Olivia looked at them, her gaze clouded with uncertainty. "Are you sure?" she whispered. "Are you sure you want a friend like me?"
Daisy sat beside her and gently wiped away Olivia's tears, nodding firmly.
"Yes," Sophia added, gesturing toward Daisy. "Like she said, mistakes happen. My father always told me that making a mistake isn't a bad—failing to learn from it is."
Daisy gave a small, encouraging smile. "It's okay. Really."
A tentative smile finally broke through Olivia's sadness. Daisy and Sophia both reached out, offering their hands. Olivia took them, letting her new friends pull her to her feet.
The moment was broken as Ethan ducked into the tent. "Daisy!" he called out, his voice tight with worry.
"Brother? How did you find us?" Daisy asked, surprised.
"I ran into a teacher on the way. But tell me—where were you attacked? Are you hurt?" Ethan's eyes scanned his sister for injuries before shifting to Olivia. His expression instantly hardened, his gaze turning icy. "What are you doing here?"
Olivia trembled, shrinking back, but Sophia stepped in front of her, shielding her from Ethan's glare.
"Brother, let me introduce you to my friends," Daisy said, her smile bright and intentional. "This is Sophia, and this is Olivia."
Ethan looked from Daisy to Olivia, his voice dripping with suspicion. "What kind of game are you playing now, Olivia?"
"Brother, she's my friend," Daisy insisted.
Ethan let out a sharp breath, his eyes locked on Olivia. "I'll forget what you've done to others, but I will never forgive anyone who messes with my sister."
"Everyone deserves a second chance, Ethan," Sophia said softly but firmly.
Ethan looked at Daisy, searching her face. She nodded back, her expression pleading. "People learn from their mistakes, Ethan. Please."
After a tense silence, Ethan finally gave a slow, reluctant nod. "Fine. If you're sure, we'll give her another chance."
Olivia's face lit up, and for a moment, the tension in the tent dissolved.
"Let's go," Ethan said, turning toward the flap. "We need to pack our things."
On the way back to the main camp, Ethan leaned closer to Daisy. "How did you actually get away from those thugs?"
"Someone intervened," Daisy said, her voice dropping.
Ethan frowned. "Who?"
"A boy in a mask. It was... brutal. He dismantled all of them in seconds," Daisy explained, a hint of awe in her voice. "And then, he just walked away."
Ethan nodded, but his mind began to race. Who would help them? And why? He suddenly remembered Madison's strange confidence earlier—how she had insisted Daisy would be fine.
Does Madison have something to do with this? He didn't have long to dwell on it. They reached the clearing, and Ethan parted ways with the girls to head toward his own class's safehouse. He began packing his gear, moving mechanically like the rest of the exhausted students.
Soon, the students were loaded onto the buses. Ethan found his seat and stared out the window as the engine hummed to life. A shadow fell over him as someone slid into the seat next to him.
Ethan turned, his eyebrows shooting up. "Finn?"
"Hi, Ethan. Miss me?" Finn grinned.
Ethan managed a small nod. "I'm alright. Where have you been hiding?"
"Busy!" Finn leaned back, looking incredibly pleased with himself. "I finally confessed. I've got a girlfriend now."
Nearby, Allen sat diagonally to their right, watching them with an amused smirk. A few rows ahead, Madison and her friend Alice were settled in, their voices a low murmur.
"Good for you," Ethan said.
Finn's smile was blinding. He nudged Ethan's shoulder. "What about you, man? Any progress?"
Ethan looked back out the window. "I told you before. Nothing's changed."
"Oh, stop playing the tough guy," Finn teased. "I saw you and Madison outside the safehouse last night."
At the mention of her name, Madison turned her head slightly, catching the tail end of the comment. Allen's smirk widened.
"You can tell me," Finn persisted. "I'm your best friend, after all."
"It's nothing," Ethan insisted, though he felt the weight of the surrounding stares. "There was just something I needed to tell her."
"What? A confession?"
"No," Ethan groaned. "I told Allen to deliver a message, but the lazy guy sent Madison instead, so I had to explain it to her myself."
Finn shook his head, looking disappointed. "Man, I expected something way more romantic."
In the seat ahead, Alice leaned closer to Madison's ear, whispering with a grin, "You two would actually look pretty good together."
Madison rolled her eyes. "No way."
"Madison, let me ask you something," Alice whispered, her tone turning curious. "What about Allen? He's been by your side for a long time, hasn't he?"
Madison nodded.
"Do you have feelings for him? Or does he... you know?"
Madison shook her head without hesitation. "For starters, I don't see him that way. And as for Allen, I don't think he likes me either. There's a reason for it."
"Which is?"
"Allen and I have been alone together plenty of times," Madison whispered back. "He's never even looked at me like that. Not once."
Alice nodded, glancing back at Allen, who was currently laughing at something Finn had said.
At the front of the bus, Mr. Henry sat perfectly still. To the students, he looked asleep, but his enhanced hearing caught every single whisper on the bus with crystal clarity.
His expression remained an unreadable mask. Enzo's plan was solid, Henry thought privately. If he had executed it under the cover of night, he might have actually succeeded.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to find a string of messages from a contact named Beast.
Beast: Henry, my man! You alive?
Beast: Henry, my son? Where are you?
Beast: Hurry up and reply to your big bro, dammit.
Beast: Quit ignoring me! Where the hell did you die?
Beast: If you don't reply in the next second, I'm going to haunt your dreams. REPLY MEEEEE.
Henry stared at the screen for a long beat and let out a heavy, weary sigh.
This man again? He thought.