Chapter 18

Taking a deep breath, Krystal busts the lock open and lets us through the side entrance of the recycling center. Conveyor belts transport empty boxes to a hole in the wall leading to the next room. Since the windows are so heavily tinted, it's impossible to see what lies next door. Still, I hear movement and distant voices, followed by the periodic drone of the machinery that crushes bones and saws through flesh. The copper smell of blood wafts through the hole. There aren't any cameras here for obvious reasons, but I dare not assume the same of the other rooms here.

I glance at a hallway to our left, but I can't see much beneath the waning lights.

Krystal winces at the horrid sounds, peeling her gaze away from the dark windows. "Whatever's left of them will be used to make treatment serums for radiation symptoms. That way, Proxy can keep experimenting on more false immunes, healing them, and using them for longer until the next execution day rolls around." She takes out a vial from her pocket and hands it to me.

I study the red liquid, watching the whitish particles floating inside. "Doesn't that mean we could have Healers working for Proxy soon? It's not like we have an infinite supply of serums to heal or ease the symptoms."

Krystal nods grimly, her mouth set in a thin line while she lets out a stuttered breath. Then, she takes the vial and unscrews it.

"Are you nuts?" I hiss.

She shrugs and spills the serum onto my palm. My jaw clenches with a tightness I've never felt before, and my hand starts to shake as the liquid traces a cold path down my arm. It finds a cut along the way and seeps inside the raw, healing injury.

The visions are back again. I'm at the graduation ceremony, watching as the Leviathan is engraved onto my wrist. A searing ache starts in my chest and spreads through me—the severance and death of my training days. This time, a familiar tethering invades my mind and tugs at my consciousness. The serum is part of me and my body.

"It's mixed with Healer blood," I say as Krystal's face comes into focus again.

She nods sadly. "Proxy will probably need more at some point, and where else would it come from? That's unless you're fine with them taking as much as they want for however long they want to continue this sick experiment."

"When did they do this?"

"All this while, Aria. Don't you think it's weird that we always get scratches just by walking? The plants detect Healer blood, but I don't know how it all ends up in vials like this." She lets out a long sigh, raking a hand through her hair as she studies us. "What I do know is that Proxy makes each dose from master serums, so stealing one of those could help you heal faster. Losing too much blood takes away your abilities for a while."

She's about to say more when I spot some movement from the hallway. A guard is here with a gun pointed at us. Krystal mutters a curse, but I'm already elbowing the man's ribs and kicking him in the shin. He falters. Jax slams him into the wall with his arm against his throat. Then, I rain punches on the guard's face until his nose is crooked and his eyes roll into the back of his head. It won't be long before the others get here.

Krystal makes a break for it. We follow her as she races through the endless twists and turns. Somehow, we find ourselves in a maintenance room filled with thick pipes and pumping equipment, the screaming protests of overworked machinery splitting my eardrums.

These are technologies of the old world, things that Proxy said didn't survive the war. They lied.

Hot metal brushes against me. My lungs are deadweight now, and my skin is slick with sweat. Still, I keep my sights on our only escape—the door at the end.

I'm so focused on it that I don't notice a man stepping into view from a discreet corridor. He folds his arms in a silent dare for us to approach. Immediately, his hazel eyes find Krystal, and the corner of his mouth lifts in a knowing smirk. "That face-changer isn't enough anymore."

She stiffens, backing away slightly as the leering man steps forward, chuckling with faux amusement. "Seems like Proxy's daughter returns, but it's a shame that you're a smart girl."

Realization flashes across her face, but that moment of weakness is enough as he grabs the side of her face and rips it off. The synthetic skin is scrunched up in his hand, and he tears it from end to end. Krystal's features are flushed red without the mask, her silver eyes glistening as she watches the man. Now, I see why she looks nothing like the face-changer. I recognize her wild, frizzy hair, the scar across her cheek, and the small birthmark beneath her chin.

"Aurelia?" Mateo breathes.

"Don't call me that again."

Jax kicks the man down, knocking him out with a single blow. Krystal slits his throat in one smooth motion. She whips out a new mask from her pocket and starts running before it melds with her skin. We tear through the forest like a pack of wild beasts, only stopping when we're a decent distance away. Bending over, I suck in deep breaths with my hands on my knees and wipe the fresh sheen of sweat on my forehead.

Before I can ask where we're going, Krystal marches on ahead. "Just follow me for now."

Walking through the thick forest, we arrive at a trap door to an underground shelter, and she lets us inside. Climbing down the shaky wooden ladder, I hold on until my feet are finally planted on solid ground again. The interior is surprisingly warm, though there isn't much around here. The center of the room holds a small table and a chair. Each side of the wall has caveman-style carvings, with hundreds of vertical and horizontal lines to count the days that have gone by. An adjoining kitchen holds a makeshift burner and some pans stacked in the corner.

A radio sits on the floor, covered in a pile of dust. The green blinking light on its top left corner is the only sign that it's still working. I glimpse a makeshift oxygen machine in the next room, where the door remains ajar, and it pumps cool air into the makeshift ventilation system above us.

"How did you build this place?" Jax asks.

She bites her lip and crosses her arms. "Soon after the war, Proxy built these underground bunkers. Just in case the radiation worsened, they had a place to keep their workers safe, and supplies were always stocked. People like you guys, though? You'll be dead while they're warm and alive."

"And are you really—"

"I was Aurelia. More accurately, President Finley's other daughter. The one who ran away three years ago after I knew what Proxy did with the false immunes. The executions, the experiments. I had evidence for the Peacekeepers at the Council, but Proxy tried to keep me quiet," she sighs and leans back against the wall, "so I pulled some strings to leave the country. All this while, I've been waiting for a chance to return. Not as Aurelia, but as Krystal. The rat is surviving on foreign streets."

"That's why your bunker is almost empty?" Jax asks.

"Nearly all my supplies went to all the false immunes in exchange for information. They, and some of Proxy's minions, are the moles. Most of them die, while others are dealt with in ways you don't want to hear about. All this food is like their last meal before a suicide mission. Obviously, I don't tell them that."

"What about what we heard earlier? That lady is your mom?"

Krystal shrinks into the corner and avoids our gaze, "She's my biological mother. That woman by Finley's side isn't."

Dread twists at my core, bringing a feeling of nausea that makes the bile rise to my throat. Mateo's eyes turn into a bright shade of crimson. His nostrils flare, and his fists are balled up until his knuckles turn white. "Don't touch family," he growls. I gulp and face Jax, who has also gone pale. Krystal scoffs. "Acting all high and mighty now, Robo-boy? I've heard of the Outsiders before. You guys have half your brains replaced by a machine, so don't tell me you know what it's like to—"

Mateo rounds on her. "My body doesn't belong to me anymore, not since I was stupid enough to join the Outsiders. They stood over me and gave me a choice. I could either let them fix me up, or they could put another bullet through me. You've got no idea how much I wanted them to pull the trigger and end it all, Krystal. You don't know what it feels like since you've everything to live for and nothing to lose."

His eyes are still red, so he's under the Outsiders' control. Jax holds him back, pinning him down while he struggles against his brother's grip.

Krystal takes a step toward me. "Aria, if you're going to get the master serum, I'd suggest making a fake one so it'll be some time before Proxy realizes it's gone." She hands me a piece of paper with instructions on how to make it. Then, she also takes out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, unfolding it to reveal a detailed floor plan and barely legible scribbles. "Get in through the back door. The layout is the same as the Institution's labs, so get to the same room where Proxy stores the Wanderlust. You'll find it there."

"One last thing," Mateo says, clenching his jaw. "Why did you come back?"

"Go figure, Robo-boy."

With that, she sees herself out the door, her footsteps crunching on the grass. We stand there in bewildered silence, and Jax rushes to close the trapdoor that Krystal left open. Mateo remains frozen, held captive by his thoughts and the remnants of Scipio's control. "Did you see the door?" he suddenly blurts out.

He doesn't wait for a reply before he leads us into the room with the oxygen machine. He pushes against the concealed wall to reveal a flight of stairs leading to a dusty basement. Though the crimson flecks in his eyes are starting to fade, his voice holds no emotion. "I'll stay in here until it's over. That way, she won't find me anymore."

With that, he slams the door shut and locks himself inside. Jax looks like he's about to knock on the door, but I guide him to the main living area instead. The barest hint of light peeks through the grease-streaked window above, illuminating the cramped space in a soft glow. Once again, the sky glitches between day and night until it finally settles on the latter. We bathe in the moon's waning light this evening. Gathering my knees to my chest, I try pushing away the weariness that tugs at my body. Yet, I don't think that I'll be sleeping anytime soon.

As Mateo emerges, he talks about clearing his head and walks out the door. I don't feel like speaking, and I've got a feeling that Jax doesn't either. We spend the next few moments staring overhead, lost in the vastness and the cruel beauty of the world beyond. The clouds are still hiding most of the stars, so all we get are glimpses where the winds are forgiving enough to sweep them away.

After a while, I lean my head on Jax's shoulder, and he slips an arm around my waist, pulling me close. He rests his nose in my hair, the corner of his lips lifting in a bittersweet smile.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

He shakes his head, skimming his thumb over my cheek. "Everything's so messed up."

His words hurt like a knife, and a glint of fear darts across his face. I want to deny the truth in his words, pretend that we aren't going down some twisted rabbit hole, but my mouth turns dry at the thought. Right now, I'm thinking of sticking my head through the floorboards because I don't know the right thing to say. I never do.

Gulping, I meet his glassy eyes once more. "Jax, you know I'm horrible at comforting people. They tell me to get lost because I can't make them feel better."

He chuckles, but I continue seriously, "I'll be here to listen, though."

I take his hand and lace our fingers together, warmth spreading through my chest with a familiar ache. He doesn't say anything for a long while, and I mentally kick myself for ruining the moment. Instead, I rub slow circles on his palm, letting the smothering silence take over again.

Jax sucks in a tortured breath. "What if I don't want you to listen?"

"Then what—"

His lips collide against mine. Jax's hand slides down my back and settles on the curve of my hip, pulling me closer. Each movement is gentle yet desperate at the same time. At some point, I taste the saltiness of tears as a strangled growl escapes his throat. I wipe the moisture from his face, earning his low hum of approval, and he kisses me harder.

When our breaths become deep and ragged, Jax pulls away. A slow blush begins to blossom over his cheeks while his hand tangles in my hair.

Soon, Eorius's light turns paler and weaker, replaced by the gloomy expanse of night. Mateo returns a few minutes later, but he mostly keeps to himself. Even when we speak to him, he just replies with noncommittal grunts. As time wears on, I think about Krystal, but a part of me remains cautious. Jax eventually falls asleep, but I'm wide awake.

I stare at the date on my arm. We only had six days left to find the radiation core. Just like that, I'm left wide awake while the adrenaline courses through my body. Turning on my side, I stare at the pans in the kitchen and the decent-sized burner.

Though my aching muscles protest, I force myself to sit up and start on the serum. The exo energy burner is less advanced than the others I've seen, so it's probably made from scrap metal in a landfill pile.

Following the instructions, I add water and natural dye from the seeds I've saved, swirling the mixture around until it dissolves. Streaks of red spread across the liquid as it bubbles over the saucepan. I hold up the collector, letting the last bit of residue drip inside. All that's left is a layer of clear liquid. I rub the warm concoction between my fingers, testing the temperature before the next step.

Once it's cooled down, I empty it into the empty vial from earlier and grab my rucksack. Though I move to the door with the lightest steps I can manage, the creaking wood still causes Jax to stir. Slowly, I climb the ladder and slip outside.

As the patrolling guards march around the corner, I keep my head down and stick to the shadows. Behind the fortress of barbed wires, experiment subjects roam around aimlessly. They have no names. Only serial numbers are sewn onto the left-hand corner of their pajamas. Also, their mutations have worsened into huge blue-black patches that spread fast on their grey skin. They stare at me as I walk past, eyes flickering with a hint of recognition.

I pick up the pace as I make my way to the dreary building. The moonlight bears down on it, illuminating the building in a ghostly glow. Once I've scored a decent hiding spot among the trees, I'll plan the best way inside. Going through the same door earlier would be stupid, especially with all the scientists signing up for the graveyard shift.

As the minutes pass, I'm growing restless, and the sweat beads on my brow. Still, I keep my gaze fixed on the moving figures by the window, hoping they'd burst out the door any second. Sure enough, those researchers in white coats pour out throngs, signaling the end of the graveyard shift. As the group thins out, I creep up behind one of them, swiping his access card dangling from his coat. I smirk as he fumbles at his pockets, emptying them like he's searching for a precious speck of gold.

With a scan of the keypad, the lock clicks and disengages. Immediately, I turn a corner and hide from the prying eyes of the security cameras. Someone bangs hard at the door, screaming for anyone to open up. I hold my breath, paying attention to any footsteps that might turn this way. I hear none. Eventually, the knocking slows and ceases. After a while, I emerge from the corner and navigate through the labyrinth of endless twists and turns.

Down another corner, everything starts coming back to me now. I recall the location of every room and corridor, pausing at the slightest clicking of boots scraping against the tiles. My heart hammers in my chest, and a restless pulse is beating in my ears like a roaring adrenaline rush. As Krystal said, the layout is similar to what we had at the Institution.

A few doors later, I'm standing in front of the equipment room with a knife in hand. The small weapon is my only chance of busting inside. I throw it at the sensor above so the alarm won't be activated. Then, I hack the flimsy doorknob until it falls apart. Once inside, my hands are fast, and the exchange is seamless.

We'll have to hope that Lady Luck is smiling at us or that Krystal isn't throwing us for a wild ride for whatever reason. That's the only thought I'm holding on to throughout the whole way back to the bunker.

As I approach, Jax climbs out and drags me inside. His body is slick with sweat. He grabs my shoulders, giving them a light shake. "Aria, don't just leave like that."

"I left to get the master serum and—"

"That's not the point. We woke up to this." He points to the window above him, and though it's the dead of night, Eorius burns brighter and more prominent than usual. The ground rumbles above. Dust blooms into a murky cloud overhead.

Eorius is exploding.