9

You don’t have to worry.

I’ll worry enough for the both of us.

“What happened to them all? The ones who didn’t get a spot in the bunkers?” Khalani asked in the Braderhelm library.

“They died.” Winnie’s gaze sank to the floor, as though it might absorb her sorrow. “They were left behind in a poisoned wasteland, with nothing but a slow, agonizing death waiting for them.”

“But why couldn’t they make more room?! What made us more deserving than them to live?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Winnie clasped her hands. “Remember this, Khalani. No person is more deserving than another. You can’t control where or who you’re born to. You can’t control your luck. All you can do is recognize your privileges and strive to be better than those who came before you.”

“Not sure if I’m doing a good job of that.” Khalani’s shoulders drooped.

Winnie cupped her shoulder and gave her a knowing smile. “You’re here for a reason. That’s why you’re still alive. I know the road hasn’t been easy. But have you ever considered that you’re meant to walk the hard path so the next person can fly over it?”

Khalani’s thoughts were pulled back to the present as the strange figures pushed them forward. Clad in tan garments and black cloaks, they guided Khalani and the others up the creaky wooden stairs, their swords and spears glinting menacingly under the dim light.

At the top of the stairs, Khalani entered a room that almost seemed trapped in time.

The light was muted, casting a shadowy veil over a cracked, brown leather sofa in the middle of the space. The wooden floor, marked by countless scuffs and dents, groaned beneath her feet.

She glanced at the white walls, where an assortment of dusty pictures hung in glass frames. A beautiful family smiled back at her, surrounded by plants and trees.

In one of the pictures, two kids stood in front of a brightly lit tree, with wrapped boxes scattered on the floor.

Her gaze narrowed on the couch in the image, strikingly similar to the one planted in front of her.

One of the men tugged on her elbow, pulling her attention away. In the corner of the room was a strange apparatus—an old box with a grey screen and two slender legs attached.

She frowned, trying to get a closer look.

“This way.” The red-haired woman gestured toward a white door on her left.

Khalani’s thoughts raced a thousand miles an hour as they quickly followed their captors. But when they were led out the door, her steps faltered.

It wasn’t the pale moon hovering majestically above them that took her breath away. It was the rows of one-story houses, each painted a different, cheerful color, lining a curved road.

Each house was enclosed by a white picket fence that highlighted well-manicured front yards. The green grass shimmered in the moonlight, meticulously trimmed to an even height. Khalani stumbled, having not seen grass since her first ascent to the domed city of Genesis.

It was a world untouched by the Great Collapse.

The enchanting houses even had yellow mailboxes positioned in front of their fences.

But then, a much larger object caught her eye.

A towering metal wall, twenty feet high, circled the town. A walkway ran along the top of the wall, where figures in black cloaks patrolled with spears. Khalani felt their vigilant gazes upon her, as if they were peering directly into her eyes.

“Let’s go,” the woman commanded, tearing her gaze from the wall.

They walked along a black cement road that ran through the heart of the picturesque town.

A small green sign caught her eye, clinging to a metal pole that jutted from the cracked pavement.

Merry Avenue.

Tall, elegant lamps cast a warm glow on the street, each adorned with intricate swirling patterns on their bronze surfaces.

No one else was on the road.

She glanced at one of the pink houses that had a wraparound porch and a swinging bench. There were no lights or signs of life in the house or in any of the homes they’d passed

But before she turned away, something flickered in the window, the drapes slightly shifting.

“Did you see that?” Khalani whispered to Serene.

“See what?” Serene frowned.

Khalani looked back at the house, but everything was still. As if only ghosts resided behind the window panes.

She scowled, pulling the lapel of her shirt closer as a sharp gust of wind swept through. Her gaze drifted back up to the intimidating metal wall that seemed incredibly out of place compared to the colorful homes they passed.

Many of the shadowy figures lining the wall watched the outer desert. They were vigilant, alert, their weapons glinting menacingly as they scanned over the expansive area.

She shivered, needing to know if the wall served as a barrier to keep threats out…or was it built to contain everyone within?

The six of them trudged along the old road, flanked by strange men and women whose dark cloaks blended with the shadows, led by the enigmatic, flaming-haired woman at the front.

Khalani’s skin itched and tingled as she ventured deeper into the town, unable to shake the unsettling feeling of multiple eyes watching every movement she made.

Serene pressed closer to Khalani’s side, her focus darting between each person and house with a frenzied intensity.

Takeshi walked a few feet away from her.

He held his head high, each step steady and measured, but his gaze continued to harden, flickering between the sharp weapons of their captors and the fortress that trapped them.

The red-haired woman finally halted at the end of the road where two identical yellow houses stood. Unlike the other houses, the fences had a few posts missing, overgrown grass in their yards, and dusty porch benches that creaked and swayed with the wind.

“This is where you’ll be staying,” the woman announced. “Each house has two bedrooms. Divide yourselves as you see fit—”

“We’re not splitting up,” Takeshi interjected sharply.

The woman tilted her head in surprise. “The Desert Spring is large enough to accommodate each of you and provide you all a place to sleep. You’d disregard our generous hospitality?”

“You dragged us here unconscious and won’t let us leave.” Brock scoffed. “I wouldn’t call that hospitality.”

One of the men stepped forward, thrusting a spear toward Brock’s throat. “Watch how you speak to your Chief, Under-Dweller.”

Brock didn’t flinch and regarded the spear like a child’s plaything. “She’s your Chief. Not ours.”

The figures around them bristled, and Khalani noticed them lifting their weapons higher. Everyone tensed, but the Chief raised her hand.

“Relax.” The Chief’s voice was unsettlingly cheerful. “He’s not going to do anything, not when he knows we’ll kill his precious tribe if he does.”

The open scorn and hostility in Brock’s eyes could’ve melted steel, but he stayed silent.

“Now, you all can sleep on the floor if you like. Or the grass. Your comfort means nothing—only what you can do for us. But these are the rules you must follow. Do not attempt to climb the wall. Do not venture to the front gate. And do not leave the house at night. If you require anything, Ferren and Jared will be posted outside.”

“We don’t need bodyguards,” Adan said.

“They’re for our protection, not yours,” the Chief replied curtly, turning to leave.

“Wait!” Khalani dashed forward. “What about our friend? When can we see her? How do we know if she’s okay?”

The frantic shaking in her hands grew uncontrollable.

Every second apart from Winnie felt like another shard of her past breaking away, just like the photograph of her parents Dana had torn in Braderhelm.

The unfamiliar houses stood as quiet witnesses to her turmoil.

The woman paused, glancing over her shoulder.

“I’ll let you see her tomorrow. As for her condition…” She looked skyward. “It’s up to the moon goddess now whether she lives or dies.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

The Chief ignored her and walked away, her cloak fluttering behind her as all but two figures followed.

“Wait! Just tell me if she’s okay!” Khalani’s voice echoed into the cool night, but no one answered. Her bottom lip trembled as the words echoed back in her mind.

“It’s up to the moon goddess whether she lives or dies.”

Lives.

Or.

No.

Khalani couldn’t allow Winnie’s fate to be decided by some mystical force. She took a few steps forward, preparing to knock on every door to find Winnie, but a larger figure blocked her path.

“Takeshi…don’t. Please don’t.” Khalani hated begging, but desperation took over. “I have to find her.”

But Takeshi didn’t move. “We will, Kanes. If they don’t take you to her tomorrow, you know I’ll kill everyone to get her back to you.”

He spoke of death as if it were his burden to bear and gift to deliver.

“But Winnie doesn’t like violence…” She swayed on her feet and blinked rapidly, trying to fight the exhaustion that bore down on her.

“C’mon, Khalani,” Serene’s voice was gentle but firm as she tugged on Khalani’s elbow. “You’re dead on your feet and need to rest. We’ll figure everything out in the morning. No one is leaving, Winnie. I promise. We’re all here with you.”

Khalani’s chin trembled as Derek, Adan, Takeshi and even Brock drew nearer. Their eyes held a shared grief, as if her pain had woven itself into their own.

Like they considered Winnie family, too.

The two male figures who were left behind stepped forward.

One had brown hair tied back in a tight ponytail, while the other’s long, flowing black hair cascaded down his back. Both were tall, deeply tanned, lean, and had the build of seasoned fighters.

“It’s time for you all to go inside now,” the one with the long hair said. His voice was deep and raspy, as if his vocal cords had been charred.

“Do you girls need help?” The one with the ponytail stepped forward, and she felt his gaze lingering on Serene and her.

“They’re fine,” Brock practically growled. “Let’s go.”

Takeshi deftly positioned himself between her and the men, blocking Khalani from view as they entered the house.

The air was still.

As if it hadn’t been breathed in years.

The creepy yellow home was covered in dust, with only the moonlight filtering through the window providing visibility. Pink polka dot wallpaper clung to the walls, faded and peeling, while a dirty brown carpet lay across the floor. Sparse furniture was scattered about the room, covered in white sheets.

Serene put her arm around Khalani’s shoulders and shuffled her to the nearest bedroom.

She first noticed the white covers and…a bed.

Khalani immediately collapsed onto the bed, a loud sigh escaping her as the soft sheets molded to her body like they were made for her frame.

“Who’s taking the other room?” Adan asked, his voice breaking the tense silence.

“Only two beds, so maybe the girls share one, and two of us can take the other bed and the couch?” Derek suggested.

If she wasn’t so exhausted, she would’ve loved to see Takeshi and Brock’s faces at the mere notion of having to snuggle together.

The daily act of not killing each other was a magnificent feat.

Brock scoffed, and his hard footsteps thudded against the wooden floor as he drew near. “We should pair each girl with a guy in case someone tries to break in and kill us.”

“Absolutely not. Just because we have tits doesn’t mean we’re incompetent or weak,” Serene hissed.

“I didn’t mean wea—”

“Just give me one of your guns,” Serene cut him off.

“No. They took our weapons in case you forgot.”

“So…you’re useless is what you’re saying.”

“On second thought, maybe you can annoy our kidnappers to death,” Brock griped.

“Here.” Takeshi’s voice cut through the argument as he moved closer.

A slight shuffle and a pause.

“A knife? How come they didn’t take it off you?” Serene asked.

“I know how to hide my weapons,” Takeshi replied cryptically. “If anyone but us tries to get through this door, you stick this in their throat.”

The quiet hint of death in his tone was unnerving. Serene held a particular level of distrust toward Takeshi, but she surprisingly said, “Thanks.”

Khalani’s eyes grew heavier as Serene closed the door and drew the blinds close, plunging the room into complete darkness. Serene collapsed onto the bed and when her head hit the pillow, the most contented sigh left her mouth.

“I forgot what a bed felt like,” Serene grumbled face-first into the pillow.

The promise of tomorrow and its looming wrath made her take a deep breath, and she nestled into the pillow, surrendering to the comfort of sleep. Right before blessed unconsciousness overtook her, Serene’s soft voice whispered through the air.

“Khalani?”

“Hmm?”

“What if these people are good?”

Khalani shifted slightly, squinting in the dark. “What do you mean?”

“They have a bunch of houses…and it all looks so nice. Maybe, after we find a way to Hermes and bring them back supplies, they’ll let us stay,” Serene offered, a hopeful lilt to her voice.

“I don’t know. Something about this place gives me the creeps. But if everything turns out okay and they let us continue on to Hermes...yeah. Maybe we can come back and stay.”

She spoke the words, but they didn’t feel genuine.

Before sleep consumed her, a haunting voice in the cool air whispered that the only thing this town could offer was their demise.