Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Get up, go to school, go to practice, go home. Rinse and repeat. It's been the same routine for as long as I can remember. Always the same class, the same training groups, the same people. The same days. The same life, day after day, year after year, just like every single Daywalker old enough to go to school.

Well, almost every one.

I glance at Nova, sparring with Chiara. Talk about having it all. She doesn't go to school. She gets the best private tutors, only joining us for training. And even then, she's not one of us; she's the one leading the training session. All because of who her father is.

Though, looking at how she holds her own against my friend, I have to admit that she's good.

A fireball comes flying my way and I tear my eyes away from Nova and Chiara just in time to deflect it with my armband. Across from me, Aster smirks. I roll my eyes, well aware that he did it on purpose.

"The target is that way", I remind him sarcastically, pointing at the golden circles behind him.

"Just testing your reflexes", he replies, winking at me.

I conjure up a fireball of my own and send it flying past him, inches from his face, and through the hoops. Aster gives me a fake exasperated look.

"Show off", he mutters.

"Wanna show me you can do better?" I challenge.

"Oh, we're so on."

I chuckle as I get into position next to him. Both of us create fireballs and, on Aster's count, send them flying through various hoops around the training field, rushing past other team members, sometimes only narrowly avoiding burning someone. None of them are phased, though; they are used to our antics.

"All right, good job everybody", Nova calls after some time of practice.

I close my hands, causing my last few fireballs to disappear, and turn to her. She and Chiara have now been joined by Lucia, the latter's little sister and one of the newest members of our training group.

"Remember", Nova goes on, "put your whole body into it. Right in the fangs. Yah!" she demonstrates.

We all imitate her, out of reflex more than anything else. We've done these moves countless times.

"We've gotta be prepared", she reminds us, her stance going from confident to serious and grave. "At all times, of course, but especially now."

Her discourse is different than usual, and she's caught our attention. We all gather around her, eyes on her.

"You all know our Bloodfruit is dying. And… We've got to find more if we're gonna survive. So, the Commander has decided to lead an expedition to the Orchard."

Whispers run through the crow. I turn to Aster with wide eyes.

"The Orchard? I thought it was too dangerous!"

Aster just shrugs in response. Nova waits until we've all quieted down to go on.

"Tomorrow, those of you who are fifteen and older will come with us. But no one knows what the Vampires might be up to while we're away from here. So make sure you're all in top form. Any questions?"

Despite our whispers, we all shake our heads. Nova relaxes and nods.

"Good. Then back to it."

We all scatter, returning to our training positions. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Lucia going over to Nova, who crouches in front of her.

"Why do I have to do this if I'm not even allowed to go?" she complains.

Nova smiles kindly at her.

"So you can protect the town while we're away, silly", she says gently. "Come here", she adds, opening her arms.

Lucia melts into the hug. I catch Chiara's eye and we exchange a smile. Aster punches my arm.

"C'mon, enough daydreaming. I still need to prove you that I've got the best aim."

Before I can respond, I notice that Nova seems to be zoning out all of a sudden. Her eyes are fixed on the ocean and she looks like she's staring at it without really seeing it. Lucia must have felt it too, because she pulls away from her embrace and starts waving one hand in front of her face.

"Nova? Hey! Earth to Nova!"

"Nova!"

Everyone, Lucia and Nova included, jumps as we hear the stern voice of Commander Bright. Once again, all training stops and we turn to him, but he is speaking only to his daughter.

"Nova! I ask you to run your recruits through training maneuvres, and I find you doing… What exactly?"

Nova turns to him and gives him a sheepish smile, while the rest of us try to pretend we aren't eavesdropping.

"A little self-reflection?"

"Come on, we need to talk."

"Okay." Nova seems a little nervous as she turns back to us. "Keep up the good work, everyone!" she calls.

We all resume our training as she walks away with her father. I force myself to shake off the nervousness that I'm feeling and focus on practice. Sure, leaving the protection of Sunnyside is dangerous, but as long as we're prepared, nothing can go wrong. Go out, defeat the Vampires, get the Bloodfruit, come back. Easy.

Right?

***

"I still can't believe we're going to see the outside", Chiara says a little while later, as we're walking back home after training. "It's… pretty scary."

"I think it's exciting", Aster replies, his face reflecting basically the least amount of excitement a human being could possibly show.

"Speak for yourself!" Lucia snaps back. "I don't even get to leave the town!"

"But you get to protect it", I remind her. "That's just as important."

We slow down as we reach Aster's appartment.

"Wanna go through a few more rounds tomorrow before we go, Dawn?" he offers.

"Sure. Meet you at the beach at seven?"

"You got it."

He waves goodbye to the three of us, and we wait until he's inside the building before we go on.

"What do you think, Dawn?" Chiara asks me, resuming our conversation. "Exciting or scary?"

"I mean… Both? Going to the Orchard kind of feels like stepping into a story book", I admit.

The central square of the city is buzzing with activity. Those of the Daywalkers who work at our orchards have just come back, and they're busy loading and unloading crates of Bloodfruit. Lucia spots their parents, Blaze and Ember, and runs towards them. Her mother pauses to pick her up, and waves at us while Lucia starts talking her ear off, probably telling her about her day as usual. Chiara and I each pick up a crate and start helping.

I don't immediately notice Commander Bright and his daughter are close to us. It isn't until he speaks up that I become aware of their presence.

"Nova, we don't have time for your visions."

Visions? I glance at Chiara, who frowns back at me in return. We make up our minds in an instant. While still carrying crates, we make sure we stay just within earshot of them.

"If our orchards are dying, the Vampires' may be too", Commander Bright goes on. "They'll destroy us to get that last fruit."

I shiver, but something seems to be bugging Nova. She takes a deep breath, then dares:

"Dad… How much longer can we live in fear of people we've never even seen?"

What's that supposed to mean? I glance at Chiara again, but she isn't looking at me, focused on the conversation. I quickly turn back to the Brights. The Commander doesn't look delighted with his daughter's question.

"Well, as long as I'm in charge", he says curtly. "I know what it takes to keep our people safe. And if you wanna lead one day, you'll follow my lead."

"Right", Nova agrees.

This doesn't seem to be enough of a response for the Commander, because he pauses and gives her a stern look. Chiara and I have no choice but to walk past them, as we don't want to seem suspicious, but we still catch a few more sentences.

"Nova. Can I count on you?"

"You can!" Nova answers earnestly. "I promise."

"Girls!" Chiara's father calls. "Over here."

We bring our crates to him and set them down.

"These are the last ones", Blaze sighs. "And not nearly enough to feed the town. It's more than high time we did something about it."

"Well, they are!" Lucia calls from her mother's arms.

"Lucia!" Chiara protests. "I wanted to say it!"

Her sister ignores her.

"They're going to the Orchard tomorrow!" she chants.

Blaze and Ember exchange grave looks. Chiara quickly tunes in.

"The Commander will be there, and so will Nova. It's all going to be okay", she promises.

"We've been training hard for this", I add.

Ember sighs. She sets down Lucia and turns to Chiara, resting both hands on her shoulders to look her in the eye.

"Just be careful, darling."

Chiara nods, and Ember turns to me, placing one of her hands on my shoulder, the other still on Chiara's shoulder.

"You, too. I know how hard you've been working for this. Take care of each other, okay?"

"Promise", I assure her, and so does Chiara.

Ember sighs again and pats both of our shoulders before letting us go.

"Good. Now let's head home. Dawn, you wanna come over for dinner?"

I immediately accept. Lucia grabs her mother's hand and skips along, while Blaze walks behind Chiara and I. I exchange a glance with my friend and we both nod at each other.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

***

The lights are still on when I get back from Chiara's place. I unlock the door and step into the small two-bedrooms appartment.

"Mom?" I call. "I'm h—"

I trail off as I hear the snoring. As usual. Mom has passed out on the couch, surrounded by several empty glass bottles. I sigh.

"Hey Mom", I whisper quietly, already kneeling down to gather the empty bottles. "Today was kinda crazy. It started off normal, and then at training Nova told us we're going to the Orchard tomorrow…"

Mom snores louder. I throw away the bottles, grab a blanket and spread it over her shoulders.

"Love you, Mom", I breathe.

Then I go to my room, get into bed and go to sleep.

Chapter Text

When I wake up in the morning, Mom hasn't moved an inch. I make sure she has everything she needs before heading out. Aster is already waiting for me at the beach. We greet each other as usual before getting started on our training. We don't speak much; both of us are focused on our work and on the day to come. Later, as we take a short break, I tell him about the conversation Chiara and I overheard yesterday.

"Nova has visions?" Aster repeats, raising an eyebrow.

I shrug.

"Apparently. What I don't get is the other part, the one about living in fear. We're training, right? It's not fear if we're getting ready to face them?"

"I mean… Sort of", Aster replies thoughtfully. "We're training because we're afraid."

"We're not afraid of Vampires", I protest. "Well, I'm not."

"Then don't call it fear. Call it concern. Concern that they might attack us."

"Well, but what are we supposed to do? We can't just not train, and be unprepared when they come!"

Aster sighs.

"I don't know. You ready?"

I nod and take his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet as we resume our training. It isn't until midday that we head back to the town square, both of us trying to ignore the hunger we're feeling. However, as we get to the square, we're surprised to find several long tables covered in plates. On each plate is half a Bloodfruit — double the usual ration. Chiara sees us coming and runs towards us.

"Look!" she exclaims. "It's for those going on the expedition!"

The three of us take our seats. Commander Bright appears at the end of the middle table, followed by Nova and her cousin, Ray. Everyone quiets down.

"Daywalkers!" the Commander begins. "For the past decades, our Bloodfruit orchards have been steadily declining. The situation has become so dire that we have had to asked heavy sacrifices of you. And all of you have complied without protest. But today, our hunger stops! Today, our most qualified fighters gather on a dangerous quest to find the legendary Orchard. Soon, our troubles will be over!"

He raises a fist in the air and we all cheer. He waits for the cheers to stop before he continues.

"And to those of you who have been chosen for this expedition, we have carefully selected you amongst the best of our fighters. I commend your bravery. Let it be known that your act of courage shall not be forgotten. This Bloodfruit is for you, to honor you and give you strength on this journey. Now, let us eat!"

Cheers erupt again, but I notice the rest of the Daywalkers eyeing our Bloodfruit with envy. Aster doesn't even touch his; he merely pockets it without a word. I place half of mine on his plate. He tries to shake his head and give it back, but I cross my arms and stare at him angrily, indicating I won't budge. Eventually, he sighs and eats what I gave him.

"Thanks", he mutters, wiping red juice from his mouth.

I wave his thanks away. I notice Chiara, too, is saving part of her ration; I know she'll share it with Lucia the moment she gets a chance. All the joy that I felt from seeing the Bloodfruit has melted away.

"It's not fair", I mutter.

Aster nods.

"I know", he sighs. "But… Hey, it's gonna get better, right?"

I shake my head, unconvinced, and so does Chiara. The three of us sit back in our chairs, not daring to leave the table, although we're all dying to. The eyes of every single person in the crowd are fixed upon those tables, and the Bloodfruit. It's almost painful. I look around for familiar faces, seeking comfort, but all I can see is envy and hunger. Aster's family is standing at the back, faces hollow with hunger. Almost all his siblings are there, as well as both of his parents, which is a rare occurence, since they work a lot to support the whole family. I notice Aster is refusing to look their way, and I can't blame him.

Blaze, Ember and Lucia are in the first rows. Lucia is in her father's arms, for once; she looks — understandably — upset, but Blaze is talking to her in a gentle voice. When I meet his eye, I can tell he tries his best to look optimistic and encouraging. God bless that man, I think to myself.

Ember is talking to someone, and my heart stops beating when I see her. Her hair isn't combed, she's still wearing yesterday's clothes, and it looks like Ember had to drag her out of bed, but she's here. She even tries to smile at me when she catches my eye. I smile back.

At last, Commander Bright stands, giving the signal for the rest of us to leave the table. Chiara rushes over to her family, and I notice she immediately gives Lucia the Bloodfruit that she saved. I follow her and awkwardly stop in front of Mom.

"Hey, Mom. You came."

"Why didn't you tell me you were going?"

I shrug.

"You were asleep when I got home."

We stand in awkward silence for a few moments. I am almost grateful when Nova's voice rings through the square, interrupting the moment.

"Daywalkers! Our journey begins!" she calls.

Once again, we all cheer. Blaze, Ember, Lucia and Chiara all embace. I turn back to Mom. She nods at me.

"Go ahead, then."

I nod back and try to smile. Ember lets go of Chiara and turns to me. She pulls me into a hug and places a kiss on the top of my head, just like she does with her daughters.

"Good luck, Dawn. Take care."

I notice Mom is staring at us. I pull away and smile apologetically at Ember, hoping she'll understand. She smiles back. I give them both a nod.

"I'll see you tonight", I tell them both.

Chiara takes my hand and pulls me towards the already assembling party, turning around a couple of times to wave at our families over our shoulders.

"Bye Chiara! Bye Dawn!" Lucia calls after us.

Aster, after saying goodbye to his own family, joins us. We all gather behind our leaders: Commander Bright leading the way, then the adults, dragging chariots for the Bloodfruit. Us teenagers come last, led by Nova and Ray. In a solemn line, we head out of the city, along the beach and towards the tunnels, with the Commander shouting encouragements every now and then.

We're almost at the tunnels when all of a sudden, an unfamiliar figure appears on our left. It's a tall man with green hair and messy clothes. He comes down the rocky slope and positions himself between the adults and us. Nova stops short.

"Wait!" she says, holding out an arm for us all to stop.

The man doesn't seem intimidated. He comes towards us with a big, friendly smile on his face.

"Hello! Hi! I'm Zed. I was wondering if you guys had a mechanic I could use?"

He doesn't look like a Daywalker.

"Is that a Vampire?" I mutter.

"Vampire?" someone behind me repeats.

Within seconds, our entire group is panicking.

"Vampire!" everyone exclaims.

Nova reacts immediately. She rushes towards him, sommersaulting as she does so, and we follow suit, ready to give her a hand, but she hardly needs any support: before any of us can even so much as catch up with her, she lands a kick square in the intruder's chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Okay, Vampire!" she exclaims. "Talk."

"Vampire?" the man repeats, scrambling to his feet. "What? What, no, no! I'm Zed. I'm a zombie."

Zombie? I turn to Chiara and Aster and give them an inquiring frown. They both shrug in return.

"He doesn't look like a Vampire", Aster admits in a low voice. "Not one from the books, anyway."

I nod in agreement, as Nova continues to question the so-called zombie.

"How did you even get in here?"

"I don't know! I was driving, and then my Z-band went crazy, and then all of a sudden I—"

His clearly clueless monologue is interrupted by Ray, who suddenly conjures up a fireball.

"You're the guest of honor at the Daywalker barbecue!"

He raises his hand, turning the fireball towards Zed, who starts squealing in panic. The only thing that strikes me, however, is how slow Ray is. If it had been Aster or me, I'm betting the intruder would be toast already. Even Chiara would have been faster than him, and fire isn't even her strength — it's hand-to-hand combat.

"Ray!" Nova exclaims in an authority-filled tone. "Stand down!"

In all the years that I've trained with her, I've never heard her talk to anyone like that. I stare at her in surprise. Ray does as he's told. Just as he does so, the Commander joins us. He does not look happy.

"Commander", Ray greets him at once. "How do we know this… Thing isn't a vampire spy?"

Commander Bright pays no attention to him.

"Nova, I hope you have a good reason this intruder was not immediately destroyed", he says coolly.

Zed leans over to Nova and says something. From where we are, we can't hear it, but we can see Nova immediately shushing him. She stands strong in front of her father, though I can see her hands are shaking slightly.

"Dad, I don't think he's a Vampire. Zombie, smile!" she orders, and Zed does as he's told. "See?" she goes on. "No fangs."

"Yeah, no fangs, no fangs!" Zed confirms. "Does no fangs mean that I get a big warm welcome and I can stop smiling?"

Commander Bright's coldness doesn't waver. He briefly glances at the zombie before turning back to Nova, who once again seems to be fighting the urge to cower under his angry gaze.

"Dad, you always told us that Vampires are evil and ruthless. But he's just… Green, and clueless."

"Thank you!" Zed exclaims. "Yes. Wait, that's mean. Okay", he mumbles, going quiet again.

Chiara and I chuckle.

"We could use another recruit", Nova tries again, but this time her voice falters as her father still doesn't stop glaring at her. "What… What do you think?" she stutters.

Even her body language has gone from commanding to small and submissive. As I notice it, I realise I've never seen her interact much with her father before. The Commander almost never came to see our training sessions. I had never thought much about what their relationship might be like.

"He looks like he has a strong back that could harvest a lot of fruit", Commander Bright says eventually, still eyeing the stranger up and down.

I can see Nova relax even from where I stand.

"I will literally harvest your entire orchard if it means I won't get air-fried", Zed promises.

Commander Bright takes a few steps forwards, closing the gap between himself and his daughter. Again, I can see Nova tense up. He leans over and whispers something in her ear. She nods in response. Then he turns away, motionning for all of us to follow.

"To the tunnel!" he orders.

We all start moving again, Nova pushing Zed in front of her.

"Let's get closer", I whisper to Aster, who immediately agrees.

I grab Chiara's hand as well and the three of us make our way up the group, until we're standing right behind Nova, Zed and Ray.

"Wow, the way you all came for me… Those Vampires must really have you spooked, huh?" Zed assumes.

Nova smirks, and immediately, I know what's coming.

"You don't know the half of it."

Nova

We're the Daywalkers, we've got the power of the sun

Here it's way hotter, won't take no shade from anyone

Check the showstopper, we make a fire on our own

Thanks to the Light Stone

Ray

Number one status, those sneaky Vamps are gonna learn

Try to come at us, you're gonna go home with a burn

Nova

We're the real baddest, with all our solar-powerd flare

It's almost unfair

Ray

Lucky you

For stumbling through

Daywalkers

Welcome to the light side, light side

It's better on the bright side, bright side

You know we're the most unforgettable

You'll ever see, oh-oh, more incredible

This is the place to be

Na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na

This is the place to be

We continue singing and dancing as we get to the tunnel. But, all of a sudden, I notice Nova hanging back, her eyes on the horizon. Hesitantly, I abandon Chiara and Aster, who are still dancing around Zed, and take a few steps towards her.

Nova

There's life beyond the old fears

A song my people don't hear

I see a future they can't

Does anybody understand?

Does anybody understand?

"Hey…"

I hold out my hand to her. She jumps, but smiles when she sees me. Behind me, Ray and the others motion for her to join. She nods and starts running towards the rest of the group, grabbing my hand as she passes by and pulling me along. Still singing, we walk into the tunnel.

Chapter Text

Inside the tunnels, our mood goes from playful to solemn again. As we progress, we start to fully realise that we're leaving Sunnyside for a world full of unknown and potential danger. We progress in the dark for a while, lit only by torches, until we see a ray of light ahead of us. The exit is locked by a gate, which Commander Bright opens with a small key. He pushes it open and steps outside as we all watch in awe.

"There it is", he says, almost to himself. "The old Orchard…"

Then he turns back to us and gives us a nod. We all follow suit. As we leave the tunnels, I can feel my heart beating faster than ever. This is it. This is the outside. And the Orchard…

It looks just the same as our childhood story books. Aster and I exchange amazed glances as we make our way down the green, grassy slope.

The sound of commotion behind us causes us to turn around. Commander Bright is the first to notice them, mere meters behind us, coming down the slope as well.

"Vampires!" he exclaims.

Several people gasp. Nova immediately falls into a combat stance, and the rest of us follow her lead, but the Commander shakes his head.

"Move! Move!" he urges us. "We have to get to the Bloodfruit first!"

We start running. So do the Vampires. My heart is beating out of my chest. Chiara's hand closes around my own as we go.

Then all of a sudden we feel a gust of wind above our heads. The Vampires have taken flight, and despite all our efforts, they soar above us effortlessly, some of them cackling and taunting us as they go. Ray and a few others shoot some fireballs at them, but most miss. Aster and I barely exchange a glance before joining the fight, shooting as fast as we can, applying everything we've learnt.

A girl around my age, with leather clothing and red strands in her otherwise black hair, soars right above my head, and I don't hesitate. My fireball catches her in the shoulder; she gasps in pain and starts plummeting towards the ground.

"Vera!"

A boy with dark brown braids rushes after her as she falls, and catches her with his powers. They hover above me for a few seconds, slightly out of breath.

"You okay?" the boy asks.

"Yeah. C'mon!" she urges him.

They fly away, joining the rest of their people, most of whom are already out of reach. Only then do I realise I completely forgot to shoot them.

"Let's go, let's go!" Nova urges us.

I snap out of it and start running again. Every second counts.

But when we arrive at the orchard, we have the surprise to see the Vampires gathered around the door, apparently unable to open it. They turn to us and some of them start summoning their powers. So do some of us.

"Zed!"

There's a girl with the Vampires that doesn't look like a Vampire. She has blue and white hair, and her blue sports' suit is nothing like the leather clothes most of the Vampires are wearing. She breaks their ranks and throws herself at Zed, who catches her with obvious relief.

The Commander motions for us to stand down and takes a step forwards; the leader of the Vampires does the same.

"Vampires! Explain yourselves", Commander Bright orders. "What are you doing at our Orchard?"

As he speaks, I notice two newcomers pushing past us. One of them has the same green hair as Zed; the other might look like a Vampire, especially with her fangs, were it not for the tribal markings on her cheeks.

"I could ask you the same about our Orchard", the Eldress spits. "Daywalker thieves!"

"Thieves?" Ray repeats.

He summons fireballs; the Vampires summon their own powers, and soon all of us are getting ready for battle. Great job, Ray. King of Escalation.

"Hey, is this a bad time?"

We turn to see one of the two new girls, the one with the fangs. I notice she glances at the blue-haired girl, who grimaces at her. At least her intervention helps de-escalate; most of us relax and our fireballs and wind storms disappear.

"That's it", one of the Vampire says, and I recognise her as the girl I hurt earlier — Vera, as her friend called her. "I'll handle this. Get out of my way. I'm soaring over."

Although I can see she is using only one arm, unlike the other Vampires, the storm she summons is no less impressive than any of the others. But this time, the green-haired girl interrupts.

"Hold it! That may not be safe", she warns.

Vera turns to her with a questioning look. But, upon a sign from the Eldress, she relaxes and watches on as the newcomer grabs a pinecone and throws it over the wall.

Well, tries.

There is a wave of energy, and the pinecone is violently repelled. For a brief moment, we can see a blueish glow around the whole Orchard. All of us gasp in shock.

"There's a force field!"

"But how will we get the fruit?"

I turn to Chiara and Aster. Chiara looks defeated, while Aster has a hint of curiosity in his eyes. I can tell that his mind is running at full speed, trying to figure out a solution.

"It looks like you need three keys", the blue-haired girl points out, indicating the gate.

"And there's a clue under the first key", the green-haired one adds.

Squinting, I can make out the word GATHER under one of the locks, along with a set of symbols. Aster immediately pushes forward, trying to get to the lock for a better look, but the Vampires step in his way. Vera, along with the boy who caught her earlier, hiss at him, summoning their powers once more.

"Vampires, guard the gates!" the Eldress orders.

"Daywalkers, ready yourselves!" Commander Bright calls in response.

"Wait!"

A shrill whistle and a cry from the blue-haired girl interrupt the battle before it can begin.

"We have a proposal", she says quickly. "Assemble a group of your young leaders, and we'll help you find the keys and get through the gate."

"Yeah", Zed agrees, "if you can agree to split the harvest."

"That's a great idea! We could stay at that old camp", the girl with the fangs suggests, pointing at a tree behind us.

Turning around, we can see a sign that says "Camp Rayburn".

"And why should we trust you?" the Vampire Eldress challenges.

"Because we're two zombies, a werewolf and an alien. We're living proof that all monsters can work together."

They're what now?

Surprisingly enough, Commander Bright is the first to break the silence.

"I'll be the first to accept their terms. Nova, you're in charge."

Zed fist-bumps Nova, who softly exclaims "yay!". The Commander steps towards the Eldress, his hand outstretched. We hold our breaths.

"Fine", the Eldress accepts, shaking his outstretched hand. "We'll do the same. Victor, show them who rules the mountain."

A young boy standing right behind her looks absolutely delighted by this news.

"All right! Ten-minute break!" he exclaims enthusiastically.

Most of the Vampires laugh. Vera doesn't. Neither does the Eldress. Victor notices.

"Sorry", he says quickly, his expression changing to terror as he notices the look on the Eldress' face. "I mean, yeah! Let's do this!"

The blue-haired girl — I'm assuming she's the alien, then — exchanges delighted looks with Zed and the other two. Upon a sign from the Commander and the Eldress, respectively, the adult Daywalkers and Vampires gather the chariots again and start heading back towards the tunnels. Meanwhile, the teenagers follow the four outsiders to Camp Rayburn.

As we leave, I notice Nova talking with Ray and Commander Bright. I can't catch their conversation, but she looks shaken. Once Ray and the Commander have left, she trails behind, looking at the gate. Her breathing is heavy.

"Hey", I call out to her, trying to keep my voice gentle. "You okay?"

She jumps and turns to me. Once again, she forces that familiar, enthusiastic, leader-smile when she recognizes me.

"Yeah. Yeah, come on. Let's go do this!"

Chapter Text

When we get to Camp Rayburn, after a quick trip back home to collect our things and let our loved ones know where we're going, it's nighttime already. Zed and the other zombie, whose name we learn is Eliza, go ahead to get everything set up for us and make sure it's safe, while we stay back with Addison, the blue-haired, part-alien cheerleader, and Willa, the werewolf.

The mood is… Weird. Just a few hours ago, we were fighting and racing each other for the Bloodfruit. The idea of spending the next few days together, as a camp, feels completely off. Especially since they're, you know, Vampires.

Aster, Chiara and I are sitting together with the other Daywalkers.

"It feels so wrong", Chiara is saying. "I don't even know what to think. We were always told Vampires are dangerous and evil, but they're just… Teenagers."

Aster and I nod in agreement.

"They're like us", Aster says thoughtfully.

"Except they're not", Chiara reminds him, visibly shocked by his words. "They're Vampires. We're Daywalkers. You know? Day and night, light and darkness?"

"Yeah, yeah", Aster replies, waving her comment away. "I know."

As they speak, my eyes wander over to Nova. She is sitting with Ray; he's trying to talk to her, but though she nods every now and then, I can tell that he doesn't have her full attention. Doesn't have her attention at all, in fact. Her eyes are fixed on the Vampires — specifically, on Victor, who is sitting with Vera and her friend. I wonder if she realises she isn't the only one to feel the way she feels.

Vera has changed from her burnt clothes into new ones, but by the way she moves, I can tell she's still hurt. For some reason, part of me feels guilty, like I did something wrong. But I didn't… Right? We were all just defending ourselves.

Victor says something to her, that's clearly meant as a joke, and pats her shoulder as he speaks. She winces once more, and I make up my mind. When Zed appears in the gateway of Camp Rayburn, motioning for us all to come, and we all start to move, I lag behind. Victor, Vera and their friend also are amongst the last ones to get up. Praying that nobody will notice, I quickly approach Vera and hand her some of the ointment I'm used to carrying with me.

"Here. It will help with the burn", I say, as curtly as I can.

She pauses and turns to me. Victor and the other boy also stop, watching us from a few steps ahead. Vera looks me up and down with disgust; it's clear she doesn't trust me.

"What kind of trap is this?"

"It's what we use on our kids when they get hurt while learning to control their powers. Happens all the time."

"Why would you even want to give me that?"

I shrug.

"Because I'm the one who hurt you. I figured it's only fair."

She continues staring at me, but still doesn't take the ointment. I sigh.

"Look, if you don't want it—"

"It's fine, Vera", Victor says quickly, taking the ointment from me. "Thanks", he adds.

I wave him off and quickly turn away. As I hurriedly catch up to the rest of my friends, I can hear the two of them arguing behind me. Aster and Chiara give me questioning frowns when I catch up to them, but I shrug them off. Nova, however, catches my eye and offers me a small, incredulous smile. I realise she's probably seen the whole interaction.

I have no idea how to feel about any of this.

It's dark in the camp, and the cabins look old, dusty and unwelcoming. But just as we step in, Zed and Eliza turn on a generator and all of a sudden, dozens of small light bulbs go on everywhere. I gasp in amazement. Living in Sunnyside, none of us have ever seen the night. The little lights shining in the darkness are… Beautiful. Light feels even prettier in the dark, I think to myself.

Ray, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be enjoying this as much as I do. When an owl hoots close to us, he jumps, and moves closer to Nova.

"Ah! Night demon", he exclaims. "I hate the night! It's so dark and so scary and so… moist!"

Looking around, I realise most of the Daywalkers seem to be agreeing with him. Even Chiara doesn't seem happy about the situation. Am I the only one who thinks this is pretty?

No. Nova looks delighted, and Aster is observing everything with that familiar, curious look in his eyes. Well, that makes at least three of us.

The Vampires, led by Vera, start laughing at our scared friends.

"What a bunch of daybies!" she exclaims, and other Vampires chuckle.

Ray, clearly offended, steps towards them with a defying look.

"Look at those shampires", he comments. "Not scary at all! They don't even have fangs!"

As one, the Vampires flash their fangs at him, their eyes glowing red. The Daywalkers scream in terror, then turn away in an attempt to ignore what just happened. Nova turns to me.

"I can't believe it", she whispers. "Actual night."

"Yeah", I agree. "It's beautiful, right?"

The rest of the Daywalkers stare at us as if we'd lost our minds, but Nova merely nods at me with a knowing smile.

"Wanna go exploring?" I suggest.

She happily agrees, and the two of us head further into the camp — not before she and Victor exchange yet another shy smile.

"I'm glad you like it too", she admits quietly as we walk towards the cabins, taking in all of our surroundings. "It makes me feel less… Like an outsider."

"An outsider?" I repeat, confused. "But… Nova, you're our leader! You're anything but an outsider!"

"Yeah, I guess, I just… Sometimes it feels like no one sees things the way that I do. And that I'm… That there's something wrong with me, because of that."

"Is this about the Vampires?"

"In a way, yeah. And about a lot of other things, too. I just don't understand why we have to hate each other. You know?"

"Because they're… dangerous?" I try weakly, already knowing I don't believe it either.

"Do they look dangerous to you?" she asks, nodding towards the rest of our two groups.

"They're just teenagers", I agree, repeating Aster's words from earlier.

"Exactly. Oh, hey, look, these are Daywalker symbols!" she exclaims suddenly, pointing at the wall of one of the cabins.

"Vampire symbols!" one of the Vampires exclaims at the same time from the other end of the camp. "This used to be a Vampire camp!"

"This place probably used to be a Daywalker camp", Ray says, still staring provokingly at Vera, "and then you guys stole it and ruined it. Just like Commander Bright says you do with everything!"

Nova and I exchange a look and a sigh.

"See?" Nova whispers. "That's why I'm glad you see it too."

"You know what the Eldress says about Daywalkers?" Vera taunts.

As Ray urges her on, she leans over and whispers something in his ear. Ray jumps back, outraged.

"We do NOT eat soap to have shiny insides! They are naturally shiny!"

The Vampires laugh at his reaction, and so do Nova and I. Suddenly, Vera looks my way, and for the briefest instant, our eyes meet. I try to smile, but she looks away immediately.

"Come on", Nova says, hitting my arm lightly. "Let's keep exploring."

I nod and follow her as she opens the door to the cabin we're closest to. As we step inside, we both gasp. The beds there are beautiful, soft, white mattresses that looks like clouds resting on a sky of light blue wood. The whole room is basking in soft, yellow light.

"Daywalkers!" Nova calls. "Found our bunks!"

Then she launches into a coughing fit.

Yeah, this place is dusty.

***

The next morning, I am up bright and early — that is, early even for a Daywalker. Everyone else is still asleep, only Aster's bunk is empty. I don't question it, being used to him being an early bird too. I just climb out of bed, get dressed and creep outside as quietly as I can.

Aster is sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the generator, studying it carefully, but not getting too touchy. I smile and join him.

"Morning", I say, sitting down next to him.

"Morning", he replies.

"Slept well?"

"Uh-huh. You?"

"Yeah."

We sit in silence for a while. We never have much to say in the morning, anyway. He continues to study the generator, and I scoot away from it as I start to create some fire just for fun, unwilling to create an accident. At first it's only fireballs, then I move on to more complex things — multicolored sparks, movement, little fire sculptures.

"Careful there, buddy!"

I look up to see Zed walking towards us. It's Aster he's talking to. Addison is standing behind him and waves hello at me.

"That thing is fragile, you don't wanna break it."

"I'm not touching it", Aster replies, raising his hands as a demonstration. "I just wanted to understand how it works."

"Well, you'd have to ask Eliza. She's the genius. Hey, since you two are up, would you mind giving us a hand with breakfast?"

It's been months since we've even had any breakfast. Years, maybe. I think we've lost count at this point. Both Aster and I are more than happy to help.

I light the bonfire in the middle of the camp, then Zed and Aster gather mugs and bowls while Addison and I get working on some Blooodfruit porridge.

"I saw what you were doing earlier", Addison says, cutting up some Bloodfruit while I stir the pot. "With your fire. Pretty impressive."

"Thanks", I answer. "But I've lost my touch. It's not often that I get to practice those tricks."

"Why not?"

"No use in battle. We need to focus on the skills that are actually useful."

Addison sighs.

"A lot of your lives sure revolves around you and the Vampires hating each other, huh?"

The phrase hits me like a brick. All of a sudden, I start to understand what Nova meant last night.

"I… I guess", I mutter.

"Well, you should practice more often", Addison goes on. "I think all of us need useless things in our lives. Things that are there just for the fun."

I nod, unsure what to say. For a little while, we keep cooking in silence, only saying things like "pass me the spoon" and "do you think it needs more sugar" every once in a while. And then, all of a sudden, without me even planning to in any way, the words just tumble out of my mouth.

"Why do I feel bad for hurting Vera?"

Addison pauses for a moment, the sets down the spoon and turns to look at me. Her eyes are full of kindness.

"Oh, Dawn…"

She sits me down on the log. I let her, feeling rather numb. I'm still not sure why I said that.

"You feel bad because, despite everything you've been taught, part of you can still see that she's a teenager just like you are, and you have empathy. You feel bad because you're a good person."

She smiles at me. There's something about her that makes me feel safe. Like part of me just knows I can trust her.

"I gave her our ointment", I tell her. "The one that we use when the kids hurt themselves. But she didn't want it."

"Well, give her some time. You did the right thing. But you're not the only one who needs to unlearn everything you were ever taught."

Before I can respond, we here Ray shouting "Fire!" and turn around just in time to see him and a few other Daywalkers shooting fireballs at the door of the Vampires' cabin, which quickly closes. Addison jumps up and starts running towards them, but at that moment, Willa appears out of nowhere and flashes her fangs at the Daywalkers. They all squeal and scatter, and the werewolf enters the Vampires' cabin, looking very satisfied with herself.

"And that's that", we hear her say.

The Vampires cheer, and Addison and I both chuckle. Moments later, the Vampires come out of their cabin for breakfast. Addison and I hand out the porridge, but most of the Vampires insist on being served by Addison.

"I'm not taking food from a Daywalker", some of them mumble.

"Fine", I groan, rolling my eyes as the tenth person in a row refuses food from me.

I am about to give up when Victor shows up. He still looks pretty sleepy, but he hands me his bowl without hesitation.

"Hi", he says, smiling at me.

I smile back.

"Hi. You want some evil Daywalker porridge?"

He chuckles.

"Oh, for sure. I mean, it's food! Who'd be crazy enough to refuse that?"

"Guess you guys don't get much breakfast either in Shadyside, huh?"

Victor shakes his head.

"We're lucky if we even get a full meal", he admits.

"Same here. Bloodfruit is rationed, one quarter per person and per day."

He winces. Just like me, he knows perfectly well that isn't enough.

"Well… At least one of the advantages of this camp is we get to eat, huh?"

I nod in agreement. He takes his porridge and takes a seat with the rest of the Vampires. The Daywalkers come as well, and openly rejoice about the food. Their bright eyes and eager faces are a pleasure to see. Once everyone has gotten their share, I take my own bowl and join Aster and Chiara.

"Well, I like this place better in the daytime", Chiara declares.

"Come on, the night wasn't that bad", I protest. "I liked it."

Chiara raises an eyebrow at me.

"I knew you were weird, but I didn't think you were that weird", she jokes.

"Aster liked it too", I reply.

"I found it interesting", Aster corrects me. "For scientific purposes."

"Uh-huh."

We finish eating in silence, devouring our porridge eagerly. Since I got served last, my friends are done before me.

"Go ahead", I encourage them, my mouth still full. "I'll join you in a sec."

Aster immediately goes over to Eliza, presumably to ask questions about the generator. Chiara hesitates a bit longer, but she isn't dressed and we both know she needs some time to get ready, so she eventually leaves after I encourage her again.

I am finishing my last mouthful when, much to my surprise, Vera comes up behind me.

"The ointment worked, by the way", she says.

I scoot over on the trunk, making room for her in case she wants to sit down, but she doesn't move. She has her hands in her pockets and isn't quite looking at me.

"That's good", I answer, somewhat awkwardly.

"It still hurts. But less."

"Keep using it, a couple of times a day if you can. It will take a few days to completely heal."

She nods at me. I want to apologize. I can tell she wants to thank me. Neither of us do. After all, we're just two kids. And we're supposed to hate each other.

She turns and walks away.

Chapter Text

After breakfast, we are all getting ready and cleaning our cabin when Addison and Eliza come in. Nova turns to them and a bright smile appears on her face.

"Addison! Thank you so much for helping us", she exclaims.

"Oh, yeah, it's the least I can do! After you saved my boyfriend from becoming a Zomburger…"

Nova chuckles.

"Well", she goes on, "you all are taking on a lot. The Vampires and Daywalkers have hated each other for… Forever."

Addison nods in understanding.

"Yeah, I gathered. Look, maybe it would help if you and the Vampire leader teamed up. Victor? I think you saw him outside the gate? If you two show that you can work together, it shows them that they can work together too."

"Yeah", Nova agrees. "That makes sense!"

"And, you know, maybe you can get help from some of the other Daywalkers. You're not the only one who's open to change here, you know."

Nova turns to me, and I give her an awkward little smile. She looks back at Addison and nods.

"Yeah. I know", she agrees.

"Great!"

Addison turns back to the rest of us and claps her hands.

"Okay, team, let's get psyched and find those keys, us, Daywalkers and Vampires, all working together!"

The other Daywalkers burst out laughing. Ray crosses his arms and puffs out his chest, looking Addison up and down.

"Yeah, right. That is not gonna happen."

Nova and I exchange defeated looks.

"Come on", Eliza tries, "where's your team spirit?"

"Oh, come on, we've got team spirit!" Ray protests. "For our team. Daywalkers!"

"Daywalkers! Daywalkers!" the others chant.

Ray

I think it's obvious, look at them and look at us

We're the team who's gonna crack this code

They may think they're number one, but we're harnessing the sun

We're so bright that a Vamp might explode

Eliza

I bet all of you have more in common than you might have guessed

Do you really want to fight each other over who's the best?

All

Yes!

We rush out of the cabin. Across camp, the Vampires do the same, and soon both teams are dancing in front of each other, clearly ready for a fight.

All

Hey, step right up, if you wanna go it's going down

Hey, come on in, if you wanna dance let's shake it out

Watch your back, little monster

Got you right where we want ya

Hey, step right up, you're about to learn your lesson

Don't go messing with us

Ignoring our self-appointed counsellors' attempts to get us to calm down, we all run off into the forest, still challenging each other.

All

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't mess with us!

Ray

You know, maybe they're right, let's get along instead

How 'bout a day at the beach? I'll bring some garlic bread

Vera

Oh then you'll soar back home with the wind at your command?

Oh wait, you can't! But hey, nice tan!

Ray

We can make fire

Vargas

So can two sticks

Vera

We're living legends, Ray

Ray

You're walking party tricks!

Vera

I'll serve you sunny side up with a spatula

Vargas

Oh, burn!

Ray

You can't even count, Dracula!

Zed & Addison

Can we take a breath and try to see each other's point of view?

You don't want to hurt someone with all that rage inside of you

All

Yeah we do!

Hey, step right up, if you wanna go it's going down

Hey, come on in, if you wanna dance let's shake it out

Watch your back, little monster

Got you right where we want ya

Hey, step right up, you're about to learn your lesson

Don't go messing with us

As we danced, we have come to a spot in the forest that seems like it belongs to the camp. There is some sort of stone building, and what looks like a hearth. We also find some curved blades that we know are from ancestral rituals, and immediately start wielding these as we dance.

All of a sudden, I notice Nova and Victor are face to face. They seem to be ignoring everything and everyone else, focused on each other. The rest of the two gangs, too focused on their dance battle, hasn't noticed. Yet.

Then Victor tries to reach for Nova, and she flips him over and throws him to the ground. I can immediately see she regrets her reaction as she brings her hands to her mouth and exclaims:

"Sorry! Reflexes…"

"Yeah", Victor growns, allowing her to pull him to his feet. "Got it. I'm gonna put out my hand now. Don't throw me into the sun. Victor."

But by then, the others have noticed them too. Before Nova can even answer, or shake his hands, a group of each team intervenes and pulls them away from each other. The dance battle continues.

All

Hey, step right up, if you wanna go it's going down

Hey, come on in, if you wanna dance let's shake it out

Watch your back, little monster

Got you right where we want ya

Hey, step right up, you're about to learn your lesson

Don't go messing with us

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mess with us

Don't mess with us!

All of a sudden, I realise that the ritualistic symbols that we've created using the blades are the same for Vampires and Daywalkers. But before I can even point this out, the song comes to an end, everyone throws their blades into the hearth, and for some reason, the Daywalkers set them on fire.

Above the hearth, the same symbol lights up, glowing from the flames.

"Hey!" Nova exclaims all of a sudden. "That's the symbol that was over the word GATHER! At the gate!"

"Well, we're certainly gathered", Victor comments, and his friend high-fives him.

But Nova ignores them. She rushes over and adjusts the decorations on the chimney so that they match the symbol. Then she steps back, eyes full of expectation.

The symbol glows brighter, flames coming through the cracks. Something on the ground opens. Ray is the first to see it, and he points in awe.

"That's it! That's the key!"

Nova gasps and rushes over.

"I'll take this", she says, retrieving the key from its case.

She turns and rushes past us, towards the gate. All of us follow. As she reaches the gate, she does a sommersault in triumph and brandishes the key in the air.

"Give us the key, sparkle toes!" Vera orders, coming up behind her.

Nova merely smirks and places the key in its lock. It clicks into place and lights up. The first part of the gate rolls open, revealing a second gate. All of us cheer.

"Look, it's clue two!" Victor's friend — whose name I learned is Vargas — exclaims, pointing at the drawing of a sun and a moon above the second lock.

"What does it mean?" Victor asks, studying the drawing.

"No idea", Nova admits.

"Same", the Vampires agree.

"Well", Addison's voice comes from behind us. We had almost forgotten about her. "Camp's now officially in session!"

We cheer as she and Zed embrace. I'm pretty sure I catch Vera glancing at me. I smile, and this time, she smiles back, ever-so-briefly.

As we head back to camp, I catch up with Nova.

"Hey, great job", I congratulate her.

Nova is beaming.

"Thanks! That's one key down, two to go."

"With a bit of luck, we'll have those gates open in no time. Then no more going hungry! For anyone", I add, remembering my conversation with Victor this morning.

"Yeah", Nova agrees, but I notice she seems put off by my comment.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask.

Nova squares her shoulders, nods, and gives me that smile again — the trying-to-pretend-everything-is-fine, leader-smile.

"Yeah. Of course!"

"Nova…"

I hold her back. She pauses and looks at me.

"Look, I know we've never been that close, and you probably have a ton of other people you can talk to, but… You don'thave to hide from me."

Nova sighs. She breaks eye contact and starts walking again, following the rest of the group. I walk alongside her.

"I don't, actually", she admits quietly. "I don't have people I can talk to. Not really, anyway. Not like you and Chiara and Aster, not like the others."

"Wait, Nova… Are you saying you don't have any friends?"

"No, I… Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's what I'm saying."

It makes sense, I realise. Nova never went to school with us, and though she came to training, she was there as a coach, not as part of our group. She was never really among peers.

"Well, what about Ray?"

"Ray is… It's complicated. I'm grateful for him, but there are some things I can never tell him. He's… Actually the worst possible person for certain topics. He reports everything to my Dad…"

"And there are things you'd just rather your Dad didn't know?" I assume.

"I just don't wanna disappoint him. He's… He's got a lot of faith in me."

"Why do you think you might disappoint him?"

"Some of the things that he expects…"

All of a sudden, Nova seems to realise what she's saying. She trails off and shakes her head.

"It's not important", she says. "I shouldn’t… Never mind."

"Okay", I accept. She's already opened up to me more than I ever thought she would, and I don't want to press her too hard. "But remember, if you ever need to talk… If you ever need a friend… I'm here, alright?"

She smiles, a genuine sort of smile this time.

"Alright. Thanks, Dawn."

Chapter Text

"This is stupid", Vera mutters.

I glance down at her bingo card. The counsellors have come up with a game for us to play while we're trying to figure out the second clue: some sort of makeshift bingo, in which we have to find one thing we have in common with as many people from the other team as possible. So far, I got that Victor and I both enjoy using our powers, that I have the same favorite color as another of the Vampire girls, and that both Vargas and I are only children. Vera, on the other hand, has been sitting on the side since the game started and her bingo card is still empty.

"Well, you have something in common with Ray then", I comment, indicating the curly-haired boy sitting on the other side of camp with his arms crossed.

Vera glares at me.

"I am nothing like Ray", she asserts.

"Okay, okay."

I sit down on the log next to her. She glares at me again, but still scoots over to make more space for me. Though reluctantly, she glances at my bingo card.

"I'm also an only child", she says. "Just put that down."

"It has to be something different each time", I explain with an apologetic shrug.

"Ugh. Well, I don't know, just write down that we have the same… I don't know, favorite book or something. Make something up. I don't care."

"If you really don't want to talk to me, just say so."

Vera is now staring daggers at me, but she doesn't say anything. I sigh.

"Look, I get that you hate me— I mean us. But, we're stuck together until we find those other two keys. I just… I just think the time here would be more fun if we can at least be civil towards one another. You know?"

"I don't hate you", Vera mumbles.

"What?"

"I said I don't hate you. Don't take it personally though. It's only because you gave me that ointment."

I nod.

"Got it."

We sit in silence for a while longer.

"What is your favorite book?" Vera asks eventually.

"I don't read much", I admit. "No time."

"Better to work on useful skills?" Vera guesses. "Yeah", she sighs as I nod. "Same here."

"What would you do? If you had more time?"

"Good question. I never really thought about it, actually. But… Reading is a big one, for sure. And maybe music or something. Not that it matters", she adds, and I can tell that she's closing up again, like she's scared of letting her walls down for too long.

"I love music", I confide, willing to take a step in her direction after she just opened up to me. "Listening to it, I mean. It's, like… My safe space. It helps me shut out other stuff."

Vera nods.

"Me too", she says, almost reluctantly.

I can feel that there's a touchy subject related to this. I don't want to push her too hard, but I figure if I keep opening up, not too much, just a little at a time, she might do the same.

"It's like… As long as it's playing, I can pretend I'm somewhere else."

"Somewhere else than… Where?"

"Home", I mumble quickly.

Maybe for the first time, Vera looks at me with genuine interest, and something that almost looks like… Sympathy?

"Is your home not…?"

"Not the easiest", I confirm, my tone suddenly more bitter than I meant it to be. "My Mom is… It's a complicated topic."

"Tell me about it", Vera mumbles.

We fall silent again. I wait for her to speak again, but as she doesn't, I eventually try to prompt her again.

"Yeah?"

"If I tell you about my parents, you have to tell me about yours."

"Deal."

She takes a deep breath. Her hands are nervously twitching in her lap, and her eyes are fixed on the top of the treeline beyond the camp.

"My parents fight a lot", she says at last. "It's… Exhausting. I stay in my room as much as I can, because otherwise it's just… Just screaming all the time. And throwing things, sometimes."

"Vera, I'm sorry", I gasp. "That's awful. Are you… Are you safe though? Or do you ever, like… Get caught in the crossfire?"

She shrugs.

"I used to, when I was smaller. Now I know how and when to get out of the way. It's fine. It's… Just the way it is."

"I'm so sorry", I say again, for lack of better words.

"Now your turn. You promised."

This time, it's my turn to take a deep breath. For courage. I glance at her, but look away when I catch her eye. Staring at my hands feels easier.

"My Mom drinks a lot", I blurt out. "Like… A lot. So I have to take care of her."

"What about your father?"

"He's not in the picture. He died, I think. We don't talk about him."

"So… You're alone to deal with her?"

"I'm taking care of her", I repeat. "Not that it matters. Most of the time I come home late anyway, and she's already too drunk to do anything. And she works early so when I leave for school she's gone already. So… It's not like she really notices me or anything. I'm not sure she even realises I'm gone right now."

"I'm sorry, Dawn."

"Still. She's my Mom. And I've got to do what I can, you know?"

"Yeah."

"But sometimes I just… I wish she'd remember I exist, every once in a while. Tell me she loves me, or celebrate good grades, or… Normal parent stuff, I guess."

"Same here. But my parents are too focused on hating each other."

"And mine is too focused on alcohol."

"Well."

"Yeah."

She almost smiles.

"I guess we do have something in common."

"Wonder what should we put it down as?"

"Shitty parents?" she suggests.

"Or home that doesn't feel like home."

For some reason, we both start laughing. It's not really funny, but just knowing we aren't alone in this makes it all feel more tolerable.

Eventually, we just put down that we like listening to music.

***

After lunch, Willa and Zed decide to take some of us down to a river they found in the forest, while the rest stays at camp to chill or take a nap. Chiara and I both love swimming, so we take the opportunity at once, and so does Nova. Aster, on the other hand, stays at camp with Eliza — he hasn't stopped tagging along ever since they started talking about the generator this morning — and Ray also declines. On the Vampire side, Victor and Vargas are part of the party, but not Vera. As we walk through the forest to the place Zed and Willa found, Victor admits to me that she prefers not to come because of her burn.

"Oops?" I try, giving him an awkward smile.

"It's fine, don't worry. One day she'll throw you across camp with her powers, and then you'll be even", Victor jokes.

I grimace comically.

"Great."

Both of us laugh. Even Chiara, who's been walking beside me, and has been generally colder towards the Vampires than Nova and I, chuckles. Vargas comes up to us and puts an arm around my shoulders and the other around Chiara's.

"Hey, gorgeous", he flirts, probably at no one in particular.

Chiara and I both shrug off his arm in sync. Vargas raises his hands and pretends to be offended.

"Okay, okay, be like that", he jokes. "Anyway, I have a question. How come you Daywalkers like swimming? You'd think fire doesn't like water, wouldn’t you?"

"We live next to a beach, Vargas. Swimming is one of the first skills we learn as kids", Nova explains.

"Hey, us too!" Vargas exclaims.

"Well, I bet Daywalkers are the better swimmers", Chiara states.

We all tense up. But the Vampires just laugh.

"Bet", Victor replies.

His tone is playful. This time, the competition doesn't feel that serious. We all relax. Victor turns to Chiara and holds out a hand.

"Wanna prove it?"

Chiara hesitates. Nova and I exchange a glance, then both of us cheer her on. Encouraged, Chiara takes Victor's hand.

"We're on."

The two of them start running towards the river.

"Go Chiara!" Nova and I call after them.

"Go Victor!" Vargas replies.

We run after them, arriving at the beach just as the two of them emerge from behind trees, in their bathing suits. The rest of us line up along the shore, shouting encouragements. On Willa's signal, they both kick off, swimming as hard as they can across the river. The race is intense; they seem to hit the other shore at the same time, but as they turn and start swimming back, we can see that Victor is gaining a slight edge. We continue cheering until he hits Willa's hand, mere seconds before Chiara. Both of them stumble onto the beach, out of breath.

"Great race", Victor pants. "You were ahead of me for the whole first half."

"You won fair and square", Chiara admits, holding her hand out. "You're an awesome swimmer. But I'll get you next time."

Victor grins and shakes her hand.

"Can't wait", he assures her.

We spend the rest of the afternoon swimming, playing and splashing around in the river. More than once, someone starts a water fight, and almost each time, it escalates until all of us are splashing each other.

When we get back home, we are all delighted, but starving. We devour the dinner that the others have prepared, then continue the evening peacefully around the bonfire, grilling marshmallows and chatting. Sitting between Aster and Chiara, I lean back, feeling happy and peaceful. I haven’t had this much fun in ages. Thinking back to my conversation with Addison that morning — was it only this morning? I feel like it was an eternity ago —, I realise she was right: maybe we do need more things in our lives that are "just for fun". All of a sudden, I feel the urge to have some time for myself.

"I'm gonna take a quick walk", I whisper to Chiara.

She nods and I slip away from the campfire, into the forest. It's dark outside of the camp, but for some reason, I don't feel like lighting it up. For fun, I create the tiniest fireball, just enough to see where I'm going, but not enough to break through the darkness. I wander around for a while, looking for a perfect spot, until I reach the top of a hill with no trees. On top of the hill are what seems to be the ruins of a tower. As I come closer, I notice someone sitting at the foot of the ruins, playing with a twig. It's Vera.

"Hey", I whisper, stepping towards her. "Mind if I join you?"

She jumps when she sees me. As I sit down next to her, my fire lighting up her face, I can tell that something's off.

"Vera? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine", she says roughly.

I notice she is flinching away from my tiny fireball. I close my hand, causing it to disappear. Darkness surrounds us once more, and I can't see her face anymore.

"Vera, are you afraid of fire?" I ask. "Is that why you're not at the bonfire with the others?"

"I'm not afraid", she mumbles, but I barely hear her as another thought strikes me.

"Is this because of me? Are you afraid... Of me?"

"I'm not afraid!" Vera snaps this time.

"Okay, okay!" I exclaim, trying to hide my surprise at her brutal reaction — and also, maybe, that I'm a little bit hurt.

Vera wraps her arms around herself, fidgeting with the edge of the bandages on her injured shoulder. I pull my legs to my chest and rest my chin on top of my knees. We sit in silence.

"I'm sorry", I whisper eventually. "That I hurt you."

"Why?" she asks. "You were just doing... What you're supposed to do. Right? I would've done the same."

"I know. It's just... Following orders is starting to feel like it's not enough of an excuse anymore."

She doesn't respond, so I go on.

"I mean... We're our own people. Right? We're more than just Vampires or Daywalkers. We're also teenagers, music lovers, swimmers, good at magic... or not, brave, kind, smart, stubborn, nosy... You know what I mean?"

"I guess", she admits. "But... Does any of that matter if we're not taking care of our people?"

I shrug. I wish I had an answer, I wish it was easy. But I don't know what to think. Once again, we fall into a comfortable silence. Eventually, I am the one to break it.

"Hey, you know how we were talking about the things we'd do for the fun, earlier?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I show you something? Don't freak out."

"Sure, I guess."

I can hear the doubt in her voice. Careful not to make any sudden movements, I open my hand that's furthest from her and create a small fireball. I can feel her wince away from it. Working at a slow, controlled pace, I send it up into the sky, where it hovers above us.

"Ready?"

"What are you doing?"

"Relax. I won't let it hurt you", I promise. "Just watch, okay?"

"Okay", she mumbles.

The fireball explodes into small, colorful sparks. Vera jumps at first, but soon I can hear her gasp in amazement as the sparks glow for a while, then die away.

"Fireworks", I explain.

"Okay... That was kind of cool", she admits.

"Wanna see more?"

"Alright."

I start small and slow. But gradually, as I feel her getting more comfortable, I increase the speed and intensity of the fireworks. Then I move to more complex things, drawing symbols in the night sky: Vampire symbols in red, Daywalker symbols in gold. Vera doesn't say a word until I'm done showing off.

"Pretty cool", she says. "Really cool, actually", she adds as an afterthought.

"I'm glad you like it."

Chapter Text

Despite how late I went to bed last night, I wake up as early as usual the next morning. Aster is up already, as expected; but more surprisingly, Nova isn't in bed either. Intrigued, I get out of bed as quietly as I can and sneak out of the cabin.

Nova isn't outside, but I immediately forget about her as I see Zed, Addison, Eliza, Willa and Aster sitting around an already-lit fireplace. The four outsiders look exhausted. Judging by the grave looks on all of their faces, I know something is wrong.

"Morning, Dawn", Addison greets me, trying to smile, but failing.

"Hi… What's wrong?" I ask, sitting down next to them.

The counsellors exchange looks, and I can tell they're debating whether to let me in on what's going on. But before they can make a decision, Aster speaks up.

"There's a sort of pulse that's messing with the energy sources they need to survive."

I gasp, putting a hand up to my mouth.

"That's awful! Can we do anything to help?"

"Eliza and I are trying to track it", Aster explains. "The problem is we can only do that when it's manifesting, and, well… That has obvious disadvantages."

"There is one thing you can do, Dawn", Addison chimes in.

I turn to look at her. Her eyes are earnest and sincere.

"I need you with the others. You and a few others have been doing such a great job at bringing both teams together. Keep that up, focus on them. Take care of them."

I frown in confusion.

"But, but… What about you? Why me?"

She puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a kind, encouraging smile.

"Dawn, I'm not asking you to step in as a replacement counsellor or something. We're still here, and we will keep doing our job. But we don't know how dangerous this pulse might be, or if it could affect you eventually. Now, more than ever, it's important that you campers take care of one another."

"I think she's right", Aster says.

"You haven't said a word to the Vampires since we arrived", I point out.

He shrugs.

"I'm not good at that. But you are. You were one of the first to talk to them. And when you came back from the river yesterday, everyone looked more relaxed. You even got Vera to talk to you for more than three seconds, which I don't think anyone else has pulled off."

"Yeah", Zed agrees, speaking for the first time, his voice alarmingly weak. "Dawn, you're smart, caring and empathetic. If anyone can pull this off, it's you."

"What about Nova? Victor? They're the leaders, they're— I'm nobody, I'm just a girl!"

"Leaders are meant to inspire their people, but they aren't them", Willa says in a tired tone. "Nova and Victor can only do so much, especially with the other things they need to figure out. Sometimes, change needs to come from the inside."

"Don't overthink it", Eliza adds. "We all know you have a big heart. Just keep doing what feels right. You can't go wrong as long as you care that much about others."

My throat feels tight, but I realise how important this is. Bringing our people together means something. Us being here together means something. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I know it matters. And if there's anything I can do to help back the people who are trying to save us all from starvation, then I will. I nod.

"Alright", I promise. "I will."

The counsellors all nod and relax. Just then, Nova and Victor come running into the camp, hand in hand.

So that's where she was, I think, amused.

They freeze when they see us. Both of them blush, and they quickly let go of each other's hand.

"Oh…"

"Guys, you can't just sneak out like—" Zed begins, but Addison cuts him off.

"Victor, is that…"

She points at Victor's left hand, which is clearly holding something. Victor nods and opens his hand, revealing the second key. I have to bite my lips to hold back a shout of triumph. Instead, I just punch the air in silence, then I jump up and run to hug Nova.

"Well done!" I whisper-shout, turning to Victor next. "You too", I tell him, grinning.

"Thanks!"

Aster and the counsellors also cheer as quietly as they can, so that we don't wake the rest.

"You still can't just sneak out", Zed mutters, but none of us are listening anymore.

"Can you guys gather everyone at the gate after breakfast?" Victor asks.

"And, uh, do you mind if we skip breakfast?" Nova adds.

"Yeah, I think we could both use a couple extra hours of sleep", the boy agrees, and the counsellors nod.

"Of course, it's still early. Go get some rest, you've earned it", Addison tells them, beaming.

They both head towards their respective cabins. Victor, still clutching the key to his chest, runs straight up the stairs, but Nova pauses halfway to our cabin and turns back to us.

"Wait, how come you're up already?" she asks, a frown clouding her features.

I wave off her question and, from where I'm sitting close to the fire, usher her towards the Daywalker cabin.

"We're just early birds. Worry about that after you've got some sleep, okay?"

I can tell she isn't quite convinced, but reluctantly, she agrees. On tiptoe, so as not to wake the others, she sneaks into our cabin.

***

Vera's POV

It's easier to feel close to Dawn at night.

Daytime isn't my world. It's hers. And anyone could tell just by looking at her. In the light, I feel exposed. Vulnerable. Dawn, on the other hand, is bubbly and social and outgoing. She talks to everyone. She jokes around. She lends a hand wherever she can. It feels like she's one of those people who were never hurt, who don't even know what it feels like to be let down. It's simply impossible for them, because everyone likes them. No one could ever want to hurt them.

Except I know now that that's not true. Yesterday, we talked about friends and relationships, and it turns out she's had as little friends as me. "I'm friendly with everyone", she said, "it doesn't mean all of them are my friends". In fact, Aster and Chiara are the only people she's truly close to. There's Nova, too, but I don't know if either of them realises it yet. I can tell, though. Since we arrived, Nova has started looking for Dawn's company more than Ray's. Dawn is the first person she goes to in the morning, the person she sits next to around the fire, the person she walks with when we're going somewhere.

It doesn't make it easier for me.

You like her, Vera.

Victor's voice is ringing in my ears. He was still up when Dawn and I came back to camp yesterday, drawing by the window. He saw us.

You like her.

I tried to deny it, tried to tell him he was wrong. We just happened to keep each other company yesterday. And, maybe, I feel like I really get her. And she gets me. But liking her?

She's a Daywalker.

I'm not about to forget where I come from. Unlike some of us.

There it is, again. It's like I can't help it, especially with Victor. Any time a conversation gets too serious, I say things that I end up regretting later.

He didn't answer after that. Just said good night. I went to bed. I don't know when he did. He's still asleep this morning. We're all gathered in front of the Orchard gates, apparently waiting for him and Nova, but they're nowhere to be seen. And Vargas is playing the court jester with a bunch of others — Vampires and Daywalkers alike.

Which leaves me. Alone. Wondering whether yesterday even meant something, or if I imagined all of it.

And then Dawn smiles at me, and all I can do is look away, and I realise whether it was real or not isn't the real question.

The question is how long before I ruin it.

"Hey, Vera, you okay?"

Willa sits next to me. I snap out of my thoughts and nod.

"Yep."

"I didn't see you much yesterday. How's it going for you?"

"It's okay", I shrug. "I just wanna get into the Orchard and get it over with. Our people are counting on us."

"What about the camp itself? Is there anything you need from us, any way we can support you?"

Dawn is sitting opposite from me, with Chiara and Aster as usual. Every now and then, she shoots me a friendly glance. I shake my head.

"Camp's not the point."

Is it?

"The point is making sure our people survive. Camp is just the way there. It's meaningless if we don't get the Bloodfruit."

"Is it?"

Willa matches my internal dialogue. I'm not sure I like it.

"I mean… Isn't it?"

She shifts beside me, resting her forearms on her knees, her body leaning slightly towards me. She catches my eye, and I don't look away.

"You know, when I first met Addison, Zed and Eliza, my pack was dying. And I was willing to do anything to save them, including going to their school if it meant I could find what I was looking for. Even if that meant stealing from them, no matter the cost."

"Did you find it?"

"We did. I never would have, were it not for them."

She nods at Addison, Zed and Eliza. I'm starting to see where she's going with this.

"All I'm saying is, sometimes the best way to protect your pack is to expand it. As counter-intuitive as that sounds."

Dawn is now helping a younger Daywalker fix her zipper, and both of them are laughing.

"We're not stopping the famine by making friends with the ennemy."

Willa merely shrugs. Her eyes don't leave me. I look away. Despite the laughs and the comments around us, the silence between us feels heavy. Deafening. I rack my brain for a distraction, another topic, anything to break the awkwardness of the moment.

"So, uh…"

Anything, Vera, come on!

"You really can't retract your fangs?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn’t. They're part of who I am", she explains, shooting me a look that tells me she knows what I'm doing, but still respecting the subject change.

She flashes her fangs at me, and her moonstone necklace glows. Then she smiles.

"Top that", she challenges.

I raise an eyebrow and immediately accept the challenge, standing up in front of her and flashing my own fangs. Willa stands up in turn and growls back. I hiss again in return.

Willa relaxes and smiles at me appreciatively, backing down. She holds out her hand and I fist-bump her, smiling back.

"Hey, Vera, look!" Vargas calls from the other side of the clearing. "Portable night!"

I look over to see him wearing a pair of glasses with dark lenses. I roll my eyes playfully and turn back to Willa, exchanging another smirk with her as Vargas asks the Daywalker boys if he can keep the so-called "portable night".

Just then, at last, Victor and Nova come running into the clearing, hand in hand. Immediately, I can feel the atmosphere change. The laughter dies away and we all turn our focus to them. I notice they self-consciously let go of each other's hand when they notice us watching, and I also notice Ray's glare in Victor's direction.

"You gonna tell us why you brought us all here?" he asks.

Dawn glances at Aster. She's smiling. Maybe the night is more comfortable for me, but that smile, I can only see in the daylight. Damn it, her smile…

"We found the second key!"

Victor brandishes it like a trophy, and of course we all cheer. Willa howls. Dawn's smile turns even brighter — I didn't think it could.

Under Victor's trembling fingers, the key clicks into place. The second gate opens, revealing…

"The final lock!"

And then, the earth starts shaking.

Chapter Text

Dawn's PoV

One minute, everything is fine. Victor and Nova found the second key, we're just one lock away from saving both our peoples, and all of us are cheering together and embracing and celebrating…

And then the third door reveals its secrets, a boulder emerges from the ground, and we read the final clue.

Only one team can win.

Silence follows. Painful silence. I want to look at Vera. She's not meeting my eye.

That can't be right, it can't be right, it can't be…

"The Vampires have to push the ball to the moon."

"And the Daywalkers, to the sun. Only one team…?"

"Were we always meant to work against each other?"

"That doesn't make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense! We fight to push the stone over to our side."

Vera. Why? I thought the past few days meant something. She's still not meeting my eye.

"And the winner gets to open the gate and get the harvest. And it's gonna be us!"

I've never hated Ray as much as I do in this moment.

"And that means one of our towns won't survive. And spoiler alert, it's not gonna be us!"

Vampires and Daywalkers rush to the boulder, and the world collapses. Even Nova and Victor, after one last desperate glance, run to help their respective teams. Addison and Zed start shouting, trying to get between them, screaming that there has to be another way.

I'm frozen.

I can't breathe. I can't move. I can barely understand. All I can see are my friends, and a stone. No, no, no, this can't be the only outcome, it can't be, it just can't…

"Dawn."

An arm wraps around my shoulders, pulls me away from the clearing. Eliza.

"No, no, Chiara… Aster… Nova… Vera…"

"Dawn, it's okay. I need you to breathe for me, can you do that?"

I can hear both teams straining, and Zed and Addison shouting. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't…

"Deep breaths, Dawn. It's all going to be okay. Just breathe, you can do it. Just br—"

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, an energy wave washes over all of us. A terrifying certitude grips me: it's the pulse. And it's getting worse.

I hear more screams. More commotion. More people running.

"Are you okay?"

"What's going on?"

"Zed!"

"Come on!"

"Let's get him back to camp."

The sound of a hustle, footsteps dying away, and then nothing but my heavy, quick breathing, loud, too loud. It can't be my own. I can't breathe, there's a weight on my chest. I can't be the one producing these uneven, raspy sounds, air wheezing through the lungs. I don't know if I'm even still there. I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am. Even Eliza is gone. I'm alone.

Until I'm not.

"Dawn…"

Warmth, all of a sudden. A hand on my hand. By contrast, I realise how cold I am. I feel myself shiver, violently. Another hand closes around my own second one. Then comes the gentle pressure of a thumb rubbing the back of my hand.

"Dawn, breathe. I'm here."

"I— I— I can't", I croak, through tears that I didn't even know were falling.

"Yes you can. I'm right here with you, I'm not going anywhere, okay? Just follow me. We can do it together."

Her breathing is peaceful. Slow. Regular. I try my best to follow her. I can't. I take two or three deep breaths in a row, sucking in air eagerly, unable to control it. She doesn't give up. Her hands are still holding mine.

"I'm here", she says every now and then.

"Y— Yeah", I manage between sobs.

"I'm here."

"You're here."

"I'm here."

She really is here, dark hair framing her face, eyes not leaving me for one second. She's sitting cross-legged in front of me — when did I even sit down? — and still breathing slowly and deliberately. I hold onto her hands a little tighter. She realises I'm looking at her, and looks down. I let go.

"Sorry."

Her head shoots up. Her hands look for mine again, find them. Her eyes lock with mine. This time, I look away.

"Sorry."

"No, I'm— I'm sorry. It's okay. Don't be sorry. You're safe. I'm here."

I shouldn’t be, but I'm here. She doesn't say it. But her thoughts are loud. So, I say it for her.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why are you here? We're ennemies. We both know it. Shouldn't you want your ennemies to be as weak as possible? So you can beat us, get that stone to your side, and keep the harvest that we were supposed to share?"

I can't keep my voice from breaking. Fresh tears spill from my eyes. I wipe them away angrily.

For the longest time, Vera doesn't answer. I can't find the strength to look up at her. All I can do is breathe, slowly, heavily, trying to hold back my tears.

"Please don't be like that", she whispers at last.

"Like what?" I mumble, still not looking at her.

"Defensive and all. That's supposed to be my job."

I can hear the slightest hint of a smile in her voice, and I can tell it's her way of trying to lighten up the atmosphere. It doesn't work, though.

"Then do your job!"

I didn't mean for it to come out as agressive as it does. I didn't mean to push her away. I didn't mean for it to sound like I actually want her to be defensive. But I've tried so hard to get her to open up, and now, now that she's finally willing, I feel almost… Scared. That it's all fake. That it will all fall apart, again.

And then she pulls away, and I realise that this is far, far worse than taking the risk of being hurt and disappointed.

"I'm sorry", I whisper, again. "I didn't mean it. I just… I don't get it. Just five minutes ago, you were saying it made perfect sense that we were always supposed to work against each other."

"But not… Us", she answers, a hint of desperation in her tone.

"I'm a Daywalker", I reply. My voice cracks again, and I give up on even trying to hide it. "You're a Vampire."

"I know."

"Daywalkers and Vampires are rivals."

"I know."

"Then… What?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

I don't know which one of us moved first. I don't know if one of us even moved. All I know is her arms are around me, and mine are around her, and my face is buried in her shoulder, and I can feel her warm breath in my hair, and we're both repeating "I'm sorry" like it can somehow change the fact that we're supposed to be ennemies, supposed to hate each other, but we don't, and we hate that we don't, but we would hate it even more if we did, and anyway, there's nothing we can do about it — nothing but hold one another and cry. And just like that, just for those few moments, we aren't ennemies, we aren't rivals, we aren't a Daywalker and a Vampire, we're just kids. Just two kids, holding each other, and crying, and apologizing for the weight of a world that isn't ours.

Chapter Text

Reality hits when we get back to camp, of course it does. Before we even cross the gates, I can feel Vera getting more self-conscious. She mutters an apology as she lets go of my hand. I can physically feel the moment when her walls go up again, that invisible barrier she puts up between the two of us.

Despite it all, when we walk into the camp, all eyes are on us. Vera refuses to look my way — in fact, she refuses to look at anyone. She just goes straight to her cabin, even walking past Victor and Vargas. I am left standing in front of the rest of the campers, but before I can feel awkward, Nova comes over to me.

"Hey, you okay?" she asks, leading me towards the Daywalker side of the camp — I notice as she does that each team is sitting on one side of the campfire, just like we used to on the first day. "We only noticed you were gone when we got back here, and with Zed and all…"

"I'm… As okay as you are, I guess", I sigh. "What about Zed? What happened?"

"It's the pulse", Aster says as Nova sits me down next to him and Chiara. "Apparently it's affecting him more than the others."

"Oh, hey. I thought you'd be with Eliza", I tell him.

"They said they needed some time."

As he speaks, I realise that indeed, none of the counsellors are anywhere to be seen. Light is coming from the staff cabin, though.

"Yeah… How are you guys? How's everyone?"

All three of them shrug. Silence settles between us, broken only by the crackling of the fire. It's not even that dark yet, but there's something reassuring about the flames. Several minutes go by before Nova's hand finds my own, and tugs lightly.

"Hey, can we take a walk?" she asks quietly.

"Sure", I agree.

We step away from the bonfire and towards the outskirts of the camp, behind the cabins — unwilling to go too far, but still yearning for privacy. We find a spot tucked between the lower branches of a big pine tree, legs dangling just above the ground. There, away from the rest, Nova suddenly looks small and vulnerable. She leans against me, her fingers tangled in the fabric of my shirt, and I wrap my arms around her body, rocking softly back and forth.

"I know", I breathe, trying to stop my voice from shaking. "I know."

"I really, really thought we could work together", she whispers.

"Me, too."

"And I know it's silly, but I… I thought we could be friends. I believed it. For real."

"So did I", I admit quietly.

"I feel so stupid", she sighs, a hint of anger creeping into her tone. "Of course there was no way this was going to work. I should have known. I just… I thought it meant something."

"Don't feel stupid. I believed it, too. So did Victor. And Aster. And Chiara, I think. You know… At some point, I think even Vera did. Addison and the others sure had a way of making us feel like everything is possible…"

"No, you don't get it."

Nova pulls away from me and looks into my eyes earnestly. I return her gaze, cocking my head slightly to indicate that I'm listening.

"It's not just Addison. I… I had visions. Since way before we came here. Of Victor. And, uh, he had visions of me, too."

I don't know how to react to her confession. All I can do is stare at her, speechless. She chuckles lightly at my expression.

"You should probably close your mouth", she giggles, before quickly turning serious again. "Please tell me you don't think I'm crazy."

I follow her advice and close my mouth. Which is quite unpractical in order to answer to her second comment.

"I don't", I assure her. "I just… I don't really know what to say. What do you mean, you had visions of each other?"

"I used to see him. Like he was right next to me. But at the same time I could still tell he wasn't really there."

"What was he doing?"

"Nothing special. Mostly just looking at me. He never talked or anything. And, he had a hood on. The visions always started with him taking it off."

"And it stopped when you met?"

"That's the crazy part… It didn't. I mean, I thought it did, but then yesterday it happened again. That's why I snuck out last night, actually. When we found the second key."

I frown, racking my brain for everything I know about visions. Which, granted, is not much. Nothing at all, actually.

"Okay, well… That has to mean something, right? Maybe… Whatever the reason for your visions was, it hasn't… happened yet, or something?"

"I guess", Nova agrees slowly. "So… Maybe it's about us opening the gate?"

"I hope so. Once the gate is opened, and they all see we can share the harvest, there won't be a reason to fight anymore…"

Nova doesn't answer for a while. She looks lost in thought. Then, as I'm wondering whether everything is okay, she snaps out of it.

"Yeah, well, if it's gonna happen, it better happen fast… Because I don't think we have much time left."

I sigh and nod.

"I know. Come on… Let's go back to the others. Maybe tomorrow things will make more sense."

***

The evening drags on in silence. Nova and Victor, sitting side by side, are the only sign of unity between Daywalkers and Vampires; the rest of us are all keeping to ourselves. Though none of us want to admit it, all our attention is focused on the staff cabin.

It's late when Addison finally comes out of the cabin, looking concerned. As one, we all turn to her.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Nova asks at once.

Addison doesn't even have the strength left to force a smile.

"Mhm", she hums in response, before sitting down between us.

"How's Eliza doing?" Aster asks her.

"Maybe she could use some help. Go ahead."

My friend immediately stands and heads towards the staff cabin. Silence settles between us again. Chiara and I lean against one another, shoulders touching. Vera, who has emerged from the Vampires cabin, is talking in a low voice with Vargas and another Vampire. Victor and Nova are sitting close, not looking at each other, not saying a word. Ray is keeping watch from the side.

Minutes go by, turning into hours. It's way past the usual lights out, but even Addison forgets to send us all to bed. The fire crackles softly.

Zed

When you can't see the light, you gotta be the light

And on this pitch dark night I'm shining super bright

I'm caught between a sun and moon lik a satellite

It's treacherous, but I'm down to make a sacrifice

My peeps need me in beast mode so feed me

No one said this would be easy and my stomach's getting queasy

But I'm fighting off my feelings 'cause I'm not sure if I'm strong enough

Then a voice inside my head says "you got this, bro"

Aster

You won't take a loss, you're here to win

Zed

I'm going off, I'm going in

I'm on the edge of where no one's ever been

So I don't look above, 'cause a hero lies within

Addison

Lives are on the line, we're running out of time

We gotta do this for the cause

Zed

I made up my mind, this fight is only mine

I'll risk my life against all odds

Addison

It's all on me to face a faceless ennemy

Zed

I can't guarantee I'll survive, but I'll try

Eliza, Willa, Aster

I'll bring the heat, I'm feeding off your energy

If it's fire that we need

Zed

Then I'm the kerosene

None of us notice Eliza, Willa, Zed and Aster creeping out of the camp. That is, until we hear the sound of the earth collapsing, several screams, and a characteristic zombie-groan. Addison whirls around and lets out a heart-wrenching cry.

"Zed!"

She rushes in the direction of the noise. We all follow her without thinking — Nova and Victor first, then Ray, Chiara and I, Vargas and Vera, and everyone else.

At the foot of the cliff close to the camp, we discover the entrance of a small cave, hidden by leaves and vines. Addison pushes through, and we all follow her.

"Zed?"

Zed

Standing tall, back against the wall

Duty calls, about to give it all

Keep your distance cause the pulse is getting dangerous

This could be your last day unless I'm saving us

Hardcore, don't know what's in store

I'm trying to keep my friends safe while preventing civil war

My knees are weak, but I'm ten toes deep

And when doubt starts to creep, I'm reminded what I'm in this for

If not me then who? I'm him

I'm the spark in the dark when it's dim

I put my team on my back, lead the charge and attack

I'm strapped with a Z-pack, I ain't giving in!

Addison

Raise 'em up high, hands through the sky

Phoenix from the ashes, show me how you fly

Show me, show me how you ride

U-N-I-T-Y, can't kill your vibe

Legends never die, in the middle of the night

You can hear my team scream

Zed

I'm the kerosene

I'm the kerosene

Addison

The kerosene!

We turn up in a big underground room. The ground is covered in what appears to be Bloodfruit roots, and a tower is standing in the middle. Aster, Eliza, Willa and Zed are gathered around it. Nova lights up the room with her powers, and we all rush towards each other, everyone talking at the same time.

"What happened? What is this place?"

"Are you okay?"

"The pulse…"

"The broken tower is hurting the roots and causing the pulse", Aster summarizes, indicating the tower, which we can indeed see is broken.

"So… The pulse was a cry for help?" I guess.

"Yeah. And the tower acted like an antenna, magnifying the strength of the pulse", Eliza explains.

"So if we remove it…"

"We'll stop the pulse!"

"Come on!"

We all rush towards the tower, grabbing onto whatever we can, straining and lifting.

All

It's all on me to face a faceless ennemy

I can't guarantee I'll survive but I'll try

I'll bring the heat, I'm feeding off your energy

If it's fire that we need

If it's fire that we need

Then I'm the kerosene!

And, just like that — with all of us working together, towards a common goal — the tower comes off the roots. There is a second of silence as we take in what we just did, then the room errupts into cheers. Everyone is screaming, clapping, high-fiving each other. Addison and Zed embrace.

"We saved Monsterkind!" the girl exclaims.

"Again! I'm gonna just say it, we're getting pretty good at this thing."

"Well, when we all work together, there's nothing we can't do", Willa states.

"Bring it in, team!" Eliza concludes, and all four of them hug.

"Team!" Victor exclaims all of a sudden.

He looks like he just had an epiphany. Everyone turns to him, but he's looking only at Nova, eagerly.

"Only one team can win", he quotes, waiting for her to understand.

"What if there's another way?" I ask.

"There were four branches on the platforms", Aster points out. "Not only Daywalkers and Vampires!"

"That's it! One team", Nova exclaims. "That's us! That's all of us!"

"Come on", Ray interjects. "One team means just that. Us or them."

Once again, for what seems like the thousandth time since the start of camp, I have to refrain from strangling him on the spot.

"And it's gonna be us", Vera interjects, as usual reacting to Ray's provocation. "Vampires!"

"Vampires!" they repeat.

"Daywalkers!" Ray calls.

"Daywalkers!" the rest of our friends exclaim.

"Vampires!"

"Daywalkers!"

Nova, Victor, Vargas, Aster, Chiara and I exchange desperate looks. But before we can even try anything, Addison's voice rings above the clamors.

"ENOUGH!"

We have never heard her shout like this. All of a sudden, everyone goes quiet. We turn to her.

"We come from a town called Seabrooke", she begins. "And all monsters live there together in peace. But it wasn't always that way. For a while, we were taught to hate each other."

She looks from our eager faces to Zed, Eliza and Willa, standing in the back with grave expressions.

"And it was an awful way to live", she adds, and all of us can feel the pain in her voice. "But we're here today as proof. Proof that real change can only happen if you find the strength in each other's differences. That's how you get a better world. So stand together! Fight for what you believe in! Because what's on the line is nothing less than your towns' future. Your future. So be the one team we know you can be! Because once you do that, you can do anything."

Glancing around, I can see people nodding, and hear whispers of approbation. Addison locks eyes with me, with Nova, with Victor. I smile at her, and she smiles back.

"So let me hear you say it!" she calls. "What are we?"

"One team", Nova, Victor an I answer in sync.

"No, I can't hear you, what are we?"

"One team!"

Our shaking voices are joined by others — Aster, Chiara, Vera, Vargas.

"What are we?"

"One team!"

And, once again, the room erupts into cheers. Nova and Victor are giving each other that look again — the one where nothing else in the world seems to exist. Chiara puts her arms around Aster's and my shoulders.

"You were right", she says, beaming. "Maybe we really aren't that different."

"Of course I was right", Aster smirks. "I always am."

As they launch into their usual playful banter, I find Vera's gaze. She gives me a smile — a true smile. I return it without hesitation. Although all I really want is to launch myself into her arms, her smiling at me in the presence of everyone else is already quite a big step. I can live with that for now.

Chapter Text

"Goodnight, Daywalkers!" Victor calls as we get back to the camp and head towards our separate cabins, all exhausted by the events of the day and more than eager to go to sleep.

"Goodnight, Vampires!" Nova calls back.

There is a beat, then the rest of us follow their lead, all wishing one another goodnight before we scatter. I notice Vera hanging back. Once most of the others have disappeared into their cabins, she steps towards me.

"Goodnight", she tells me.

"Night", I answer. "Sleep well."

Neither of us move. We stand in front of another, quietly, well aware we should be going to sleep yet somehow reluctant.

"You really think this can work?" she asks after a while, her voice soft. "Daywalkers and Vampires?"

"I think if anyone can make it work, it's Nova and Victor."

"And us?"

I take her hand. My fingers are trembling and I'm expecting her to pull away at any second, but she doesn't.

"And us", I confirm.

For a few seconds, Vera stares at our intertwined fingers. Then she smiles — the same, genuine smile from earlier.

"Goodnight, Dawn."

"Goodnight, Vera."

Reluctantly, I let go of her hand, and we both head to our cabins for the night. As I'm on the doorstep, though, I hear voices.

"Nova!"

It's Ray.

"I can't believe that you and that Vampire have been working together in secret", he hisses.

Nova flinches and I tense, ready to intervene. But instead of cowering away as I have seen her do in the past, she stands up to him, chin held high.

"I will do anything and work with anyone to get that third key", she states.

"As long as we steal their share, right?"

I have to cover my mouth to hide a gasp. What?

"Nova, you know what's at stake, right?" Ray continues. "Your father, your leader is depending on you!"

"Depending on me to betray the Vampires!" Nova protests. "That's wrong, Ray!"

"They're our ennemies, Nova!"

"Not to me they're not. Not anymore. And, I'm still in charge here."

Ray makes a face. He looks her up and down, but despite him being quite a bit taller than her, Nova stands her ground.

"What's really been going on between you and that Vampire?"

"Nothing. But if there was, it's none of your business."

She turns and starts to leave. But Ray calls after her, holding her back.

"Just remember, Nova. Your people are counting on you."

"Thanks for reminding me", she replies curtly, turning away for good this time.

I look around in search of Vera, worried that she might have heard the conversation as well, but she's nowhere to be seen. As Nova reaches the door of the cabin, she sees me standing there, and I can't even think of pretending I didn't hear them.

"You heard everything, didn't you?" she asks as she meets my eye.

"Yeah. Nova…"

I indicate the now deserted campfire, and she nods. We both sit next to it, ignoring Ray as he passes by and enters the cabin.

"My father made me promise", Nova explains. "When he agreed to the terms. I didn't want to, Dawn, you have to believe me! If it were only up to me, I'd… But he's my father, and he's my leader, and I don't want to disappoint him!"

"I know, Nova. I heard."

She relaxes at once and leans against me for comfort. I wrap my arms around her, rubbing her back.

"I've disappointed him so often in the past…" she continues, her voice quiet. "Sometimes I think no matter what I do, I'll never be strong enough. Powerful enough. Focused enough. Never enough of a leader. Just, never good enough. My whole existence is a disappointment to him!"

Her voice breaks and all of a sudden, her body is shaking with silent sobs. I cradle her in my arms, trying to bring comfort.

"Oh, Nova, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry you have to go through that… It's not your fault, it's not fair to put those expectations on you…"

"I just want him to be proud of me…"

"I know. I know, Nova, I know…"

"I always thought, one day, if I worked hard enough, if I tried hard enough, he would see me as more than a mistake… But it feels like no matter how much I give, he'll always expect more…"

"It's okay. Just let it out…"

She nods against my chest and clings to me, tears soaking the fabric of my shirt. I hug her tightly, letting her cry on my shoulder until slowly, gradually, I feel her starting to calm down. Eventually, she pulls away.

"Even… This", she mumbles, indicating the two of us. "A leader shouldn't cry, let alone in front of their people… Shouldn't make others carry the weight of your feelings… Shouldn't feel at all, probably…"

"You're allowed to feel, Nova, everyone is allowed to feel… It's normal, it's just human… And you're not making me carry anything. We're friends. I'm here for you because I want to, because that's what friends do…"

"Thank you…" she sniffles.

"Of course. Always."

She wipes her tears away and stares into the embers, arms resting on her knees. I mimic her position.

"Sorry about that. I just…"

"Don't apologize. It's a lot to carry, even for someone as strong as you."

"You really think so?"

"Of course."

I hit her shoulder lightly, and have the satisfaction of seeing the corners of her mouth twitch into a half-smile, though it soon fades away.

"I just wish my father had as much faith in me."

"He will eventually, Nova. I know he will."

"Yeah, if I do as he says and betray the Vampires."

"But… You're not going to, right?" I can't help but ask, my breath hitching in my throat.

"I don't know. I don't want to, but it's what he says is right… The only way our people can survive…"

"But… That can't be right. It can't be the only way. You know that, right?"

"It's the only one he sees, anyway."

"But you see another one! You can show him! Nova… Aster was right. There were four branches on the stone. It's not just either Vampires or Daywalkers. There are other options."

Nova shrugs, and sighs.

Nova

Am I in over my head?

They're counting on me to

Do what they want me to

Will I end up with regrets?

Don't wanna let them down

I could give in

But then something says

Would I be proud of myself if I follow my father

Instead of my heart being brave?

Dawn

What if you go your own way

Unafraid of consequences

From taking your chances?

I know it's not easy

Caught between the perfect daughter

And letting your heart lead you

On your own way

Nova

No, don't wanna let them down

Dawn

Go your own way

What are you doing if you don't pursue your own way?

But you're not one to betray all the faith that they gave you

Nova

But honest, I wish there was a way things could change

What if I go my own way

Unafraid of consequences

From taking my chances

I know it's not easy

Caught between the perfect daughter

And letting my heart lead me

Nova & Dawn

On our own way

No, don't wanna let them down

Go our own way

What are we doing if we don't pursue our own way?

Nova

What am I doing if I don't pursue my own way?

As the music fades, we both look at each other, and I can see new strength in her eyes. She nods at me, taking a deep breath.

"You're right. None of it makes any sense if I can't look at myself afterwards."

"And I'm by your side", I promise. "Just tell me what you need me to do. I'm in."

***

The next morning, all of us gather in front of the gates for a closer look at the boulder. It doesn't take long for us to realise Aster was right, and to figure out the solution.

"Hey, check this out!" Vargas exclaims, arriving first at the gates and pointing at a symbol on the ground. "It's the sun and the moon together! That's us! That must be where this big boy is supposed to go!"

"How did we not see it sooner?" Aster breathes.

"Cause we were too busy hating each other", I answer. "But Addison's right! That's not how we win!"

"Come on, let's push!" Victor urges us. "Together!"

"As one team!" Nova adds.

From sheer excitement, we almost run to the stone. With the counsellors cheering us on, we all start pushing together, straining under the weight, until, with a click, the stone reaches the symbol and falls into place.

We all step back, holding our breath. For the briefest second, nothing happens; then we hear a whirring sound, light comes from inside the stone, and the boulder cracks open, revealing…

"The final key!"

"But…"

It's encapsulated in a thick block of amber, making it impossible to place in the lock. But Nova's eyes are bright.

"Daywalkers, let's melt the amber with our fire!"

We all summon our powers, shooting fireballs at the amber, so fast that it almost disappears behind the flames. But when we lower our hands, nothing has changed.

"It's not hot enough", Ray realises.

"It needs… Air", Aster says, glancing at the Vampires maliciously.

Vera takes the hint.

"Vampires! Let's fan their flame!"

Again, we summon our powers — this time not just the Daywalkers, but everyone. While we shoot fireballs at the amber, the Vampires blow the wind in the right direction, creating a blinding fire storm around the key. Even for us, it's almost too hot…

And it works. Within minutes, we've melted away all the amber. The counsellors cheer, and we all follow suit. Victor rushes to grab the key, but Aster stops him.

"Careful, it might be hot", he warns.

"Here", Eliza offers, tossing him what looks like a heat glove.

Victor takes it and uses it to grab the key, which he thrusts in the air for us all to see.

"We got the key!" he exclaims. "It's harvesting time!"

"For all of us!" Nova adds, shooting me a look, to which I respond with a smile.

We cheer as Victor runs towrds the gate. But, when he places the final key in its lock, we all grow silent and solemn. With a click, the key falls into place, the gates light up. Nova joins Victor. The two of them exchange a look, take a deep breath and, together, push the gates open.

The cheering resumes, even louder this time. Laughing and celebrating, we all run into the Orchard — Daywalkers and Vampires.

Together.

Chapter Text

The old Orchard is pretty much everything I imagine paradise to be. Lush green plants growing everywhere, a small river, a waterfall. And, most importantly, Bloodfruit. More Bloodfruit than any of us has seen at once in a long time.

"Maximum Bloodfruit!" Vargas cheers.

"Yeah!"

I high-five him. Chiara looks close to tears.

"I can't believe it", she breathes. "We did it!"

"Yeah. We did", I confirm, hugging her.

Aster joins the hug, wrapping his arms around both of our shoulders. He doesn't say anything, but he's beaming. Victor and Zed high-five. Willa howls. Nova is twirling around on the spot, arms outstretched, laughing with joy. Ray throws himself into her arms.

Almost subconsciously, I look for Vera. Instead of cheering and celebrating with all of us, she has her eyes fixed in the direction of the gates. Following her gaze, I suddenly notice movement — and then my stomach drops.

"Nova!"

Everyone whips around at Commander Bright's stern voice. He storms into the clearing, followed by a group of the most experienced Daywalker fighters. Through another path, at the same time, come the Vampires, led by their Eldress.

"Dad?" Nova exclaims in disbelief.

"Ray warned us something was wrong. I sent you to get all the Bloodfruit at any cost!"

"Wait", Victor interjects. "All the Bloodfruit? You were gonna let us starve?"

"No!" Nova assures him, and I've never seen as much desperation in her eyes as right now.

"Thank you for alerting me, Vera."

The calm voice of the Vampire Eldress cuts through the turmoil. My heart sinks. So she did hear that conversation yesterday. I try to catch her gaze, but she won't look at me, eyes firmly fixed on her leader.

"And Victor!" the Eldress continues. "Working with our enemies? I should have you de-fanged!"

Victor swallows, and I notice the rest of the Vampires squirming uncomfortably.

"This experiment ends now", the Commander states.

He raises his hands, and his lightstone starts glowing. The Eldress reacts at once, her own necklace taking on the now familiar red glow as she summons her powers.

"Watch out!" Zed cries.

Fire and wind collide, and we duck just in time to avoid damage.

Not the Orchard, though.

The fire storm speeds through the leaves, the branches, the fruit, destroying everything on its way. Within seconds, the Orchard is in flames.

"NO!"

I don't know which one of us screamed. Maybe it was all of us. Some people fall to their knees. Others burst into tears on the spot.

This time, the pulse is so strong that all of us feel it.

Eliza and Willa groan and lose their balance. Zed, on the other hand, simply collapses. Addison and Victor, who is closest, catch him.

"Zed!"

"Somebody help him!" Vargas exclaims.

We rush to their aid. Some people gather around Zed, others support Willa and Eliza. I wrap Willa's arm around my shoulder. She's panting heavily.

"You destroyed nearly half the Bloodfruit", Ray exclaims in disbelief.

"Yeah, and you helped!"

Nova's voice is ice cold. Ray stumbles back, looking as though she just hit him.

"The remaining Bloodfruit belongs to the Vampires!" the Eldress states.

"This Orchard has always belonged to us. If you touch one Bloodfruit, it means war."

"This is war!"

I shake my head, speechless. Chiara and Aster are holding onto each other; Chiara has tears in her eyes.

"Camp is over", the Eldress asserts, turning away.

"Pack your things", Commander Bright orders us. "We're headed home. We need to prepare for battle!"

One last time, I try to catch Vera's eye. This time, she meets my gaze, just long enough to give me a heavy, meaningful look. Then she turns away, following her leader.

Once the Vampires have gone, the Commander lingers just a few more moments, his eyes on his daughter.

"I really thought you were the leader our people needed", he states.

Then he turns away without another word. Nova looks close to crying. I wish I could hug her, but I can't do that and support Willa at the same time. I try to catch her eye, but her focus is on Ray, who has taken a step towards her.

"Nova", he pleads. "Please understand, I was— I was just trying—"

"Pack your things, Ray", she interrupts.

Then she rushes past him and out of the Orchard. I'm pretty sure she's trying to hide her tears.

As for me, I'm past even trying.

Why do the adults always have to ruin everything?

***

The silence, when we get back to camp, is deafening. No one says a word. The counsellors immediately disappear into their cabin, and the rest of us pack our things without a word, barely looking at one another. Unable to bear the heavy atmosphere in our cabin, I eventually leave my bags half-packed and run out, sitting outside with my back against a tree and my arms up to my chest.

It's not fair.

The window to the Vampire cabin is open. They're as quiet as we were, and I can tell the atmosphere is heavy on their side, too.

I can't shake the last look that Vera gave me. It was almost accusing — as if I should have known. As if it were my fault. I can't help but wonder if it's true. Is there anything I could have done to prevent this? Is there any way I could have handled yesterday that didn't lead to this disaster?

"Congrats, Vera. You got what you wanted."

Victor's voice, coming through the window, is filled with bitterness.

"And you put us all at risk by blindly trusting that Daywalker!" Vera protests.

"Says you!" Victor snaps back. "You think no one saw you with Dawn?"

"I overheard them talking to Ray!" she goes on, ignoring his last comment. "They were going to steal all the fruit! I was just trying to do the right thing! I just wanted us to be safe."

So did I. So did all of us.

"You feel safe? Because I don't. The Orchard's in ashes, and we hurt the people who wanted to help us."

Vera doesn't reply. I can hear Victor's footsteps, then the door to their cabin closes. I stifle a sob.

"Dawn?"

Nova's voice pulls me away from my thoughts. I look up at her, but she takes a step back when she sees me crying.

"Sorry", she says quietly. "I was hoping for some comfort, but… I can see I'm not the only one who needs it."

She sits down next to me and pulls me into a side hug. I wrap my arm around her waist, holding her close. I can feel her thumb tracing patterns into my back.

"I'm so sorry, Dawn. I really thought I could do it."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

"I mean… Maybe if I had been open about my father's orders… Maybe if I had told you earlier, or gone to the counsellors for help…"

"What would that have changed? There would always be people who aren't as easily convinced as we were. There would always have been someone to warn your father, and the Vampire Eldress, and…"

"Maybe if I'd talked to Ray… Taken him more seriously…"

"Don't blame yourself, Nova… You did the best you could… The Commander did this."

I pause, realising what I just said — that I criticized my leader in front of his own daughter. But Nova isn't phased.

"Yeah", she sighs. "And now Victor hates me."

"And Vera hates me", I add.

"I'm so sorry, Dawn. I'm sorry that you and Vera got pulled into this. It's not fair that all of… This, should get in the way of your relationship."

"In the way of what?" I repeat, almost choking.

Nova blushes, embarrassed.

"Oh, uh… I just… I thought…"

"That's going way too fast", I inform her. "I doubt that Vera even likes me. Even before the whole showdown, she tolerated me, that's all."

"Uh-huh."

I can hear the doubt in her voice.

"If you don't drop that topic I'm gonna ask about you and Victor", I inform her.

She blushes again.

"There is nothing between me and —" she begins, but she suddenly trails off.

In the distance, I can hear the now familiar zombie groan, as the pulse reaches us again. At the same time, I notice Nova snaps her head towards the forest ahead of us, and I realise she's zoning out. It takes a second for her to come back to me.

"Sorry", she says quickly. "I hope they're gonna be okay…"

"Nova", I interrupt her, suddenly realising something. "Did you just have a vision again?"

"Yeah, but it's not like it matters now that—"

"No, wait! Your, your last vision, the night when you snuck out and you found the second key — that's when the pulse started manifesting again! Nova, your visions, they're, they're — they're in sync with the pulse!"

She gasps and grabs my hands.

"Oh my gosh, you're right! And since we've established that the pulse comes from the roots, that means—"

"Your visions are coming from the roots, too! Nova, the Orchard is calling you for help!"

We both jump to our feet. Without another word, we hurry into the cave entrance from yesterday, through the tunnels and to the cave with the roots. As we get closer, we can hear footsteps in front of us, then voices.

"The roots are under a lot of stress and pain", Eliza is saying. "And the pulse is growing exponentially."

"Well that's fantastic", Zed grunts, his voice strained. "Keeps getting better and better. I'm gonna — ugh — check on the campers."

"Wait", Addison says gently.

"Zed, no."

We hear Victor's voice seconds before we emerge from the tunnels and into the cave, right behind him.

"Look, you're in rough shape", I agree. "You should stay here."

"Take care of each other", Nova adds with a sad smile.

Then she turns to the Vampire.

"Victor, you gotta believe me, I'd never do anything to hurt you or your people!" she pleads.

Victor shakes his head.

"Yeah, but your dad would. And… Last time I checked, you work for him", he adds, almost apologetically.

Nova's shoulders slouch and she stares at the floor. I put my hand between her shoulderblades.

"You're your own person, Nova", I remind her. "You don't have to let him define you."

"You're right."

She looks up, strength returning to her posture.

"I am my own person. And you helped show me that, Victor! Being here with you… It's opened my eyes. And I know something else. These visions we've been having… They brought us together for a reason. And that reason isn't so that our people could hate each other more."

"Yeah", Victor agrees. "It doesn't add up."

"But we do!" she goes on eagerly, taking his hand.

At last, Victor looks at her. He smiles.

"I know", he breathes.

"And there's more— Dawn figured it out, our visions, they were always in sync with the pulse. They came from the Orchard!"

"So, wait, the Orchard was calling us… For help?"

"And we thought it was because the tower was crushing the roots, but the visions kept coming even after that, so the question is…"

"How do we heal the roots?" Victor concludes.

"Guys."

As Nova mentioned the tower, I looked up towards it, and all of a sudden, something about its shape strikes me.

"What does that look like to you?" I ask, pointing at the metal sculpture at the top of the tower.

I hear them both gasp in sync.

"It looks like it's supposed to hold a Lightstone!" Nova exclaims.

"And a Darkstone!" Victor adds.

"So that's what this room is for! To feed all our Orchards from our Moonstones' energy!"

"Our towns, our Orchards, all connected by this root system!"

"So if we bring our Moonstones here and put them in the cauldron…" I go on.

"That'll revive our Orchards!" we all exclaim together.

Then, the weight of what we just said hits us.

"Yeah. All we have to do is bring the most important thing from our towns and bring it back here", Victor mutters sarcastically. "Right."

"Never gonna happen", Nova sighs.

"Guys…" I try.

But they aren't listening to me. Their heads are hung low, and Nova looks close to tears. Defeated, they turn away and step back out of the cave.

Chapter Text

I glance at Addison and Zed, desperate for help. This can't be how it all ends, not after we've just figured out what we needed to do. The pair glance at each other, then Zed motions for me to help him stand and, with Addison supporting him on the other side, we all step out of the cave after Nova and Victor.

"Wait", Zed calls after them as we emerge back into the daylight.

Zed

Never say never cause it's not too late

Strategize a plan, and go innovate

Addison

It feels like forever since we were your age

We're passing you the torch so don't hesitate

Zed

History is yours to make

Addison

It takes strength to break the chains

Addison & Zed

As day combines with night

Zed lets go of me and pushes me towards the other two. I stand next to Nova, and the two counsellors sit all three of us down, looking us in the eye.

Addison

Only you three can see your destinies are intertwined

Zed

So get ready 'cause you're in for a fight, yeah!

Addison & Zed

I know the odds are stacked against you

I have faith you're gonna find a way

You got this, I promise

Even though it seems impossible

You got this if you want this

Impossible is possible

If you don't try, you'll never know

And all of a sudden, my hand is linked with Nova's, and her other hand is linked with Victor's, and with Addison and Zed urging us on, it feels like we can really take on the world. At last, we look at each other and smile.

"Okay. Let's do this", Victor agrees.

"But we're gonna need some help", I point out.

"Well… Good thing everyone's still packing", Nova points out, a sparkle in her eye, and the three of us run back towards the camp.

Victor

Gather around, calm down and listen to me

Give me your silence, I'll give you a legacy

Daywalkers & Vampires

There's no way!

Nova

We have a plan to write a new history

Let go of our hate and embrace our unity

Daywalkers & Vampires

Can we do it?

Dawn

We can stop a war before they start it

Daywalkers & Vampires

Let's go!

Dawn

Rise above the bad blood and the heartache

Daywalkers & Vampires

Let's go!

Dawn

So where do you stand?

Cause we're gonna do what we can!

Daywalkers & Vampires

We're ready!

Victor

Come on, let's rep it for the next gen!

Nova

It's a necessity, our destinies are intertwined

Dawn, Nova & Victor

Well get ready cause we're in for a fight!

As all of our friends gather around us, Victor puts his hand in the middle, and we all follow suit. In a clamour, we all raise our hands to the sky, ready for the fight of our lives. Only a few people are missing, having gone back to our towns already — amongst them, Ray, unsurprisingly, and Vera, which hurts me more than I'd like to admit.

We explain the situation briefly, sharing everything we found out about the Orchard and our Moonstones. At first, not everybody is convinced, but when Aster — the now well-know nerd — chimes in, they agree.

"The Orchard is where everything will go down", Victor explains. "We have to prevent that."

"There can't be a battle if there's no Bloodfruit to fight over", Nova goes on. "So we pick all of it, and hide it in the cave."

"But what if they find it?" Vargas asks.

"That's the plan, actually", I answer. "Only, they can't find it too early."

"We need them to see the Moonstones in action, or they'll never believe us", Nova adds.

"So they need to get to the cave about right when we do", Victor concludes. "If they're too quick, hold them off."

"What about you?"

"Nova and I are in charge of getting the Moonstones."

Dead silence follows this last part. Just like Nova, Victor and I earlier, the rest of our friends realise the implications of this.

"I need a few volunteers with me", Nova says, breaking the silence. "Now, before you do, let me remind you of the stakes. We are stealing our city's most important artefact. There is no coming back from this. If our plan doesn't work, we'll be shunned from society, probably exiled or jailed. Either way, we'll never see our families again, or live normal Daywalker lives. So… If you're going to volunteer, I want you to really think this through."

Aster, who had been ready to raise his hand, takes a step back.

"I'm sorry, Nova. I can't risk it."

"I understand", she assures him.

In turn, many of our friends shake their heads, indicating they aren't ready to take the risk. I put my hand on Nova's shoulder.

"You know I'm with you", I assure her.

"So'm I", Chiara adds.

"Chiara… Are you sure?"

"Certain."

"And I'm going with you", Vargas tells Victor, but the latter shakes his head.

"No. On our side, getting caught means de-fanging. I'm not risking that for anyone."

Again, that word — de-fanging. And again, the same uncomfortable shiver in the crowd.

"What… What does de-fanging mean?" Chiara dares.

"Losing one's fangs?" Aster guesses.

"It's the worst thing that can happen to a Vampire", Vargas explains, shifting uncomfortably. "It's… It's usually reserved only for traitors, or serious criminals."

Nova gasps.

"But Victor, what if you get caught? What about you?"

Victor takes her hand.

"I'll be fine. Nova, you of all people know I have to try. And… That's what leaders do. Right?"

"Nova. You have to trust him. Come on, we don't have much time."

I can tell that she still wants to protest, but at the same time she knows I'm right. Tearing her eyes away from Victor, she turns back to the rest of the team.

"You guys are in charge of hiding the Bloodfruit, and holding them off until we can get there. Look sharp, everyone. We can do this!"

"Let's go!"

Dawn, Nova & Victor

We know the odds are stacked against us

Daywalkers & Vampires

We can do it!

Dawn, Nova & Victor

I have faith we're gonna find a way

Daywalkers & Vampires

Let's go, let's go!

Nova

You got this

Victor

No we got this

Dawn, Nova & Victor

Our will is indestructible

We got this, we promise

Impossible is possible

If we don't try, we'll never know…

Victor, Nova, Chiara and I reach the tunnels as the rest of the gang is still busy picking the Bloodfruit.

"Well, this is it", the boy whispers.

"Yeah."

"Hey, Victor… Can you do me a favor?" I ask.

"Sure."

"If you see Vera… Tell her I didn't know. I really didn't."

Victor smiles, a warm, genuine smile that almost manages to hide his nerves.

"I'll do better than that. I'll bring her back to you."

"If you can do that, you're a miracle-worker", I state.

"Just trust me."

Victor winks at me, then he turns towards Nova, taking her hands. His expression is serious again.

"It's gonna be alright", he promises.

She takes a deep breath and nods. He lets go of her hands, and throws his hood on, turning towards the part of the tunnels that lead to Shadyside. Nova, Chiara and I watch him go. Suddenly, Nova seems to remember something.

"Hey Victor!" she calls.

He pauses, and turns back to us.

"The hood. You had it in my visions. So… I guess this really is it."

"See? It's a good omen", he assures her.

Then he turns again, and is gone. Nova glances at Chiara and I.

"Okay. Let's do this."

Chiara, Dawn, Nova & Victor

This is our time to make it right

Fight for the darkness and the light

Gamble our lives and roll the dice

It's either now or never!

***

The central square of Sunnyside is almost deserted. It's almost offputting to see our town like this. Only three guards stand around the Lightstone — the rest must be with the army.

"Alright Dawn— Your time to shine", Nova whispers.

Since I'm the least qualified in hand-to-hand combat, and we don't want to use our powers for fear of hurting our people, it's been decided that the two of them would focus on causing a diversion. I sneak away from them, into the back streets, and back to the town square — but this time, on the opposite side. From there, I wait until all three guards have their backs to me, then I create a tiny spark, just enough to indicate to Nova and Chiara that I'm in position.

My two friends emerge from their own hiding place. Nova blows her whistle — Addison's whistle, which she gave her for luck. The guards' attention is immediately drawn to them.

"Step away from the stone, and no one gets hurt!" Nova challenges.

The guards aren't having any of it, of course. After the first few seconds of confusion, they run towards Nova and Chiara, ready for a fight.

Though they're up against three experienced fighters, Nova and Chiara hold their own pretty well. I use the distraction to grab the stone and run off into the alleys.

Well, that was easier than we thought.

I meet Chiara and Nova at our designated meeting place. I'm there first, the stone safely packed away in a leather pouch. My friends come running seconds later. The guards are after them — but not just the three who were guarding the stone. There are now a dozen of them, including — my heart sinks — Blaze, Chiara's father.

On second thought, maybe it wasn't.

"Run!" Chiara calls, and I don't hesitate, the stone beating against my ribs as I go.

We can hear the guards screaming after us. Growing desperate, I take the risk to use my powers, shooting not at the guards, but in front of them, creating a fire to block their path. Unbelievably, it works; almost all the guards fall behind, trying to find a way out.

Only one of them was fast enough to block the fire before it could reach him.

Of course it's the one who's known me all my life — the one who's seen me train and knows my favorite tricks.

Blaze.

We're almost at the tunnels when he reaches us. The rest of the guards, having managed to contain the fire at last, are mere seconds behind him. He grabs hold of his daughter's arm, pulling her back.

"Chiara!" I exclaim, slowing down.

"Go!" Chiara shouts back at me. "The stone's more important!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Chiara, what even are you thinking?!" Blaze shouts, his hand still firmly around her arm.

"Dad, you have to listen to me! We know why the Orchard is dying, and we have a plan — we can stop the war, save the orchards, save everyone!"

"I can't let you steal the Lightstone, Chiara."

"We're not stealing… Just borrowing. We'll bring it back in no time! Please, Dad. You always say we are the future of our people, well this is it. This is how we're making a future. For all of us!"

"Blaze, please", I chime in.

The rest of the guards are closing in. We don't have much time.

"You have to trust us. You're the only adult in my life who's ever believed in me, Blaze, please don't make that change now!"

I don't like pulling that card on him, but at least it works. He falters, just enough for Chiara to wrench herself free. We rush into the tunnels — just in time. The guards follow, but they don't know their way through the galeries like we do, and soon their footsteps and the sound of their voices die away. Nova, Chiara and I look at each other, out of breath.

"We did it!" Nova exclaims.

"I can't believe it", Chiara agrees.

"Here", I say, handing Nova the Lightstone. "You take this."

But we don't have time to celebrate. It's not over yet; there's still work to be done.

Chiara, Dawn, Nova & Victor

We've got the strength inside us

Let it guide us through our darkest days

We got this, we promise

Impossible is possible

We meet Victor at the top of the hill where both of our tunnels arrive. He looks unharmed and he, too, is carrying his Moonstone. Nova rushes towards him.

"We got this!" she exclaims. "It was always possible!"

"Together we made it possible", Victor replies. "I knew we'd find a way."

"Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You three?"

"We're good", Chiara assures him.

"What about Vera?" I ask, unable to help myself.

Victor glances over his shoulder and, seeing no one, suddenly seems concerned.

"I thought she was right behind me", he admits uncertainly. "She was holding off the guards…"

I barely wait for the end of his sentence before rushing towards the tunnel.

"Dawn, no! It's too dangerous, you're a Daywalker, if they catch you—"

I don't want to know what they'll do if they catch me, so I block out Victor's screams and race towards Shadyside. I know it's dangerous, but if Vera isn't here, it might mean she got caught. And Victor said it earlier: if she got caught, she's facing de-fanging.

I can't let that happen.

And so, maybe for the first time ever, a Daywalker rushes into Shadyside.

Chapter Text

The first thing I notice about Shadyside is it's… Well, dark. Unsurprisingly. The second thing I notice is it's actually very similar to Sunnyside — the architecture and color palette is different, but the town is placed similarly to ours, on a promontary at the end of a beach. The layout of the city also looks similar. Which means that Vera could be anywhere between here and their equivalent of the Lightstone Square.

Praying that our similarities don't stop at a rough layout, I follow the same way I would take if it were Sunnyside. And sure enough, there it is: a big square in the middle of the city, with a metal structure that is clearly meant to hold their Darkstone. It's currently empty, but two guards are standing in front of it, and at their feet is Vera — bound and gagged, and weirdly still. It's almost like she's accepting her fate.

"It's a shame", one of them says. "You're a smart girl, Vera. You could have done great… And instead, you're gonna end up alone and fangless."

I can feel my blood boiling. I step out of my hiding place, already conjuring fireballs. All notion of strategy has left my mind; all I can think of is Vera is hurt, and she'll soon be more hurt if I don't do something about it.

"Not if I can help it she won't!"

The guards barely have time to turn around before the fireballs come shooting in their direction. One of them is hit squarely in the chest; he yelps in pain and is thrown backwards under the sheer force of impact. Another, smaller fireball shoots past them, perfectly controlled, and grazes the ropes on Vera's wrists. I don't have time to make sure it worked, however; the other guard has managed to avoid the fire and is now summoning his own powers.

I have seen first-hand the damage that our combined powers can do, and how uncontrolable they can get. The guard is still standing right in front of Vera, and I don't want to risk hurting her. I lower my hands, extinguishing my flames. The guard keeps hissing at me, his fangs flashing and the storm in front of him growing in size. I realise he's going to attack me anyway. I barely have time to register him soaring towards me before he is sent flying off course, crashing into a nearby building.

Vera, standing behind him, lowers her hands and gives a satisfied smirk. At her feet are burnt pieces of rope. I rush towards her.

"Vera!"

"What were you thinking?" she exclaims. "Coming here— You're a Daywalker! What if they'd caught you?"

"You were in danger", is all I can manage as an explanation. "Vera, I didn't know, I swear, I would never have thought that the Commander would go behind your backs like that after he agreed to the terms, and even if I did I would never, I don't—"

I am cut short by Vera suddenly wrapping her arms around me and pulling me into a hug. Her breathing is heavy, and I can feel her chest raising and falling against my own. One of her hands tangles itself in my hair.

"Shut up", she mumbles.

And I do, slowly allowing myself to process everything — that she's safe, that she's here, that she doesn't hate me, that she's got her arms around me and her hand in my hair and I can hear her heart beating just as fast as my own.

And then, just as it started, the moment comes to an end as Vera pulls away.

"Victor?"

"He's okay. He's got the stone, and Nova's got ours. We're gonna save the Orchards!"

"In that case…"

She pauses, glancing at the two guards. The one that she threw into a building is unconscious, and the other one is still prone, moaning in pain. I follow her gaze.

"Sorry about that", I mutter, guilt creeping in my chest. "I just… They were talking about de-fanging you."

Vera's hand finds my own and gives it a light squeeze.

"Don't worry. I know something that will work", she smiles.

She pulls out a small jar from her pocket, and I recognize the ointment I gave her what feels like ages ago, at the start of camp.

"It'll get better in no time", she promises the guard, pushing the ointment towards him. "Now come on", she adds, turning back to me. "We have an Orchard to save, what do you say?"

I grin at her.

"You bet."

Her grip around my hand tightens. Her eyes flash red, and moments later, we're soaring, high above the town, across Shadyside, and back towards the tunnels. I laugh in delight, enjoying the feeling of the wind on my face.

"Woohoo!" I exclaim, and Vera laughs as well.

"Fire isn't the only cool power!" she shouts, fighting to be heard over the sound of the wind.

"I love it!" I shout back.

We land in front of the tunnels, rush through them on foot, and take off again the moment we're back in the open, soaring towards the cave with the roots. We arrive there just as our two peoples, led by the Commander and the Eldress, storm into the cave. We run after them.

"They're here!"

"They're hiding the Bloodfruit!"

"Step away from the fruit", Commander Bright orders.

Our friends shake their heads. Daywalkers and Vampires summon their powers, Zed and Eliza zombie out, Addison activates her alien tech, Willa bares her fangs.

Victor and Nova are already at the foot of the tower, stones strapped to their bodies. Both of our leaders stop short when they see them.

"Victor?"

"Nova."

"Traitor!"

"I think you mean leader", Victor replies, clutching the Darkstone.

"Hand over the Lightstone", the Commander orders.

Nova shakes her head and pushes the stone behind her, shielding it with her body. The Commander steps forwards, looking her straight in the eye, and before he even opens his mouth, I know what he's about to say.

"I thought you could lead my people, but I was wrong. So stop trying."

I wait for Nova to step down, to give up, to crumble under the weight of her father's favorite attack. But she doesn't. Instead, she stands up to him, chin held high.

"They're my people too!" she argues back. "And my people want to live in peace!"

"Seize them!" the Eldress orders.

But, against all odds, Ray steps in, using his power to summon giant wings behind his back.

"See if you can guess what I am! I'm a phoenix, get it? Caw! Caw!"

The wild demonstration of powers creates just enough of an opening. Nova and Victor drop their guard, turning their backs to their relatives in order to start climbing the tower. Both the Eldress and the Commander try to take advantage of the moment, lunging for them, but Ray throws his "wings" in their direction, forcing them to take cover and giving Nova and Victor just enough time to get out of reach.

"Nice one, Ray!" Nova calls as she scrambles up the tower.

"What would you do without me?" Ray jokes.

But, already, the Daywalkers and Vampires are readying themselves, summoning their powers and preparing to shoot at our friends. Before anyone can react, Vera summons a storm bigger than I've ever seen, and hurls it over the heads of both armies, towards the tower — surrounding Victor and Nova, and deflecting any attacks.

"Campers! Protect them!" she shouts.

We push through the crowd to join the rest of our friends at the foot of the tower. Together, Vampires and Daywalkers, we summon our powers, creating a fire storm just like we did for the third key — except this time, it's meant to protect, shielding Nova and Victor from everything else. Despite the heat, we know it won't hurt them. The adults, led by the Commander and the Eldress respectively, continue to try and stop them, but to no avail; our shield is unpenetrable.

And then, the only thing that could still go wrong goes wrong.

The tower gives way. Despite the noise from our combined powers, we can clearly hear Nova and Victor grunting as they struggle to keep their balance. Below, all of us gasp in concern.

"Victor!"

"Nova!"

Zed and Addison rush to the tower, trying to hold it up, but the weight is too much for them, and the rest of us can't help them unless we drop our shield.

"I can't do it!" Zed grunts, straining against the collapsing tower. "Unless I fully zombie out!"

"Zed, no, you can't!" Addison almost pleads. "You'll be stuck in your monster form forever!"

"I have to try. I love you, Addison! I always have!"

And with that, he removes his Z-Band and zombies out.

"No!" Addison exclaims, rushing to pick up the bracelet.

Zed groans, roars, grunts, and finally, manages to lock the tower back in place. Willa and Eliza rush over to help stabilize it, while Addison fumbles to put the Z-Band back on Zed's wrist. The zombie collapses to the ground, barely conscious, color draining from his face.

Meanwhile, Nova and Victor have reached the top of the tower. My focus remains on the shield, but out of the corner of my eye, I catch them struggling to put the Moonstones into place.

Addison tries to place Zed's Z-Band back around his wrist, but to no avail.

"It's not working", she sobs.

She throws herself at Zed, crying.

"Zed…"

I feel tears pooling in my eyes. I try to keep my focus on the shield, but I can feel my powers weakening. I'm not the only one. As most of us can't help but be distracted by our concern for Zed, the shield slowly starts to fade away.

Then the Moonstones click into place, and a burst of light fills the cave.

And time stops.

Chapter Text

Everyone takes cover as a wave of energy washes over us. As if in slow motion, we see Nova and Victor being thrown off the tower by the force of impact, flying across the cave and hitting the ground hard.

"Nova!"

I run towards her, vaguely aware of Chiara and Ray behind me, and Vera and Vargas rushing over to Victor. Nova is grunting in pain, but she still tries to sit up.

"Easy, Nova…"

She yelps in pain again and lies back down. Blood is gushing from a wound on her forehead, and her breathing is shallow and uneven.

"Hey, hey, look at me… Eyes over here, Nova."

She blinks, and I can tell she tries to focus, but struggles. I squeeze her hand, trying hard not to cry.

"Nova…"

She's hurt, badly. So is Victor. So is Zed. And around us, all hell is still breaking lose, with the adults throwing fireballs and wind storms at each other.

Why don't they get it?

Nova's grip around my hands slackens. Her eyes flutter close. I shake my head fiercely, tears blinding me, refusing to give up.

"Nova, Nova, Nova."

"Stay with us, Nov", Ray pleads.

Chiara grabs my free hand, squeezing it in concern. Ray is full-on sobbing.

"Nova, I'm sorry! It's all my fault… I'm sorry…"

A fireball grazes the top of his head and crashes against the wall. The sound of battle is deafening.

Why won't they just STOP??

The Commander summons a fireball bigger than I've ever seen. He's aiming for the tower, the already fragile tower…

"ENOUGH!!!"

Vera's voice is unusually shrill, but loud enough to make everyone stop in their tracks. Suddenly, all goes quiet.

"Don't you see how pointless this is? Don't you see none of it makes sense?"

Her breathing is heavy, her fists clenched. She's standing above an injured Victor, and though all eyes are on her, she doesn't waver.

"Nova was right. We're the new generation of Vampires and Daywalkers. We're not our peoples' futures — we're the present. We are the people. And we want to live in peace!"

Vargas, who was crouching next to Victor, stands up and places a hand on her shoulder, nodding in agreement. Drawing a shaky breath, I let go of Nova's hand and join the two of them, taking Vera's other hand.

"The last few days have shown us it's possible", I agree. "That we may be opposites — Day and Night, Dark and Bright — but we're not that different. We have the same dreams. The same hopes. The same fears."

"The same wounds", Vera adds.

"The same humor", Vargas puts in, and some people chuckle.

And, unbelievably, more voices rise, from all around the cave — the voices of all our friends, all the campers, Daywalkers and Vampires alike. Together. United.

"We like swimming."

"And sitting around the campfire."

"Making smores!"

"Singing."

"Climbing trees."

"Walks in the wood."

"We love our people."

"We love our friends."

"We're scared of the future."

"We want to make it better."

"We're just teenagers."

"We're artists."

"We're dreamers."

"We're peacemakers."

And what forms around them, around Victor and Nova, around the tower, around the Moonstones, all around the cave, isn't a human wall — it's a chain. Connecting our hands, connecting us, and bridging the gaps.

"And we believe in a better world."

Addison, Willa, Zed and Eliza are nodding us on. The adults stare at us, speechless.

"So if we can see it, why can't you?" I go on. "And how much will it take for you to see it? How far will it have to go?"

I gesture at Nova and Victor.

"How many people have to get hurt for your egos?"

Still, no one says a word. Aster is the next one to break the silence.

"Hey, Vampires", he says in a soft voice. "It looks like the stones aren't quite in place."

We all look up to the tower. The Darkstone is fitting inside the structure, just the way it should be — but the Lightstone is a little off, stuck just inches away from the right angle.

Vargas is first to act, taking the hint without another word. He summons a storm, and gently lifts Aster off the ground, to the top of the tower. Aster reaches out and — finally — pushes the Lightstone into place.

The same burst of light from earlier fills the room — except this time, it's not just temporary. Bolts of energy errupt from both stones, collide, and branch off into the sky. Thunder starts rumbling, clouds block the moon. Seconds later, it's raining.

Like, raining-raining. Not just a few drops of rain. A full downpour, soaking all of us within seconds. Something feels special about it. It's refreshing, washing away all our fears, our concern, our pain.

"Nova!" Ray exclaims.

I look over to see her slowly sitting up, looking around in awe. Victor, too, regains consciousness. He scrambles to his feet and rushes to embrace Nova. Zed is breathing more easily again, and Addison throws herself into his arms.

Before we know it, we're all cheering. Somehow, we already know we did it.

When Nova and Victor run to the entrance of the cave, to where they can see the Orchard, we hold our breaths — not in expectation, but in amazement. When they turn back to look at us, their faces tell us everything we need to know.

"Yes!"

"We did it!"

"We healed the orchards!"

"And the Orchard healed us", Zed adds.

The cave that, just minutes ago, was filled with the sound of battle, is now filled with cheers, laughter and cries of joy. People are punching the air, jumping up and down in excitement, hugging, crying, twirling on the spot with their faces turned to the sky.

"But… How?"

The voice of the Commander interrupts our celebration. We all quiet down, suddenly remembering all the rules we broke and the leaders we defied, and turn to him and the Eldress with apprehension.

"All monsters are connected by the Moonstones", Willa explains. "You kept your Moonstones apart for too long, it caused your Orchards to die. And the pulse that was released affected all of us."

"Our ancestors… They built this place together", Victor goes on, gesturing around the room.

"For both our towns!" Nova adds. "All of us!"

"To celebrate all of who we are."

"So… Once a year, we'll come to camp, and we'll bring our stones together. That's how we'll bring balance to our Orchards, and to our worlds!"

The cheering resumes. The counsellors clap along, Willa howls. Without thinking, I pull Vera into a hug, and she returns it, picking me up and twirling me around.

"We did it! I can't believe it— We did it!" I exclaim.

"We did it", she agrees. "And it's thanks to you."

She puts me down, still smiling at me. Almost naturally, our hands intertwine, and I can't help but look down. My breath catches in my chest.

"Vera, is that…"

There is a small burn on her wrist. I grab her wrist to take a closer look, but she pulls away, shaking her head. She places her hand under my chin, forcing me to look up, into her earnest eyes.

"It's nothing. You saved me, Dawn. A small burn is a cheap price to pay for not getting de-fanged. Besides…"

She turns her wrist towards the sky, letting the rain drip down on it. We both watch as the burn closes within seconds.

"Even more efficient than your magic ointment", she jokes.

"Still… I'm sorry", I mutter. "I never meant to hurt you."

She shakes her head again.

"No, Dawn… I'm sorry."

All of a sudden, she turns unusually quiet, her eyes refusing to meet mine.

"Victor told me everything", she explains. "I only overheard part of the conversation, and I made assumptions. About Nova, and about you. And… I should have trusted you."

I take her hand.

"It's okay", I assure. "You were just protecting your people. I can't blame you for that."

"Yeah. Well… Maybe Willa was right", Vera admits, glancing at the werewolf, who winks at us. "Maybe it is time to expand the pack. Maybe… Maybe you're my people, too."

She finally looks at me. I smile, and she smiles back. My heart skips a beat.

Is this a bad time to tell you I like you?

Probably, I decide. We'll have all the time for that later.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Victor and Nova talking to their aunt and father, respectively. They're all smiling, and the conversation seems to be going well. Then, the leaders turn back to the rest of the adults, and Nova and Victor link hands as they come over to us. Immediately, I pull my friend into a hug.

"You did it! I always knew that you had it in you."

"I never could have done it without you", she replies. "Thank you, Dawn. For believing in me."

The rest of our friends join in — Chiara, Aster, Vargas. As we're all chatting and congratulating each other, I notice Ray standing alone, watching us as if he doesn't dare to join us. I catch his eye and motion him closer.

"Hey, Ray— nice job out there", I tell him.

"Yeah, you've got skills, man!" Aster agrees. "Wanna train together sometime?"

Ray gives a shy smile, looking as if he doesn't dare to believe it.

"Okay", he agrees.

"Ray!"

Nova flings herself at him, hugging him for joy. And as Ray's arms close around her small body, and he hugs her back, I can finally see a small part of the burden he's been carrying easing off. Vargas opens his arms and throws himself at the pair.

"Group hug!" he calls.

We all laugh as we join in — Victor with his arm around Vargas' and Aster's shoulders, Chiara struggling to even reach the pair, Ray almost losing his balance under our combined weight. And Vera's hand in mine.

And standing there in the rain, hugging, laughing and feeling happier than I ever have, it suddenly hits me.

We did it.

We really did it.

Chapter Text

After our showdown with the Moonstones, most of us get the permission to spend that night at camp — just one last time, one last evening around the campfire, one last round of smores, one last night in the dusty bunks, before we have to go home and resume our usual lives. And so, while the adults return to our cities with the two Moonstones, us campers gather around the fire, chatting and celebrating and enjoying the moment.

The atmosphere is peaceful and happy. We know we managed to make a lasting change, to save our towns and ensure a future for all of us. We know it will be a long time before we have to worry about when our next meal will be. And we know, at last, we can all be friends without having to wonder whether the next time we see each other will be on a battlefield.

Victor, Nova, Ray, Vargas, Vera, Chiara, Aster and I are all sitting together. Victor and Nova are hand in hand, again — they have barely let go of each other since we healed the Orchards. Vargas is talking to Ray, a combination I wouldn't have expected, but which seems to be working surprisingly well. Aster is trying to explain something to Chiara about the pulse, and though she clearly doesn't understand what he's talking about, she's letting him rant, nodding him on without a word.

Which leaves me and Vera — leaning against each other in silence, shoulders touching, eyes lost in the patterns of the flames. Although everyone is there, for once, Vera doesn't seem self-conscious about our physical proximity. She looks more relaxed than I've ever seen her, looking around as if she doesn't dare to believe it.

We sit there until late that night, laughing and talking and enjoying the peace, until we're the only ones left and the fire is nothing but embers and if we look closely, we can see the sky is already turning a lighter shade of grey.

"So… What's next?"

I'm not sure if Chiara's talking to us or to the stars. We're all lying on the ground at this point, heads together, hands intertwined. Nova has her head on Victor's chest, and his arm is around her. My shoulder is still brushing against Vera's. We're all just a big pile of arms, legs and love.

"My father already said he wants to take me to council meetings, so…"

"Guess we're all in for a bunch of political meetings", Victor sighs. "Great."

Nova nudges him playfully.

"Come on, I thought you said you were ready to step up!"

"Hm."

"Do you think we'll be able to go back and forth more easily now?" I ask.

"Yeah, I don't wanna wait a whole year to see y'all again", Vargas agrees.

We all agree, but none of us have an answer to offer. So we just nod in silence, our eyes on the early sky.

"Sun's about to rise already", Chiara notices. "This time, camp is really over…"

"Don't say that!" we all protest at once.

"Hey, I have an idea."

Nova scrambles to her feet, and holds out a hand to Victor.

"Come on!" she insists as he doesn't take it immediately. "All of you!" she adds, gesturing around.

Grumbling vaguely, we comply, all of us scrambling to our feet. Nova, not letting go of Victor's hand, leads the way out of camp and to the top of the hill with the ruins, where Vera and I once sat. We all sit together at the foot of the ruins, watching the sunrise. From dark grey, the sky turns dark blue, then purple, pink, orange, gold. We all sit there without a word, trying to capture the moment — a moment none of us have ever really seen.

"That was beautiful", Victor breathes at last, once the sun is entirely visible above the horizon and the sky is its normal light blue.

"Like us", Nova declares. "A little bit of night and a little bit of day."

"And somehow, its own thing as well", I agree.

We sit there for just a while longer. We're shivering — the air is cold this morning — but none of us really care; we just huddle together for warmth. Gradually, birds start to sing, beetles crawl around, the nature awakens. The sunshine dries up the morning dew.

"And now it's really daytime again", Vera remarks. "Do you think that's our future too? That the peace is just temporary, and soon it will be either you or us again?"

I give her hand a squeeze and shake my head, refusing that possibility.

"Don't say that."

Nova briefly rests a hand on my shoulder, then reaches over me to touch Vera's arm, too.

"I think that's up to us", she says. "It's our responsibility to make the world what we want it to be.

"Let's make it a promise", Chiara suggests all of a sudden, holding out her hand, palm down. "That even if the grown-ups try to pitch us against each other again, we won't forget what we learnt here."

"That we're not so different", Victor agrees, placing his hand on top of hers.

"And that we're stronger together", I add, joining in.

One after the other, everyone adds their hand to the pile. We look at each other for a while. Then, all of a sudden, we all start laughing at the solemnity of the moment. Vera is the first to break away.

"Alright, come on. We have a party to host!"

***

The celebration feast is held at camp. Everyone is there — all of Aster's family, Blaze, Ember and Lucia, even my mom. Camp has never been this crowded. Everyone has brought a dish, old family recipes have been dug out of both Vampire and Daywalker households. I've never seen so much food at once in my whole life.

At first, both our peoples are wary, keeping to themselves and eyeing the food as if they don't dare to believe it. We know it's up to us campers to bridge the gaps. We go from one group to another, handing out plates, talking to people, smiling, being the perfect hosts. Often, we giggle from joy whenever we catch each other's eye. Addison, Zed, Eliza and Willa watch from a distance, beaming with pride. Soon, the little kids forget their fears and start playing together, and it's not long before the adults, too, relax.

And then, of course — because how else could it all end? — we all launch into a song together.

Addison

I used to think a trophy was a sign of glory

I used to think the prize you got was the whole point of the story

But when you read between the lines, you realise

There's so much more, there's so much more

Zed

Sometimes you're caught up in the goal you're chasing

That you can't see the real win lies in the lives you're changing

Cause it's in the hearts you touch, you find that rush

And what it's all about, it's what it's all about

Addison, Eliza, Willa & Zed

Got the sun and the stars on your side

Yeah, these four have been through their own issues these past few days, too.

All

Show the world it's who you are and what you give that makes a mark

Show the world what you believe can leave a footprint on a heart

Stepping up, gonna start a wave

Use your voice and take a chance and make a change

And show the world

Victor

Almost thought we'd never be here together

But we've been reaching for the same thing for forever

Victor & Vera

And I know we're day and night, but when you look inside

We're so much more, we're so much more

Nova & Dawn

When you've got a feeling, don't let nobody crush it

You gotta be brave and unafraid to stand up and trust it

Nova

Leading with your truest heart, who you really are

Is what it's all about, what it's all about

Dawn, Nova, Vera & Victor

Got the sun and the stars on our side

All

Show the world it's who you are and what you give that makes a mark

Show the world what you believe can leave a footprint on a heart

Stepping up, gonna start a wave

Use your voice and take a chance and make a change

And show the world

Show the world

Stepping up, gonna start a wave

Use your voice and take a chance and make a change

And show the world!

Chapter Text

"Hey, Dawn."

I smile. Just hearing her voice in my phone makes me happy. She sounds happy, too — peaceful. Not like the other day, when she called me in the middle of the night and her voice was tight with anguish.

"Hey Ver. How was your day?"

I try to keep my voice low. Mom is asleep, or should I say passed out, on the couch again. That much hasn't changed since camp — I guess we can't solve every problem in the world in just three days. But, with Vera on the phone, it all feels more manageable.

"The usual. You?"

"It was good. Ray came to hang out with us after school. Since Nova was in a meeting."

"How was it?"

"Pretty good. Ray's not that bad, when you get to know him. And he's starting to open up to us… At least a little. He can be really funny."

Vera makes a small sound of doubt, and I chuckle.

"You should come over sometime. Hang out with us. Bring Vargas, too. And Victor, if you can get him away from diplomatic meetings."

"Yeah, I don't think that's happening anytime soon. His aunt is… All too happy that he's finally stepping up as a leader."

"What about him? How does he feel about it?"

"He complains a lot about how exhausting it is. Typical Victor, you know. But I think he actually takes it seriously, for once. What about Nova?"

"Oh, she's been waiting for this her whole life. Her father's expectations are still pretty high, but I'd say she's doing pretty well. And she just loves those diplomatic councils", I had, a hint of mockery in my voice.

"Victor too", Vera replies, mimicking my tone as she takes the hint. "He especially loves the meetings with the Daywalker delegations…"

I smirk at the ceiling of my room.

"Lucky them."

"Yeah", Vera breathes, her voice slightly quieter than before.

My heart skips a beat — it always does when I can feel her getting more serious.

"I miss you, Ver", I whisper.

"I miss you too."

"Soon."

"Soon", she repeats, like a promise.

For a second, for the thousandth time since camp, I want to say it. The words are burning my tongue, beating in my chest, desperate for a way out. But I hold back. There will be other days. Other moments. Hangouts at the beach, or fireworks, or flying sessions, or holding hands in the night. There will be millions of seconds to spend together.

We're at peace. We're friends. Nothing else can go wrong.

We have all the time in the world.