not useless,” I say firmly. “Nobody thinks that.”

“There is a way you might be quite helpful, actually,” Clockmaker remarks. From a compartment strapped to her torso, she removes a set of brass devices that look like hearing aids with tiny microphones attached. “Using these communicators, a sentry group could speak to those on the vessel and advise you on what best to do.”

“Given how giant Cetus is, we'd be able to get a better idea of what he's doing,” Michelle muses. “We could really help Alodia strategize.”

Sean grins wryly. “Calling the plays from the sidelines, huh? Didn't think I was headed that way so soon.”

“Dude, these look rad!” Raj exclaims.

“We'll take 'em.”

“A wise choice,” Clockmaker says approvingly, passing them out.

“I suppose it's as good a time as any to see how I am as a coach,” Sean concedes.

I grin at him. “That's the spirit!”

“I'll take the left side of the cliff,” Raj volunteers. “Nothing he does will get past me.”

“Sean and I'll take the right,” Michelle offers.

“That sounds like a plan then,” I reply. “And on that note, the rest of us should get back to the ship.”

Jake and I exchange hugs and good luck wishes with Sean, Michelle, and Raj before reluctantly heading back to The Dorado.

* * *

As the moon peeks out from behind the clouds, everyone is finalizing preparations for the battle. Grace and the Anachronists place the final touches on Faraday netting draped over one side of the ship. I slip the brass communicator into my ear and activate it with the push of a button.

“Sean, do you copy?”

“This is Eagle One,” Sean replies, his voice tinny but clear. “Copy loud and clear. We have visual contact on your position.”

“We get codenames?” Raj chimes in. “Sick! Mine's TacoNinja!”

“Raj, no one is going to call you TacoNinja,” Michelle groans. I can't hold back a chuckle.

“Don't worry. I'll call you TacoNinja. Andromeda standing by.”

“Cannons and harpoons are locked and loaded, Princess,” Jake calls.

“Our defenses are sufficiently prepared,” Aleister adds.

“All right, everyone. Any last words before we get this show on the road?”

Diego puts up a hand, his expression sheepish. “I actually liked the ending of Battlestar Galactica,” he confesses. “The way--”

“Ayyy, spoilers!” Craig yelps. “I'm still on season three!”

“I'd say we're ready to go, Alodia,” Quinn declares.

“Okay, then. Everyone on the cliffs, standby. Raise anchors!”

The sails lower, the anchors raise, and The Dorado pushes off into the wide strait surrounding Rosencraft Estate. The waters around us shimmer in the moonlight, silent and peaceful.

“Yoohoo,” Yvonne calls softly. “Monsieur Tarasque...we have another snack for you...”

“I hope this works,” Quinn mutters anxiously.

“Just give it time. We don't know where Cetus is right now.”

We wait, silence stretching on, anxiety crackling in the air around us. Jake comes up beside me and takes my hand, kissing the top of my head as I lean into him. Nearly forty-five minutes pass in silence. Then Sean's voice flares up in my ear.

“Andromeda, look sharp! We've got fins and scales peeking through the waves portside! You've got company!”

“He's on our portside!” I shout. “Everyone brace!”

Everyone fans out, taking up defensive positions as dark clouds race across the sky.

“Alodia...” Sean's voice trembles in my ear. “...You're not going to believe this...”

“Not going to believe what?”

“Oh, god!” Michelle cries weakly. “Alodia! Cetus isn't alone!”

Before I can ask what she means, something slams violently into the ships side, sending everyone sprawling across the deck.

“The beast's at the bow!” Malatesta shouts. I scramble to my feet, whipping around. Sure enough, Cetus's head has breached the surface. He bears down on the bow of the ship, lightning snapping between his teeth. Varyyn draws his dagger and assumes a fighting stance, defiance in his posture and his gaze.

“Your time has come, Sea Guardian!” he snarls. He keeps his balance, even as the ship shifts again. The sea is dropping away as we're lifted out of the water. I throw myself against the side, gripping it for support.

“What the hell is happening?!”

“G-guys?” Craig stammers. “Look behind you...”

I manage to turn, just in time to see two more serpentine heads rise out of the churning sea, one green and finned with an eel's snout, the other blood red with a jaw full of teeth like swords. Each towers thirty feet above the ship. A vast shadow in the depths marks Cetus' body, the origin of all three.

“I think the Heart made Gyarados here go through a few evolutions,” Jake mutters. Diego lets out a shuddering breath.

“One fish...two fish...red fish--”

“Get down!” Jake screams. He tackles me and Diego both in one swift motion, pulling us down behind the Faraday net just in time. Lightning diffuses along its metal-woven ropes.

“What do we do now?” Grace cries. “We only planned on fighting one Cetus head!”

“I've got a few flashbombs,” Zahra suggests. “We could blind them to give us some time.”

“Or I could trick the nearest head into thinking we're feeding it our half of the Heart,” Malatesta says.

“Which might keep him still long enough to harpoon him,” Jake agrees. I nod at Malatesta.

“Do it.” Malatesta swipes the Heart from Yvonne's pouch and leaps to his feet, waving it in the air.

“Ho there! Remember me?” Cetus turns to stare at the shining Heart, his barbed tongue licking hungrily at his teeth.

“Hope we're right about this,” Jake mutters.

“No time for second-guessing! Hoist the net clear of the harpoons!” Malatesta growls. Grace and Aleister raise the Faraday net clear, framing the blue head like a curtain, coaxing him forward. “Now wait for my command! We've only got one shot at this!”

“Eagle One to Andromeda, make sure you're ready to light the fuse as soon as Malatesta gives the command.”

“Copy that.”

I take up the flint and poise my hands over the fuse. Jake, Estela, and Craig stand ready by the other three. The blue head drifts forward, his neck mere feet away from the harpoon guns. Malatesta winds up to throw the Heart. Cetus obediently stays in place, his mouth wide open.

“Fire!”

I strike the flint to the cord and brace for impact. Malatesta fakes the throw. Four harpoon guns fire, piercing deep into the sapphire neck. We scramble to the attached chains, heaving with everything in us. The others pile on to help. The green and red heads go for the Faraday net, snapping and ripping it apart.

“Hurry!” Quinn cries. “Without that netting--”

“We're fried chicken!” Jake finishes. “All right, everyone! Heave!” We strain together, and the blue head crashes to the deck.

“Mal, where's the cannonfire?! We can't hold him forever!”

“I need the beast to look up! We won't pierce the skull from here!” Yvonne glances over at Mal. Then with a huff, she mounts Cetus' head in a swift, graceful motion. Malatesta cries out. “Yvie! Are you mad?! Get down!”

Cetus rears upward, snapping at Yvonne with teeth as long as her legs. She deftly evades him.

“Mal, are you blind?! Take the shot!”

“Get out of the way!” The green and red heads are towering above us now. The Faraday net is completely in tatters.

“Mal, shoot!” I scream.

“Don't you—”

“We don't have time for this!” I cut him off. “Yvonne made her choice!”

“What Alodia said!” Estela agrees.

“Allie, no! He'll hit her!”

“Yvonne can take it!” Craig counters. “We don't have all day!”

Yvonne meets Malatesta's eyes. She flinches as an arc of electricity strikes her leg, but she keeps her grip. “Fire!” she roars. “Now!”

Malatesta lights the fuse. I plant my feet, bracing for the impact. The cannon goes off with a deafening explosion. The ball rips through the bottom of Cetus' skull, flying out into the sea. Malatesta glowers as Yvonne strides toward him, favoring her right leg a little, but otherwise unharmed.

“Even for you, Yvie, that was the daftest--” He cuts himself off with a yelp as Cetus' dying maw twitches, slamming into his legs. As the head slides off the deck, it pulls the pirate captain with it.

“Mal!” Yvonne dives for him. I rush to the side of the ship and see Malatesta clinging to a rope, dangling over the water. Somehow, his foot has gotten caught between the teeth of the dead blue head. The weight of it threatens to drag him down. I don't know how he is even holding on now. He stretches a hand out to Yvonne.

“Give me the cutlass!”

“Mal, of all times--”

“Trust me, Yvie!”

Yvonne turns over the cutlass. The driving rain is starting to obscure my vision. I see Malatesta hacking at Cetus' teeth with the blade, and in the next moment, Yvonne is dragging him back onto the deck by his wrist. I look back at Cetus' head and see the cutlass still wedged between his teeth. As the head descends beneath the waves, the cutlass goes with it. The storm intensifies as the two pirates tumble onto the deck.

“Le monstre bleu...” Yvonne gasps. “He is gone...?”

Malatesta draws her into his arms. “Yes, Yvie. You did well. Rest now.” Yvonne curls into his embrace, slumping with exhaustion. The remaining heads sway menacingly, lighting crackling in their teeth.

“We can't defend against electrical attacks anymore!” Grace cries.

“We gotta get the targets away from this boat before we're pulled under!” Kele shouts.

“Allow me to assist.” Clockmaker's fingers dance across the dials on her stopwatch. A time rift tears open at the stern of the ship. She twists a few knobs and the rift moves. A military helicopter emerges onto the ship's quarter deck. Zahra blinks at it in astonishment.

“...Fancy.”

“Will we be able to fly in this weather?” Quinn asks worriedly, watching Clockmaker climb into the cockpit.

“Don't you worry about that, Ariel. Mike and I've taken off in worse.” Jake takes my hand as he and Mike bolt for the helicopter. Malatesta passes the Heart to Zahra, who races after us. Craig pulls the laser cannon from his bag, strapping it to his shoulder as he follows.

“Time for Plan B. 'Be' obliterated!” We pile into the helicopter and strap ourselves in.

“Buckle up, everyone,” Jake says. “This is gonna be a rough ride.”

“Well, we are flying with you, my love,” I quip. He snorts.

“Just don't fall out this time, Princess.”

We ascend between The Dorado's masts, and both of the heads disappear under the water.

“What are they doing?” Mike's bionic eye widens as he stares at a radar display on the dashboard.

“Jink nine!”

“What?!” Jake yelps.

“It's a sneak attack!” Mike cries. “Jink nine!”

A spire of green scales bursts from the water, fangs as long as I am from head to foot coming together mere feet below us. Jake pulls the chopper hard to the left. The crimson head breaches the surface, spitting orbs of lightning. Mike and Jake work in perfect tandem, and the chopper narrowly dodges the two towering heads.

“What now?!” Zahra yelps.

“We got any grenades?” Jake asks above the din. “I say we do it like we did at the marina and Elyys'tel! Make his own attacks hurt!”

“Along those lines, we could make the heads fight each other,” Clockmaker suggests.

“Or I could us this.” Craig grins, patting the laser cannon.

“Way easier than grenades,” Jake remarks approvingly. “I'm with Big Guy.”

“All right, Craig. Time to give Cetus a little laser surgery on the house.”

“Aww, yeah!” Craig positions himself next to an open panel, gripping the laser cannon tightly.

“Hang on, Rambo. We'll bring you in as close as we can!” Jake and Mike guide the chopper towards the green head, dangerously close. The eel-like head snarls furiously.

“Shut up, Cetus!” Craig growls. He powers up the laser cannon and aims it down the creature's snapping mouth.

“Alodia! Alodia!” Michelle's voice sounds in my ear. “Tell him to charge it up! It will work better than doing a bunch of weak blasts!”

“Copy. Thanks for the tip. Craig, charge it to full! Focus all the cannon's energy into one blast!”

“Won't that fry the cannon?! What if it explodes?!”

“Princess is right, Big Guy! We gotta go with our gut here!” Craig swallows, but he nods, cranking a lever on the cannon to let it build up energy. The sleek white barrel starts to shake and glow a dim pink that quickly brightens to a fiery red.

“Gettin' hot here! Can I fire yet?!”

“Just...about...there...NOW!” The air is ripped apart by an explosion as Craig squeezes the trigger. A massive red beam nearly blinds me as it engulfs the green head. Cetus lets out a blood-curdling screech and the emerald spire crashes into the sea, sending up a massive wave splash. Oddly-colored blood stains the murky water. Craig yelps beside me, tearing off the sparking, smoking laser cannon. It tumbles out of the open panel and drops into the bloodied water below.

“Craig! Are you okay?”

He sighs and nods, looking mournfully down at the water where the laser cannon fell. “I'm fine. Just got a shock. Goodbye, buddy. You did good.” As he takes in the carnage below, he recoils, shuddering. “Yeesh. I'm glad I didn't eat too much before this.”

“Two down, one to--”

“Look out!” Clockmaker shrieks. The crimson maw attacks again, snapping at the chopper, only to be sliced across the jaw by the rotor. It howls with rage, recoiling. The chopper pitches violently from the attack, a trail of smoke drifting from the rotor above.

“Mike, turn course!” Jake shouts. “Back to the cliffs! Hope we...can make...”

“Are you serious?!” Zahra yelps, exasperated. “We gave you another chance--”

“Shut up and hang on, Skrillex!”

We brace ourselves as we careen toward the cliffs outside Rosencraft Estate. The rocky soil races up to meet us. I hear my heartbeat in my ears, drowning out everything else. The same calm that washed over me as I fell from the helicopter at MASADA claims me now. In the last moment, I close my eyes.

The impact steals the breath from my lungs, rattling me to my bones. The chopper bucks violently as it drags to a stop, and my body seems to snap like a whip. But I seem to be intact. I undo my seatbelt and leap to my feet. The Island's Heart has slipped from Zahra's grasp, but I snatch it up as I tumble out of the chopper. As my feet touch solid ground, my legs seem to give out. I stumble to my knees.

“Alodia!” I look up to see Sean, Michelle, and Raj hurrying over to us. Sean kneels in front of me, looking me over anxiously as Michelle and Raj help everyone out of the chopper.

“Are you hurt? That was a rough landing.”

“I'm okay,” I assure him, even as violent tremors make my teeth rattle. “Just a little shaken.” I get unsteadily to my feet, looking frantically for Jake, but he's already pulling me into his arms.

“Princess...”

“Are you all right?” I whimper. “Is anyone hurt?”

“I think we're all good,” he whispers, squeezing me.

I hear shouting, and turn to see the group from The Dorado running over the cliffside toward us. Malatesta trails behind the others, carrying Yvonne in his arms.

“They're over here!” Estela shouts.

“Allie! You're okay!”

“I expected nothing less!” Aleister declares, but the relief in his smile suggests otherwise. I smile weakly back, but I shake my head.

“We can't get comfortable yet. Cetus has still got--” A furious howl cuts me off as the crimson head shoots out of the water again.

“You'd think losing his bros would at least slow him down!” Craig yelps.

“How are we supposed to keep this up?!” Zahra moans wearily. “At this rate, we won't be able to kill him.”

“Perhaps the spire...” the female Anachronist muses. Clockmaker nods.

“That might do it.” She starts to fiddle with her stopwatch. “This device is nearly spent. Alodia, are you familiar with Rourke's MASADA facility?”

“You mean the place we blew up?” Zahra mutters.

“If I set this correctly and get a rift close enough to his head, we may be able to use velocity and the building's blade-like shape to impale him.”

“Dude!” Craig gasps. “Are you serious!?”

“What's our backup plan?” I ask uncertainly.

“...I could reach out an pull the Heart from him,” Quinn suggests.

“That's awfully risky,” Sean says. “Quinn could get hurt if we don't do this right.”

“Might be the only way to kill Cetus for good,” Jake says grimly. “We don't exactly have the tools to do it otherwise.”

I nod. “Then the choice is clear. Clockmaker, bring me his head on a spike.” I grin at Varyyn. “Didn't you say you wanted to mount Cetus' head above your throne?”

“I did,” he agrees.

“Why don't we help you with that? Clockmaker, hand me that timepiece.”

“Of course. It's all set. Just twist when you're ready.”

Varyyn and Estela start lobbing rocks and the crimson head to get its attention. I give the stopwatch a twist. A shimmering rift opens just beyond the cliff's edge. Through it, I can see MASADA's silver spire getting rapidly closer. The crimson head stares at the rift, drawing closer to it. The tower bursts through, several stories of MASADA tearing violently through the massive ruby head. It twitches and struggles, but it quickly succumbs, teetering toward the cliff.

“Look out!” Raj cries. Everyone scrambles backward. Everyone except Quinn, who raises a hand toward the falling sea monster.

“Quinn!” I scream. Something begins glowing in Cetus' throat. Estela charges towards Quinn. A burst of white light nearly blinds me. When the spots clear from my vision, there's no sign of either Cetus or MASADA. Estela holds the shining second half of the Heart. Quinn is on her knees beside her, gasping for breath.

“Did you guys see that?!” Diego cries. “Did you see that?!”

“I saw that,” Varyyn replies, smirking. Diego holds up his hand, and Varyyn slaps his palm obligingly.

“Where's an 80's freeze frame when you need one?” Diego quips.

“...Is it over?” Grace asks.

“It is,” Quinn confirms. “It finally is.”

“I gotta say,” Craig says with a grin. “That was the most badass thing I've seen over this entire trip.”

“Something we'll all tell our grandkids, that's for sure,” Sean laughs.

“We did it, dudes! We survived the fight of our lives!”

“Is everyone all right? I can't believe we really pulled this off!”

Malatesta has laid Yvonne on the grass. As he kneels over her, she moans, her eyelids fluttering. “...Mal...?”

“I'm here, Yvie. I'm sorry. About everything.”

“No, mon cher. I shouldn't have taken it. I was so mad with you that I just--”

“Did exactly what I would have done. Don't blame yourself, Yvie. I was--”

Their faces bare milimeters apart, they suddenly seem to remember that they're not alone. They scramble apart, mumbling, blushing, and clearing their throats.

“Self-centered codfish,” Yvonne mutters.

“Scurvy mutt,” Mal shoots back.

A sharp cry from Estela draws everyone's attention as the second half of the Heart tears itself from her grasp and flies toward Quinn. As it lands in Quinn's hand, her face contorts with pain.

“N-no!” she gasps. The first half of the Heart suddenly yanks me forward, pulling like a dog on a leash. I dig in my heels and tighten my grip, but it still rips free. It streaks towards Quinn and joins with its twin to become a perfect sphere. Quinn cries out in agony, and the cry is infused with power. I lunge for the Heart as Quinn's knees buckle, but the earth beneath her suddenly caves into a crater.

“Quinn!” Michelle screams. “Quinn, can you hear me?! You've got to fight it!”

I'm already struggling down the edges of the crater towards her. The cliff continues to cave in, and my friends struggle to keep their balance. Quinn's sapphire eyes meet mine, flashing green just for a moment.

“Stay back! All of you back! I won't let myself be...” She doubles over, screaming. Tears stream down her cheeks. “I can't take this anymore! It just...it won't stop! It will never stop! It's gonna hurt you--”

Streams of light erupt from the Heart, coalescing into Vaanu's body, shimmering in the air in front of Quinn. She moans piteously.

“Please, just let me go! Don't do this to me! I can't...”

Vaanu's hands glimmer. A small, purple camera smokes in his grasp. Quinn stares at it in disbelief. At last I reach her and pull her into my arms.

“It's okay, Quinn. It's gonna be okay.”

“A-Alodia, that's my camera! The one I used to take family pictures, before...before...” I push the Island's Heart out of her grasp and take the camera from Vaanu to place it in her hands...

… A school gymnasium is packed to the walls with science experiements. An enraptured audience observes a makeshift stage, where a tall, redheaded man with a full beard offers a friendly smile.

“Thank you again to our sponsors,but more importantly, to all of our participants! Your inventions and experiments have made this year's Fighting Chance competition our most successful ever! Before we announce the awards, I'd like to give a warm welcome to the most inspiring person I know. My daughter, Quinn.”

Applause greets Quinn as she hops up onto the stage and throws her arms around her father. She turns and beams into the crowd.

“Welcome everyone! I am so glad to see you all at our fifth annual competition! I can personally vouch for the impact your work is going to have on the chronic illness community.” As she thoughtfully scans the crowd, her expression turns sober. “...Ten years after my diagnosis of Rotterdam's, I contemplated suicide. Between the zoo of doctors, and constantly changing medications, and the strain on my family...I asked myself, 'Was I really important enough for dozens of people to spend most of their lives to keep me going?'

“I told my father what I was feeling...” She pauses and offers a small smile to her father. “He held my hand and said, 'Honey, every life is worth fighting for. Just because one person needs more help to live doesn't make their life less worthy or meaningful. It doesn't mean they have less potential to change the world, or that their life doesn't also help others.' That's why the Kelly Foundation exists. To fight for every life. You should all be proud of the work you've presented today.

“To anyone here who takes fifty pills a day just to function, to anyone who loses sixteen vials of blood to testing and then goes back to work, to anyone who fights against their own body on a daily basis...you are phenomenal. You are a warrior. You are stronger than you know, and you deserve every moment of time you have. And I won't stop fighting until all of you defy your doctors' expectations!”

There is hardly a dry eye in the house as Quinn walks off the stage with her father's arm over her shoulders. He plants a kiss on top of her head.

“It doesn't matter how many times I hear that speech. It gets me every time.”

“Daaaad,” Quinn mock-groans. She grins up at him. “Do you have the numbers in from the fundraising yet?”

“Yup. You're not going to believe this...”

“Is it bad? But the event's gone so well!”

“Bad? It's amazing! It's only April, and we've already received more donations than all of last year!”

“What?! Are you serious?!”

He takes a few donor checks from his pocket, holding them up for her to see. Quinn gasps.

“Oh my God! With funds like this, we could get more staff, and fund more scholarships, and--”

“A whole lot more,” her father finishes. “Be proud of yourself, Flipper. You've made something wonderful here.”

Any reply Quinn might have made is cut off when her father's phone buzzes. He glances down and smiles almost bashfully. Quinn smiles, too.

“That's Mom, isn't it.”

“Might be.”

“I know you're trying to keep it under wraps, but...how are you two doing?”

He sighs. “Well...it's complicated. We've done a lot to hurt each other over the years. But the last few weeks have reminded us both why we fell in love to begin with. I don't know how long this will take or if it'll last, but I'm happy just to have it while I can.” A reporter is hovering nearby, waiting patiently to speak with Quinn. Her father nods. “I'll let you get back to things. I don't want to be late for my date.”

“I'll see you tonight.” Quinn kisses his cheek. “Love you.” …

… On the cliffside, I cradle Quinn in my arms. She looks up at me with wide eyes.

“Did...did you see that?”

“I saw. You're going to found a non-profit. You're going to help people fighting chronic illnesses.”

“I'm going to make it off the island,” she whispers back. “And...my parents...” She buries her face in my chest and grips me hard, sobs turning quickly to laughter. I stroke her hair.

“You're gonna be okay.”

“I'll tough it out. I'll do whatever it takes. No way I'm giving up now.”

A collective sigh of relief goes up from the group. Grace and Michelle rush over and throw their arms around me and Quinn.

“Don't scare us like that again!” Grace scolds. A soft glow in front of me makes me look up. Vaanu is still here. I frown. It normally disappears by now. Quinn squirms gently out of my arms, reaching out to Vaanu. Its ephemeral hand takes hers.

“Quinn? Are you all right?”

Quinn doesn't answer. She stares dazedly at the spirit, her head lolling back slightly.

“What's it doing to her?!” Michelle cries, alarmed. “If it's hurting her--”

“I don't think it is,” I murmur thoughtfully. “I think it's...talking to her...”

Abruptly, Vaanu melts away into scattering streams of light. Quinn turns toward the mountains, blue eyes scanning the landscape.

“Quinn? What happened?”

“...Vaanu spoke to me.”

“What did it say?”

She frowns. “Well, it didn't really say anything. It was more like...like I was flying. I flew from here to the center of the island. When I got to Mount Atropo, I came down from the sky, and I found a secret entrance to the volcano's core inside the chasm we'd crossed before.” She exhales slowly. “I think Vaanu wants us to return the Heart to where it came from.”

It's my turn to frown. “How do you know that's where it came from?”

“I'm not sure,” she admits. “But...when I felt it, and felt the Heart...They felt the same, Alodia. I think they're connected...” She trails off, looking at me for a long moment. She holds my gaze with hers, and for a moment, I can't look away.

“If nothing else,” Aleister supplies, “the crystalline nature of the Heart suggests that the geological origin in the volcano is accurate.”

Diego groans. “Can we please take the Ring to Mordor after a nap? We just killed off a literal Hydra.”

“No rest for the weary,” Sean sighs.

I sling an arm over Diego's shoulder. “Diego, I promise you can have all the naps you want once we've saved the world. Deal?”

He sighs dramatically, letting his head fall onto my shoulder. “Fine, deal. But can't I just have five minutes? Your bony shoulder is surprisingly comfy.”

I snort, giving him a playful shove. The others climb wearily to their feet, collecting their scattered belongings.

“It's a long journey to the chasm from here,” Varyyn warns. For once, he looks as weary as the rest of us. Clockmaker glances at one of the other Anachronists, who passes her a small cylinder.

“Distances in space and time are our speciality, remember?” As she works to open the rift, Quinn takes me aside.

“Alodia, I just wanted to thank you. For everything back there.”

“Of course. Any time.” The rift tears open. Through its undulating border, I can see the mountains and a snowy forest.

“The chasm shouldn't be far,” Clockmaker says. “I'd send you beneath Mount Atropo, but it's a nexus for time anomalies.”

“No problem. Thanks again for everything, Clockmaker.”

“Oh, thank you. Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep my brothers and sisters entertained?”

The female Anachronist's eyes twinkle. “It was a very good night.”

“Yeah, if by good you mean a puke-your-guts-out ride to hell,” Craig mutters.

“That's what she means,” the male Anachronist confirms. “It was all over a bit too soon, I must say.”

“Like an extreme roller coaster!” Raj remarks, grinning.

“In any case,” Clockmaker says, “I hope we will meet again someday. Until then, Vaanu be with you.”

“And also with...” Diego trails off, realizing what he was about to say, and chuckles at himself. “Never mind.”

“Catholic training never quite leaves you, does it?” I quip.

“It's basically reflex at this point,” he agrees. Zahra grins, holding out a fist to the Anachronists. Clockmaker gingerly bumps it with hers.

“Keep it real, dudes.”

“See you clowns later,” Jake adds. He takes my hand. With my other hand, I take Diego's. One by one, we link hands and step through the time rift. A bitterly cold wind cuts through me as I step out, my foot sinking into snow up to my shins. Reflexively, we all huddle together.

“Can this island just decide on a temperature and stick to it?” Michelle complains. “My hair's drying out as it is!”

“Look,” Sean says, pointing up ahead. “There are some buildings over there. Maybe we could shelter there for the night.”

The way we all huddle together as we trudge through the snow is almost comedic. Mercifully, the buildings are not very far away. We soon find ourselves outside a couple of rustic log cabins. We peer in the windows. They both appear empty, with only fireplaces, bunks, and basic furniture. Estela vigorously rubs her arms through her sweatshirt.

“We're lucky to have anything in this weather. Let's get inside and get some fires started.”

Half the group is already filing into the larger of the two cabins. I start to follow when I realize that Jake and Diego aren't beside me anymore. For a moment, my heart flutters with anxiety, until I turn around and see them hanging back a little, talking quietly. Quinn and Kele are nearby, also speaking softly. Kele has a mischeivous glint in his eye that I can't help grinning at. Then Diego catches my eye and smiles. He clears his throat.

“Hey, everyone!” he calls cheerfully, getting between Quinn and Kele and taking them both by the arm. “Let's go help with that fire-building!”

“Uh, I don't think all of us--”

“It's a very complicated fire, okay?” Diego tugs insistantly on Quinn's arm. “Come on!” I watch Diego drag them off. Before I can question it, I feel an arm wind around my waist.

“Join me in the other cabin?” Jake murmurs in my ear.

I grin. “Ahh, now I see what Diego was doing. Of course I will. Lead the way.”

He takes off his jacket, draping it around my shoulders as we slip into the second cabin. Inside, I start slipping out of my armor while he fusses with the fireplace. In a few minutes, I'm stretching out on a small couch in shirt and breeches while a small fire warms the air in the cabin, casting golden tongues of light over the floor and the walls.

“You sure worked hard to get us alone.”

He chuckles, holding out a hand to me as he tosses another log onto the licking flames. “You complaining?”

“Never.” I come to kneel beside him, taking his hand, letting the fingers of my other hand trail up his bare arm. “But I can't help but be a little curious as to why...”

“I guess...I have something I wanna say.”

“Oh?” That surprises me a little. I figured he might want sex after a battle like that. I wasn't expecting too many words. Jake opens his mouth a couple times, only to close it right away. He laughs and shakes his head.

“I don't know why this is so hard...Really thought it'd be easier.” Now he's scaring me a little.

“What are you talking about?” I cup his cheek in my free hand, turning his face toward me. “Are you okay?”

He grins a little. “Better than okay.” He takes my hand from his cheek and kisses my fingertips. He moves a little and now he is holding both my hands in the space between us. “Alodia, I spent the last three years of my life running away. From everything, and everyone. But as soon as I met you, I stopped running. I woke up every day excited just to be near you. And when I think of all we've been through...I never want to run away again.”

“...Jake...” He kisses my knuckles gently, once, twice, and again. Finally, his pale blue eyes lift to lock with mine.

“Marry me, Alodia.”

A lump rises in my throat, making me choke. Tears spring to my eyes, even as laughter bubbles up in my chest. For a moment, I can't speak. I grip Jake's hands in mine until my knuckles turn white, nodding like a bobblehead.

“...Yes.” My answer finally comes out in a strangled gasp. “Yes! To the stars and back, yes!”

Jake grabs my face in his hands and pulls me in to capture my mouth with his. I wrap my arms around his neck, burying my fingers in his hair. We kiss hungrily, a little messily, both of us laughing and crying. We finally separate and he rests his forehead on mine.

“Well, that's a relief.”

I laugh. “Scared I'd say no?”

“Maybe a little,” he confesses. Still cupping my cheek, he runs his thumbs under my eyes, brushing away a few tears. “I love you, Alodia. I love you so much. I'll do everything I can to give you the life you deserve.”

“As long as you're in it, there's not much else I'll need.”

We come together again, kissing in our usual frenzy as the fire roars behind us.

* * *

I awaken in the early hours of the morning, lying under a blanket on the couch, curled up in Jake's arms. His face is nuzzled into the nape of my neck, and he's snoring lightly. The sky outside is still dusky, but I can make out snowflakes drifting past the window. As the events of the night before come back to me, a smile spreads across my lips. I sigh contentedly. He asked me to be his wife. And I said yes.

A beam of blue-green light flashes through the window briefly, shattering my peaceful, happy thoughts. I sit up slightly, frowning. Jake grunts beside me, stirring. The light comes again, and my breath catches in my throat. A glowing sphere is disappearing through the trees outside.

“The Heart!” I yelp. “Someone's taken the Island's Heart!”

Chapter Text

I launch myself off the couch and rush to the window, leaving a startled, disoriented Jake behind me.

“Wha...whas wrong, Princess?”

“The Heart!” I repeat. “Someone's taken the Island's Heart!” Jake comes fully awake, rushing to join me at the window.

“...It's Fiddler.”

I tug on my boots and grab my backpack, not bothering with the rest of my armor, and the two of us rush outside. Snowflakes drift amid the trees, landing in course clumps on the forest floor. Distant laughter echoes through the trees.

“Jeanine, you damned coward!” Jake snarls. “Get back here!”

“Coward?” Fiddler purrs. With her cloaking suit activated, her voice seems to come from the air.“That's rich coming from someone who spent three years on the run.” Drawn by the commotion, the others come running out of the second cabin.

“Hey!” Craig barks. “That's ours! You can't just jack stuff!” Quinn extends her hands in the direction of the flickering sphere.

“Come...back...” The Island's Heart obediently rips free of Fiddler's grasp and flies into Quinn's hands. Fiddler lets out a startled yelp. The Heart stops, hovering beside Quinn. Then, with a soft sigh, she crumples, collapsing in the snow with the Heart.

“Quinn!” Diego and I rush to Quinn's side, gathering her up between us while Craig scoops up the Heart. Quinn moans, her eyes fluttering.

“You and your magical girl are going to regret that!” The unmistakable sound of razor sharp steal slicing the air instantly puts us on edge. I narrow my eyes, scanning the falling snow, until I see it interrupted, just behind Diego.

“Diego, look out!”

Diego gasps, turning as sharply as he can manage with Quinn still supported between us. The snowflakes fall normally around him. But then Fiddler appears behind Zahra, grabbing her by the hair and pressing the blade of her katana to her back.

“Zahra!”

“Kiddos, I'm gonna need that Heart. Unless you want your friend to have hers cut out.”

“Get the hell off her!” Craig cries.

“Working solo's making you desperate, Jeanine,” Jake growls. “You get stood up by Doc Octopus?”

Fiddler scowls, pulling Zahra closer. “Tetra mutinied and took an entire squad with him. They're dead now. Just like this one's about to be.”

“Wait, Fiddler!” I cry. “I know you don't want the Heart for yourself, and you're not going to be able to kill all of us.”

“She's right, Jeanine. You're gonna need a better plan than this.”

I dig out the crystal shards we found near Quarr'tel, secured in a pouch near my waist. I hold them out to her. “Take these back to Rourke and say we broke the Heart in the struggle.”

“A generous offer, but I'm not a liar, sweetie.”

“No, you're worse!” Jake snaps. “You're a backstabbing, treacherous little--”

“Watch your mouth!” Fiddler snarls. Zahra cries out sharply as the blade presses against her back.

“Craig, give her the Heart!” Craig has tossed the Heart at Fiddler's feet before the words are entirely out of my mouth.

“There. Was that so hard?” But as she bends to pick it up, the blunt end of Estela's spear slams into the shimmering orb like a billiard cue. The Heart leaps away from Fiddler's fingertips. “Hey!”

The spear whirls in Estela's grasp, taking out Fiddler's legs. Zahra races to safety, throwing herself into Craig's arms. Fiddler vanishes again, and I hear footsteps taking off through the snow.

“We've got to catch her or she'll just try again!” Sean growls. Kele squints at the forest floor.

“There! Her tracks! She's headed toward the chasm!” I shift Quinn's weight onto Diego. He manages to keep her upright.

“You got her? Good!” I don't wait for a response before I take off after Sean, Jake, and Kele in pursuit of Fiddler. I hear Diego groan.

“Goddammit, Allie!”

Dawn is starting to creep over the horizon as we reach the chasm's ravine, gleaming off a blanket of freshly fallen snow. Fiddler stands at the edge of the precipice, her katanas raised defensively.

“Stay back!” she snarls. The four of us take up positions around her, blocking her escape.

“Easy, Fiddler.” I keep my voice low, but there's a command behind it. “No one has to die here.”

“Just surrender and we can work this out without violence,” Sean agrees.

“You've got nothing left, Jeanine,” Jake adds. Fiddler slowly lowers her blades, letting her arms fall to her sides.

“Nothing...” Her shoulders start to shake as a smile plays around her mouth. A laugh bubbles up and escapes her, followed by another, until she's overtaken in a fit of helpless giggling. “Oh, Jake...you're right. Just like you were right to get out when you did. Lundgren's only out for himself. Always has been.”

Jake brings up his fists defensively as Fiddler raises her head, but she doesn't move toward him. She grins malevolently.

“...Oh...but Rourke. He's much, much worse, sweetie.” Her grin twists into a bitter sneer. “When he's done with you and your friends, you'll wish you had nothing left.”

Her eyes lock with Jake's. Before I quite realize what's happening, she tips backward, letting herself drop over the chasm's edge. Jake makes a strangled noise that could be a gasp or a cry, his eyes going wide. I rush to the edge, watching helplessly as Fiddler's body plummets into the abyss, shrinking rapidly before the darkness swallows her. The ensuing silence is heavy on my ears. Kele is the one to finally break it.

“I...uh...don't think she's coming back,” he remarks dazedly.

“...Why would she...?” I trail off. I can't even complete the question.

Jake slumps to his knees, his face pale with shock. “Jeanine, you idiot. You double-crossed me and Mike, but I never thought you'd do something like this...” I move to kneel beside him, putting an arm over his shoulders.

“...Hey. Look there.” I glance up and see Kele pointing into the distance. “There's a track running down the slope over there. Might be something helpful.”

Jake takes a deep breath, shaking his head as if to clear it, and gets to his feet. “Let's check it out.”

The four of us make our way along the slopes. In the distance, I can see a large, skeletal structure of criss-crossed metal beams. As we approach, it takes shape, becoming a massive freight elevator.

“Any chance it's still operational?” I ask. Jake shrugs.

“One way to find out.” Taking my hand, he helps me onto the yellow-and-black striped platform. Sean and Kele hesitantly follow. Jake brushes a layer of snow from a control panel and flips a few switches. The platform rattles noisily and shudders under my feet, making me yelp. Then, it begins to descend, gears groaning as they turn.

“Uh, mac? What about the others?”

“Hang on...” Jake hastily shuts it down. A power gauge on the control panel flashes red.

“Looks like we wouldn't be able to get very far on this thing anyway,” Sean sighs. I frown, studying the control panel. One switch catches my eye.

“...'Charge PV Module'...” I flip the switch. With more clunking and grinding gears, a solar panel rises beside the elevator. The power gauge turns orange.

“Nicely done, Princess. Looks like it will need a few hours.”

“Let's head back,” Sean says.

The sky is clearing as we make it back to the group. In the large cabin, I find Michelle crouched beside Quinn.

“I'm okay,” Quinn is saying. “Really.”

Michelle sighs, her brow furrowed with concern. “Quinn, interacting with the Island's Heart is creating a lot of physical strain on you. We can't have you doing that again, okay?”

“I just...” Quinn trails off, sighing. “...Okay. Yeah. I understand.” Mike looks up at Jake.

“Fiddler...? Is she...?”

“She's gone, kid,” Jake answers softly. Mike merely blinks, but there's not a doubt in my mind that he understands. “...Anyway, we've got something that'll take us down into the chasm. It'll be a few hours before it's ready, though.”

“We don't know what we're going to find down there,” Sean murmurs. “Whatever Vaanu is, it hasn't always been friendly...”

“The Exorcist crossed with Godzilla?” Diego quips. “Yeah, not exactly what I'd call friend material.”

“But we've got to get the Heart back to it if we're going to set things right.”

“This could be the end of all phenomena affecting the world,” Grace says softly.

“Or the end of us,” Aleister adds.

“We just have to prepare as best we can,” Sean sighs. “This is our home stretch.”

That's what we thought about MASADA and the Lernaean Gate, I think to myself. To my friends, I say, “On that note, I'm gonna go get my armor back on.” I don't wait for a reply before heading back to the other cabin.

I take my time putting each amber piece back in place. I've just about finished when Diego knocks on the door and pokes his head in. He's got his conspiratorial trying-not-to-smile smile on his face.

“Hey, Allie. I got something to show you.”

I sigh and roll my eyes, but I can't help smiling myself. “What is it this time?”

“This way, please.” He holds the door open, bowing. As I pass, he drapes a parka over my shoulders. “You'll need this.” I slip it on and he links his arm through mine.

“Oh, such a gentleman.”

“Like senior prom all over again. ...Even if that's a day I'd rather forget.”

“I think I mostly have forgotten it.”

“Lucky you.”

“I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you remem...” I trail off as we reach the edge of a frozen pond. Several of my friends, wearing parkas and ice skates, twirl and spin over the solid water. Murphy happily runs between them. Jake glides over to stop in front of me, grinning.

“Surprise, Princess!”

“...I...what...?”

Quinn, tracing figure eights across the ice, stops and claps excitedly. “Yay! The guest of honor has arrived!”

Sean comes up beside Jake, wobbling on his skates. “I don't know how Diego talked me into putting these things on, but here I am.”

Michelle launches herself into a flawless double axel, waving at me as she comes out of it. “Get out here, Alodia! I want to skate with you!”

“It's not much,” Estela says, smiling. “But we did what we could.” At one end of the pond, Raj has set up a makeshift stall, with steaming cups at the ready.

“What sounds good, Alodia? I got coffee, chai, hot chocolate...plus a little somethin'-somethin' I picked out just for you!”

“I'm ready to drop a phat beat when you say the word!” Craig calls from where he's crouching beside a boom box.

“And I'm on visuals!” Zahra adds. She flips a switch on a projector. Colored light washes across the area, casting everything in vivid, slowly changing hues.

“And I'll be your judge for the morning's competition!” Grace calls from where she sits on a small mound of snow with a pile of posterboard scorecards. “Don't get cocky, 'cause the numbers don't lie!”

For a moment, I can't even speak. I'm sure I look like a fish, wide-eyed and gaping at everyone. “Wh-where did you guys...? How...?”

“We found a bunch of stuff in the cabins,” Diego says proudly. He takes my hand and squeezes it. “Everyone's gotten pretty close to you since we got to La Huerta. You've been the one guiding us through it all from the start, and we want you to know how much we appreciate you. So, we decided we'd throw you a surprise party.” He bends and scoops up a pair of skates sitting at the edge of the pond, holding them out to me. I accept them, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. I give him a watery smile.

“You're all a bunch of dorks and I love you all.”

He laughs as I sit down to slip off my boots and put on the skates. “All right! It's on, guys!”

“Did somebody say party tunes?” Craig calls, cranking up the boom box.

“Okay, Allie, what's first? Snacks or skating?”

“Well, I've already got the skates on...but honestly, I haven't eaten since last night and I'm starving.”

“Refreshment stand it is!” We clomp awkwardly through the snow to Raj's refreshment stand, wobbling a little on our skates. Raj grins at us.

“Welcome to the BhandarBar, my dudes! How about two hot cocoas with a little extra zing?”

“Sounds perfect. Hook us up!” Raj pops open a bottle of liqueur, pouring a splash each into two steaming cups of chocolate.

“...I have to tell you, Alodia...most people think I'm kinda crazy. Most people just look at me and see some stoner dude who's always tripping. But you never once made me feel anything but respected.”

“Aww, Raj...”

“I just wanted to thank you for that.” He grins. “And when we get off this island, I'm gonna show you what a real party looks like.”

“I'm holding you to that.”

He passes me my cocoa and a piece of gingerbread loaf. I take my time with my treats, savoring the spicy-sweet bread and the rich, warm chocolate. When I've finished, Diego holds out his hand, gesturing towards the ice.

“Want to give it a try?”

“Fortune favors the bold,” I reply, grinning. We step tentatively onto the ice, taking a moment to get our balance. Diego skates in an awkward circle, while I attempt a pirouette. It's not exactly gold-medal worthy, but at least I manage to stay on my feet. Diego laughs.

“Looking good, Allie! Meanwhile, I look like Muppets on Ice.”

Michelle glides gracefully up to us. “May I borrow her?”

“All yours.”

She takes my hand, effortlessly gliding backwards as she leads me to the center of the ice. I chuckle nervously. “You know, I don't know if I'm actually all that good at this...”

“Don't worry. I've got us covered.” We build up speed together. The next thing I know, she's caught me around the waist and hoisted me into the air. I can't hold back a yelp of surprise, but I give her my weight, relaxing into the lift. The wind rushes through my hair as I glide through the air in Michelle's arms.

“This is amazing!” I squeal. She brings me back down again, grinning.

“I knew you'd trust me,” she says, smiling softly. I smile back, feeling my emotions play over my face. I don't know how I could have ever not trusted her.

“I trust you with my life,” I promise. I feel a familiar pair of arms cinch around my waist from behind.

“May I have this dance, Princess?” Jake murmurs in my ear.

“Mmm...why not?” He takes my hand, and pulls me further out onto the ice. “Where are you taking me?”

“Funkytown,” he replies. He lets go of my hand and starts snapping his fingers, shaking his slim hips in what appears to be an attempt at disco. I dissolve into giggles.

“Oh, my god, Jake!” He stops mid-snap.

“What can I say, Princess? You make me wanna do crazy things.”

“You mean like marry me?”

“Nah. You're the crazy one for saying yes.” He winds an arm around my waist and draws me close. Then he looks over my shoulder and groans. “An eight, Grace? Really?”

I turn around to see Grace holding up a scorecard, grinning.

“That's better than I expected,” Diego quips. Still grinning, Grace turns the card sideways, and flips it over. On the back, it reads, WE LOVE ALODIA TO INFINITY! Then tears start to blur my vision.

“All right, I think it's time for a throwback,” Craig calls. He hits the play button on the boom box's second deck, and an energetic dance song blasts over the ice. “This one is dedicated to Alodia, my bro of bros!”

Beside him, Zahra fiddles with the projector. “Hey, Alodia! I designed this just for you! Hope you like it or whatever!” In the next moment, the slopes are covered with spiraling, multi-colored helix shapes.

“Is that my Hadean star sign?”

“Yup!”

Jake kisses the top of my head. “I'm about ready for a drink, Princess. You want another?”

“Not yet, but you go on. I'm gonna keep skating.”

He gives me a salute and glides towards Raj's stall. I find my rhythm, making wide circles around the edge of the pond. Sean slides up beside me. I grin.

“You look like you're getting the hang of those.”

“Slowly but surely. Having fun?”

“More than I've had in what feels like ages. But I gotta admit, this is a little overwhelming. And definitely unexpected.”

“Well, it will come as absolutely no surprise that it was largely Diego's idea, but he didn't have to work hard to convince the rest of us. ...You're not just his hero anymore, you know. You've been mine, too.”

“Yours?”

“No joke. You're one of the most inspiring people I've ever met. Calm, confident, unstoppable...I crack all the time, but you never do.”

“That's flattering. Also a blatant lie.”

“It is not!” he insists. “Yeah, I've seen you scared. I've seen you crying. I've seen you furious, and I've seen you unsure where to go next. But I've never seen you give up. I've seen you bent, but I've never seen you broken. What's your secret?”

“...Don't you know by now? It's you. It's all of you. Everyone around us right now. You're my family. And as long as I'm fighting for you, I will never stop fighting.”

“See? And then you go saying things like that, and I just like you even more.”

Quinn glides up on my other side, slipping her hand into mine. “Do you mind? I've always wanted to try this...Everybody join hands!” Sean takes my other hand, and my friends glide over to join up and create a long human chain. “Okay, now the people on the end, start going in big circles!”

With Quinn at the center, we all start to spin like the hands of a clock, around and around.

“I'm...getting...dizzy!” Diego laughs. He tumbles harmlessly onto the ice, starting a domino effect. The chain dissolves as we're all scattered onto the ice, breathless with laughter. Quinn is the first to pop back up.

“That was so much fun!” she squeals.

“Okay, I'm ready to give the ice a rest,” Diego declares.

“Me too,” I agree. The sentiment seems to be shared by the rest of the group, and we all drift back to the bank of the pond. As I pick at the knots in my laces, Estela kneels beside me.

“Can I help?” she asks.

“I won't say no. Thanks.” She makes quick work of my first skate, easing it off my foot. To my surprise, she takes my foot in her hands and starts to knead the arch with her thumbs. I sigh, feeling tension and soreness melting away.

“My tio always used to give me foot rubs,” she remarks. “He was a little rougher than this, though.”

“Just like that is perfect,” I mumble. “I don't think I realized how hard I was pushing my poor feet since we got here.” She unlaces my other skate and starts to work the other foot. She looks up and meets my eyes.

“When we first arrived here, I know everyone had...concerns about me. I'd come here for something very different than what they had, and it scared them. I know. But you and I always seemed to understand each other. You never mistrusted me, never had doubts. You always just wanted to help. ...I think I would have forgotten my humanity a long time ago without you.”

I reach down to cover her hand with mine. “You're my friend. That's all that matters.”

She smiles. “Yeah. It is.”

I look up at the others around me and feel my throat tighten again. “...Thank you all so much for this. You have no idea how much it means to me.”

“You deserve it, Allie.”

I feel my smile slipping. “But...I guess we should be getting back to reality soon...”

We get to work cleaning up and packing the remains of the party back into the cabins. As we're finishing, Jake walks up to me, breathing warm air into his cupped hands.

“Elevator should be ready for us by now.”

“And so our descent into the Inferno begins,” Aleister murmurs.

“Are you Dante or Virgil?” Grace asks, smirking a little.

“Hard to say. But you are certainly Beatrice.” He delicately takes her hand and kisses it, making Grace blush.

“Oh, you...”

Jake, Sean, Kele, and I lead the way to the chasm and down the slopes until we reach the freight elevator. The platform is large enough to fit the whole group, and we huddle together as Jake engages the controls and the elevator lurches to a start. A puff of snowflakes arises from the metal grate, drifting lazily into the dark crevasse. Kele gulps.

“Is this the only way? I'm not much for heights.” Quinn smiles mischeivously, putting her hands on his shoulders.

“It's okay. I gotcha.”

The slopes and sunlight around us give way to darkness that slowly closes in over our heads. I press closer to Jake, finding his hand and squeezing it. The air around us is growing warm. And that warmth is turning to oppressive heat. Pools of gleaming lava start to emerge from the darkness beneath us. We're in a network of caverns under the volcano when the platform abruptly stops atop a pile of rubble.

“Looks like we're climbin' the rest of the way down,” Jake mutters. As we carefully navigate the debris, something catches my eye. A familiar high-tech gray bodysuit is half-buried under heavy rocks, its small lights twinkling in the lava light.

“Is that what I think it is?” Craig gasps.

“It's Fiddler's suit,” I confirm. “But I don't see her body...”

“It's...unzipped,” Sean says. “Maybe she crawled out and left it behind?” Zahra comes over to examine the suit.

“Damn. This is some sweet tech. Looks like it can adjust itself to fit the wearer.” She looks meaningfully at me, holding out the discarded suit.

“What? You don't want it?”

She shrugs. “If I need it, I'll ask for it.”

Craig elbows me. “Try it on!”

“Well...okay. I guess it could come in handy.” Jake and Diego help me out of my armor, and Diego tucks the amber pieces in his backpack. I step into the bodysuit. For an instant, it sags and bunches, having been last worn by a much taller woman. But almost immediately, it pulls itself taut to hug the curves of my body, fitting like a glove.

“So dope!” Craig declares, grinning.

“The sickest,” Zahra agrees.

Sean blinks, looking me up and down. “That's...I gotta say...wow.”

I snort. “Eyes front, soldier.” Looking over the suit, I notice a small blue button on the palm of the left hand. “I wonder if this is the...”

I press the button, and immediately see my own hand fade before my eyes. I look down at myself, but my whole body seems to be transparent.

“Alodia! You vanished!” I press the button again and reappear, smiling.

“Right here, Raj. Not to worry.”

“Everyone follow me!” Quinn calls eagerly. “It's this way!” She launches into a run.

“Wait! Quinn! You can't just...!” I trail off as she disappears down a cavern.

“And she's gone,” Diego sighs.

“Guys, look at this!” Michelle exclaims, kneeling beside a long streak of blood on the cavern floor. “I don't think Fiddler crawled out of that suit. Something must have taken her body.”

“That's encouraging,” Jake deadpans. “Come on, let's catch up to Quinn before whatever it is gets to her, too.”

We rush after her. Rounding a corner, we find her facing a dead end. There's a round indentation in the center of the wall in front of her.

“I...don't understand. This is supposed to lead to the core of the volcano. Maybe Vaanu showed me a different timeline?”

“Quinn, there's something down here with--”

“Alodia!” Raj gasps. “O-over there!” I follow his gaze to an adjoining tunnel, where an enormous shadow glides across the rock face. I can make out a massive, reptilian head, short arms ending in wicked-looking claws, and a long, powerful tail.

“A freakin' T-rex?!” Craig exclaims. “Hell yeah!”

“Shhh!” Aleister hisses.

The source of the shadow is nearing the gap. We press close together, collectively holding our breath. A small, spindly creature slowly comes into view. It's...a dinosaur all right, but much smaller than its shadow would have suggested. It's only about as tall as Sean. Murphy trills curiously at my feet.

“It's...kind of cute,” Quinn whispers.

“Keep quiet!” Aleister hisses. “That's an oryctoraptor. They're more dangerous than they look.”

For my part, I'm focused on its claws, where it's clutching a reflective orb. Slowly, it moves out of sight, apparently not noticing our group. Craig sighs, his expression sulky.

“The hype was fake, dudes,” he mutters.

“I believe we just witnessed the Deep Guardian,” Varyyn murmurs. “It is the most reclusive of Vaanu's servants.”

“Shucks, and here I left my Pokeball at home,” Jake drawls.

“Remind me why I was ever Pop-Culture Petey?” Diego grumbles. Jake grins.

“Because I'm the one who handed out nicknames.”

I glance over my shoulder to find Grace examining the indentation in the wall. “Maybe the Island's Heart goes here?” she muses. She glances at the Heart, and then shakes her head. “No. It's too big to fit.”

“Wait!” Quinn gasps. “Alodia, do you remember the mine shaft? The second day here when we went to the shelter and time traveled in the mine shaft on the way out?”

“Right! There was that crystal in the wall, with claw markings in it. When we put our hands in the grooves, we traveled through time.” My head snaps up. “Guys, we have to follow that orc-raptor!”

Aleister clears his throat. “I believe you mean the oryctoraptor. Nonetheless, I believe you have hit upon the solution. The creature had an orb in its claws just like the one in the mine shaft.”

“Right! And if we can get ahold of it, maybe we can use it to travel to a time when this tunnel actually led to the volcano's core.”

“An impeccable deduction.”

“Do we have to?” Raj asks nervously. “That thing creeps me out.”

“Like it or not, it looks like we've got a dinosaur hunt on our hands,” Sean sighs. We enter the adjoining tunnel and head in the direction of the dinosaur. The tunnel widens as we go, becoming a large grotto dominated by stalagmites and geysers of hissing steam. The dinosaur is straight ahead, reaching toward a lava stream with its spindly arms. As if sensing our presence, it abruptly rears up, sniffing the air and growling. Slowly, it turns in our direction.

“Everyone hide!” I hiss. “I'll handle this!” I activate the suit, and my body turns transparent. My friends hurry down the tunnel and duck out of sight. The dinosaur takes a curious step in my direction, sniffing. It cocks its head. Then, with a gesture that almost looks like a shrug, it returns to the lava stream. I exhale slowly.

The dinosaur makes an odd noise, something between a chirp and a grunt, and rakes a chunk of crystal from the lava with both clawed hands. The transluscent blue mineral has melted into a perfect sphere. It tosses the orb aside, skittering toward another lava stream. It's still glowing with heat, but I use my bag to scoop it up and race back to the dead-end tunnel as quickly as I can. The others are already there waiting for me. As I deactivate the suit, they collectively sigh.

“Alodia, thank god,” Quinn breathes. Jake pulls me tightly against him. I wind my arms around his neck, feeling him tremble slightly in my embrace.

“Alodia...don't do that, all right?”

“That was...harrowing to watch,” Aleister agrees softly. “I am glad you are all right.”

“And I got what we need.” I pick up my backpack, having dropped it when Jake grabbed me. The bottom is starting smoke. “Gah! Murphy, you mind helping me out here?”

I hold the bag open for him. He trots over, peering inside, and exhales a long breath of frigid air into the bag. Frost forms on the crystal's surface and the inside of the bag. I gingerly reach inside and pull out the now-cooled orb.

“Well done, fella. Good boy!” Murphy sits back on his haunches, lifting his head proudly as I carefully insert the crystal into the wall. “And presto change-o...” The wall vanishes as if it were never there in the first place.

“Nice trick,” Raj remarks. “I could have used that for the guy who always sat in my seat in Business Admin 202.”

Quinn leads us down the newly revealed tunnel. A muffled explosion somewhere up ahead makes us all freeze. As the echo dies away, the sound of shouting takes its place.

“Sounds like a fight,” Jake murmurs. “Everyone stay close.” He, Sean, and Estela take the lead, with Craig and Kele close behind. The tunnel widens, opening into a vast cavern. Sloping walls rise for miles into darkness. A lava pool at the center of the cavern cast everything in blood-colored light. Ahead, a group of Anachronists, led by Uqzhaal, stand in front of a rippling, transluscent wall. Flashes of time energy, fired from guns and clock-like devices splash harmlessly against the barrier.

“Again!” Uqzhaal roars. “Strike it with everything you have!”

I can barely make out the figure on the other side of the barrier, but I can see enough to figure out that it's the Endless.

“They're like a mob of angry villagers going after Frankenstein's monster!” Diego whispers.

“Shouldn't we be doing something to help the Endless?” Raj asks.

“It's not working!” Uqzhaal snarls in frustration. “More!”

“She seems to have it under control,” Estela points out.

Quinn steps up beside me, her gaze focused on the lava pool. “Vaanu is there. In the lava.”

“So we get the Heart over to the pool and get out,” Sean whispers.

“Sounds like a plan,” I agree. Jake lays a hand on my arm.

“Princess, we got a better chance at this if a few of us distract the Murderhipsters.”

“I don't know,” Raj says uncertainly. “They don't look too friendly.”

I shake my head. “Let's just sneak in and get out. I'll get the Heart over there and then we can leave. I'm wearing the suit, so they won't even notice me.”

“They're too unpredictable to engage,” Estela agrees.

“I'll go in, too,” Sean says.

“Don't be ridiculous! You'll be spotted!”

“I'll keep to the shadows, then. You need someone to watch your back.”

“Fine,” I sigh. “No use arguing, but everyone else stay back!”

Craig passes the Heart to Sean and I activate the suit. As I step into the red glow that permeates the cavern, the anachronists don't seem to notice me. I creep towards the pool while Sean makes his way along the periphery with the Heart. I reach the pool. A few feet from the rocky ledge, a pillar of crystal rises, shimmering amid the bright lava. I tap Sean's arm and he carefully passes the Heart into my transparent hand. For a moment, we both stare up at the pillar's mirror-smooth facets, transfixed.

“It's...incredible...” he whispers.

A burst of intense light burns the cavern from my vision. A voice rings out inside my head, resonant and strangely familiar.

I am whole...restored...complete!

“That's good, right? Now the world can go back to normal?”

Change will come swiftly, yes. But what form it will take remains to be determined.

“You've been showing me the future!” I protest. My voice sounds desperate and pleading to my own ears. “Can't you see what'll happen? How can we change everything back?”

There are many futures. Some I am given to know and even more that can only be guessed at. To be alive is to never truly know what will happen next...

The light clears, and the Island's Heart is gone from my hands. The next moment, pain floods my senses as a shockwave of blue-green energy erupts from my body.

“Alodia!” Sean cries. “What's happening?!”

The energy sweeps across the cavern, colliding with the barrier that separates the Endless from the Anachronists. Green flames overtake the rippling wall, burning it away. I slump to my knees, trembling. The Endless' eyes go wide.

“Oh, dear...”

A few Anachronists glance towards the pool before their group converges on the Endless.

“Your time has come!”

“Perhaps you'll explain to me why you feel this is necess--”

“Silence!” Uqzhaal thunders. Two Anachronists push the Endless to the cavern floor.

“We don't take kindly to being lied to. No matter what timeline it happens in.”

“My people worshipped at your feet! We thought you were our savior, but we were merely your pawns! You filled our minds with nonsense and set our hands working on the instruments of your corruption!” Uqzhaal raises his ornately carved staff, preparing to bring it down on the Endless' head. I catch sight of my friends, watching in horror from the cavern entrance. “Let justice be done! Let an end come for the Endless!”

“Uqzhaal, stop!” I scream. I deactivate the suit as Uqzhaal's deathly visage swivels toward me. “Raan'losti wasn't a lie! It's happened, and the twelve of us are here to stop it, just like she promised!”

“Correctly predicting the future does not excuse her lies!”

“Your people are better off now for her interference! Your entire society is structured on her teachings! You were bloodthirsty killers before the Endless came to you! Do you really want to go back to that now?”

“We were better off before, Catalyst. Before the Endless. Before you.”

“Uqzhaal, doing this won't change anything!” Sean cries.

“You're wrong! It will change the indignity my people endure by suffering the Endless to live!” But one of the Anachronists grabs Uqzhaal's staff. “Wh-what are you doing?! The Endless has committed--”

“And the Endless deserves punishment, yes. But no one person can be judge, jury, and executioner.”

Sean hurries forward to help me to my feet. “Somehow, I think you got them to see reason.”

Before I can answer, a distant sound like crashing waves comes from high above us. The Anachronists back away from the Endless, glancing upward. The sound becomes louder and clearer, becoming the roar of turbine engines. The Omega Mech is descending into view.

“Well, well.” Rourke's voice booms across the cavern. “All of my favorite people in one place. How convenient.”

My friends rush over to gather protectively around me. Diego grabs my arm.

“Allie, come on! Let's get out of here!”

Uqzhaal looks at Rourke with fury in his eyes. “You must not interfere, Man of the Hydra!”

“On the contrary, it is I who tire of your interference...” As the Mech continues its descent through the caldera, it raises one massive arm. A blue beam erupts from the arm and engulfs the Anachronists. When the light clears, Uqzhaal and the rest of them are gone.

“U-Uqzhaal!” Varyyn gasps, his voice trembling.

Streams of light flow from the massive crystal pillar, coming together into a now familiar figure. Vaanu rises towards the Mech, its arms extended protectively, and passes straight through the mechanical terror, fading from sight.

“Allie, let's go!” Diego gives me another insistant tug. I shake myself out of my stupor and run, following the others towards the exit.

“Alodia, please...wait!” My own voice, weakened with age, stops me again. I turn back to see the Endless crawling toward me, her expression desperate. “Rourke will promise everything, then take away the very thing we've fought so hard to protect!”

The Mech's landing makes the ground heave. Rourke's voice emerges from the speakers, a low, derisive buzz.

“What, no grand death scene? No soliloquy? Well, I've got one for you. 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death.'”

The Endless exhales as blue light flares in the Mech's palm, a preternatural calm settling over her ancient features. Her blue eyes meet mine.

“Only you can save them now, Alodia.” And then she is gone, too. Engulfed in another blue beam, vanished without a trace. I stare at the spot where my future once stood, numb to the marrow of my bones.

“Enough!” Aleister cries. “Father, I won't let you do this!”

Before anyone can stop him, he leaps onto the Mech, struggling to tear open a panel on its leg. The leg swings back, threatening to drop him in the lava pool. Then abruptly, it swings forward, sending Aleister flying across the cavern. He collides with a rock wall and slumps to the cave floor, moaning.

“Aleister!” Grace rushes to his side, looking him over frantically. The Mech turns, revealing Rourke's scowling face.

“Aleister. I must confess, until your betrayal, I'd still not given up hope. Despite continual displays of inadequacy, I'd held on to the idea that you might add up someday. But the truth is, there was little chance of that.”

“Because...you never gave me a chance!” Aleister snarls. The towering automaton takes a step toward Aleister. Readouts and reticles flicker across Rourke's spiteful expression.

“Because the process that made you was imperfect. You were born in a vat, your genetics and tissue clones painstakingly from my own. I tried to create a successor. And in the end made nothing more than a pale shadow of myself.”

Aleister recoils, as if Rourke's words are physical cutting into him. “That's...not true!” he cries, desperation turning his voice hoarse.

“Oh, you know it is. You said it yourself. 'Never a father to me'.”

“Aleister, don't listen to him!” I snap. “He's just trying to manipulate you! Just like he always does!”

“Iris,” Rourke says silkily, “maintain current configuration and explain Directive 1908.”

Iris's hologram materializes beside Rourke. “Directive 1908 requires that the IRIS unit place full priority on the goal it was originally fabricated for. Namely to utilize Imogen Rourke's knowledge of reproductive cloning in order to construct a suitable analog of Everett Aleister Rourke.”

Aleister's shoulders heave as tears stream from his eyes, wide with disbelief.

“No!” Grace's voice cracks through the air like a whip as she draws Aleister protectively into her arms. She looks up at Rourke, her dark eyes burning with fury and hatred. “You bastard! You delusional, immoral, self-serving piece of filth! You don't deserve to breathe the same air as Aleister!”

Aleister leans into Grace's embrace almost reflexively, his expression still slack with shock. Rourke turns the Mech away in disgust.

“It seems, however, that nature has succeeded where science failed,” he continues, his voice icy. “I have others to carry on my work for me. Among them, a strong, capable heir.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I growl.

“No one's going to be following in your footsteps, Rourke!” Sean snaps.

“Your work ends here!” Estela adds coldly. She puts all of her strength behind her spear, hurling it at the glass-enclosed cockpit. The Mech's hand snatches the spear out of the air and crushes the shaft to flinders. The robot's other arm descends into the lava pool and scoops up the crystalline pillar.

“He's taking the crystal!” Mike gasps. “All of it!”

“All along, I believed I needed the Endless to make my vision real. But it was this. This is the key to a new age. There are no longer any limits. Now we can create whatever life, whatever world we wish to live in.”

Do not fear. Vaanu's voice echoes in my mind. The last piece is still missing. Without it, time will resist his control. You will discover the fragment before he does. Be cautious, however, for he knows this already.

Rourke engages the Mech's thrusters, and wind fills the cavern. He ascends through the caldera with the mass of crystal. He vanishes above us, his voice echoing down.

“It won't be long, Alodia. Eternity is nearly ours.”

Estela glares upward, trembling with rage. “I'll kill you with my bare hands first!” she howls furiously.

“Guys?!” Craig's voice is high with panic. “The lava's moving!” He's right. The blazing ruby pool is steadily rising. Molten rock is flooding into the cavern.

“Back to the caves!” Jake shouts. “Now!” He rushes towards the tunnel, the others close behind him. All except Aleister, frozen in place, and Grace, frantically tugging his arm.

“Aleister, we've got to go!”

He shakes his head. “Leave me.”

“What?! What are you—come on, damn you! Don't do this right now!”

“Nothing matters anymore, Grace. It never did in the first place.” He hangs his head, fresh tears gleaming in the encroaching blaze. Grace pulls on his arm with all her might, but she can't shift him.

“No...Aleister, please! I'm not letting you die!”

I watch the scene unfolding, despair wrapping around my heart. I can't leave, either. I can't leave while two of my family are left behind. I look up as a green glow catches my eye. A tendril of light is descending from the darkness overhead. Vaanu is struggling to manifest, streams of energy stripping away and dispersing into amorphous light. An arm reaches out of the haze, offering me an object, a magazine, charred and flaking. I don't hesitate. I grab the magazine and rush to kneel at Aleister's other side, holding it out to him.

“Aleister, look!” I thrust it desperately under his nose. “Look at this!” I have no idea what the magazine means to him, but I know what it's for. He glances at it and his brow furrows. He accepts it dazedly...

… In the living room of a cozy apartment overlooking a sprawling city, Grace touches up her makeup in a small mirror on the wall. She looks the same as she did in the vision granted by the case of butterflies, beautiful in braids and a flowing bohemian skirt.

“Are you sure you're going to be okay?” she calls.

“Of course, darling,” Aleister calls back. “Go enjoy yourself tonight. We'll be just fine.”

She smiles. “Can I get kisses before I go?” she asks sweetly. Aleister emerges from the bedroom, a beautiful baby in a powder-blue onsie cradled in his arms.

“Don't worry, Grace. I'm better at this than I look.”

“Mhm.” Grace bends to kiss her son's forehead, and then stands on her toes to peck Aleister's cheek. “Be good boys. Momma will be home soon.”

She grabs her coat and heads out, giving them one last wave. Aleister moves unhurriedly around the apartment, preparing a bottle of baby formula. As he does, he sings softly to his child.

“The story of how I love you...it has no end...a baby when it's sleeping...it's not cry--” He is cut off as the child begins to wail, flailing his chubby arms. “Yes, you have a point. Singing is not my strong suit.”

He gently bounces his son, rubbing his back, and sniffs back a tear. “I think Daddy made himself sad, too. That was a lullaby your grandmother used to sing.”

He frees a hand to brush his cheek, and scoops up the bottle of formula, moving over to the couch to sit down, setting the bottle down on the side table. For a moment, he looks thoughtfully down at his son.

“Reginald, I am not perfect. But I want you to know that I'm going to do whatever it takes for you. When you need me, I'll be there. You can count on that. I don't think I've ever been as happy as I was the day you were born. Your mother too. She was so...radiant.

“Everything I needed from my parents...all the love I didn't have the opportunity to experience...I'm going to make sure you have, if you want it.” Reginald looks up at his father, eyes fixed on the pale face above him. “Does that sound good? Where should we start?”

“Ba!” Reginald replies. “Ba!”

“Done. Ba-ba it is.” Aleister picks up the baby bottle and puts the nipple to Reginald's lips. Reginald takes it in his mouth, suckling contentedly. “Now. Shall I read to you from The Vienna Review?”

He digs between the couch cushions and comes up with a dog-eared magazine, setting it beside him. He flips it open with one hand.

“This is the only publication I keep that features your grandfather. Because you see, it also happens to mention your daddy when he was a young man.”

He begins to read, and the hours melt into each other. Eventually, he dozes off on the couch, his son nestled in his arms. Grace comes home and begins to hang up her coat.

“Sugar?” she calls softly. “You still awake?” When she catches sight of her husband and son, she smiles, coming to kneel on the floor beside them. Pillowing her head on her arm, she watches them contentedly until the first rays of light brush across the sky...

… The cozy apartment gives way to the hellish caverns at the volcano's core. Aleister's eyes lock with mine, astonishment overtaking the despair that was clouding them. He looks at the magazine, then at Grace's tearful, frightened face.

“Please, Aleister,” she whimpers.

“...S-sorry. Yes. I'm coming.” He gets to his feet, looking back at me. “...Thank you.”

I nod. The three of us run to catch up with the others in the tunnels. Quinn leads us through the maze of twisting, turning caverns. Finally, we round a corner and find pale light streaming through an exit. Sweat coats my body like a wetsuit. My breath burns in my throat and my limbs ache with exertion. But we're almost out. I let myself drift back, counting everyone off. I will not allow anyone to be left behind.

All together, we emerge to a familiar sight: Elyys'tel's great tree rises over the landscape, its mighty branches stretching out over us like loving arms, glistening with the light of lanterns draped over them. Diego exhales with relief.

“Thank goodness. Living through Journey to the Center of the Earth was harder than I expected.”

Quinn marvels up at the shining branches above us. “It's so beautiful...I wonder what the occasion is?”

“Tomorrow is the first day of Niala'rei,” Varyyn replies. “When those who truly love each other have the opportunity to be handfasted.”

Craig groans in irritation. “Oh, great...I hate weddings.”

Chapter Text

We trudge through the rainforest towards Elyys'tel. I'm exhausted, but unfathomably relieved to be heading back to somewhere friendly. At least, I hope we'll still be among friends here. I hope that Uqzhaal did not manage to turn the Vaanti of Elyys'tel against me. Before us, the tree city rises, a glittering silhouette in the light of the full moon. Flower garlands line every platform and bridge. Diego whistles lowly.

“This makes Riverside Mall at Christmas look like a bomb shelter!”

“No day is more sacred to us than Niala'rei,” Varyyn replies. I glance back and notice Aleister lagging behind. I drift back to walk closer to him.

“How are you holding up?”

He sighs, shaking his head. “As well as a person of my...manufacture can be, I suppose.”

“We're here for you, okay? Just let us know what you need.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Even if it's true,” Grace says, “it doesn't change anything. I love the man I've gotten to know, no matter what his past was.”

“I don't deserve it. I was a fool. I fell for every one of his lies and I betrayed you all.”

“We're not talking about that tonight,” Grace says firmly.

“What's important is that you know no one here is going to see you any differently,” Sean adds. Aleister's lips quiver. He lowers his head, not quite disguising the tears in his eyes. Grace cups his cheek gently.

“Hey. Look at me.” He obediently raises his eyes, and she smiles. “You matter to us. You matter to me.” She pulls him into her arms. He sighs and sniffles, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head.

“Thank you...”

“Okay, not to interrupt,” Zahra cuts in. “But did we get the Island's Heart to where it needed to go?”

“I think it's with the rest of Vaanu now,” Quinn replies. “The presence feels more...complete.”

“Just in time for the Tantrum of the Opera to swoop in and make off with our magic chandelier,” Jake grumbles.

“Way-way-wait!” Craig yelps. “So Rourke has the Heart?”

“Yeah, but he won't be able to do anything with it. There's still a piece missing.” Estela stops in place, peering toward a thicket up ahead.

“Watch yourselves. We're not alone.”

We collectively tense, ready to run or fight. The trees rustle, and a massive beast springs out onto the trail. The sabertooth tiger growls, showing his wicked fangs.

“T'kal!” Varyyn exclaims, laughing. “My friend!”

Taari, perched on the mighty cat's back with his hands buried in his golden-brown fur, gasps a little at the sight of us.

“Varyyn! And the Cat-a-lissus!”

“Hey, Li'l Blueberry,” Jake calls cheerfully. “How ya been?”

Taari looks us over, then glances at Elyys'tel. “You're all coming home, too?”

“Looks that way.”

“Yaaaay! I'll race you there!” The sabertooth chuffs playfully and takes off down the rainforest trail. Mike stares numbly after him.

“Was that...?”

“A little boy on a sabertooth tiger,” Kele confirms. “I saw it too, you're not crazy.”

“T'kal may let you ride him, too,” Varyyn says airily. “If he doesn't think you'd make a better snack.”

“Well, I'm not going to try,” I declare. “First time I met him, he almost gutted me.”

“Well, you were a stranger to him then. You are a friend of the Vaanti now.”

“...At least in Elyys'tel. ...At least, I hope I am...”

Varyyn does not say anything to that, but he does put a hand on my shoulder as we make our way toward the city.

* * *

To my great relief, we are greeted warmly upon our arrival, but I cannot help noticing Seraxa's face is creased with worry. She quickly ushers us up to the audience hall, where she picks up the crown waiting on the throne and reverently places it on Varyyn's head. She drops to one knee before him.

“We are grateful to see your return, my elyyshar,” she murmurs.

“Rise, Seraxa. Is something troubling you?”

“Raan'losti has brought destruction upon the island, and our people worry for their future.”

“I have hope that we will persist. Just as we have for centuries.”

“The volcano won't erupt again,” I assure her. “All anyone needs to worry about is Rourke, and he can't do much without the missing piece of Vaanu's core.”

“This is heartening to hear, Catalyst. But not all in Elyys'tel understand such matters. There are many who feel we should postpone Niala'rei until the crisis has ended.”

“Oh, no!” Quinn cries sadly. “Really?”

“Surely everyone needs a reason to celebrate now more than ever,” Michelle agrees.

“Perhaps,” Seraxa concedes. “The village will expect an announcement on the matter. What would you have me tell them, elyyshar?”

Varyyn frowns. “I...I am not sure,” he confesses.

My eyes find his and hold them. “Tell them that some choices must last.” The echo of his mother's last words makes tears well in his eyes, but I continue. “Niala'rei is your people's most sacred tradition. You shouldn't abandon who you are just because we're in difficult times.”

Diego slips his hand into mine and gives it a squeeze. “Do you know how proud I am to be your friend, Allie?”

“Hell, yeah!” Craig agrees enthusiastically. “I get so pumped when you do that!”

“Believing in the future sometimes means breaking with tradition,” Estela argues gently.

“Sometimes,” I agree. “But not all the time. Not this time.”

Varyyn nods. “Please tell the people what Alodia has suggested, Seraxa. And let them know that we must make this Niala'rei the greatest Elyys'tel has ever seen.”

“It shall be done, my elyyshar.” As she turns to go, Varyyn speaks up again, a slight smile on his lips.

“And do not punish Taari too harshly for sneaking off. He is simply young and interested in the world.” Seraxa grunts noncommitally, her expression turning sour. She turns and departs. Varyyn turns back to the rest of us. “Rest well, my friends. A momentous day awaits us.”

We trickle out of the audience chamber, finding our way to the sleeping quarters among the branches of the great tree.

* * *

Jake and I are both awake before the sun has fully cleared the horizon. In the gray light of dawn, we step out on to the flower-strewn catwalks of Elyys'tel. It seems we were not the only early risers. There must have been something in the air today. I watch my friends emerge from various huts, stretching and yawning. As the morning sun starts to filter through the branches, we take in the Niala'rei decorations together.

“It's even more beautiful today,” Quinn breathes. Beneath the colorful garlands, exotic delicacies are laid out on platters on every platform, too numerous to count. Craig chuckles.

“Guys, check out Raj.” I look over at Raj, whose eyes are the size of gummi rings. He seems to be in heaven, examining all the artfully arranged and exotic dishes.

“Look at those cakes! The glazed fruit! The petits fours!”

Zahra licks her lips. “I'm sure they won't mind if we grab a couple things to go. Or a bag full.”

Across the platforms, Vaanti couples stand hand-in-hand, many of them wearing tropical flowers tucked behind their ears. Varyyn emerges on a high balcony.

“My beloved people of Elyys'tel! It is said that in each of us, there is a seed that waits for the nourishing presence of the one for whom we are destined. If you have found that one, join hands with them now to signify the beginning of your journey together.”

I feel a hand slip into mine, and Jake's lips brush my ear. “Princess, what do you say you and I go make ourselves into an 'us'?”

I squeeze his hand. “I say 'yes', and 'it's about time'.” Around us, our friends erupt into applause. Raj runs around high-fiving everyone. Diego looks like he's about to cry as he pulls me into a hug.

“This is just...I can't believe my best friend is getting...Oh, Allie, I'm so happy!”

Zahra grins at me. “Grats, Alodia. Who would've thought?”

“You two are amazing together,” Grace declares.

“So it's time for lovebirds to do what lovebirds do, huh?” Kele quips. Mike smiles, gripping Jake's shoulder.

“I'm proud of you, Grandpa.”

Varyyn crosses a catwalk towards me, a silvery silken garment draped over his arms. “Congratulations, Alodia. I rather had a feeling you might need this.”

I come to examine the garment, Michelle eagerly pushing in beside me. Delicately, she runs her fingers over the fabric, gasping appreciatively.

“It's lighter than air...and the color!”

“It is the gown my mother wore during her handfasting to my father. Made from the finest silk and jewels the Vaanti can produce.”

A film of tears blurs my vision, and I forcibly blink them back. “Oh, Varyyn...I would be honored to wear it.” The fabric of the gown whispers elegantly as I hold it up to my body.

“The best thing ever just got better!” Diego declares.

“That is how you look like a goddess on your wedding day!” Michelle agrees. Jake grins.

“I dunno, if you wear that, I think I'm gonna have trouble concentrating.” I laugh, reaching out to swat him lightly.

“You'd have trouble concentrating if I wore a garbage bag. And if I'm gonna put this on, you should look away. It's bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding.”

Varyyn looks at Jake. “Seraxa has special attire for you, too.”

“Thanks, but I've got something I can slip on.”

Varyyn's gaze passes to Diego. He walks toward him through a shower of falling petals, and extends his hand. My breath catches in my throat. Diego takes Varyyn's hand almost absently.

“Are we going somewhere?”

I can't stop a grin from spreading across my face. “Uh...Diego?”

“Diego Ricardo Ortiz Soto, I have something I wish to ask you.”

As Diego finally realizes what's happening, he gasps, his hand flying to his mouth. Tears well in his eyes, threatening to spill over. “Y-yes...?”

“...I knew from the very first moment I saw you that I wanted to be with you. I love you, Diego. I want to be with you always. Would you like to bring joy to my people and to each other for the rest of our lives?”

“...I...” Diego bites his lip, glancing around nervously. “...Varyyn, just a second, okay?”

Varyyn nods and releases his hand. Diego rushes over to me. I put a hand on his shoulder. “You okay, buddy?”

“Allie, oh god! ...I just...Should I say yes?”

“Can you think of a good reason to say no?”

“I...well...if we fix everything, we're probably just going to be separated again...”

“Maybe. But what's your heart tell you?”

“Like, 'yes' screamed from the top of a mountain!”

I pull him into a hug. “Then go let him hear your voice. He's worth the risk.”

Diego squeezes me back. Then he turns to Varyyn and runs into his arms. “Yes, Varyyn. All of my yes and then some!” Varyyn whoops joyfully and lifts Diego into his arms, spinning him.

“Thank you, Diego! Thank you so much!” He lowers Diego to the ground again, and they gaze at each other in silent wonder. Diego smiles shyly.

“I guess I felt it from day one, too. ...You had me at 'haalta'.” He presses his lips to Varyyn's, and the rest of us burst into fresh applause and cheers.

“I'm so happy!” Grace squeals, practically bouncing.

“Glad it's finally official!” Sean says. “Took long enough.”

“I don't believe it!” Raj sighs happily. “A double wedding! Has this ever happened in the history of the Vaanti?”

“Well...yes,” Varyyn replies, trying to hide a smile. “On every Niala'rei, all of those who love each other are handfasted.”

“Oh, right. I forgot. It's still amazing!”

Varyyn gives Diego one more adoring kiss, then turns to address the crowd from the central platform.

“Beloved people of Elyys'tel, the Great Hall stands open for our ceremonies! Let Niala'rei commence!”

A cheer rises from the crowds of Vaanti gathered on the platforms, echoing in the branches of the Great Tree. Gradually, everyone begins to split off to prepare for their ceremonies. Jake kisses me gently.

“I guess I'll see you soon. ...I love you, Alodia.”

“I love you, too, Jake.”

Raj follows me as I head toward the huts, scooping up a few treats as he passes the platters. “All right, Alodia. Looks like I'm going to be your wedding planner! Don't worry, I've done this before...sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“Well, I've been to at least a dozen weddings! And bonus, when I was twelve, I hid in my brother's car and snuck in to his bachelor party!”

I chuckle. “I see.”

“First things first, you gotta decide who's gonna be your maid of honor.”

I grimace. “Oh, god. I gotta choose between them?”

“There can only be one,” he confirms. “But don't worry, the other ladies won't hate you forever.”

I chuckle. “Reassuring. Well, if I have to pick one...I think I have to go with Quinn. She's probably the one I'm closest to.”

“I had a guess you'd pick her. Even if...certain parts of your history might make it awkward.”

I laugh, knowing he's remembering the time he walked in on us fooling around in the kitchen. “Actually, it won't be awkward. That's how I know she's the right choice. You know someone's a really close friend when you feel confident asking them to stand up at your wedding to someone else, even when you've been partially in their pants.”

Raj snorts. “Okay, now the most important decision: what kind of meal do you want to have after the ceremony?”

“Hmm. Why don't you pick something and surprise me? I trust you.”

“Aww, yeah! I know just the thing! I'll go let your maid of honor know she's up!”

As Raj jogs off, Zahra approaches me. “Hey, Alodia, I know you have to go get dressed for your handfasting and all, but I got something you'll wanna see.”

She leads me over to a table where Craig is perplexedly leafing through a leatherbound book. “This is just full of weird-ass writing...where the hell you get this from, Z?”

“Beneath the volcano. It belongs to the Endless.”

I glance down at a page bearing handwritten numbers. “Is it some kind of notebook?”

“Unless she was secretly a computer. I don't see what the point is.”

Zahra rolls her eyes. “It's a code, doofus. And since the Endless is technically the same person as Alodia, maybe she can decipher it.” She picks up the book and hands it to me. On the page in front of my eyes are nine digits, arranged in rows of three:

7 0 5

2 4 6

3 8 1

“It looks like...a math problem.”

“Yeah? Where's Grace at?”

“Probably off awkwardly necking with Aleister,” Zahra replies. “Got any ideas on how to solve it?”

I take another look at the page, examining each number, considering their relationships, adding and subtracting.

“Well...no matter which way you go, if you add the three numbers together, they equal twelve. Across, up and down, even diagonal. And twelve is a pretty significant number to her...”

Out of curiosity, I turn to the twelfth page, and start to read aloud, “...'The crystal is clearly sentient. It seems to have drawn four formidable creatures through time in order to establish order on the island. Sadly, the beasts were driven mad...or perhaps infused with the crystal's own suffering. If the latter is true, did it in fact create them? Life born out of millennia of yearning and limitless energy'...”

“Yeah, I'd say you cracked the code,” Zahra murmurs.

“Chyeah. Alodia's a genius. If you didn't know, now ya know!” I pass the book back to Zahra.

“I have to get ready for the ceremony. I'll see you two there?”

“Since it's you, yeah.”

As I head down the catwalks, Quinn bounds up to me, her eyes shining. “Alodia, it's such a privilege to be your maid of honor!”

“Of course, Quinn. I think you're up now. I'm counting on you to make sure I look perfect.”

“Just leave it to me!”

* * *

I am bathed, and dressed in my Vaanti warrior's costume. Over that, I slip the silvery silken gown. Quinn winds a sash decorated with flowers and shimmering jewels around my waist, tying it at the small of my back. Then she leads me back to the audience hall.

“They're ready for us. Are you ready to make your entrance?”

I take a deep breath, collecting myself. I catch my reflection in the surface of a glass lantern, and tuck one loose strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “I've never been more ready for anything in my life.”

Hundreds of candles glimmer along the walls of the audience hall, shedding a warm glow over the faces of my friends. My nerves flutter, and my breath shakes as I exhale. I hear the skittering of claws behind me, and turn to see Murphy scampering up with a bouquet held in his teeth. He drops it at my feet, and I bend to scoop it up, rubbing his ears.

“Aww, thanks, fella.”

Murphy heads back towards my friends, who stand on either side of an aisle leading to the central dias. Diego and Varyyn are already there, and so is Jake, waiting for me with a silk ribbon draped over his palms. I feel a smile playing across my mouth as I realize that he is wearing the same bootlegger getup he wore for New Years' Eve at Elysian Lodge.

As I start down the aisle towards the dias, my friends' eyes turns toward me. Taari gasps.

“Here she comes!”

“Shh!” Seraxa hisses. “Inside voice, Taari!”

I watch my friends' faces as I pass. They smile encouragingly back at me. I arrive at the dias and pass my bouquet to Quinn. She smiles proudly at me and takes her seat. Jake looks me up and down, giving his head a slight shake.

“Alodia, you're kinda takin' my breath away here...”

“Believe me, it's mutual. I guess you really do keep a get-up on hand for emergencies.”

Seraxa walks to the top of the dias to conduct the ceremony. Another officiate steps up to Diego and Varyyn.

“Jake and Alodia, please join hands.” I face Jake and put my hands in his, my left palm to his right and my right to his left. Seraxa tucks one end of the ribbon between the palms closest to her and wraps it several times around our hands. “These are the hands of your betrothed. Together, these hands planted the seed of your love. One who will remain beside you as you grow and change. They will wipe the tears of joys and sorrows from your eyes. This ribbon is the roots between you. A foundation of trust that will deepen, preserving you through storms to come.”

Across the audience hall, my eyes meet Diego's as the officiant binds his hand to Varyyn's. We share a smile as grateful tears fill his eyes.

“The handfasting is a commitment for one year and a day, and if you are still in love after that time, forever.” Seraxa places her hands atop ours for a moment, and then steps back. “Speak your vows to one another, promises born of true and honest love.”

She nods at me. I swallow hard as I look into Jake's adoring eyes. How quickly I came to see him as a source of strength on the island. He never asked what I wasn't willing to give, but I realize now I always had his heart, and he had mine. From the first time we were Princess and Top Gun, we belonged together. Even when I was chasing after Quinn or flirting with Sean, Jake was waiting for me because he was the right choice all along.

“...Jake...my Jake...I vow to nurture your dreams for as long as we live.” My voice catches as images flash through my mind. The vision of the Lupus idol, Jake dying in my arms with a smile on his lips. The vision given by Vaanu, Jake finally getting justice for himself and Mike. “...I love you so much, Jake. I want the world for you. Your success is my success. While you climb each mountain, I'll be there to cheer you on, and to catch you if you ever fall.”

Over his shoulder, I catch sight of Michelle taking Sean's hand. He holds it tightly as she lays her head on his shoulder. I hear a soft sob behind me and turn slightly to see Grace weeping in Aleister's arms. Jake gently cups my face with his free hand, guiding my eyes back to him, but not before I see the meaningful glance that passes between Kele and Quinn. Then my eyes meet Jake's again, and I don't look away.

“Alodia, I think you really made an honest man out of me. I wanted this, but it wasn't until a little while ago that I realized how much I needed it, too. Being with you is everything to me. I'm not half the man a true Princess deserves, but I'm gonna give it all I got and then some.” He gives me a lopsided grin. “With a little luck, maybe we can land this thing somewhere near 'happily ever after'.”

Taari slowly climbs the dias, a large, broad leaf balanced on his palms. Breathtaking tropical flowers are arranged across the surface.

“Alodia, please select the blossom that best represents how you feel for Jake. It will become an expression of your love for all to see.” In turn she points to a small pink blossom with streaks of orange and white, an emerald-green fern with feather-soft fronds, and a magnificent firework of a flower that blooms from frosty white at the center to bright royal purple. “Unity...Harmony...and Devotion...”

I don't have to think long. I pick up the firework bloom. “Devotion. I'm yours. Now and forever.”

Seraxa carefully braids the stem into a small section of hair over my left ear, securing it with an old-fashioned hair pin.

“And now, let the union be sealed with a kiss.”

Taari gasps, covering his eyes. “I can't look! I can't look!” Jake wraps his free arm around my waist, and I cup the side of his face. Our lips come together like magnets, kissing like we did the first time, sinking in the ocean, believing it would be the last time. Cheers and applause from my friends bring me back to reality.

“These two are now joined before Vaanu and the Vaanti. Just as it was for the first bride and her beloved, true love is an inexorable force. No land, sea, or person may keep apart those who are destined. Go forth as one, children of the stars.”

We leave the dias together, Varyyn, Diego, and a handful of other couples following behind us. The crowd fills in behind herding us toward the exit. Outside, Vaanti are waiting to toss handfuls of petals onto the couples as we exit the audience hall. The air becomes a cloud of roiling color around us.

“Zero visibility,” Jake calls to me. “Requesting coordinates from ground control!”

“Oh, you mean me?” I call back, gently pulling him along by our handfasting ribbon. He finds me again and our mouths meet as we undo the ribbon to wind our arms around each other properly. Around us, our friends have begun delving into the delectable treats among the platforms. Raj offers Seraxa a platter of pancake-like pastries.

“Try the tilgul poli!” Seraxa eyes the platter suspiciously.

“...It looks like dessiccated pig skin.” But she grudgingly pops a meager bite into her mouth and chews thoughtfully. She frowns. “...This...is delicious! Catalyst, how do you make this? You must tell me!”

Raj laughs awkwardly. “Oh, well...Grandma's secret recipe...heh...”

“I see. And what might one have to do to learn this secret?”

Before Raj can reply, I am distracted by the approach of a Vaanti in Anachronist clothing. The Elyys'tel Vaanti in the vicinity eye him warily, murmuring. He looks between me and Jake.

“Well. You two are handfasted now. Looks like fun. The Clockmaker asked me to bring you a gift. Your partner already knows about it.”

I glance at Jake, who smiles. “I got a little something set up for you, Alodia.”

“I like the sound of this so far.”

The Anachronist produces an elaborate timepiece from a bag over his shoulder and begins making adjustments. A rift opens around us and I feel myself falling through time and space, tumbling out onto the deck of The Dorado. Before I crash to the deck, Jake swoops in to catch me, twirling me in his arms.

“Sweeping me off my feet, I see?”

“That's what I do,” he replies, grinning. He sets me down again, but he keeps an arm looped around my waist.

“I still can't believe we made it. We're actually here. We're actually together.”

“We're actually alone,” he adds, his eyes shining. I gaze fondly up at him. Then I blink, glancing around me.

“Where are Yvonne and Malatesta?”

“Probably off swashing each other's buckles.”

“You don't think they'll mind us borrowing their ship?”

“Mind?” He grins. “They offered.”

“So what did you want to show me?”

He chuckles. “Somebody's eager.”

“Surprises make me nervous. Lately they tend to involve robots. Or ghosts. Or time travelers who turn out to be me.”

He kisses my cheek. “You'll like this one. Promise. Come on. We're gonna have to do some serious sailing to get there by sunset.”

“What happens at sunset?”

“Wouldn't you like to know,” he drawls. He winks and clambers up into the rigging, calling down from above. “Looks like the Peg-Leg Pals already did most of the work for us, but this is still gonna be a little tricky.”

“I call captain!”

He laughs. “Is that so?”

“Yes! Now get to work or I'll throw you in the brig!”

“Oh, yeah? And then what?”

“I dunno. Something with chains and ropes.”

“I am suddenly feeling very disobedient.”

I laugh. “Seriously, though, after everything we've been through, I think the two of us can handle launching a boat.”

“That's the spirit. I'll rig the capstan while you reeve the purchase.”

I look at him skeptically. “Are you making up words? I feel like you're making up words.”

“Just grab that rope over there and pull it a bunch.”

“Ahh, now that I can do.”

I move to pull the rope he indicated. Over the next hour, I bustle around the deck while Jake climbs and swings above me. Periodically, he disappears, but never for long enough that I worry.

“All right,” I finally call. “Anchor's up!”

“And we're off!” he calls back. The sails catch the wind and billow out as The Dorado leaps out to sea. Jake hops back to the deck. “That's all there is to it. We'll make a sailor out of you yet, Princess.”

He takes his place at the helm while I catch my breath and ease the kinks from my spine. “They teach you how to sail pirate ships in the Navy?”

“My Uncle Pete had a little schooner growing up. Honestly, sailboats ain't changed much since Jack Sparrow days. You got your ropes, your sails, your wind...and a view like no other.” He winks at me and wipes an arm across his brow. “Gettin' a little warm out here.”

“You should take your shirt off,” I reply blithely. “That getup may have been comfortable on the roof at Elysian Lodge, but it can't be pleasant wearing it out here.”

“Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't want to take my hands off the wheel. Might need your help.”

“I could probably manage that.” I ascend the steps to the helm slowly, trailing my fingers over the rail as I approach him with my hips swaying. He watches with a grin. “Now, keep your eyes in your head there, Wolf.”

He throws back his head, letting out a playful howl. I slide behind him and undo the buttons on his vest and shirt, sliding him out of them one arm at a time.

“Better?”

“Better.” After a moment's thought, I undo the sash on my gown and let it slide off my shoulders, revealing the leaf skirt and breast band of my Vaanti warrior costume underneath. Jake whistles. “Much better.”

“So where are we headed?”

“Little inlet I spotted off the coast a couple days back while you lot were off at that other wedding. Matter of fact, why don't you get up to the crow's nest and keep an eye out for me?”

“I feel like I'm being handled,” I quip.

“Nah, that part comes later.”

I snort, rolling my eyes, but I plant my foot in a nearby net and climb toward the crow's nest. When I reach it, I feel my breath catch in my throat. In the small space is a blanket draped over a tableau spread with a makeshift picnic of fruit, crab legs, bread, cheese, and what looks like some kind of jerky.

“Jake! How did you--”

“Very sneakily, of course,” he replies, suddenly right behind me. He climbs over the rail into the nest. “It's not much, but it was the best I could find on short notice. Did I do good?”

“You did very good,” I assure him. “But, um...shouldn't you be steering?”

“We're all right for awhile. The current will take care of us, and it's mostly a straight shot from here anyway.” He settles down opposite me in the crow's nest, stretching out on his side next to the tableau. He picks up a mango, pressing his thumbnail through the peel, and pulling it apart in his hands. He sinks his teeth into the mango's soft flesh, and bright juice runs down his bare chest.

“Hey, how about sharing that?” He grins, scooting closer to lift the other half to my lips. I take a sweet, juicey bite, and he slides his thumb over my lower lip. His eyes are soft as he watches me chew and swallow.

“...You're beautiful. You know that?”

“You're not so bad yourself.”

For awhile we eat quietly, feeding each other little pieces and catching dropped bits with soft, teasing kisses. Then, his eyes light up as he looks over my shoulder. I turn to follow his gaze. As the ship drifts along the southern coast of La Huerta, a small inlet comes into view. A plateau with soft green grass rises from sloping cliffs.

“There it is.”

“There what is? All I see is an empty inlet.”

“Try again. This time I'll help.” He slides in next to me and raises a hand. With his index finger, he traces invisible shapes over the grassy inlet. “Right there...is our house. See the chimney smoking? The little shutters on the windows?”

“Oh, I get it now. You're doing a thing.”

He winks at me, his left hand sliding up my back. With his right hand, he continues gesturing at the untouched beach.

“Down there's the fire pit. Took the two of us almost a month to gather seashells for the path. But it sure does sparkle, this time of night.”

I can't help teasing him a little. “Tell me about our defenses.”

“You would ask about that. Well, since you asked, we've got tripwire around the perimeter, concealed weapons in every room, and a boat at the ready.” He slips his fingertips under my chin and turns my gaze toward him. “We're safe here.”

I smile at him, but I feel it fading as my eyebrows knit. “...Do you really want to stay on La Huerta? Don't you want to go home?”

He leans back against the rail with a sigh. “Doesn't seem like that's possible now. But to tell the truth? I don't care anymore.” He takes my hand into his lap, pensively trailing his fingertips up and down my wrist. “All my life, I've had this...itch. Like an alarm clock tickin' away. When it goes off, that means it's time for me to leave.”

“And go where?”

“Anywhere other than the place I'm at. I don't know why. It's just always been that way. Hometown. Navy. Arachnid. Costa Rica. Hell, even when we first landed here. ...But you know what?” He laces his fingers through mine and gazes into my eyes. “Somewhere along the way, that clock just stopped. ...I was lost until you found me, Alodia. Now I just want to be where I am, wherever I am with you.”

I am quiet for a long moment. For so long, all I've thought about is getting us off the island. Saving the world. Going home. But even if the world is saved...what kind of life would I be going back to? Hartfeld? I don't know what I planned to do with my degree. I can barely even remember what I was studying. Do I have any family waiting for me out there? ...Would anyone notice if I vanished? I honestly don't know. The thought makes something else nip at the edges of my mind like eyes on my back that I don't dare turn around to see. I ignore the feeling.

“...Maybe we could stay here. A little island house does sound nice...”

“Honestly, we could live in a cave for all I care. As long as you're there, it's home.” I smile and rest my head on his shoulder. “I love you, Alodia.”

“I love you, too. ...We really should go steer the boat soon, though.”

“Five more minutes.” I laugh as Jake pushes aside the remains of the picnic and drapes the blanket over us, drawing me to his side. I let my fingers trail down his chest towards the waistband of his boxers.

“I think we're going to need a little longer than that.”

He gasps a little as my hand moves lower, grinning. “I'm gonna have to watch myself. You're a bad influence.”

The stars are coming out when we finally make our way down from the crow's nest. We spy our cast off clothing tangled in the rigging and begin dragging it down.

“Found your pants over here!” I call.

“I'll trade you for your flower sash.” As we gather the last of our clothing, a chilly breeze sweeps off the ocean, making me shiver. Jake puts an arm around me. “I could use a drink. A little rum would fix things. And I think I know just where to find some.”

He leads me down into the lavish captain's cabin below decks. He rummages through a cabinet crammed with rolled up maps and loose parchment, eventually producing a bottle.

“Bingo. Everyone knows pirates can't do paperwork without booze.” He scrounges up a couple of glasses and pours out two drinks. We take up our glasses, clinking them in a toast.

“To us,” I say. “On our wedding night.”

“Cheers.” We throw back the shots, and he pours himself another. “Ain't the kinda thing you'd normally catch me saying, but it was a beautiful ceremony.”

“Married life making you soft already?”

He chuckles, sipping on his rum. As he lowers the glass, he sighs wistfully. “...Shame Rebecca and my folks couldn't have seen it. They're about the only people I would have invited.” He shakes his head. “How about you? Anybody you wish had been there today?”

His question makes me freeze. The same nagging feeling I had up in the crow's nest starts to creep in at the edges of my mind again. Is there anyone out there in the real world I would have wanted to see me get married? A father I would have liked to walk me down the aisle? A mother to give me last minute advice? Two mothers? Two fathers? I could have sworn I knew at some point. I could have sworn I told stories about my family...my childhood...

“My...parents, I guess...”

“You...guess?” He frowns. “Right...I guess you never got to know them, did you.”

“...I didn't?”

“Well...no. At least...that's what I gathered from what you told me.”

“...Jake, what did I tell you?”

“I...” He trails off, frowning. “Well, it was awhile ago. You were talking about Diego...how he was the only family you had...”

“But I didn't say anything about my parents?”

“Well, I thought you did...maybe I wasn't paying very close attention. ...Which doesn't sound like the kind of thing I should admit to my bride...”

“I don't think it's your fault. I...if I'm honest, I don't really remember much from before we landed here.”

“It does kinda feel like a lifetime ago.”

“That's not quite it. I mean...I barely remember anything. Not since...I'm not sure when. I mean...I swear I told you something about my parents...I swear I told a story about scaring Diego with a long black wig...But for the life of me, I can't...” I frown. “It's like...my past is there somewhere, but I can't get to it. I think I could before, but...now, for some reason...” I trail off, an idea looming on the edges of my mind. It's too large to grasp, but I wonder if I could shrink it into smaller pieces...

“Screw it,” Jake says, breaking into my thoughts.

“What?”

“I said screw it. Ain't got much of a past myself. Who needs it?” He refills his glass and mine, and lifts it in another toast. “Here's to the future. Our future. Together.”

I smile and raise my glass. “To the future.” We clink glasses and throw back our drinks.

“Well, speaking of that, how do you want to spend the first night of the rest of your life?” I glance around the cabin and grin wickedly.

“How about on top of that desk?”

He blinks at me. “Again? Not that I'm complaining, but--” I throw my glass aside, sweep everything off the desk, and push Jake backward. “Oof! Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

I grin, climbing on top of Jake and reaching for his waistband. “That was a lovely picnic you threw me earlier. But do you know what I could go for now?” I lean over to whisper huskily in his ear. “Dessert.”

I kiss my way down his chest, easing my way backward off the desk as I near his waistband again. My fingers hook around the edges, sliding it off as my mouth descends teasingly, roaming over the ridge of his pelvic bone. I hear him hiss with anticipation.

“You're somethin' else, you know that, Alodia?”

“I like it when you say my name,” I purr. “Now let's see if you can say it a little louder...”

* * *

The morning comes far too soon for my liking. But remembering the events of the previous day, I cannot help but be eager. I am Jake's wife now. And he is my husband. And actually, it occurs to me that Diego is a married man now too, and I'm quite excited to see him this morning. Jake and I return to the time rift, and it takes us back to a grassy hill outside of Elyys'tel. As we head back toward the village, we pass Michelle, standing by herself and gazing out at the water. Her expression makes me stop.

“Hey, Michelle. Everything okay?” She starts at my voice.

“Oh...hey.” She hastily wipes her eyes, leaving a dark streak of mascara on her left cheek, and forces herself to smile. “Back so soon? How was your getaway?”

“Is something wrong?”

“What's on your mind, Maybelline?”

“Oh, it's just been kind of a long week, ya know?”

“Does anyone know you're out here?” I ask her. “We should probably head back. The others will be worried.”

Michelle's lip quivers. That first crack in her facade quickly crumbles it. A sob bubbles up from her chest and she covers her face.

“...Michelle...?” A little alarmed, I put my arms around her, drawing her against me as she sobs brokenly. “Hey, hey, hey...what's all this?”

“I know that life's not fair...but it hurts sometimes, you know? Everything I've done, I've planned so carefully. ...I've always tried to put the needs of those around me first. Always. And maybe I forgot to think about myself, and now it just feels...too late!”

I rub her back, unsure of what to say. As I spot a familiar form silently watching us, my breath catches slightly. Vaanu hovers amidst the trees, shining more brightly than ever.

“...You deserve to be happy too, Michelle.” Gently, keeping one arm around her shoulder, I turn her toward the trees as Vaanu floats forward, something dangling from its hand. Michelle's eyes widen at the sight of the powder-blue stethescope. I take it from Vaanu and offer it to her. She reaches for it.

“That's my...”

… In a hospital room, Tricia Gayle lies in the bed, impatiently tapping a TV remote.

“Don't they have any sports channels,” she mutters to herself. “I'm not about to sit here and watch a bunch of tacky gossip...” She trails off as Michelle walks in. Michelle looks magnificent in a white doctor's coat, with her hair swept back in a ponytail and her powder-blue stethescope draped around her neck.

“Morning, Mrs. Gayle. How are we doing today?” She sticks the stethescope in her ears and places the other end over Tricia's heart.

“Michelle, honey, you know you can call me Tricia. And I'll be a lot better if you've got a new back for me.”

“You're actually in really good shape. The X-rays show that your realignment surgery has taken nicely. One or two more days off your feet and you should be good to go.”

“I'm never going to be 'good to go' with this old spine. But I'll take it.” Michelle smiles and continues the brief examination, filling out the chart in her hands. Tricia regards her thoughtfully. “You've done well for yourself here.”

“They keep me busy, that's for sure.”

“Honey, listen...Honestly, I always thought you were perfect for my Sean. I knew what he'd heard from those girls couldn't be true. But still, it didn't work out, and it hurt you real bad. I just wanna say that I'm proud of you. You didn't let it drag you down, and now here you are, living your dream.”

“Well, trying to, I guess. But...thank you.”

“You got ten times the spine I'll ever have, that's for sure.”

Michelle smiles. “I don't know about that. You're a force to be reckoned with, Mrs. Gay...Tricia.”

“I guess we'll see. You got someone in your life these days?”

Michelle's gaze drifts back to the chart. She replaces it on the end of the bed and smooths her coat, preparing to leave. “Like I said, they keep me busy. Anyway, you just worry on that recovery, okay?”

Just as she's turning to leave, Sean appears in the doorway, two bouquets of vibrant stargazer lilies in hand. He smiles at Michelle.

“I was hoping I might run into you.”

Michelle's professional demeanor softens as she smiles back. She clears her throat, trying to duck past Sean. “Sorry, but I've got four other patients to--”

“I know you're working hard, but maybe...you could take this with you?” He holds one of the bouquets out to Michelle. There's a card perched amid the flowers. Michelle takes it out and reads the message: 'I'm sorry'. Sean sighs. “...I know a proper apology's been a long time coming. I just wanted to let you know that I really messed up. And I hope someday I'll get the chance to truly make it up to you.”

Michelle looks at him with astonishment in her eyes. “...Sean...”

“...Please take it, Michelle.”

Tricia watches from her bed. “Nobody's perfect, honey. But he's trying.”

Michelle purses her lips, eying the magenta and white flowers. “I actually hate stargazers. But...I suppose in this case, I can make an exception.”

“More than generous.” Sean's eyes soften. “Maybe we could talk later?”

“My door's always open.” …

… Back in Elyys'tel, Michelle gazes at the stethescope in wonder. She looks at me, then back down at the tubing laid across her palm.

“I'd heard that the spirit could...but...”

“Yo!” Craig's voice cuts off whatever she might have said. “We heard that the VIP lounge is over here.” I turn to see several of my friends coming up from the beach.

“Is everything okay, Michelle?” Grace asked.

“I'm fine. Much better now, thanks.” She gazes past me at the sun-dappled hills. “The light is beautiful out here. Hang on, I've got an idea.”

She pulls off her back and digs around for a moment until she comes up with an old polaroid instant camera. Diego grins.

“Is it group selfie time?”

“Group selfie time!” Michelle confirms.

“Let's do it!” Quinn cheers.

“Okay, everybody cram in!”

We all rush in beside Michelle, posing for the shot. I squeeze in between Michelle and Grace. Michelle takes the picture and it slides out into her hand. She holds it up as it appears for everyone to see. Eleven smiling faces, kissed by golden sunlight and surrounded by gleaming green hills, take shape on the white card. Michelle sets the photo on the bag. But almost the same moment she sets it down, the wind catches it and drags it away. I make a dive for it, but it's soon disappeared over the hill.

“Dammit,” I sigh. “Let's take another.”

We all start to cram in again, but something makes me freeze. ...Rourke told me he saw all of us in a photo. Eleven young people. All of us except...

“Aleister!” Grace exclaims. I turn to see Aleister running over to us. He stops, his chest heaving, his cheeks pink with exertion.

“Everyone! W-we're in grave danger!” He doubles over, and Grace rushes over to support him.

“Slow down, Aleister. What's wrong?”

Aleister aims a shaking finger at the southern sky. I feel my belly go cold. Toward The Celestial, the midday sky is darkening impossibly. Above the resort, an enormous vortex swallows all light and shape.

“It's over,” Aleister whispers. “We're done. He's activated Project Janus.”

The Western Coastline

La Huerta

On the soft brown sand beneath a starry night sky, the Endless lies on her back, her scarlet suit a tattered ruin on her ancient body. Her chest rises and falls erratically, her blue eyes fluttering weakly. It is time for her to go. She extinguishes the flame over her mechanical hand, letting it fall to the sand beside her. She chuckles softly. After everything, all those years, all those loops...in the end, she couldn't even save herself. She had hoped to have them with her when her time finally came. But truly, it was enough to know they would be safe.

A shooting star streaks across the darkness above her, catching her eye. Though the effort hurts, she forces her eyes open. A fond smile curves her wrinkled lips.

“Ahh...there you are,” she whispers. There is tenderness in her gaze as she studies the glittering heavens, something joyful and childlike. “I see you...” They're here. They are all here with her. Quinn, still swimming merrily along, no matter how strong the tide that pushed against her. And there's Craig, barreling through everything and everyone, just like a rampaging bear. And Zahra...

“...Off on your own again, little crow? Ah, but I know that's where you were always happiest...Just like Jake, the lone wolf we all came to love. ...Especially me. ...Oh...Aleister...That serpentine gaze never quite fit with your kind heart, did it, my friend...?”

Raj is there, too. Half man, half magic, still living his own unique truth...and there is Michelle, unfurling her colors for all to see. There is her fearless dragon Estela, her mild and lovely Grace, her sweet, loyal Diego...and Sean watches over them all like the proud, soaring eagle he is...

“Thank you, my friends...for every beautiful day. For all that we shared. You were worth everything and more. It's because of you that I know what love is...”

She can't speak anymore. Exhaustion is taking hold. It is time to sleep. The Endless closes her eyes and exhales slowly. She does not inhale again.

Several hours earlier

The Celestial

The Omega Mech descends onto the resort rooftop. Under the blast from its thrusters, patio furniture and decorations scatter.

“And here we are,” Rourke purrs. “At the end and the beginning.”

Iris flickers to life beside him. “The cloning process is still incomplete. It's strongly advised that Project Janus be delayed until a new subject is prepared.”

“You already gave me a child, Iris. He was useless to me.”

“The new subject benefits from Hostile specimen DNA--”

“Destroy it.”

“...Please confirm command.”

“Destroy it!” Rourke snarls. “Do you think I need another 'baby with no crying' from you? I have a strong, worthy daughter. And I'm all the family she has left.”

The elevator opens, revealing Rex Lundgren. He steps out onto the roof.

“You got enough firepower at your fingertips to make an Apache copter blush. What the hell do you need my men for?”

“The early stages of Project Janus cannot be disturbed, Mr. Lundgren. Your compensation was increased commensurate with recent losses.”

“And what am I supposed to do with your briefcase full of cash now that the world's gone, huh?” The Mech takes a menacing step towards Lundgren, but he holds his ground. The robot crouches. Its cockpit opens and Rourke stands.

“Oh, my friend. The world is only beginning. And soon it will revolve around men like you and me. You understand what it is to be feared, Mr. Lundgren. But do you know what it is to be worshipped? To make mountains fall at your whim? To be as we are now, forever?” Rourke meets Lundgren's dark eyes and holds them with his own. “This is our time. We can't let it slip through our fingers.”

“Yeah. I can make sure they're cut down. No one's getting up here.”

“Excellent. Iris, you make begin. 'Let us make man in our image' and all that, yes?” Rourke steps out of the Mech. The robot rises back into a standing position. Blue light flares in its free hand.

“Project Janus initiated,” Iris chimes. “Spacetime disruption will commence in 3...2...1...”

“A door is opened,” Rourke murmurs. “And chaos becomes order.”

Chapter Text

A dark vortex swirls in the distant sky above The Celestial. I am still in my wedding gown. But the bright mood has been crushed under the weight of Aleister's declaration.

“He has activated Project Janus. In spite of everything we've done.”

“Isn't he still missing a piece of the Island's Heart?” Grace asks, disbelieving.

Whatever anyone might have said in response is cut off by a horn blast from the boughs of Elyys'tel. I turn at the sound of footsteps, and see Varyyn racing over to us. Diego rushes to meet him and the two pull each other into an embrace. Over the top of Diego's head, Varyyn looks out over the rest of us.

“It is a terrible omen, my friends.”

“I remember Uqzhaal talking about this,” Diego says softly. “On the final day of Raan'losti, a gaping hole will puncture the heavens, and all of existence will vanish through it.”

“More or less accurate, I'm afraid,” Aleister confirms grimly. “He's created a time rift large enough to permanently destabilize reality.”

“We need to get to The Celestial,” Estela declares.

Seraxa is coming up the hill toward us, carrying a bundle under her arm. She arrives at Varyyn's side, her chest heaving with exertion, though she pushes it aside and sets her features with determination.

“My elyyshar, I've called for every warrior in Elyys'tel to assemble. Our forces will be ready within the hour.”

“Whoever goes to face Rourke may not come back,” Quinn points out.

“No Vaanti will cower while Raan'losti looms before us,” Varyyn growls. “We will fight to the end.”

I meet Varyyn's determined gaze and nod. “To the end.”

“Everyone is gathering at the Valley of Tombs,” Seraxa informs us. “Meet there as soon as you are ready.”

* * *

I quickly shed my wedding gown, and replace it with my Andromeda armor, worn over my own Vaanti warrior costume. Seraxa finds me as I am fastening the last of my armor.

“I found something I think you might need today.” From behind her back, she withdraws the gold mask I chose for myself after I competed in quuk'tanoi at Varyyn's coronation. I take the mask, holding it reverently.

“...Are...are you sure?”

“I saved it for you, Catalyst. You won it fairly. And today, we are all fighting for our future, Vaanti and Catalyst. It would give me such pride if you were to wear it into battle.”

“Then I will. With honor.”

“Come now. They're waiting for us.”

I let her lead me to the Valley of Tombs, where dozens upon dozens of warriors are gathering in the secluded canyon. The trees hum with their voices as they ready themselves for battle.

“The Owls require more bows!”

“Wolves, at attention! We will not stop Raan'losti with this mess!”

Jake, who has also swapped his wedding clothes for something more appropriate, whistles lowly. “I didn't know the Oompa Loompas had numbers like this!”

“It's like when the elves came to Helm's Deep!” Diego agrees. “We're saved!”

A deep horn blast breaks through the chatter and the warriors fall silent. Varyyn ascends onto a stone platform under the reverent eyes of his subjects.

“My fellow warriors of Elyys'tel, our time has come! The Hydra has called forth destruction upon us, and he would hide in his palace while Raan'losti consumes us all. The Catalysts know how to stop this. We must protect them as they carry out their sacred duty. If we fail, all we hold dear will cease to be. I know you may be scared. I know you may feel helpless. It is troubling that this dark day coincides with the light and joy of Niala'rei. But have we not faced impossible odds before? Have we not defied our prophesied doom at every turn? So I ask you, would you tremble in the face of the end? Or like true Vaanti, would you rise above and fight?”

A scattered chorus of “Fight! We will fight!” arises from the crowd, echoing and growing in strength. Varyyn turns to me, holding out his hand and beckoning me onto the platform. In spite of myself, I feel anxiety stirring in my belly as I climb up beside him, my gold mask still pushed up on my head. I look out over the blue and green sea of masked faces. Varyyn smiles encouragingly at me, nodding.

“You are the leader of the Catalysts, Alodia,” he murmurs under his breath. “You are the Endless. Your words will have great power to my people.”

I take a deep breath and turn to the crowd. “Warriors of Elyys'tel! Slaying a Hydra takes determination! Rourke always has another scheme up his sleeve to threaten the things we care about! But we have brought down a many-headed beast before, and we can do it again!”

The Vaanti warriors cheer my words, but looking over at my friends, I see more uncertainty in their faces than confidence.

“Cat-a-liss!” A familiar childish voice rises above the roar. Taari pushes ahead to the front of the group, weaving among the adults' legs. “I wanna fight, too!”

“Taari!” Seraxa snaps. “I told you to join the other children!”

Taari stamps his foot. “But I'm a Vaanti warrior! My elyyshar says we all have to fight!”

“You were almost killed when the Sea Guardian attacked the city! You're lucky Alodia was there to save you!”

Taari looks up at me, his eyes pleading. “Cat-a-liss, I want to help! What can I do?”

I hop down from the platform to kneel in front of the child, putting both hands on his shoulders. I look him in the eye. “Defend your people, Taari. While we fight the Hydra, hardly anyone will be guarding the city. Do you think you could do that for me?”

Taari's eyes light up. “Of course! I will keep all of my people safe!”

“Should we really be encouraging a child to fight?” Grace whispers behind me.

“Hey, the little guy needs something to do,” Craig hisses back. “It's not like we're expecting anyone to attack Elyys'tel.”

“Go on now, Taari,” Seraxa says. “Do as the Catalyst says.”

Taari's smile slips as he looks up at Seraxa. “I will. Please come back safe, okay?”

“You do the same, my brave boy.” She watches Taari run off, then gathers her resolve and turns to address the crowd. “Warriors! We march! For Elyys'tel! For the Vaanti! For Vaanu!”

Rallying cries fill the air. I pull my mask down over my face as the Vaanti and the Catalysts surge into the rainforest.

* * *

Dusk is settling as we reach The Celestial. The vortex looms high above us, drawing the twilight sky towards its swirling center. Along the resort's lower floors, thick metal shutters block every door and window. Rourke has activated the tsunami emergency response system. The same one I activated ages ago to protect us from the Vaanti.

“Looks like Rourke had the same idea we did,” Jake murmurs.

“He'll regret it soon enough,” Zahra replies flatly. “Once we get in, he'll be trapped in there with us.”

“The barriers did not stop us before,” Seraxa adds. “They will not stop us now.”

“Owls!” Varyyn calls. “Report your findings!”

An owl-masked Vaanti hurries over, bowing to Varyyn. “The perimeter is guarded by fewer than ten men of the Spider. But we have no idea what awaits us inside.”

“There's only one way to find out,” I reply. I step out of the foliage towards The Celestial, but Kele grabs my arm and pulls me back. “Hey! What're you--”

“Shh! You feel that?”

I still, and immediately I feel it. The ground under my feet vibrating at steady intervals under the weight of massive footfalls. The sound of the footsteps comes like distant thunder, accompanied by snapping branches. The Omega Mech?

“Defensive positions!” Varyyn calls.

The moonlight illuminates a towering white figure bursting through the canopy. The Mountain Guardian lets out a fearsome howl as the Vaanti surround her, every arrow and spear poised to strike. Murphy yips excitedly as he scampers up to her, placing his front paws on her massive white foot.

“It's all right, bros!” Craig calls out. “This one's a friend!”

The Yeti crouches down and growls affectionately at Murphy, licking his tiny head. The Vaanti warriors lower their weapons, murmuring dazedly to each other.

“What is she doing here?” I wonder aloud. “We're a little far away from her natural habitat.”

“Maybe the vortex is messing with its climate?” Grace suggests. The Yeti turns her eyes on me, lowering her head respectfully.

“I believe the Mountain Guardian is here to help you,” Varyyn remarks. “This is very fortuitous!”

“Yeah, it's great and all, but how is the Abominable Snow Woman gonna help?” Jake asks.

My eyes scan the resort in front of me, and land on a broken window several stories above the blockade. I inhale sharply as I realize that it's my old suite. The rainforest suite. An idea strikes me.'

“Guardian, do you think you could take me up there? On your back?” I gesture up at the window, hoping to God I make sense.

“You can't honestly expect...” Michelle trails off as the Yeti growls happily and flattens herself in front of me, as if offering me her back.

“Ha!” Raj laughs. “Eat your heart out, King Kong!”

I climb up, finding a grip on her fur. Jake climbs up behind me. “I got some rope,” he explains. “I can come and string down a line for people to climb up.”

“Sounds good. Diego, you want a ride?”

“Uh, yes, yes, and yeeeeees!” I put down a hand and pull him onto the Yeti's back. She looks up at me expectantly.

“Uh...yip-yip?” The Yeti tips her head, confused. Jake smirks a little.

“Maybe try something other than Sesame Street alien noises?”

“I mean if she were a flying bison, it would've worked,” Diego adds ruefully. I roll my eyes and point to the broken window.

“Climb? Up there with us—ahh!” Before I've finished the question, she bellows excitedly and takes off at a full sprint. The air batters us as it rushes past.

“This! Is! Awesome!” Diego shrieks.

“Intruders incoming!” I hear an Arachnid soldier shout. “Fire at will!”

“Defend the Catalysts!” Seraxa roars. “For Elyys'tel!”

There are two Arachnid soldiers placed between the Yeti and The Celestial. Without breaking her stride, she lowers her head and rams them. They cry out in alarm as her curled horns find their targets and send them flying.

“Good girl!” I call, giving her a pat. The Yeti vaults up The Celestial, finding handholds in the travertine facade. Below us, the Vaanti warriors are engaging the Arachnid soldiers. As the Yeti scales the resort, the wind whips around me, batting me like a cat toy. My grip starts to slip.

“Alodia!” Jake grabs my wrist, his arm hooked firmly over the Yeti's shoulder. “Use the fur to pull yourself up! I got you!”

I grit my teeth, slowly making my way up to a safer grip. “I think I'm...okay...”

Jake pats my back. “Fasten your seatbelt and keep your arms and legs inside the ride, Princess.”

As we reach the broken window of my rainforest suite, we hastily climb off the Yeti's back. “We made it!” Diego declares, sounding like he can't quite believe it. The Yeti suddenly howls, and I hear agony in her cry. Turning, I see red patches staining her snowy fur.

“No!”

The Yeti roars in fury, launching herself from the open window to swing her way down to the snipers. The Arachnid soldiers panic, scattering.

“Now's our chance!” Jake calls. “Let's get everyone inside!” He starts feeding the rope down to the others. A steady stream of our friends and Vaanti warriors start climbing into the suite. I help them avoid the jagged shards of glass as they scramble through the shattered window.

“Allie!” Diego gasps, distracting me. “Is that what I think it is?”

I turn to see where he's pointing and feel myself recoil slightly. On the bed is a familiar red spacesuit, carefully laid out like a child's school outfit.

“It can't be a coincidence,” Quinn says solemnly. “The Endless must have left it for you.”

“I wonder if it's retained any time travel functionality?” Grace muses.

“You should put it on,” Diego says.

“I...I don't know...if I...” I trail off when Jake puts a hand on my shoulder.

“We need all the help we can get,” he points out. “Including magical time pajamas.”

“If the Endless' abilities are any indication, it will certainly give us an advantage,” Aleister agrees.

I don't want to put it on. Climbing into that suit feels like a point of no return. It is one thing to know that a past version of myself put on that suit to save everyone. It's one thing to know that she built Vaanti society around herself to save everyone. It's another thing entirely to put on her suit and accept that she and I are the same person. But we are. And Jake and Aleister are right. We need all the help we can get. If she laid out her suit for me, she surely knew I would need it. Without a word, I take off my armor and my warrior's mask, replacing it with the Endless' crimson spacesuit. Diego grins.

“How cool do you look right now?”

The last few Vaanti warriors make their way into the suite. “Elyyshar!” An owl-masked woman calls. “All paths to the roof are blocked or destroyed!”

“There remains one staircase,” another Owl informs him, “but it lies behind a barricade in a chamber like a great cavern...”

“The atrium,” I clarify.

“We were discovered scouting the passages that bypass the barricade. There will likely be traps along that path now. ...But approaching the barricade directly will mean an all out assault.”

“Either path will be difficult,” Varyyn concedes. “Alodia, what do you suggest?”

I close my eyes, considering our options. Visions flicker at the edges of my consciousness. Possible futures. Either way, we will face danger. Either way, it is possible we will survive. But we could also be killed. I open my eyes.

“I say we take the back passages. Arachnid is armed. We aren't.”

“I'd rather avoid a direct confrontation,” Quinn agrees.

“So, we just traipse through their frag mines instead?” Zahra mutters.

“If we're careful, we'll be able to avoid confrontation,” Aleister adds. “And we'll certainly need every advantage we can get against the Omega Mech.”

“Then the matter is settled,” Varyyn declares. “Two scouts will escort you through the passages. Meanwhile, the rest of us will draw their attention to the barricade.”

Diego embraces him, holding him tightly for a moment. “You be careful, okay?”

“You as well, my love.” They share a lingering kiss before we break off into two groups.

With Varyyn and his warriors holding the attention of the Arachnid at the barricade, the rest of us make our way to the cowboy-themed bar on the eighth floor. Everything is eerily quiet, and so still that for a moment, I wonder if time has stopped entirely.

“Something's not right,” Raj whispers beside me. I scan the room carefully. Several silhouettes stand out along the walls. Something glints on the floor, but I can't make it out. More visions flicker at the edges of my mind, clearer than before: a bottle...a trip wire...pain that drives me to my knees as my abdomen tears open...the terrified voices of my friends...of my husband...

“Everyone keep to the walls,” I murmur. I press myself against the wall, and find my own reflection pressing back.

“Mirrored walls,” Aleister mutters. “How very louche.”

“You expected good taste from Rourke?” Michelle retorts.

“Fair point.”

We stalk carefully around the perimeter to the other side of the room and through the passage. After several tense minutes in the dark, we emerge in the library. As the last of the group enters, the doors snap shut like a bear trap with a distinct click.

“Apparently, we're not going back that way,” Grace mutters. A Vaanti scout hurries toward the staircase at the opposite end of the room.

“The cavernous chamber lies ahead,” she calls softly back to us. We creep carefully after her. Just behind me, Raj stumbles. I turn back just in time to see a pressure plate sink beneath his foot. He groans, realizing what has just happened.

Beep...beep...beep...

“Yo, does someone here have an old school pag...” Craig trails off as his eyes fall on something attached to the door at the top of the steps: a makeshift plastic bomb, held together with duct tape.

“Rourke wouldn't dare blow up his collection of books and artifacts!” Grace protests.

“That ain't Rourke's,” Jake growls, examining the LED readout. “Look alive, Odd Squad, we got sixty seconds to not die!”

“Door's locked!” Kele shouts. “Can we take cover below?”

Diego shakes his head, examining the packs of C-4 along the bookcases. “This is gonna be a Michael Bay level explosion!”

“There's a failsafe!” Zahra cries, pointing to a keypad hooked to the pack on the door. She rips a sticky note off the device. “And the idiots left a password hint! 'I'm a remedy without a cure. I am everywhere and nowhere'.”

“It might refer to an absolute,” Aleister says. “Life? Immortality?”

“Death,” I murmur. “The answer is death.”

Zahra's fingers fly over the keypad. The LED readout blinks. ...0:09...0:08...0:08... We all breathe a collective sigh of relief as the beeping stops.

“Thank God,” Diego mumbles. “I thought we were gonna have to cut colored wires.”

Zahra gingerly detatches the pack and opens the door. “We're clear.”

“All right,” Sean says. “Let's show Rourke what we're made of.”

We continue, creeping carefully along until we slip through into an alcove at the back of the atrium. Through a distant archway, we can just make out a battle taking place beside a makeshift barricade.

“I don't think they know we're here yet,” Sean whispers.

“Three soldiers, nine o'clock,” Mike hisses. He glances at Jake and Kele. “Let's sneak up.”

“Copy,” Jake whispers back.

Kele nods. “Roger.” The three military men slink silently through the shadows until they're mere feet from the Arachnid troops. Kele holds up three fingers. He drops the third. Then the second. He makes a fist, and they pounce in unison, grabbing the troops in choke holds. As their spasms die down, they ease the Arachnid bodies to the floor.

My gaze is caught by a figure looming in the center of the atrium, silhouetted in a beam of moonlight. The scent of cigar smoke burns in my nose.

“Well, well,” Lundgren growls. “Look who came to join the party.” In one swift motion, he hefts a massive gun and fires at the archway leading to the lobby. Screams pierce the air, rising above the thunderous clattering as the the barricade collapses and overwhelms Vaanti and Arachnid alike. As the dust clears, it becomes clear that we're completely blocked in. A small handful of Arachnid operatives course into the room behind Lundgren. The remaining Vaanti gather behind Varyyn, who presses close to Diego.

“Elyyshar, if our tally was correct, these are the only remaining forces.”

“Hear that, Lundgren?” Jake snaps. “You're out of backup.”

“Lower your weapons,” Sean orders. “This isn't a fight you're going to win.”

Lundgren's upper lip curls into an ugly sneer. “You just keep telling yourself that,” he retorts, throwing down the missile launcher and scooping up a machine gun. The last Arachnid soldiers rush in to flank us.

“Lundgren, the world is gone!” I growl. “Don't you care?!”

Lundgren raises an eyebrow. “Does it look like I care? The world and its weak, sniveling masses can stay burned down. Soon it'll be time to make a new world.”

“It's not worth the effort, Alodia,” Jake mutters. “He doesn't have any moral sensibility to appeal to.” The Arachnid soldiers close in on us, Lundgren taking slow, deliberate steps in his intimidating exosuit.

“Too bad all of you won't be around when I kill Rourke and take his power for myself.”

“Everyone scatter!” Kele shouts. Reacting on instict, we all break apart, scrambling in different directions. The soldiers pursue us, batons raised to strike. I do my best to keep everyone in my sight, but something catches my eye.

“Jake!” I scream. “Behind you!”

Jake whips around. Two quick blows to the neck drops the Arachnid soldier behind him. I feel his back press to mine as troops surround us. His hand finds mine and gives it a quick squeeze.

“Ready to dance, Alodia?”

“With you?” I reply. “Always.”

“Good. Duck!” I do as he tells me, throwing a soldier over my shoulder. He spins, catching another Arachnid on the wrist before they can land a blow. He punches low in the gut and swipes their weapon. He winks at me, catching his breath. “Not...done after one song, are you?”

“I could do this all night.” I spot Lundgren, lurching toward me from across the atrium.

“Party's over!” he growls. “Time to die!” A shoulder panel on his exoskeleton opens. A barrage of small heat-seeking missiles burst out and start hurtling toward us.

“Run!” Mike shouts. “Get to a doorway!”

I take off at a sprint for the nearest doorway, the missiles rapidly closing the gap. At the last possible second, I slam the door shut. The projectiles break their course, swerving in random directions. I duck down, covering my head and neck as deafening explosions tear the atrium open. Smoke and dust from shattered stonework billow across the room, filling my eyes, my nose, my mouth. Choking on dust, my eyes and nose dripping, I rush out of my hiding place, desperately seeking my family. Through the cloud, my hand finds Jake's, then Diego's.

“Think a little smoke screen's gonna help you now?!” Lundgren roars furiously.

“What's our play?” I hear Sean murmur. “We're outgunned here.”

“We gotta take his toys or we're toast!” Jake growls back.

“If we ambush all at once, he won't be able to handle everyone,” Estela hisses. As soon as she says that, I see how that ends...I stare down the barrel of his weapon...Raj shields me with his body...a deadly red beam cuts through us both...

“We have to disarm him,” I choke. “We won't win while he still has the firepower.”

“Let's do it.”

Lundgren readies his laser cannon, lumbering toward the opening in the wall. I take a deep breath, preparing. “Now!”

My friends and I stream through the dust cloud, hands tearing at Lundgren's exoskeleton. Craig and Zahra tear the cannon free.

“You're gonna regret that!” Lundgren snarls. His steel-clad arms swing wide, throwing everyone backward onto the rubble. I stagger back, losing my footing and sprawling onto my back. I look up to see Lundgren aiming his last missile at me.

“No!” Jake barrels into Lundgren, his momentum forcing the missile launcher upward at the last moment. The missile streaks toward the ceiling and explodes, sending chunks of concrete thundering down towards the floor. I hear someone shout my name as I race for cover behind a fallen marble boulder. Lundgren screams as the rubble covers him, the air becoming a thick haze. Once again, we struggle to find each other in the smoke and dust.

“Is...is it over...?” I hear Grace choke out. As the dust settles, I make out Jake rushing over to Mike, doubled over on a pile of rubble, his expression twisted with pain.

“Mike!” Jake kneels beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “What's hurt?”

“I think...a lot of me is broken...” Mike quips ruefully. I start to pick my way over to them, the others following me. Diego freezes as the rubble begins to shift.

“No. Way.”

Lundgren claws his way out of the rubble, blood pouring down the side of his face. “You done yet?!” he howls breathlessly. “I could do this all night! C'mon! Hit me!”

I cast my eyes frantically around for weapons. Anything I could use to fight. Lundgren spits out his cigar. Absurdly, he takes a fresh one from a panel on his exoskeleton and lights it with a tiny flame that pops out of somewhere on his wrist.

“When I take the power to control time from Rourke,” he snarls, “you know the first thing I'm doing? I'm gonna hunt down each and every one of your families and make sure none of you are ever born!”

I feel a hand on my shoulder. Mike is bracing himself, staggering to his feet. I look up at him and he looks down, meeting my eyes.

“Do me a favor, Alodia.”

“What?”

“...Take care of Grandpa for me.”

Jake grips his friend's wrist, alarm in his eyes. “Mike, what're you...”

Mike reaches into the tank of his jetpack and douses himself with fuel, his eyes finding Lundgren's.

“That includes you, Mouse! To think I wasted all that money on a defector like--”

Mike cuts him off with a roar, rushing at him with all his remaining strength. His arms slip between the steel beams of Lundgren's exoskeleton. Instinct takes over and I throw myself on my husband, holding him back. The others follow my lead, swarming Jake as he struggles against our hold.

“Mike!” Jake screams. “Goddammit, Mike, stop!”

“You gonna hug me to death, son?” Lundgren sneers. He fights, but Mike holds fast.

“I hope you burn slow, you bastard,” Mike snarls back. He tears the cigar from Lundgren's mouth. His jetpack roars to life, sending them both rocketing through the hole in the ceiling. Black smoke streaks behind them as they spiral into the sky. A deafening explosion tears the air apart as a massive fireball blooms above us, consuming Mike and Lundgren. Jake screams, a wordless howl of unbearable agony. I hold my husband with all the strength in my body as he struggles. The others lend me their strength.

“Let me go!” Jake cries. “Let me go, goddammit! I need to...”

Estela grips his shoulder. “Jake, he's--”

“Don't say it!” he screams. “None of you say it or I swear--” He cuts himself off abruptly as the fire clears and blackened ash falls away. It seems to sink in now that there is nothing left of Mike. That he has just watched him die again. The others slowly back off as Jake slumps in my arms, trembling violently. I cradle him, rocking gently.

“I'm so sorry,” I whisper. His arms wind around me as he buries his face in my shoulder and surrenders to his grief, sobbing brokenly. I bring a trembling hand up to stroke his hair.

“Alodia...” he whimpers, sounding like a lost child, “...I was supposed to save him...”

“You did, my love. You did. You saved him. And then he saved us.” His grip on me tightens, his fingers digging into my flesh. “...He saved us, Jake. He saved us so that we could take out Rourke.”

After a moment, Jake's sobs start to die down, resolving in a final, shuddering gasp. He pulls back reluctantly, raising watery eyes to meet mine. I bring my hands up to cup his tearstained face. He nods at me.

“...Let's go,” he whispers. He stands, pulling me with him. Keeping hold of my hand, he marches toward the staircase on the opposite side of the atrium. The others follow behind us.

“Warriors,” I hear Varyyn call, “defend this passage against any that attempt to follow us!”

The remaining Vaanti do as he says, taking up their positions at the bottom of the steps. Meanwhile, twelve catalysts, plus Varyyn and Kele, take the staircase up to the rooftop. Howling winds tear at our hair and clothes as we emerge. The vortex has overtaken the entire sky. Stars and clouds spin helplessly toward its baleful eye before being swallowed. The pillar of crystal from Mount Atropo shines brightly in the Omega Mech's grasp.

“No pressure guys,” Diego says ruefully, “but I think this is the end of the world.”

“I'm not ashamed to admit I might have just peed myself,” Craig declares.

“What should we do?!” Grace cries.

“Spacetime is more fragile than it looks.” At Rourke's voice, we all jump, whipping around to face him. He smirks at us, sipping a martini. “Create a large enough hole...and the whole thing comes crashing down.”

He sets his glass down on the table and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a weathered Polaroid photo. He twirls it in his fingertips, pinning me with a cold, piercing gaze.

“Tell me, Alodia,” he purrs, “...do you believe in destiny?”

Heat flares up in my chest. I can still hear the explosion that killed Mike echoing in my memory. I can still feel the pressure of Jake's desperate grip on me, hear the torment in his sobs while he clung to me like a lifeline.

“I believe in throwing you off this roof!” I snarl, taking a step toward him.

“I'm on board with that idea,” Zahra agrees. Craig puts a hand on my shoulder.

“He's gotta be trying to play us! Don't fall for it!”

“I know you distrust me, Alodia.” Rourke's voice drips with false honey. “But consider the fact that I've never acted to harm you. All along, I've merely tried to help you learn how to wield the power you're about to hold.”

I see Estela beside me, her hands curled into fists. “Just give me the word, Alodia.”

“Iris,” Rourke calls. “Directive 8091 if you please.”

Iris' hologram flickers to life above the Mech. “Activating Omega Pilot Protocol.”

Before anyone can properly react, the Mech bends, reaching with its gargantuan hand and curling its massive fingers around Estela's torso. She cries out, struggling helplessly. Everyone rushes toward the titanic robot's hand, trying everything we can think of to free our friend. Murphy leaps onto the Mech's arm, spraying patches of frost onto the armored shell. Sean and I grab Estela's ankles, but we're shaken off like bugs as the Mech lifts her off the roof and deposits her in its cockpit. Glass panels rush down, closing her inside.

“No!” I scream helplessly. “Estela! Estela!”

“The project requires an enormous amount of energy,” Rourke explains. “The sheer number of tachyons coursing through the device would quickly kill me. But Estela is young and strong. Indomitable. A true Rourke.”

“...What...?” Estela presses her hands to the enclosing glass, staring down at Rourke. Rourke looks back up at her.

“I loved your mother Olivia very much. And I believe she loved me too, in her way. ...I regret her passing with every day. I truly do.”

“Lies...Lies!” Estela roars in fury, pounding with both fists on the windshield. Fractures snake through the thick glass. Then, as realization overcomes her, she crumples, collapsing into the pilot's seat, shaking with sobs. “You bastard...you bastard...”

“All right, that's it!” Jake snarls. “You've crossed a line, you piece of shit!”

He dives at Rourke, grabbing him by the throat and hurling him to the ground. He might have gone further, except that Sean and Kele grab Rourke by the arms and drag him back to his feet. I put a hand on Jake's arm, steadying him as I step up to Rourke, glaring daggers at him.

“Let. Her. Go.”

“Impossible. Directive 8091 has superiority over all other processes.”

“I don't care,” I respond coldly. “Make it stop.”

Rourke arches an eyebrow, regarding me mildly. “Iris, suspend the protocol.”

“Negative,” Iris replies. “Omega Pilot Protocol cannot be suspended or overridden.”

The Mech raises the crystal pillar and points the palm of its other hand at it. A beam of blue light surges out of it, colliding with the side of the crystal pillar. Something deep inside me aches in protest, so subtly it barely registers at first. The rooftop lurches under us as the vortex begins to expand toward the surrounding landscape.

“It's coming, guys!” Raj cries.

“We need to access the Omega Mech's operating system!” Aleister shouts. “It's the only way!”

Zahra and Craig brace each other as Zahra points toward the thatched gazebo beside the Mech. “Boost me onto that roof!”

“On it!” Craig hoists Zahra onto the top of the gazebo. She reaches up toward the Mech.

“The panel is on its waist! It's still too high up!”

“Estela!” I call, praying she can still hear me. “Bring its torso lower!”

“...I...I'll try!” she calls back. She grabs the controls. The mechanical terror nearly knocks over the gazebo as it takes a step forward. But then its knees bend, and the panel rushes within Zahra's reach.

“It's no use!” Rourke scoffs. “You heard Iris. Now that Directive 8091 has been—hrff!”

Michelle has come up behind him and pulled a loop of gauze over his mouth. “Not another word!” she snaps.

A display screen lights Zahra's face as she punches in commands, her tongue poking between her teeth.

“There we go. That should--” The light on her face takes on a red hue. “What?! Oh, come on!” Her fingers dance over the panel again, but the light stays stubbornly crimson.

“I can't move the arms!” Estela calls, her voice quivering. Zahra's movements are getting more aggressive.

“That doesn't make sense! I don't get why it wouldn't just...”

“I can't see the coastline anymore!” Raj yelps.

“Dammit, this should work! Something's screwed up! I don't...I don't understand...” Zahra trails off helplessly, her expression fearful and bewildered. Then, as her mouth twists with rage, she kicks the panel with a furious cry. She kicks it again, tears glistening in her eyes.

“She's gonna break it!” Jake cries.

A flare of blue-green light erupts from the crystal, manifesting into Vaanu's spirit, drifting toward Zahra. Her chest heaving, her hands in fists at her side, Zahra glowers defiantly at it.

“The hell you looking at?!” she snarls. Vaanu extends its hand toward her, presenting her with a small tablet device. Pain and pressure are starting to build behind my eyes.

“Zahra, take it!” I scream. “Please, just take it!”

Zahra's hand reaches out to grab the device. The pain behind my eyes fades as my world goes white...

… An industrial concert venue is packed with patrons. Grinding guitars blare from the speakers as Zahra, dressed in jeans and a red jacket, her dark hair swept back in a bun, takes the stage.

“How we doin' tonight, Hartfeld!” The crowd screams enthusiastically. “Haha! That's how I feel! This one's for somebody special! You know who you are!”

Her eyes find Craig, seated at the bar. He grins, raising his beer bottle in a toast. Zahra gives the count to the band behind her, and a fast-paced punk beat fills the venue. Zahra, taps her heel in time to the beat, nodding and patting her thigh with her palm. On the downbeat, she takes a breath and raises the microphone, singing out in a husky contralto.

“Loadin' up the save for the very last time! Better not die before my ulti is primed! Whatcha doin' to meeee...Player! Two!”

The floor shakes as the patrons jump and stomp, raising their arms over their heads.

“Boss ain't playin' and we're gonna get wrecked! Pull those mobs if you want my respect! You're killin' me...Player! Two!”

Craig whistles, applauding enthusiastically as Zahra shakes her hips.

“Where's my rez? Where's my rez? Where's my rez? I need youuuu...Player! Two! I need you, Player Two!”

Dropping the mic, Zahra falls into the outstretched arms of the crowd. A little while later, she emerges, flushed and disheveled, but grinning. She makes her way over to Craig.

“Gotta say, Z, I'm not used to you shouting about your love life in front of everybody like that.”

“First, it's called singing, loser boy. And second, I guess I just think it's time to let the secret out.”

“What secret?”

“That I snagged the perfect guy. Speaking of which, he's waiting for me backstage. Gonna get going if you don't mi--” As she pretends to leave, Craig laughs and grabs her around the waist, pulling her against him.

“Nice try, Player One.” He kisses her, and she playfully swats his butt. “Pretty dope song, actually.”

“Didn't sing all of its verses. That's for your private concert later.”

“Aaand, I think tickets just sold out. So you wanna just chill tonight?”

“Are you kidding? It's our anniversary. We're about to party like there's no tomorrow, nerdface!” …

… Blinding light brings us back to reality. Zahra stands still for a moment, her expression placid and thoughtful.

“I think I needed that...” She looks down at the tablet in her hands and taps the screen a few times. Her eyebrows lift. “There's another system here...Iris!” She goes for the control panel again, her fingers moving feverishly between the buttons on the Mech and her tablet.

“Warning! Authorizations compromised!” Iris' hologram flickers wildly. When she speaks again, her voice is disjointed and stilted, like text-to-speech. “TH1s OS goT 0WNed bY thE L1Ch-qU33n!”

Craig whoops with elation. “That's what I'm talkin' about, Z!”

“Restoring Imogen's access!”

Iris blinks.“W-what? I'm...” The beam on the crystal pillar abruptly stops firing. Above us, the vortex has stopped expanding.

“We're all right for now, I think!” Raj says from the edge of the roof. “I can't see the lower floors of the hotel, though...”

“Iris!” I call. “Can you let Estela out of the cockpit?”

Rourke, who has been struggling against his gauze gag, finally manages to chew through it. “Is that really what you want to do, Iris? Set Olivia's daughter free?”

Anger flickers across Iris' holographic face. Michelle slaps Rourke's cheek sharply, pointing her finger in his face.

“Shut! The hell! Up!” she growls.

“Iris!” Estela cries, a note of desperation in her voice. “Please...let me out...”

Iris' transluscent eyes soften. The Omega Mech lowers itself, and the cockpit slowly opens. “Of course. I owe it to your mother to do the right thing.”

Estela scrambles out of the cockpit, running to safety. Those who aren't holding Rourke cluster protectively around her as the Mech sets the crystal pillar carefully on the roof. It still blazes, flames dancing within its shimmering facets. The pain behind my eyes is steadily growing more and more unbearable.

“Don't you dare!” Rourke roars. “Your programming exists to see this through! You stupid cow, activate Directive--” Sean and Kele shove Rourke to the ground, pinning him prone. Iris' lips curve into a smirk.

“Sorry, I didn't catch that,” she says silkily. Her expression softens as she turns to Aleister. “Aleister, I know discovering your true nature has been very difficult. But please know, you will always be my son. Even though he refused to be a father to you.”

Aleister does not answer. He reverently lowers his eyes, nodding. Sean looks out into the distance.

“I don't see anything out there. I think we're trapped in the vortex.” His voice wavers strangely as it reaches my ears, as if caught in a doppler effect.

“Between all possible timelines...” Jake's voice sounds distant, echoing even though he's right beside me. The pain in my head spikes sharply, and I feel ice trickling down my spine. I feel my hand moving up to clutch my forehead, feel the resistance as my palm meets the skin of my brow, but sensation on the surface of my skin is strangely absent, as if I've been numbed with novocaine. I feel something pulling me toward the pillar.

“Allie?” I feel Diego's hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I can fix this,” I mutter. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I lift my eyes to the pillar, and approach it with my hands outstretched. “I think I can fix this...”

My palms make contact with the pillar, and a warm, soothing white light floods through me. The pressure in my head drains away. When I open my eyes, a strange, alien landscape surrounds me. Cliffs rise in impossible, sweeping shapes over a barren, rocky desert world where jagged crystals seem to grow like wildflowers in patches over the crater-marked plain. Everything is cast in a fuscia light, from the ground to the sky to the twin moons to the crystals themselves. Only the strange, blue-tinted flames that catch along the landscape interrupt the monochrome. The crystal pillar I was touching is nowhere to be seen.

“Is...anyone here?” I call cautiously.

A sudden wind catches my hair and carries the sound of anguished wailing over the plain. I grit my teeth, following the sound to where a particular series of crystal prisms jut out of the ground. Colorful, rhythmic flashes of light from the prisms nearly blind me.

“Are...you trying to talk to me? I don't understand...”

Blue fire flares inside one of the prisms, and it violently shatters apart. I can't hold back a startled squeak. The wailing voice grows louder and more insistent. It's crying out to me for help.

“W-what should I do?” I reach out to the remaining prisms carefully. As my fingers brush their shimmering surfaces, visions start to flash through my mind. Familiar visions, the possible futures Vaanu showed to me and my friends when they were on the verge of giving up. They tumble over me in a rush of images and voices, mushy and overlapping. But a few words make themselves known through the chaos. ...Its...time...own...in...everything...

Vaanu is there. I can feel it. The crystals flash again, and then they darken completely, leaving only me, Vaanu, and the spreading blue inferno. Something solemn and calm washes through me, bringing with it a keen mental clarity.

“Vaanu.” My voice is heavy with sorrow, but I feel utterly serene. “Listen to me. ...Everything in its own time.”

And just like that, the flames melt back into the barren landscape. Everything in its own time, Vaanu repeats in my mind. They are only words and yet, my entire perspective has been altered. I'd somehow forgotten the patient, inevitable nature of the universe...

“...Where are we?”

This is my home world. Shortly before the first sun collapsed and became a black hole. Before me, Vaanu's ghostly figure manifests. In any case, perhaps it will be easier for you to understand me this way. It surveys the rocky plain, littered with crystalline fragments. When the fires came, they consumed everything I'd ever known. And when the planet was finally torn apart, I was hurled through space, ultimately arriving on Earth. Upon my impact, La Huerta was dragged up from the molten mantle. And, as the fire coursed through me, time shattered apart.

“...Those crystals...they wanted to help you.”

Though we reside light years from Earth, we're more similar to humans than you'd expect. I will show you. ...Like us, your hearts hold immeasurable power.

I find myself on Jake's plane, departing for La Huerta. My friends surround me, but they don't seem to see me. Diego sits alone, his head slumped against the window, watching the land fall away beneath him. He closes his eyes and leans back. I can almost hear his thoughts as he imagines his ideal friend...

When you feel deeply, you can stop time. You can hold a single, fleeting moment inside of you for a lifetime, never losing your conviction.

I am back at the Threshold. The Endless stands in the far doorway, watching rows of empty pedestals, resolve in her eyes.

You can go back over and over, seeking to change events that took something away from you. You might even convince yourself you've done it, all the while merely prolonging your loss.

In his office, I see Rourke floating silently in his tank like an infant waiting to be born.

We're similar enough that I was able to bring a human into existence from a fragment of myself. And you are everything I'd hoped, Alodia.

A cold shock shoots down my spine. I am back on the crystal planet, rooted to the spot. I struggle to find my voice. “You...you're saying...I'm...”

The missing piece. But my energy was merely the seed. The need in your friends made it grown. And the love they began to feel for you made it flourish. You're the person they needed in order to move forward with their lives.

“So...this is why I can't remember anything? Why I keep jumping back in time?”

Unknowingly, you may have created false memories to fill a void...

And as it says that, I can feel those false memories rushing back. The past that I must have built for myself over two thousand lifetimes, a childhood spent in Riverside with Diego, going to college together...winning this trip together...except that those memories are shadows. Dreams. They play out like a puppet show. Or sometimes I am a ghost, the person Diego wishes had been beside him when he felt loneliest.

Think back. What's the earliest experience you remember vividly.

I can already feel the tears slipping down my cheeks as I answer, “S-sitting next to Diego on the plane.”

That was the very moment you came into being.

I choke. A hot, sharp knot crystalizes in my throat. ...I should have known. I should have realized it the moment I found my blank dossier. Rourke knew everything about Diego, but nothing at all about his best friend. I must have thought at one point that it was just as if I were Diego's imaginary friend. But the idea was horrifying, and I ran from it. Because all those times...all those times he needed me...all those times I thought I had been there...he had been alone.

“...Why...?” I whisper.

To give us all hope. I can only stare at it in numb disbelief. I know it must be hard, but please try to understand, Alodia. Your friends need you now more than ever.

I want to shout that they needed me before they ever came to this damned island. But it won't change anything. It won't change the truth. I didn't even exist before they came to this island. And I would not exist without them. Any of them. Take any one of them out of the picture, and I would have faded from existence. Rourke thought he needed eleven catalysts to lead him to the Endless. But the Endless was in front of him the entire time. Eleven catalysts were needed to create her, but I wasn't one of them. The last was the one he dismissed. His son. Aleister was a part of my creation, a part of my existence, as much as any of the others.

I live for eleven people. I live for them, and I will die for them. ...But I would rather live for them. With them. And there is a cold feeling of dread settling into the pit of my stomach.

“Vaanu...are you broken because of me?”

What a strange thought...I am incomplete without the energy that made you. But thanks to your efforts, I'm more unified than I've been in millennia.

“That's...good, I guess...but what should we do now?”

Three potential futures issue from this moment. Rourke's project could be resumed and the Earth taken to a past it never had. Your friends will be as they were, and you will be with them. But nothing from La Huerta will remain.

“What's the second option?”

You have the power to reverse the vortex and preserve La Huerta forever as the Endless had hoped. The island will remain as it was, never again to be threatened by Rourke's machinations. You and your friends will be safe, forever.

Preservation. But no restoration. Reverse the vortex, but the world still burns. “...And the third...?”

You return your energy to me, allowing me to finally depart from Earth. Our consciousnesses will merge and all timelines will become one.

Fear crashes over me in an icy wave as the realization sinks in. Everything we've been working toward...saving the world, getting off the island, getting on with our lives...it doesn't happen. Not the way we planned it. The twelve of us don't get a happy ending with the world intact. Either we're scattered and undone, or the world burns.

… Or I am lost forever.

“Th-that's it? It has to be one of those three?”

We cannot control our circumstances. Only how we choose to navigate them.

“But...what should I choose?”

Vaanu regards me, and I can feel something like sorrow in its gaze. As ever, that is a question only you can answer, Alodia.

I look back at Vaanu, the creature whose spark caught the imagination of my best friend and brought me to life, whose seed was nurtured by the need in eleven people who came to love me more than anyone in the world. I am looking at my father. My mother. The closest thing to a blood relative I have in the universe. And I have never felt smaller or more alone.

Chapter Text

Rourke. The Endless. Vaanu. Their voices echo in my mind, terrible and inescapable.

You don't understand, do you. Of course not. But you will. In time.

In the end, it's up to you to decide who you truly are.

To be alive is to never know what will happen next.

Choose. I must choose. Rourke. The Endless. Vaanu. The world. My friends. Or both, at the cost of myself...

… As quickly as I vanished, I find myself back on the rooftop of The Celestial. Above me, the vortex whirls faster than ever, a malevolent clock counting down the last fleeting moments before the end of everything. The crystal pillar shimmers serenely beside me. My husband is at my other side, tenderly stroking the back of my head.

“Still with us, Alodia?”

“Y-yeah. I'm...here...” I doubt I was ever really gone. Not in a way that he could see. Sean and Kele still have Rourke pinned firmly down. He struggles against them.

“If – I – may...just--”

“Let him up,” I say flatly.

Sean and Kele exchange a glance before reluctantly releasing their grip. Rourke stands and brushes himself off. He clears his throat pointedly.

“Thank you. Now. Project Janus was designed to purge the Earth of time anomalies. It can fix all of this. Estela has given us the chance we needed. All that remains is to allow the process to bring the Earth to an optimal state.”

Anger and disgust bubble up in my gut. “You're a liar!” I spit the words, seething. “You've almost killed my friends. You've left others heartbroken and despairing. Go on, I want to hear you try to talk your way into this so I can spit in your face when I refuse!”

“And when Alodia is done, I'll carve out your lying tongue!” Estela adds.

“We're gonna need his help to get out of here, guys,” Sean cautions.

“We can help each other,” Rourke declares. “And thereby help the world. Whether or not you respect me is inconsequential. I always knew you were different, Alodia. You have a connection to the Island's Heart. You can drain its remaining energy into the Omega Mech and finish this. The world will be restored, save for ignorance, suffering, and death. Qualities that have limited mankind for eons. It's all a matter of strategically revising Earth's history.”

“That sounds bad, guys,” Raj says shakily. “Real bad.”

“You can't just tamper with history!” Grace agrees. “Countless carefully balanced equations have made the world the way it is!”

“There will be differences, yes, but you will remain together. And those you've lost will be returned to you.”

I feel Jake freeze beside me. “...You mean...”

“Your friend Mike will be alive.”

A stunned silence grips him for a moment, broken by a ragged gasp. His hand finds mine. “Alodia...if that's true...it would mean everything to me.”

Rourke's gaze passes to Aleister. “Imogen, too, would be as she once was.” Aleister hesitates, his jaw tightening.

“Guys, we can't do what Rourke wants!” Diego cries. “What about Varyyn?!”

Varyyn shakes his head. “Do not be concerned with me, my love. The Vaanti have prepared for this moment for generations.”

“I'm not talking about the Vaanti!” Diego cries angrily. “I'm talking about you! I'm talking about us!”

Varyyn draws Diego into a tender embrace, cradling his head against his chest. “We are joined as one. If our bond is meant to last, what happens here will not change that.”

“I can ensure that you all survive,” Rourk declares. “That's a promise.”

“The promise of a snake,” Estela growls.

“I suppose skepticism is...understandable. Iris, confirm setting's regarding Alodia's friends.”

“Only if that is what Alodia wishes,” Iris answers firmly. I nod.

“Go ahead, Iris.”

“Project Janus will return the Selected to the beginning of their freshman year at Hartfeld University. La Huerta will not exist, nor any trace of its impact remain. Further, Alodia's past will be altered, giving her a family and also placing her at Hartfeld.”

“Huh? That's how Alodia's past already is, though.” Zahra looks at me questioningly. “...Isn't it...?”

“But...” Diego protests, “If we go back, won't we lose everything that's happened here?”

“You'll be alive. You'll have your families. And you'll all be together.” He pins me with a gaze that makes me shrink. “No one is offering you a better deal than that.”

He is a clever bastard, I will give him that. I do not know how long he has known what I really am, but it is clear he does. He knows what I am and he knows what that means for him. He needs me to complete his vision, and this is how he plans to tempt me. With the promise of an existence of my own. A past. A place in my friends' lives. And he will tempt my friends with their own losses to push me toward it. ...Of course it's my Diego who is the first to be the angel on my shoulder...

Aleister looks achingly at Iris, exhaling slowly. “...If the Mech's energy is returned to the Heart, it should reverse the vortex, allowing us to stay on La Huerta,” he says softly.

“Then I say we stay,” Raj replies. “The world's gone anyway. Maybe it's okay in another timeline, but in ours we just gotta accept that we lost it.”

“Yeah,” Craig sighs. “And I don't wanna try to go home only to have it blow up in our faces again.”

“We can make a life for ourselves here,” Grace agrees. “We have everything we need.”

“But...what about the people we've lost?” I ask uncertainly.

“I'd...really like to see my family again,” Jake concedes. “And Mike...”

“I promised my ma and sis I'd come back from the war one day,” Kele adds. “I'd hate for my last words to them to be a lie.”

“There were so many things I wanted to do,” Quinn murmurs. “To see the world, and go on new adventures...”

Zahra nods. “I already gave up on all of that once, back when I holed myself up in the ruins. Kinda hard to do it all over again.”

“I can understand,” Estela assures her. “But isn't this what the Endless wanted for us? To be safe here forever?”

“She spent decades trying to give us that,” I say softly. “...And now she's gone.”

I find my thoughts drifting back to her. To the last moment I saw her, underneath Mount Atropo, her last words to me:

“Alodia, please...wait! Rourke will promise everything...then take away the very thing we've fought so hard to protect...”

It's all impossibly vivid. I can see the rock walls around us, the gleaming red magma reflecting off the joints of her spacesuit as she crawls desperately toward me. I can feel the heat coming off the lava, hear every scrape of her metal arm against jagged stone. It hits me like a lightning bolt.

...This is real. Whether she or her suit on my body has done it, I'm here. I'm back at that moment underneath Mount Atropo.

“Endless, are you doing this?”

“Let me show you, Alodia. All that I've seen. All that I've lived. Every variation of our lives on La Huerta over my two-thousand one-hundred thirty-nine attempts to save everyone.”

She struggles to pull herself upright, reaching toward me with her intact hand. I can already see images starting to flicker to life in my mind. Swallowing, I approach, kneeling before her. Her hand brushes my forehead, and I experience the familiar brilliant flash that heralds the beginning of a vision...

… I find myself deep in the jungle. Laughter and the sound of splashing trickles through the foliage. I follow the sound, brushing back leaves and branches as I go.

“No way!” Sean protests. “That was totally out!”

“If it hits the water, it counts!” Quinn retorts.

I see my friends, playing volleyball in The Celestial's pool, sending a colorful beach ball back and forth over the net. And I am among them.

“Yes!” I crow. “That's another point!”

I stagger back, dazed by the sight. For the first time, I look properly down at my hands. One is gloved in red. The other is skeletal steel. I raise my flesh and blood hand to my face. The glove is thick, but I can still feel the wrinkles on my skin, the sparse hair on top of my head. It's an unnerving feeling, to be in the body of the Endless, but the laughter of my friends is soothing. At that moment, Sean spikes the ball a little too hard. It bounces over to the edge of the jungle, nearly at my feet.

“My bad! I'll get it.” Sean pulls himself out of the pool and jogs over to the treeline, chuckling to himself as he picks up the ball. As he straightens, his eyes find me among the trees. He gasps, retreating a few steps, his easy smile giving way to shock. “Who are you?”

I swallow. “Sean...it's me.”

He stares at me for a moment, his eyes going wide as he starts to place my features. “...Alodia...?”

I step toward him. But as I do, reality shimmers and ripples around me. I'm on a snowswept mountain now. A bellowing roar shakes the pine trees. Grace and my younger self come barreling down the slope on skis, Murphy clinging to my shoulder.

“Come on!” I shout. “She's gaining!”

“Oh god, oh god!”

The Yeti burst through the treeline after us, thundering after us with a furious howl...

… Under the volcano, Michelle makes her way toward the observatory, struggling to keep her balance as she tiptoes across the narrow catwalk. The metal groans beneath her feet, buckling and bending towards the magma beneath her. She screams, and I can't hold back a cry.

“I've got you!”

Out of nowhere, Fiddler appears, diving toward Michelle and tackling her to safety as the catwalk crumples into the gleaming pool of magma.

“Jeanine...you saved me...”

“Yeah, well, we're even now,” Fiddler snaps. “So don't expect it to happen again.” …

… In Quarr'tel's workshop, Uqzhaal addresses a small crowd of Anachronists. “It is a joyous day, brothers and sisters. We finally have a new Clockmaker!” The shaman kneels in front of the chair in the center of the workshop. The Anachronists follow suit. “We are yours to command, Clockmaker.”

Zahra grins, leaning back in the chair. “Dope.” …

… A sharp clang brings me to the edge of a roof on top of a burning building, where Rourke and Aleister face off, fencing sabers singing in their hands.

“Not bad at all,” Rourke purrs. “Perhaps I underestimated you.”

“Your observations regarding me have been summarily wrong, Father,” Aleister snarls. “But I'll afford you no time to regret your errors! En guarde!” …

… A battle rages at the base of Elyys'tel's tree. Arachnid soldiers are struggling to defend the city from hoards of furious Vaanti, led by Varyyn's mother Ximaedra.

“To me, warriors!” the queen roars. “Let us slay the Hydra and the Spider and reclaim our home!”

The Omega Mech strides across the beach, charging its weapons. Estela glares out from the cockpit. “Let's do this.”

A thousand feet above the fray, Tetra tosses Rourke's lifeless body from the branches. He watches it pinwheel for a moment, sneering, before he turns and strides back toward the audience hall.

“They're getting close, boss,” he says nervously. The red glow on the end of a smoldering cigar illuminates the face of the man on the throne.

“Let 'em come,” Lundgren growls. “And when they do, we'll burn this damned tree to the ground with them inside it.” …

… My friends are gathered in the LHO laboratory. Gurgi is on the table, pinned down by mechanical restraints.

“Help! You must help Gurgi!”

Raj's eyes scan the computer terminal. “There's gotta be a way to—”

“I'm sorry, Raj,” Iris intones, flickering to life. “I can't let you do that.”

Raj whirls to face her, his expression registering shock and alarm, but no recognition. Perhaps we never found Iris in this timeline. “Woah! Who the hell are you?!”...

… In the jungle, Quinn walks with Taari, who fiddles with a charm hanging around his neck.

“Taari, where did you get that necklace?”

“Oh, this?” Taari holds up the golden key. “I found it! Do you like it?”

Quinn kneels to get a closer look, and her eyes fall on the dolphin-shaped rune engraved on the side...

… Lila stands outside the hangar where Jake's plane was stored, inserting her key into the padlock. She gives it a twist and it drops open obligingly.

“I hate to mess with private property,” she mutters to herself. “But I have a job to do.”

Checking over her shoulder, she hastily douses the plane with gasoline, splashing a trail leading outside the hangar. Tossing the empty can into the hangar, she bends and flicks open a lighter, setting the flame to the shining puddle at her feet. The flames race along the gasoline trail as she drags the hangar doors shut.

“That should keep them from leaving...”

She hurries away, forgetting the padlock in her haste...

… In The Celestial's ballroom, Estela flips open a pocket knife and slashes at a painting of a sailboat, reaching behind the torn canvas. She withdraws a folded piece of paper, pinched between her first two fingers. Carefully, she opens it, her eyes scanning the page.

L,

There's a second Omega Specimen. Whatever it takes, we have to make sure Rourke doesn't get his hands on her.

--O

O. Oliva. Olivia Montoya. And clipped to the note is a photo of me.

“He won't, Mom,” Estela murmurs. “I promise.”...

… A rusty taco truck rumbles down ruined jungle roads with Jake at the wheel.

“I've got it! I've got it!”

“You're gonna get us killed!” Mike protests from the passenger seat. “Again!”

“We'll be fine!” Jake replies blithely. He adds, turning to call over his shoulder at the back of the truck, “Ain't that right, Sebastian?”

The Shore Guardian clicks his claws in what sounds like a reply...

… At MASADA, I stand in a laboratory beside a complex machine, staring at Michelle and Aleister.

“Hold on. You're telling me that--”

Michelle groans. “For the love of...Alodia, we've discussed this protractedly. I'm Aleister!”

My gaze shifts warily to Aleister. “And you're--”

“Michelle,” he sighs. “Can you please just get us out of this nightmare?”

“What surprises me most,” Grace says, studying the machine, “is that Rourke literally labeled this machine 'Freaky Friday Device'.”

The Michelle body with Aleister inside winces. “It's his favorite movie.”...

… Outside the remains of Rosencraft Manor, we all stand staring at the little creature before us.

“Uh, guys?” Raj finally breaks the silence. “...WHY IS MURPHY PURPLE?!”

Murphy trills curiously at us, apparently unconcerned that he has suddenly shifted from icy blue to bright violet...

… On the deck of The Dorado, struggling to stay on our feet as the storm rages around us, we stare out at the angry waves.

“How did he even get up there?!” Sean cries.

“Is he gonna be okay?” Diego asks.

“Just like Malatesta,” Yvonne grumbles. “The fool never understands when it's time to let go!”

Cetus breaches the surface again, Malatesta riding atop his head like a cowboy on a bull.

“Will one of you bloody fools do something?!” he bellows. Cetus roars, lightning blooming in his teeth...

… A figure levitates over the frozen, rapidly cracking surface of Lake Tethys, blazing with time energy.

“Run!” Tetra yelps. “That freak's gonna kill us all!”

Emerald light blazes in Craig's eyes. He laughs dazedly, and the sound rings with the power of Vaanu.

“Chyeah-heh-heh boi!” …

… In Rourke's barren marble office, Lundgren smirks, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction in the light of his cigar. “I knew you'd come around eventually. Welcome back...Wolf.”

Jake stares hollowly back at him. There is something haunted in his gaze, something broken. “What can I do for you, Commander?” …

… Aleister steps through the Lernaean Gate, Grace's lifeless body cradled in his arms. He falls to his knees, clutching her to him as tears trickle from his eyes.

“...This is your fault.”

“Aleister,” Quinn whimpers. “I'm so sorry...it was an accident...”

“Oh, Grace...” Diego murmurs, his voice soft and heavy with grief.

“Her blood is on all of you!” Aleister snarls. “And soon yours will be, too!” He lays her body down and draws a snake-hilted knife...

… Varyyn sits alone on the moonlit shore, cradling a florescent-colored seashell to his ear. Sobs bubble up in his chest as tears leave tracks on his cheeks. A voice echoes faintly in the shell, a voice from long ago.

I'll always love you, Varyyn... Diego's voice whispers. I'll always love you, Varyyn...I'll always love...

And then the echo is gone forever...

… Craig dangles over the edge of a sheer cliff, gripping Sean's hand. Sean strains to keep his grip, sweating with the effort.

“I got you, Craig! I can pull you up!”

“Bro...I'll just pull you over with me!”

“Craig, no! Don't!”

“Face it, Sean,” Craig answers mournfully, wearily, “I've been dragging you down my whole life. I'm done.” He releases his grasp and drops like a stone into the empty air, plummeting toward the rocky ground below. Sean's wordless scream of anguish follows him...

… In The Celestial's restaurant, Rourke cuts a slice off a thick steak, twirling the tender, juicy morsel on his fork.

“I must say, it's lovely to finally have a family dinner together.” Across the table, Estela sits perfectly still, her eyes blank. At her temple, a vicious device pulses with light. Rourke pins her with a steely gaze. “Wouldn't you agree, my dear?”

Estela blinks, but she does not move any more than that. “Yes. Father.” …

… Back on the moonlit beach, Taari skips over to Aleister, throwing his arms around his legs.

“I love you, Uncle Al!”

Aleister stiffens uncertainly, but softens after a moment, laying a hand on the back of the child's head.

“I...love you, too, Taari.” …

… In The Celestial's game room, an arcade machine flashes a message: HIGH SCORE! Craig whoops with delight, hoisting Diego onto his shoulders.

“Chyeeah! My boy Diego just crushed the all-time leaderboard!”

“Aw, yes!” Zahra pumps her fists. “Billy Mitchell who?”

“Hey, I couldn't have done it without you guys,” Diego replies, grinning...

… On the rooftop of Elysian Lodge, Grace sits beside the hot tub with her knees drawn to her chest, sniffling. Michelle sits beside her. She reaches out, gently brushing away a tear as it rolls down Grace's dark cheek.

“I don't think you're timid at all. You're probably the bravest person I've ever met.”

Grace turns a watery gaze on Michelle. “R-Really...?”

Michelle smiles tenderly, her fingers lingering on Grace's cheek. “Really.”...

… Outside The Celestial, Jake pulls the slide on a pistol.

“You seriously think I'd let you go it alone? I told you, I've got your back. For life.”

“I know, Jake,” Sean answers solemnly. “And you know I've got yours.” The men embrace like brothers, clapping each other on the back. Jake pulls back, smirking.

“But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you myself.” …

… I watch myself raise a glass, my friends surrounding me.

“So this toast is to all of you,” I say, an impossibly happy grin splitting my face. “You're like family to me. And more than that, you're the best family I could ever hope for.” …

… On the glistening beach, Sean lifts Michelle into his arms, dancing in circles across the sand.

“I can't believe I ever let you slip away.”

“I can't believe I ever watched you go,” she whispers, beaming.

“Never again. I'm yours, Michelle. And you're mine.”

Framed by the sunset, their lips meet in a fierce kiss...

… In a bedroom at Elysian Lodge, Estela sits up sharply. Her breath shudders with anxiety. She pushes back the covers, but before she can rise, a hand grasps her wrist.

“Where do you think you're going?” Zahra mumbles.

“Just...got stuff on my mind.”

“Then talk to me about it. That's what I'm here for.”

“I know.” Estela settles back in bed, drawing Zahra into her arms...

… “Like this?” Outside the temple in the jungle, Quinn frets a chord on Kele's guitar. Kele grins.

“You're a natural. So what makes you wanna learn guitar anyway?”

“Well, because...” Quinn's cheeks flare with color. “I want to write a song for you.”

Kele smiles, leaning forward to brush her mouth with his...

… The visions come on me all at once, wild and chaotic; images, colors, and sounds. Sometimes smells and tastes. Then, amid the chaos and the countless possibilities, one moment repeats itself over and over. Jake, clear blue eyes shimmering with emotion behind strands of shaggy brown hair, smiles softly at me, speaking words that echo across every timeline: I love you, Alodia...I love you, Alodia...I love you, Alodia...

And my answer: ...And I love you, Jake...

In the space of a single moment, I watch myself fall in love with Jake more than two-thousand times. When the light fades, I am back in the cavern with the Endless' hand still pressed to my forehead. My body spasms with helpless sobs.

“Are you...sad?” the Endless asks me.

“No. I've just...never been so happy...”

“You've seen everything now, Alodia. You know everything you can know. But this is where my sight ends.”

I am quiet a moment. “...Those false memories were very convincing.”

She nods. “You had many lifetimes to develop them. And I allowed you to believe them because I could not let you or the others discover the truth before you were ready.”

“...Am I ready, though? Am I ready to know what I am?”

“You were ready the moment you passed my test at the Threshold. If you think about it, you'll realize that's when the illusion started to break down. When your memory of life before La Huerta started to become clouded. And now that you know exactly what you are, you can...see the wires, so to speak. See how your memories were just like scenes from a play or a movie.”

“...Rourke won't give me that past, will he. The one I dreamt for myself. A childhood with Diego, being there for him every time he needed me...”

“It is hard to say exactly. I expect not. ...He certainly won't give Diego his lover. You know what sort of a man he is. Do you think you can trust what he is offering you?”

“But...if I reverse the vortex...”

“You'll all have each other. You'll have the Vaanti. You will have your family, Alodia, and your existence.”

I am quiet a long moment. I could have my family. All could be as it is now, except we would be safe. Jake and I would have our little cottage by the sea, Varyyn and Diego would reign over Elyys'tel...but while I would have my family, they would lose theirs. Craig's little brother, Quinn's parents, Raj's grandmother, Sean's mother...can I do that to them? To the people who love me and trust me above anyone else in existence? Can I look my own Jake in the eye and deny him his best friend's life? Can I look at my own best friend and deny him his lover? ...Can I look at any of them and deny them anything? ...What about myself? Can I deny them my presence? ...Can I deny myself existence?

“...They are worth it,” I hear myself murmuring. “...Aren't they.”

“You know the answer to that as well as I do, Alodia. They are worth everything.”

I draw in a shuddering breath and nod, wiping away the tears. And I feel myself wrenched back to the present. My friends are still arguing, weighing the merits of going or staying. Rourke scoffs at them.

“I can't believe some of you would simply wall yourselves up and consign the world to its fate! Think for a moment of those—”

Estela whips around, sending her fist into his jaw. He grunts in surprise, staggering back.

“You have nothing to tell anyone about selfishness!” Estela snarls, fury snapping in her eyes. “In my family, we don't tolerate hypocrites!”

Sean shakes his head. “It's almost impossible to decide this...but it sounds like Rourke's way is for the best...”

“I guess so far, we're evenly split,” Diego remarks fretfully, clutching Varyyn's hand. “Half of us want to stay, and half of us want to go home. ...What about you, Allie?”

I shrink under the question. A moment ago, I swear I knew what to do. But now I'm the tiebreaker. It's bad enough knowing that no matter what happens, it's going to be my decision, but when I have to be the tiebreaker...? I'm sure my terror shows on my face.

“...I...” My chest feels tight. Too tight to take in enough air. “I...need a moment to think about this.”

I turn away, taking a few steps away to grip the railing as I look out a the cosmos whirling around the rooftop. How can I choose? How could I ever choose? ...Somewhere in that swirling chaos is the world I saw in Vaanu's past. I wish it wasn't true. But it all makes too much sense. Vaanu brought me into being. It is my mother and my father. And if I give myself back to it, if I play the dutiful daughter and complete the Heart, it may be able to leave Earth. I'll be gone...but they'll be safe. And all of the timelines will finally merge. I picture my friends, and their frightened, weary faces.

I could save them. ...I could save them all...

Murphy trills at my feet. I look down at him to see him eyeing me worriedly.

“Don't worry, fella,” I murmur. “We're gonna figure this out.”

I feel a hand slip into mine, and look up to see Jake beside me. He cups my cheek in his other hand, brushing gently at the wetness under my eye with his thumb.

“Hey. I know you'll make the best choice. Whichever way you decide to go with this.” He frowns, and I can see fear nipping at the edges of his features. “But that look in your eyes has got me worried. Because it's telling me that I might lose you.”

I startle, staring at him like a deer in headlights. “Uh, no, I just--”

“Alodia, please.” He presses his forehead to mine. “Something's going on. I need to know what it is. Don't try to spare me. Just tell me the truth.”

I close my eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. “...There's another way.” The words well up in me, sticking in my throat. I gulp, fighting past the block. “I c-can complete the Island's Heart. By gi...giving myself back to it. The world will go back to normal...but Vaanu and I will be gone forever.”

Jake's head pulls back sharply. I open my eyes and look up at him, my heart sinking as I meet his anguished gaze.

“Dammit, Alodia...don't you know I'd come after you? I'd find a way! Cross every mile of space to get you back!” He chokes. “My heart is where you belong, not Vaanu's!”

A sob bubbles up in my chest and I can't hold it back. I fall into Jake's arms, pressing my face into his chest as I cling to him.

“I know...” I whimper. “I know...”

Jake clutches me, cradling my head and kissing my hair. He holds just a little too tight, but I won't tell him to loosen his grip for anything in the world. I hear footsteps, crossing the roof toward us.

“Alodia,” Rourke says almost gently. “I know what you are. I know you were cheated out of a normal life. If you see Project Janus through, you'll be able to make real memories with those you care about.”

I don't look at him, but I can't help snarling, “I have made real—”

“Whatever you may feel about my methods,” he interjects, ignoring me, “draining the Heart is the only means of staying with your friends and restoring the world.”

I don't answer, tightening my grip on Jake. ...Whatever else he would do, I cannot deny that Rourke is right. His way is the only way I keep my existence and save the world. I slowly turn my face to glare at Rourke. ...In spite of everything, I feel myself weakening. The carrot he's dangling in front of me is unfathomably tempting. A full existence...separate from Vaanu...everyone I love alive...everyone they love restored...

Aleister shakes his head. “A gamble at best. We know what we're getting if we reverse the energy and stay on La Huerta, Alodia. We've done well for ourselves here, and can do better still. I believe this is where we're meant to be.”

...Or I could fix everything. Give myself to the Heart and allow Vaanu to leave, taking away all the anomalies it created. ...Including me.

Reluctantly, I pull away from Jake, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision. I approach the shimmering crystal pillar, and clarity floods through my mind.

“...Time is inevitability,” I murmur. “It always wins in the end.”

“...Allie...? ...What's with that face you're making?”

I almost laugh. So Diego's picked up on it now, too. Now that I have made my choice. I turn back to smile at him. “Diego, can I borrow your phone?”

“My...phone?” Reaching into his pocket, he pulls it out, looking at it as if he's surprised to find it there. “Uh...sure. I'm still not getting a signal, though.”

“That's okay.” I take the phone in one hand, and stretch out my other toward my surroundings, willing a change into effect. It works. Time stops. The vortex, my friends, Rourke, even the plants and decorations writhing in the wind are frozen in place. But already, I can feel time slipping out of my control. I can only hope I bought myself enough time...

I draw in a deep breath, pressing the record button...

… When time resumes again, I hand Diego his phone and pull him into a tight embrace. “...Thank you.”

“...You're welcome, Allie. ...But...what's going on?”

I don't answer immediately. I step back from my friend and find my husband's hand. We're both silent as we gaze into each other's eyes. He knows what I've chosen. I can tell. I can tell that every instinct is telling him to fight me. To make me choose something else. Something that keeps us together. But he knows me too well. Loves me too well. I bring his calloused palm to my cheek and close my eyes for a moment, memorizing the sensation. I turn to bury my lips in the rough skin. Then I let him go. Turn away. Toward the pillar. Finally, I find my voice again, and the words come.

“I guess...most people spend their lives searching for a purpose. Something to dedicate themselves to. It's a beautiful journey, really. But it's one I'll never undertake. You see...I've only ever existed to serve my purpose: You. All of you.”

I turn back to them, my eyes drinking in the sight of them, trying to imprint every detail of their faces in my mind. My whole soul swells with love for them, and I let it shine through on my face. No more tears. Not now. I won't let their last image of me be one of fear or sorrow. They need to know that I am not doing this out of desperation or panic. They need to know that I am doing this because I love them. Because I believe in them. I look at each of them in turn, my eleven Catalysts, each one a beautiful, unique light. The world had better be damned grateful for every one of them.

“I'm not afraid,” I assure them. “I love every last one of you so much. Take care of each other. And if you remember one thing, please remember this: you're worth it. You're worth this. You're worth everything. And you deserve everything.”

Diego's face is pale as he begins to understand. “...Allie...”

I smile at him. “...Here's to adventure. ...Goodbye.”

Before anyone can stop me, I turn and grasp the pillar with both hands. A shockwave of time energy surges outward from my body, so painful it roots me to the spot. I can't even cry out. I barely manage a whimper as I cling to the pillar.

“Alodia!” Jake cries out, anguish in his voice. The vortex is descending, its spiraling arms winding ever tighter. The building buckles and begins to crumble under my feet.

“W-what's happening?!” Grace cries.

“The hotel's breaking up!” Craig yelps.

The Omega Mech rocks backward and teeters over the edge.

“No!” Rourke howls. “What have you done?!”

I feel every cell in my body vibrating. My bones feel like they're shaking to pieces as my teeth rattle in my mouth. I can barely keep my grip on the pillar. Then I feel Jake embrace me and the crystal from behind, bracing me against the shaking.

“Just...keep holding on...” he growls through gritted teeth. “If I can't go with you, at least I can get you where you need to go...”

“...Jake...”

“Just remember...you're in my heart forever, Alodia. That's a promise.”

“...I love you...”

He presses his lips to mine, and I kiss back desperately, tasting him for the last time, breathing in his scent, feeling his arms around me. Then, for the last time, I am overtaken by bright, white light, and I feel myself dissolve. Blindness is replaced by vast clarity, like looking out at the world from a mountain top on a cloudless day. I am falling into the sky, every future, present, and past occuring around me in a single moment as I rise. I can't help but be awed. I hear Vaanu's presence in my mind, echoing strangely familiar words:

Doesn't feel real, does it? But we are finally on our way...

Chapter Text

Outside The Celestial, the sky is calm. The vortex that had dominated it only moments before has been replaced by tranquil stars, shimmering against a blanket of dark blue silk. Eleven Catalysts, Varyyn, Murphy, and Rourke stand in the courtyard, dazed.

“We...were on the roof,” Raj finally says. “How did we get down here?”

“A parting gift, I imagine,” Rourke spits bitterly.

Jake gazes up at a dark plume of smoke winding from the hotel's collapsing tower. Tears gather in his eyes and his lips quiver, struggling to form her name. “...Alodia...”

“Not to worry,” Rourke snaps. “We're all going back. And this time, Alodia will make the right choice!” He draws a portal gun from his sportcoat, aiming it at the group.

“He's gonna send us back in time!” Zahra yelps.

“Like hell he is!” Craig growls. He and Estela launch forward, but Rourke has already pulled the trigger. But nothing happens.

“What? I tested it only yest--” He is cut off as Craig drives him to the ground and Estela wrests the inert gun from his grasp. She tosses it aside. Rourke struggles to reach into his pocket, but he comes up empty-handed. “The crystals! Where...where are they?!”

“They're gone, Rourke,” Quinn replies flatly. “Forever.”

Rourke struggles out of Craig's grasp, backing away from the group. There is panic behind his eyes.

“Th-that's not possible! There were too many! I built everything on--” The rest of his words are drowned out as The Celestial's main tower finally gives out, collapsing into the rest of the resort. A massive cloud of dust billows out to envelope the area. Everyone rushes toward the beach.

“Wait!” Michelle suddenly cries. “Where's Kele?”

“I don't think he made it down,” Raj answers solemnly.

“Look, my friends!” Varyyn gasps, pointing out over the ocean. “The horizon no longer burns!”

“...Does that mean...the world's okay?” Diego asks.

Grace nods. “The anomalies, the crystals, the energy...it's all gone.”

“And the disparate timelines are finally unified,” Aleister finishes.

“I guess Kele's gone back to his own time,” Quinn concludes softly. As the group looks out over the ocean, Murphy paces nervously on the sand, gazing back at the ruined resort. Rourke falls to his knees and begins frantically digging in the sand.

“There are more! There must be more crystals...”

“Yo, I see ships out there!” Craig calls. “Two of them, coming this way!”

“Those are American Coast Guard cutters!” Jake confirms.

Gasping for breath, Rourke collapses onto his side, weeping brokenly. “No...no, no, no...Damn you! This island was mine! Now you've taken it! You've taken everything! My dream, my ambitions!”

A searchlight flashes across the beach from one of the Coast Guard ships. Estela gazes at Rourke, coldly observing his grief.

“Ambition, yes,” she sneers. “Hard work and thrift. But not dreams. Dreams come from the heart. They're for those who see the goodness in mankind and want to enlarge it.”

“You wanted only to enlarge yourself,” Aleister agress. “And here you are, weeping over handfuls of sand as they slip through your greedy fingers.”

“M-mine...” Rourke whines.

“You own nothing,” Aleister answers coldly.

The Coast Guard ships are approaching the shore, the first light of dawn brushing away the stars at the horizon behind them.

“How are we gonna explain this?” Diego wonders dazedly. “Where we've been? What we've seen?”

Jake sighs, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Let's just say I have a feeling tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a news day.”

* * *

On the deck of the Coast Guard cutter, eleven Catalysts huddle together, exhausted and silent as they watch a distant shore grow closer under the rays of the morning sun.

“Do you need anything else?” an officer asks. “We'll be in Miami in a few hours.”

“I think we're fine for now,” Michelle replies, forcing a smile that doesn't reach her dark eyes. “Thank you.”

Diego gazes out in the opposite direction, back toward La Huerta. Varyyn had slipped quietly into the jungle before the ships reached the shore, leaving his lover with a soft kiss and a promise that they would meet again. Jake comes up beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Diego covers it with his own. Just like him, Jake has lost his lover and his best friend in the space of a single day. ...Though at least Diego has the hope of seeing his lover again...

His phone beeps softly in his pocket, distracting him. He pulls it out and sees the notification for a new recording. Heart pounding, he raises the phone to his ear, pressing play.

“Hey...it's Alodia...I hope you get this. ...And I hope you can forgive me for going on one last adventure alone...”

It's all he can do to keep from doubling over as a sob bubbles up from the core of his being and tears burn in his eyes. He presses his palm to his mouth.

“God...” he whimpers. “...Goddammit, Allie...”

“She left a message, didn't she?” Zahra whispers.

Diego can barely nod. His fingers shaking as they move over the screen of his phone, he forwards the message. One by one, the Catalysts receive the recording and raise their phones to their ears.

… “This is what I was meant to do. You might even say it's why I was born. I've realized something that I think I must've known all along. You've probably all realized by now that you can't quite remember me from before La Huerta. There's a reason for that. There's a reason I've had trouble talking about parents or school. The truth is...I'm not who you think I am. I'm me. I'm Alodia. But I exist because Vaanu, and all of you, willed me into being.” …

… Eleven catalysts settle onto the plane, leaning back as the aircraft gathers speed and lifts off the tarmac. Jake glances at his phone. Sighing, he taps the message again, pressing the phone to his ear...

… “Jake, I promised you a year and a day, and I'm sorry I won't be able to fulfill that vow. What we had is very rare. I'm so grateful that I got to experience it. It's because of you that I'm able to face this decision. The strength and confidence you taught me...you gave me a lifetime worth of love in a few short weeks. I will always be with you, and I carry a piece of you wherever I am going now. I love you, my Jake. Forever.” …

… On the couch in a dorm apartment, Zahra and Craig snuggle together, watching TV.

“Zahra and Craig, on an island where nothing was what it seemed, your perspective grounded me. You never took anything at face value, and you taught me that the truth can sometimes be complicated. You're such an awesome team. I couldn't have made it without you guys.”...

The television screen flashes to a courtroom where Rourke is being restrained by security personnel. His face is slick with sweat, his eyes wild as they dart over the judge and jury.

“Don't you understand?!” he cries. “The crystal people are coming! They're coming for us all!”

“What a douche,” Craig mutters. Zahra snorts, poking him, but she grins with satisfaction at the screen.

Across the apartment in the kitchen, Raj puts the finishing touches on a platter of nachos loaded with melted gourmet cheeses, jalapenos, and avocados.

… “Raj, thank you for your big heart. You never took any credit for being the glue that held the group together, but I saw what you did. You made us more than a group of friends. You made us a family. I'm counting on you to make sure the Catalysts don't lose touch, okay? I would really hate to see you guys lose each other.” …

Raj sprinkles one last handful of cilantro across the nachos and kisses his fingertips. “Bon appetit!” With a flourish, he carries the platter back into the living room...

… In the Hartfeld University quad, the dean addresses the crowd of graduates and families seated in chairs across the lawn.

“I'm proud to present your Class of 2018 Valedictorians, Grace Hall and Aleister Rourke!”

Aleister and Grace approach the podium under a shower of applause and smile out at their classmates.

“Thank you all. Now, before we begin, we would like to share some words from someone very special to us...”

… “I've learned that sometimes, when trying to get from one place to another, you can end up somewhere unexpected. It's all part of the journey. You might have already arrived where you were meant to be, whether you realize it or not. Savor every moment you spend there. Chances are, you won't be back.”...

… In an empty locker room, Sean sits on the bench with his phone on speaker beside him. He closes his eyes against the tears that threaten him as her voice washes over him...

… “Sean, you showed me what a true leader is. Compassion is strength. Selflessness is bravery. You made us all better just by knowing you. Don't forget how special you are, how important you are to the world. Even if you feel sometimes like you aren't doing enough, I know you. And I can promise that you are always doing your best.” …

… In London, Diego walks through the streets, his fingers entwined with those of the man beside him, a man with a braided ponytail and a long coat. Diego stops, reaching up to adjust the man's hat and glasses. Varyyn grins at him through his disguise. Diego smiles back, bringing a finger to his lips...

… “Diego, you more than anyone made me who I am. Literally. It was your will that provided the first spark that brought me into being. God, where would we have been without each other? I'm sorry that I wasn't there all those times I thought I was, but I don't believe you were ever alone. The piece of you that became me was always there. And you carried me through the nightmare on La Huerta. You mean so much to me, Diego. No one makes me laugh the way you do. You've always been the missing piece that completed my heart, and I carry you with me forever. I just want you to know before I go that you are my hero, and I love you.” …

… Quinn slides a tray of cupcakes into an oven and sets the timer. Pulling off her oven mitts, she sits down, staring at her phone. Michelle walks in, setting her purse on the counter.

“Whatcha doing?”

“Just a little baking for the trip...and listening to Alodia's message again.”

Quinn places the phone on speaker. Hearing her voice, Murphy leaps up from where he had been napping under the table and hops into Quinn's lap. Michelle pulls up a chair beside her...

… Michelle, I have no doubt you're going to get what you want out of life, and you deserve everything. And Quinn, more than any of us, you know what it is to fight for something with every fiber of your being. You weren't willing to give up on a better tomorrow, so neither could we. Whenever things felt bleak, the power of your hope was a beacon, reminding us to look toward the future with optimism.” …

… Quinn brings up a hand to finger an antique set of military dogtags hanging over her heart. “I miss Alodia,” she whispers. “And Kele.” …

… Estela places a pile of carefully folded clothes into a suitcase, gazing outside at the sunny shore of San Trobida. She picks up her phone, hesitating for a moment before pressing play...

… “Estela, you're a force of nature. Your unbridled fury can level mountains, evening out the landscape for all who reside within it. You taught me how to be fair, how to be true, and how to be just.

… I didn't get much time with all of you, but our memories will last forever, I can promise you that. ...My time is nearly up now. So before I go, let me just say one more time that I love you all. Our summer is over now, but another will come soon. When it does, imagine me there with you. Spending our days on the beach, watching every sunset melt into the sea, and gazing at stars that fill our hearts with wonder. Because with you is exactly where I will be.”...

… Her voice dies away. Diego puts away his phone and looks out over the other ten catalysts, gathered around a bonfire on the beach.

“Happy Reunion, everyone. Here's to five years.” He raises a glass, and the others lift their drinks in reply. “...And to Alodia.”

“...To Alodia,” the others echo.

Murphy dozes at Quinn's heels. His furry blue ear twitches, and he blearily opens one eye. Abruptly, he leaps up onto his paws, yipping excitedly.

“Hey, what's the matter, fella?” Diego asks. “You see something out th...”

Diego trails off, his eyes going wide. The others follow his gaze and freeze. The twelfth Catalyst stands at the treeline, the moonlight reflecting off her yellow hair and pale skin. Alodia laces her fingers behind her back, smiling almost shyly.

“...Hey, guys. Did somebody call me?”