Chapter 28

I stare at the bracelet on the ground, loosened and smeared in dirt. It's Jax's, meaning that the Outsiders probably came for him sometime in the night. After stuffing the band in my pocket, I watch as the depot opens again. Trucks and vans roll out, carrying more cages of immunes. There's no sign of Krystal either, and I know it's too late already.

The sudden rustling of leaves makes me tense up. I narrow my eyes at the approaching figure until it steps into the morning light.

Jax closes the distance between us in effortless strides, pulling me against him. The smell of smoke and dust clings to his clothes. I rest my cheek against his chest, basking in his comforting warmth and strength. He doesn't let me go for a long while. When he does, a forlorn shadow seems to fall on his face. "They took Krystal on the first truck out."

I turn back and start the slow walk to the depot wall. It's wide open again today. The torn piece of her shirt is soaked in crimson, its frayed edges latching onto my bracelet. "Didn't they take you too?" I ask.

"I went back in there to find her, but...." Jax shakes his head.

I press a finger to his lips, tracing tentative strokes over his cheek. "I know. We'll think of a way."

In the end, we divide the piece of cloth between us. Even if she isn't here anymore, at least a part of her stays with us. While Jax does the cutting, I put his bracelet on the ground next to him. He glances down at his feet and winces. "I had to leave it behind, Aria. If I got caught, the Outsiders would probably wipe the tracker. Then, no one would even know where I last was."

He picks up the band and slides it back on, pointing to a subtle red light where the metal meets his skin. "Just saw it while I was taking it off."

"But it breaks when it doesn't detect a pulse anymore."

"I used the trackers that my mom gave us. Took out the transmitter and attached it to the bracelet, so the electric signals act as a pulse." He runs a hand over my arm and rests his hand on mine. Briefly, he stares at the depot walls before sighing and looking away. "Listen, I know someone who can take Scipio's device out of my wrist. After that, she showed me how to get back to where we came from. I'm going to find the deserter again."

"Who's that?"

"Electra. She's the one we saw at the Simulacrum, and she freed whoever she could from the cages. She and a few others deserted the Outsiders like Matt did. Then, she opened up the portals for all of us again."

For a moment, I wonder if she knew what happened to Mateo or Thomas, and the question slips out before I can stop myself. Jax sighs and shakes his head, shattering the traitorous hope brewing in the pit of my stomach. "She said she'd find Matt, but she didn't say anything about Thomas. Maybe she already knew what happened to him."

As soon as he's done speaking, a portal opens in the distance. Even with the glare of the moonlight shining through it, I recognize the familiar foliage of the Sanctuary's topside. I'm still reeling from the sight while we weave through the trees, trying to keep our footsteps as light as possible. Along the way, we stumble across several traps peeking through the dead leaves, all bearing the Outsiders' insignia. Occasionally, their sharp edges dig into my skin, but I ignore their brief sting.

Soon, Jax starts to slow down, and we step through the portal. The other side feels like a breath of fresh air, especially since we can now see the real sky beyond the dome.

"I'll meet Electra, and she'll remove Scipio's device first." Jax flashes me a terse grin and rubs his hand against my arm. "You know, I think my mutation is changing in some way. If I touch you long enough, I can see directly into your memories, so it's like having a live stream of the places you remember visiting. That's how I'll find you once I'm done."

"How do I get to you if anything happens? What if this is a trap?"

He gently cups my cheeks. "Aria, I trusted your plan earlier because I knew you could handle yourself. Now, I need you to do the same for me. Find some shelter first, and I'll be back as soon as I can." Jax kisses my forehead and disappears into the night.

I wander somewhat aimlessly. All I know is that we're in a small town. This place is different from where we were, and I can't find my way back to the old building. Some distance away, though, there's a similar shelter. It's far enough from the other structures and well hidden by the surrounding vegetation. But it's almost falling apart. A rotting tree pokes through the ceiling, and moss covers the walls. The stone floor has eroded so much that there's barely enough space for me to lie down.

I wish I could find another place, but my stomach wound is acting up.

The burning feeling in my abdomen is worse now. The small gash has reopened and stretched into a laceration. A little while more, and the infection could spread elsewhere. Still, my body isn't healing fast enough, and there's nothing I can use as a bandage.

That's why I'm trying to distract myself with other things. While I've still got some strength left, I head outside to collect some tree sap, using that to repair the small cracks in the walls.

After that, I head off to find some water, letting my instincts guide me, although my body craves rest. My only hope is that adrenaline is enough to keep me going for a while. Casting my gaze downwards, I scan the ground for the small, green petals of purifying flowers. They aren't uncommon, but they blend in well with the grass, making them easy to miss if I don't look hard enough.

Thankfully, there is a whole bunch of them near an acid lake. They now have a subtle blue glow, making me stop in my tracks. Peering over the water to see straight down, I watch some luminescent seaweed moving through the languid current. Gradually, the blue glimmer rises to the surface. It forms a thin layer, sparkling under the waning moonlight until it completely obscures the water's depths.

Soon, the area around me starts to take on a subtle gleam. I quickly pluck a flower, but it snaps in half like a twig. Even the petals are hardened to the texture of wood. The same goes with the other batch near the stream. Vaguely, I recognize the particles as the same radioactive ones we had back at the Institution. Proxy made them and showed them off during our surprise tests, hoping that the highest level of radiation would expose any false immunes among us.

Even the mutated animals aren't spared. They struggle as the neon blue spreads over their bodies, consuming them. For now, the fruits will have to do. Sighing, I head to the trees that aren't glowing yet and pluck plenty of berries, trying to ignore the smell of rusted metal.

I trek through the unaffected areas, circling around before getting back to camp and picking anything edible. I wasn't the best at the plant education course, but I knew enough. If the fruits look different from what I remember, I don't pick them. I'd rather go hungry for a while than accidentally poison myself.

The way back feels longer than ever as the world swims in my vision, and I trip over plants and roots more than once. I almost want to kick myself for making too much noise, but I can't help it. Blinking away the weariness, I look out for the camp, which remains like a tiny dot in the distance. That's the only thing that keeps me going.

Since I can't move quickly, I take my time to examine every nook and cranny for signs of trouble. Every rustle of the bushes has me taking out my knife, only moving forward when I'm sure it's safe. Suddenly, someone grabs me from behind and pulls me into the bushes. There's a hand over my mouth as I flail and struggle to free myself, only stopping when my aching body protests against the movement. Jax looks back at me, wrought with concern, as he studies my features.

I reach up to touch his face. The moonlight outlines his features, accentuating his cheekbones and carving the edges of his chiseled jawline. Glancing at my lips with his cognac eyes, he slowly shifts his gaze to meet mine. Twining my fingers behind him, I pull him in for a heated kiss. He tugs me close by the waist. Bringing my arms around his neck, I relish his strong embrace, and our kisses grow hungrier as his mouth ravishes mine desperately.

"Your wound isn't healing right," he says breathlessly.

Jax sits up and steadies my shoulders, his gaze moving to my stomach. The blood has already soaked through my suit, weaving through my top. Somehow, the area seems to be numb. I didn't even realize that it had already bled so much. His expression hardens, demanding an explanation. I tell him about the Outsider who stabbed me at Scipio's camp, and he furrows his brow as he listens.

"So, you can still heal, but it's slower."

I nod, trying not to think about the worry gnawing at the back of my mind. There's no way it could be gone for good. "What about Scipio's device?"

"It's out now. We crushed and threw it into a lake, so it's fried for good." His gaze grows intense while he stares at me. "Scipio and the Outsiders are drugging more real immunes and taking them to the depot, and now they're broadcasting everything back to Proxy. So far, Proxy hasn't said anything yet."

There's a slight tic to his jaw as he stares out into the distance, lost in his thoughts. Though my hands no longer burn with a healing aura, it doesn't mean that my new mutation is gone. The prickling, coursing energy flows through me once again, and I allow myself to imagine that there's no pain anymore. The gash on my skin fades away for a few seconds. It's just an illusion, but it's better than nothing.

"Have you seen the radiation?" I ask, taking Jax's hand in mine.

Confusion clouds his features as he searches my face. I nudge him, pointing to the forest. Now, almost every inch of it is blanketed in a blue glow. Some areas are brighter than others. By the morning, I'm sure nearly the entire site will shine. No one escapes Proxy's plans.

He stares at the exploding sea of color, his eyes growing wider by the second. Grabbing him, I lead him down the path I went before, walking through the radiation since there's no point escaping it now. Once we've arrived at the acid lake, it's already frozen solid and covered in an unnatural, iridescent shade of azure.

Jax reaches out, letting the radiation particles settle on his hand, disappearing when they touch his skin. Pulling out his knife from his back pocket, Jax slices his hand open. Then, he watches and waits for them to come. I'm about to ask him what he's doing, but I hold myself back. They settle over his cut, staying as they are. He doesn't absorb them since he's immune.

"This means that we could be getting close to the core. Either that or Proxy just wants to test us in some way."

"Probably. But first, we must find out where the radiation dust comes from." Jax's eyes do a sweep of the area before looking up. He suddenly pauses, squinting at a particular spot. Then, he grabs my hand and guides me to a nearby tree.

"What are we doing?"

"Just climb. You'll see what I mean." He helps me first, making sure I don't lose my footing. Once we reach the top, he points above. Stray particles float down from air vents in the artificial sky. They start as faint white lights, only taking on their blue glow as they descend.

I'm sure they would've spread everywhere by the next day.

We're resting against the heavy branches of the Oak when my wound starts hurting again. There's a hammering sensation and a twisting ache. I try switching positions, wincing as one of the smaller branches pokes at it, staining the wood a deep maroon. I hiss at the tenderness and bite back a scream. Jax quickly moves towards me, sliding his arms beneath me and carrying me down.

He quickly takes out a towel and presses it against the injury. It stings, bringing tears to my eyes. A vision of crimson absorbs into the white fabric until the flow slows to a trickle and stops completely. The medicated smell of the towel wafts to my nose. It smells familiar, though I'm not sure where I last came across anything like that before. Jax pulls out a roll of bandages and dresses the area.

Silence settles over us. Jax studies the sky overhead while I check on my stomach. Injuries like that were things that I could've easily handled. Looking down at my hands now, I know they're not what they used to be anymore, and I don't know if they ever will be. Reality wraps a dead weight around my chest, so I try not to think of the worst possibility.

"Where did you get this?" I point to the towel he's still holding, but I can't hide how my voice wavers. Jax takes my hand, tracing circles with his thumb.

"I stole it from one of Proxy's workers."

I nod, focusing on the radiation as more particles fill the air. Usually, I'd want to ask more questions, but every breath takes its toll now as a warm liquid slips down my throat. Instead, I focus on the silence between us. The howling wind carries the conversations of the other real immunes. They sound like anxious murmurs, so they must've found out about the radiation already, and soon, they'll start mutating again.

By the time we get back to camp, the glow has already reached the other side. Jax leads the way to his base, where we'll spend the night. We trek to the areas I've passed by earlier, back to where I saw the other shelters. The one he chose is a little further off from the rest, tucked away in the forest's wooded labyrinth. Hunger bites at my stomach the whole way back. Taking out some fruit from my rucksack, I divide them between us. Jax wraps his jacket around me, and I watch as the night wears on and Eorius emerges from the clouds.

The date on my arm turns red, marking the start of our last day here. We're running out of time to deactivate the radiation core.