"There's nothing there, Yve."
Yve tried to look again, but Raine grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the corner.
A low wail rolled through the water. It sounded like overlapping screams—hundreds of voices crying out at once.
The sound cut through Yve's chest and made her entire body shudder.
"Wounded first!" Raine shouted.
Yve snapped out of her shock and moved at once.
Together, they pulled injured villagers aboard—those too weak to swim, those bleeding too heavily, those clutching children too terrified to let go.
More tidecraft launched around them, filling as quickly as they arrived.
Yve and Raine darted back and forth between the dock and the surrounding streets.
They hauled an elderly woman over their shoulders. Guided two frightened children into the craft. Caught a wounded velaric as he nearly collapsed.
All around them, panic consumed Reefville. Sirens shouted to one another. The water was turning red, carrying the metallic scent of blood through the currents.
Raine dragged Yve to the nearest tidecraft. "Let's go!" she shouted to the villagers crowding around them. "Get in! Now!"
Yve climbed aboard numbly.
The tidecraft lurched and shot away from the dockyard.
Yve clutched the edge of the tidecraft, her breathing ragged. "Oh, heavens…" she whispered, staring at the shrinking silhouette of Reefville. "What was that?"
Her voice trembled as she turned to Raine. "Raine… do you think our friends are safe?"
Raine gripped the door handle tighter. Her knuckles had gone pale. "I—I don't know," she admitted. "Everything happened so fast. I didn't see them."
Yve's lower lip trembled. "What about Darnell? And Callista? Saige? Haira?" Her words came faster, each name cracking under the weight of her fear. "Did you see any of them?"
Raine's composure began to fracture. "I don't know, Yve. I really don't know." She glanced at Yve, voice tightening. "Tell me what you saw."
Yve tried to answer, but tears spilled down her cheeks. "It caught Maira." Her voice broke. "It was holding her by the face and… and those golden veins…" She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth. "It was draining her lifeline. I know it was."
Raine stared at her. "Draining her… lifeline?"
Yve nodded frantically. "And then I saw her face."
"What do you mean?"
"I—I don't know." Yve shook her head helplessly. "It was like her face was part of it. On its own face. Like she was trapped there."
Raine's expression darkened. "What else?"
Yve wiped her eyes, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking. "Oh, heavens, I don't know." She sucked in a shuddering breath. "I've never seen anything like it. Not in the archives. Not in any historical record, and you know I've read everything I could get my hands on."
Her voice dropped to a frightened whisper. "That creature doesn't exist in our history."
She swallowed hard. "And I think… I think I saw Haugen too."
Raine snapped her head toward her. "What?"
"I don't know!" Yve cried. "Maybe it was him. Maybe it wasn't. But I saw another face. Half face. Just beneath Maira's."
Her eyes grew distant, reliving the memory. "And they looked aware."
Raine said nothing.
Yve's voice cracked completely. "Maira saw me, Raine." She covered her mouth as a sob escaped. "She looked right at me… and I could see the fear in her eyes."
Raine took Yve's trembling hands in hers. "Hey. Hey." She pulled her into a tight embrace, one hand rubbing slow circles across her back. "Calm down. We made it out. We're alive. Shh… shh…"
Yve buried her face against her cousin's shoulder and cried quietly, her body shaking with every uneven breath. "We were lucky," she whispered at last. "We were so lucky to get out alive."
Raine rested her forehead against Yve's. "I know." She drew in a shaky breath and forced herself to steady. "Let's just regroup at the shore."
Yve wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Yes." Her voice was still fragile. "I need to know if Jenkins made it out."
Raine gave her hands one final squeeze. "He's with Lysander. If anyone can get him to safety, it's Sander."
Yve nodded again, holding on to that small thread of hope.
~~~
Deeper into the night, when most of the manor had finally gone quiet, one of the rescued survivors slipped out of her sleeping bag.
Careful not to wake the others, she padded into the darker side of the estate, toward the grounds behind the lab.
After relieving herself near the bushes, she noticed the tidecraft parked in front of the lab.
Even in the dark, its curved surface shimmered faintly, intricate lines pulsing with a soft glow beneath the hull.
At the front of the vessel, the two Pegacampus lay sleeping.
Their feathered wings were folded tightly around their bodies, covering them like living blankets.
The woman stared in awe. "Incredible," she whispered.
She stepped closer to the tidecraft first, reaching out to brush her fingers against its metallic surface.
A faint hum answered her touch. The energy thrumming inside felt warm and alive. Her eyes widened.
Then her attention shifted to the creatures. She kept a cautious distance at first.
The Pegacampus were larger up close than they had seemed before—powerful equine bodies, feathered wings tucked protectively around them, gills along their necks moving in slow, steady rhythm as they slept.
They looked peaceful. Majestic.
The woman swallowed. Slowly, she tiptoed closer. One careful step.
Then another.
Neither creature stirred.
She extended a trembling hand. Her fingertips brushed the outer feathers of one folded wing. The plumage was impossibly soft.
For one perfect second, nothing happened.
Then the Pgacampus exploded awake. Its wings snapped open in a violent burst.
The force hit like a hammer.
The woman screamed as she was hurled backward through the air. She shot through the bushes and smashed straight through the weakened wall of thorn and branches surrounding the estate.
A tree limb caught her across the stomach. Another branch hooked around her ankle.
Her body swung upside down. Then everything went black. She hung there unconscious in the darkness, suspended from the tree just beyond the safety of the manor grounds.
About half an hour passed before the woman stirred.
At first, it was only a groan.
Then the distant crunch of twigs pulled her further toward consciousness.
Blood had dried along the side of her face, matting her hair. She blinked against the dizziness and slowly lifted herself upright, clinging to the branch that had caught her.
The movement sent a bolt of pain through her body.
She whimpered.
Her entire left side throbbed. Bruises were already forming along her ribs and hip. Scratches covered her arms and legs. Her neck felt stiff, and every breath reminded her how hard she got hit.
Another crunch.
Closer this time.
She froze. Carefully, she peered through the leaves.
From her perch high in the tree, she had a clear view of the forest floor below. Moonlight filtered through the branches, painting pale streaks across the ground.
Two figures moved through the darkness.
She held her breath and pressed herself tighter against the trunk.
Then came the unmistakable burst of static.
A radio crackled to life. The words were broken, distorted by interference, but she caught enough.
"Delta to Base… location…at…over"
~~~
The next morning, the manor grounds were already alive with activity.
Engines rumbled. Doors slammed. People moved back and forth carrying crates, blankets, weapons, and whatever food they could salvage before the journey.
Dylan stood on the roof rack of one of the vehicles, tightening the last rope securing several wooden boxes in place.
He gave the knot one final pull.
Solid.
Lucas walked up beside the vehicle. "Hey."
Dylan glanced down at him. "What d'you want?"
Lucas held up a bottle of water.
Dylan finished checking the rope, then stepped down from the roof. He straightened, took the bottle, and drank half of it in one go.
Lucas studied him for a moment. "You alright?"
Dylan lowered the bottle. "Never been better."
The answer was flat enough to mean the exact opposite.
Lucas nodded anyway. "You need anything else?"
Dylan screwed the cap back on. "Yeah." He handed the bottle back. "Need to clear Jenkins's lab."
Lucas followed his gaze toward the makeshift lab. "Right. That."
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
Then Lucas took the bottle. "I'll send somebody with you."
Dylan gave a short nod. "Thanks." He turned and started toward the lab without another word.
Nearby, Ava stood beside one of the buses with a clipboard in hand, counting the rescued survivors one by one as they settled into their seats. "Forty-seven… forty-eight… forty-nine… fifty."
She lowered the clipboard and frowned. Her eyes swept across the exhausted faces staring back at her. "Weren't there fifty-one of you?"
The survivors exchanged uncertain glances. No one answered.
Ava checked her notes, then counted again silently. Still fifty.
She looked up. "So either I counted wrong yesterday… or someone's missing."
The words hung in the air. The survivors shifted uneasily but said nothing.
Ava exhaled through her nose. "It's like talking to a wall." She made a quick note on the clipboard. "Alright. Fifty accounted for." She glanced around the bus. "Does anyone need anything?"
The survivors looked at one another.
Finally, a middle-aged man near the back raised a trembling hand. "Water," he said hoarsely.
Ava hesitated. "Uh… we're running pretty low on water, and we've got a long trip ahead of us."
She gave him an apologetic look. "There's a river where we're going. You'll be able to drink there, so… just hang on a little longer, alright?"
The man nodded weakly. The others said nothing.
Ava checked the bus one last time, then stepped down.
Meanwhile, Ysa brushed down the Pegacampus' wings carefully, checking for any torn feathers or signs of strain from the night before. "You guys get a good night's rest?" she asked softly.
The Pegacampus responded by shifting and flicking their tails, calm and alert at the same time.
Ysa gave a small nod. "Good. We'll be heading home soon… just hang in there."
Footsteps approached behind her.
"Good morning, master," Emily said with a bright, teasing giggle.
Ysa didn't even turn fully around. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?"
Emily tilted her head. "February thirty-first."
Ysa exhaled through her nose and gave up arguing, a faint smile breaking through instead. "So… big trip?"
Emily leaned closer, looking around the manor grounds.
Ysa straightened slightly. "You alright?"
Emily hesitated. "No. Not really." Her gaze drifted across the estate. "Since the apocalypse… this place has been all we've known. Two years of just… this." She gestured vaguely at the manor, the walls, the gardens, the controlled quiet.
Ysa followed her gaze. "It's necessary for survival."
"I know," Emily said quickly. "I get it. But my dad's been hesitant. He said he wants to stay one more day."
Ysa's expression tightened. "That's unnecessarily risky. We should all be moving."
Emily nodded, but her voice softened. "He grew up here. This is his family's legacy. Grandpop's place… great-grandfather's too. I think that makes it harder for him to let go."
A pause.
Ysa looked at her for a long moment, then sighed. "…I guess I understand that."
Emily perked up slightly. "So you'll wait for us? Just one more day?"
"New place is just six hours away," Emily added quickly, as if that made it safer.
Ysa didn't look convinced. "Hmm…" She turned toward the tidecraft.
Without another word, she opened the door, and drew her sword from the suspended water. It formed in her hand instantly—clean, fluid, alive with energy.
She held it out. "Take this."
Emily blinked. "Wait… you're giving me your sword?"
Ysa corrected her immediately. "No. Temporary." She placed it carefully into Emily's hands. "I don't like the idea of you guys staying even one more day. But if it gives you closure… fine. Just return it in one piece."
Emily turned it slightly, eyes wide. "Can I do that thing? The sword water manifestation thing?"
Ysa gave a short laugh. "No. Humans aren't attuned to the frequency for it."
"Aww," Emily said, disappointed but smiling. "Still cool though. My master's sword."
"I am not your master," Ysa said flatly.
Emily just giggled, spinning the blade carefully in her hands. It was impossibly light for something so dangerous.
~~~
Raine leaned forward and issued a command to the Pegacampus. The creatures slowed at once, their powerful strokes easing as the tidecraft glided toward the shore.
Sunlight poured across the water. Several tidecraft had already arrived and were pulled up along the sand. Sirens moved everywhere—tending to the wounded, gathering supplies, calling out the names of loved ones.
The moment the tidecraft touched land, Yve jumped out. "Lysander!" she shouted, scanning the crowded shoreline. "Jenkins!"
A familiar figure turned.
Lysander. Relief flooded his face. He rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I am glad you are safe," he said, his voice uncharacteristically unsteady.
Yve hugged him back only briefly before pulling away. "Yeah. Me too." Her eyes darted past him. "Where's Jenkins?"
Lysander blinked. "Jenkins?"
"The man I told you to protect."
"Oh." Recognition dawned on his face. "Right. He is over there." He pointed toward a cluster of wounded sirens near the shoreline.
Dr. Jenkins knelt among them, examining a deep laceration on one siren's shoulder.
"Jenkins!"
He looked up at the sound of her voice. When he turned around, Yve froze.
His eyes. The irises had shifted completely—bright, predatory, unmistakably siren.
For half a second she simply stared. Then she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you alright?" she asked, words tumbling out in a rush. "How do you feel? Any pain? Dizziness? Pressure in your chest?"
Jenkins blinked, clearly startled by the force of the hug. "I—I'm fine."
Yve pulled back, studying his face. "Your eyes…"
Jenkins touched the corners of them instinctively. "What about them?"
"You're still in predator vision. What happened?"
He adjusted his glasses, though he no longer seemed to need them. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted. "Sometime after we escaped, my vision changed and… frankly, it's extraordinary."
His scientific fascination began to override his anxiety. "I can resolve details at remarkable distances. My low-light acuity is exceptional. I suspect my retinal structures are still partially transformed."
His excitement faded a little. "They haven't reverted yet."
He frowned. "Do you think something is wrong?"
Yve was already shaking her head. "I don't know. Let me examine you." She grabbed his wrist. "Come on."
Before he could protest, Yve pulled him away from the others and led him behind one of the parked tidecraft, where the noise of the wounded and the chaos of the shore faded into relative quiet.
Yve placed her hand lightly against Jenkins's chest. She closed her eyes, counting the rhythm of his heartbeat.
Steady. A little fast, but steady.
"Raise your arms," she said.
Jenkins did as he was told.
Yve leaned closer, her ear near his chest as she focused on the sounds within him—heart, lungs, blood flow. Her expression tightened in concentration as she listened to each organ with the precision only a siren could manage.
After a few moments, she moved to his face.
Her thumbs gently pulled down his lower eyelids as she examined the golden predatory irises. "Close your eyes," she said. "Ten seconds."
Jenkins obeyed. He stood perfectly still, breathing slowly while she counted under her breath.
"Open them."
He did. The predatory eyes remained.
Jenkins frowned. "Is that… bad?"
Yve shook her head. "Not necessarily." She lowered her hands. "But your body has been under tremendous stress. We don't want it staying in this state any longer than necessary."
She studied him closely. "You just survived a life-threatening event. Your instincts forced your predator form to the surface to heighten your senses."
Her voice softened. "Are you afraid?"
Jenkins gave a short, nervous laugh. "Uhmm…yes?"
He swallowed. "I mean… I've never seen you panic before. You are, without question, one of the bravest individuals I have ever met."
He adjusted his glasses again out of habit. "When I saw you terrified… I realized how serious the situation truly was."
Yve looked away toward the shoreline. "Sirens are not afraid of danger," she said quietly. "And we are not afraid of death."
Her fingers tightened slightly around her own wrist. "But last night…"
She shuddered. "There was something in that creature. Something that reached past instinct and touched a deeper fear."
She looked back at him. "Lysander would never admit it, but I saw it in his eyes as well. In all of us."
Her voice dropped lower. "Whatever that thing is, it does more than kill. It affects us at a biological level."
Jenkins's expression softened. "I'm glad you're safe, Yve."
Yve smiled faintly. "There's nothing to fear anymore, Doc. You're safe now."
She lifted her wrist, revealing the half of the Aethryx mark etched into her skin. "I made a promise to you and to the others."
Her eyes locked onto his. "I said I would bring you back alive."
Her voice became firm. "And I swear on my Aethryx mark—I will do everything in my power to keep that promise."
Jenkins exhaled. The tension that had gripped his shoulders finally began to ease. Relief washed over his face.
As his breathing slowed, the golden predatory gleam in his eyes began to fade. The sharp pupils softened. Color returned to normal. His posture relaxed.
Jenkins blinked once, then touched the corners of his eyes. "They're back."
Yve let out the breath she had been holding. "Good."
Jenkins looked at her with quiet gratitude. "Thank you."
Yve smiled. "Anytime, Doc."
Yve and Jenkins returned to the shoreline.
The sight that greeted her tightened something in her chest.
Sirens lay scattered across the sand and in the shallows. Some groaned in pain. Others pressed their hands over wounds, trying to slow the bleeding. Children clung to their parents, crying openly. Fear lingered on every face.
For a moment, Yve simply stood there, taking in the scale of it. Then she raised her voice. "Is there a Haelar here?"
A wounded siren propped himself up on one elbow and shook his head weakly. "I… don't think so."
Yve's eyes swept across the crowd. "What about the Arcan Haelar? And the Under-Chieftain Arcenaux? The councilors?"
A bitter laugh came from somewhere to her left. "Arcenaux?" another siren spat. "That coward was one of the first to flee." He coughed before continuing. "I saw the council's tidecrafts leaving, but they scattered in different directions. I doubt any of them knew to regroup here."
Yve went still. "No Haelar," she murmured. "No council. Not even one under-chief with enough spine to stay."
Her breathing quickened. She began pacing across the sand, mind racing. Then she stopped and turned to the crowd. "Callista."
Callista looked up from where she was kneeling beside a weak elder, transferring energy through clasped hands. "Yes?"
"Can you perform a Vitalis Resonance Surge?"
Callista hesitated. "I can," she said carefully, "but many of them have lost too much blood. If I flood their systems with energy now, it could poison them."
Yve nodded once. "Alright." She climbed onto a large piece of driftwood so everyone could see her. Her voice rose, clear and commanding. "Everyone who has not lost a dangerous amount of blood, move into the open water—six hundred feet from shore."
The crowd stirred immediately.
Yve continued. "I also need another three more Senzara-gifted sirens."
A young siren raised his hand and stepped forward.
Yve frowned. "Only two." She looked at them. "Callista. Atticus. Can you handle this?"
Callista lifted her chin. "Please. We don't even need him."
Atticus snorted. "Sure you do."
Despite everything, a few exhausted sirens managed weak smiles.
Yve nodded. "Good. Let's move."
The healthier sirens began organizing the others, supporting those too weak to swim on their own, those with non-life threatening wounds. While the severely wounded remained on the shore.
Raine guided the injured Pegacampus into the shallows, soothing them as they followed.
Slowly, the survivors moved away from the beach. Six hundred feet from shore, they gathered in the open ocean—wounded, frightened, but alive.
In the deeper waters beyond the shore, the sirens gathered.
At one end stood Callista.
At the other stood Atticus.
The gathered survivors floated between them.
Without a word, both Senzara sirens extended their hands into the water. Liquid silver rose from the sea and coiled around their arms. Volite crystals condensed from within the currents, assembling into two long Senzarion scepters. The crystal heads pulsed with a soft blue glow, humming with restrained power.
Callista closed her eyes.
Atticus did the same.
The ocean answered.
Energy began pouring into the crystal tips, drawn from the surrounding sea. The water darkened. The tide near the shoreline retreated, exposing wet sand and rock as if the ocean itself were inhaling.
The pressure in the water intensified. Every siren in the circle felt it.
Then both of them opened their eyes. Their pupils narrowed into predatory slits, glowing with concentrated power.
With one synchronized motion, they swept their scepters forward.
The ocean erupted.
A shockwave of luminous energy burst from the crystal heads and surged through the gathered sirens. At the same instant, the displaced tide roared back toward shore in a towering wall of water that crashed against the beach like a controlled tsunami.
Columns of water exploded upward around the circle.
The healing was immediate. Cuts sealed shut. Bruises faded. Color returned to pale faces.
The weak straightened, drawing in deep breaths as renewed strength flooded their bodies. Even the injured Pegacampus lifted their heads, fins shivering as vitality returned to their forms.
When the last pulse of energy faded, the crystals dimmed. The Senzarion scepters dissolved back into water.
Callista swayed. Atticus drifted backward, completely spent.
Yve and Raine rushed forward and caught them before they sank.
Around them, the restored sirens broke into relieved cries and laughter. For the first time since fleeing Reefville, hope spread through the group.
Yve supported Callista as they drifted toward shore. "You did it," she said, smiling.
Callista yawned and managed a smug grin. "Yeah. Told you you didn't need him."
Atticus cracked one eye open. "A simple thank you would suffice."
Yve shook her head, amused. "Both of you need rest." She turned to the others. "Prepare their tidecrafts. They're in no condition to move."
Callista attempted to straighten. "Maybe you need rest. I'm fine." She took one step and nearly collapsed.
Yve caught her immediately.
Atticus let out a tired chuckle. "You need rest," he repeated in a mocking imitation of Callista's voice. Then his eyes closed, and he fell asleep in Raine's arms.
Within minutes, both Senzara sirens were settled into their respective tidecrafts, where they drifted into deep, exhausted sleep.
Around them, the survivors moved with renewed strength.
~~~
Lucas grunted as he hefted another heavy crate of Jenkins's equipment onto the workbench. "Careful with that one," he muttered to Dylan, who was securing the lid on another box. "He's got calibrated sensors in here. Don't want to knock them out of whack before we even get a chance to use them."
Dylan just grunted in response, his focus entirely on the latch. The lab was a mess of disassembled equipment and half-packed boxes, but they were making a dent. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and sterile wipes.
Footsteps echoed in the doorway. "Need a hand?"
Lucas didn't even have to look up. The casual, helpful tone was a match to a fuse he'd been nursing all morning. He straightened up slowly, his back aching, and turned to face his brother.
"Look who decided to show up," Lucas said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't let us interrupt your important work."
David's easy-going expression faltered. "I was talking with some of the survivors, trying to keep them calm."
"Right. 'Talking,'" Lucas said, making air quotes with his grimy fingers. "Is that what they're calling it now? I saw you with Anya. Looked like a very therapeutic conversation. Did you get her number, too?
David's jaw tightened. "Her brother just died, Lucas. She needed someone to talk to."
"Oh, I see. You're a grief counselor now. My mistake," Lucas said, turning back to his crate with a dismissive shake of his head. "Here I was, thinking we were packing up the only things that might keep mankind from total annihilation. Silly me. I should have been out there networking."
"I said I'm here now," David said, his voice losing its patience. "What do you want from me?"
Lucas shot back, spinning around. "I want you to think about someone other than yourself for five minutes. But hey, why start now? It's only the end of the world."
"You know what, Lucas? You're right," David said, his voice dangerously calm. "How selfish of me. I should have been in here, basking in the glow of your self-righteousness. It's so much more useful than, say, making sure a dozen people don't have a complete mental breakdown."
"We're all having a mental breakdown, David! Some of us just have the decency to do it while we're still being useful!"
While they were facing each other, chests heaving, Dylan calmly picked up a stack of manila folders filled with notes. He crossed the room, placed them neatly into a waiting crate, and began organizing them by date, completely ignoring the shouting match happening just a few feet away.
"You know what?" David said, his eyes glinting with a cold, hard light. "Forget it. You clearly have everything under control. You always do."
"Fine by me," Lucas snapped back. "Wouldn't want to distract you from your real duties."
David held his gaze for a long, silent moment, then gave a short, sharp nod. "Fine." He turned and walked out of the lab.
The silence in the lab stretched, thick and uncomfortable. Lucas stood with his back to the door, staring at a half-packed crate, his shoulders rigid. The anger was still simmering, a bitter taste in his mouth.
A low, unexpected sound broke the tension. It was a short, gravelly chuckle from Dylan.
Lucas turned his head slightly. "What?"
Dylan didn't look up from the crate he was nailing shut. He just shook his head, a small, almost imperceptible motion. "Damn," he rasped, his voice a low rumble. "You two. Sounded like a couple a' cats in a sack." He paused, hammering in another nail with a solid thwack. "Thought I heard some girls come in here."
Lucas's jaw tightened. "That's sexist."
Dylan finally looked up, resting his forearm on the top of the crate. He gave Lucas a long, unreadable look. "Ain't nothin' I ain't been called before." He gestured vaguely with his hammer toward the door. "You can go on and report me if you want." He let out another small, dry chuckle, a sound like rocks grinding together. He pushed himself off the crate, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator sizing up its prey. "Why you so wound up anyway?"
Lucas let out a frustrated sigh, the fight draining out of him, replaced by a wave of bone-deep exhaustion. "I'm just exhausted and tensed," he admitted, his voice flat. "He came in at the wrong time, and I just snapped."
Dylan watched him for a moment, his smirk softening into something more analytical, almost pitying. "Yeah, well," he grunted. "Maybe you should see a shrink."
That was it. The last straw. Lucas's frustration boiled over, not at David this time, but at the man in front of him who seemed to find the end of the world a personal joke. He pointed a finger at Dylan. "Maybe you need a shrink."
Without waiting for a response, Lucas turned and stormed out of the lab, his footsteps echoing his annoyance down the hall.
Dylan watched him go, a slow, deliberate smirk spreading across his face. He shook his head slightly, then went back to his work, the quiet chuckle still rumbling in his chest.
~~~
The manor had been stripped bare.
What was once a preserved estate now looked like a hollow shell of its former self—beds dragged out, storage emptied, cabinets torn open and sorted through with ruthless efficiency. Even the solar panels had been unmounted from the roof, stacked carefully near the vehicles like scavenged treasure.
Nothing was wasted. Nothing left behind that could be carried.
Harrison stood on the front porch, looking out over the cleared grounds as if trying to memorize it in layers. His voice broke the quiet. "We'll stay here one more day."
A pause.
"I want to say a proper goodbye to this place."
His grip tightened slightly on the glass in his hand. "I know it's not smart," he added, quieter now, "but it's hard to let go of something that used to feel normal… in a world that doesn't make sense anymore."
He turned slightly, glancing back toward the group gathered near the steps. "Ava will take you to that village. We'll follow tomorrow."
Ava gave a small nod but didn't speak.
Harrison lifted the glass of water slightly—almost like a toast, but heavier than that. "To the sirens." His eyes settled on Duncan and Ysa. "Thank you," he said simply. "For helping us protect this place."
Duncan gave a short, controlled nod—nothing dramatic, just acknowledgement.
Ysa followed after a beat, expression unreadable but steady.
Lucas exhaled through his nose. "You guys need anything else?"
Harrison shook his head. "No. Just leave us a vehicle and some canned food for tonight."
"Will do."
David stepped forward. "I'll stay with them."
Lucas paused. "Why?"
David shrugged, already irritated. "Why are you so clingy about it?"
"That's not what I asked."
"It's what it sounds like," David shot back. "Why do you care anyway? Thought you'd be happier leaving me behind with my 'real duties.'"
Lucas's jaw tightened. "You want to stay? Fine. Just don't act like I'm the problem for asking."
David scoffed. "Relax. Wouldn't want to be stuck in a car with you for six hours anyway."
"Jerk," Lucas muttered.
Taylor stepped in fast, grabbing Lucas by the arm. "What is going on between you two?"
Before Lucas could answer, David leaned slightly toward them. "Your husband's been on my case since this morning."
Lucas gave him a flat look.
David smirked. "What? Oh I'm sorry. Was I flirting with your wife too?"
Silence snapped tight for a second.
Lucas exhaled sharply. "Why are you being such a jerk?"
David shrugged. "Why are you being such a jerk?"
Ava rolled her eyes so hard it looked like it hurt.
"For the love of—can you two save the sissy fight for later?" she snapped. "We're losing daylight, and you're both acting like children. Fix your marital problems later and can we just go?"
Silence snapped in for half a beat.
Lucas exhaled through his nose. David looked away first.
"Yeah," Lucas muttered. "Let's go. Wouldn't want David's jerkiness to ruin the rest of my day."
David scoffed lightly. "I feel the same way!." And he stormed inside the manor, slamming the front door, hard.
The tension didn't vanish—it just got buried under movement. One by one, engines rumbled awake.
The convoy formed like a slow-moving spine of metal and dust.
Ava took lead vehicle. Ethan sat tense beside her. Dylan rode up front with them, already scanning the road like it might turn on them.
Behind them, the tidecraft cut through the air, pulled steadily by the Pegacampus. Inside, the Chief sat rigid, eyes forward, hands resting on his sides.
While the rest fell into formation. And for the first time in a long while, they moved forward—not because they were safe, but because staying behind was worse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author's Note;
Chapter LIII. A lot happened. A lot.
We had escapes, emotional breakdowns, epic magic, and a family feud that could cut glass. I packed it full, and I hope you were able to keep up with the madness.
So, hit me. What did you think of this monster chapter? Don't hold back.