The violence had finally ceased. Within minutes, medics were on the scene, tending to Allen, Ethan, and Madison. While the police rounded up the remaining thugs, one officer stood over Enzo, who remained pinned to the dirt.
"Should we take him? He's a student, after all," the officer muttered into his walkie-talkie.
A cold, distorted voice crackled back: "We have the footage of everything he did. Bring him in."
"Copy that," the officer replied, hauling Enzo up.
Allen and Madison watched the arrest while a medic wrapped Allen's arm. Madison leaned in close, whispering, "Do they actually have proof that Enzo caused this? He could easily pin the whole thing on the thugs."
"I don't think so," Allen replied, his eyes scanning the treeline. "Mr. Henry mentioned this 'trip' was focused on survival skills. I used to wonder how they'd actually grade us on that without seeing us in action."
Madison looked at him, confused.
"Then I realized," Allen continued, "this entire forest must be rigged with surveillance cameras."
Madison's eyes widened. "Really? This was an exam, not a vacation?"
"It's a test. Think about it—they took our phones the second we arrived. If this were a normal field trip, they'd never have done that."
"Madison," Allen said after a moment of silence. She looked up. "Earlier, you said Daisy was safe. How can you be so sure?"
"Before the trip, right after I got out of the hospital, I contacted my father. I asked him to send someone to watch over her."
"Your father?" Allen asked. "Is he back in the country?"
Madison shook her head sadly. "No. He won't be back until the overseas summit concludes."
Nearby, Mr. Henry was giving a formal statement to a senior officer. Once the paperwork was settled, the head teacher gathered the trembling students. The old man looked exhausted as he addressed the group.
"Students, this trip is officially over. Though this was intended to be a survival exam, events have clearly spiraled out of control. We are returning to the city immediately. You will be granted a holiday for the remainder of the week, and the school may extend that break further."
The crowd erupted in hushed, shocked whispers.
"It was an exam?"
"Why are they really calling it off?"
"What exactly happened out there?"
"Enough," the teacher commanded. "Pack your things. We leave at once."
Elsewhere, in a quiet, dimly lit room, a boy lounged on a couch with a phone in his hand. On the screen, high-definition footage showed the students emerging from their safehouses with their bags packed.
The masked boy sat across from him, silent as a statue.
"You certainly dismantled them," the boy on the couch remarked, scrolling through the feed. The masked boy simply nodded.
With a flick of his thumb, the boy swiped to a different camera angle. The screen now showed Ethan sprinting through the undergrowth. A slow, predatory smile spread across the boy's face.
See you at the summit, he thought.
Back at the house, Selena sat alone at the dining table. She picked at her food, her mind drifting. How are my kids doing? she wondered. They're good kids. I just want them to be happy.
She cleared her plate, washed the dishes, and retreated to her bedroom. As she sat on the edge of her bed, her gaze landed on a small, locked cupboard. She stood up and pulled it open, revealing two items: a weathered watch and a small, vintage toy.
The sight of them pulled her back in time.
She remembered a younger Daisy pointing at the cupboard with wide, curious eyes. "Do the watch and the toy belong to Daddy and my brother?"
"No, sweetheart," Selena had replied softly. "They belong to my siblings."
"Oh! You have siblings? Where are they? I want to meet them!"
"They're far away, Daisy. We'll meet them when the time is right."
"Why can't they just come visit us?"
Selena had offered a small, broken smile. "Because they are somewhere they can't return from."
"Okay," Little Daisy had whispered. "Then one day, I'll go find them."
The memory faded, leaving Selena alone in the quiet room. She looked at the trinkets one last time. "Daisy," she whispered to the empty air, "you can meet them in the afterlife. They'll be waiting for us there."
Back at the forest, Ethan finally reached the clearing where Daisy had been staying.
"Excuse me, student!" a police officer called out, blocking his path.
Ethan turned, breathless. "Yes, sir?"
"What are you doing back here?"
"I'm looking for my sister," Ethan said, his voice tight with anxiety.
"Oh, the girls?" the officer said, gesturing toward the transport vans. "A few of them were picked up by the faculty a while ago. They're already safe."
Ethan let out a long, shuddering breath of relief. He nodded to the officer and turned to join the rest of the school, the weight finally lifting from his shoulders.