SURVIVE (THRIVE: Book Two)

Chapter 50- Those Who Are Lost

"Well, honestly, it's because it makes us sad. A lot of our friends died when the sickness began to spread, and it was hell to go through." she sighs "My friends Ava and Crista were among the first to catch it, and it was painful to watch as they slowly died in front of me. Now it's hard not to remember them like that." she explains solemnly.

"Oh..." I sigh, starting to feel guilty for bringing it up "I'm sorry. I never really thought about it like that."

"It's okay." she says reassuringly "Loss is a part of life, and honestly as bad as it is, it's something that we need to experience to truly feel human," she explains. Suddenly, everyone else starts to gather around us.

"Are you guys ready?" Nixi asks as we begin to stand up.

"As I'll ever be." I sigh "Let's just get this over with."

This day had felt like it would drag on forever, but night had finally fallen as we made our way through the darkness back to the compound. As we get closer, we pair off into teams and go our separate ways, leaving Phoenix and I to find where I had escaped. The tunnel is still collapsed, but the stone seems loose enough that we can slowly make our way through. We have to be careful not to make a sound, the last thing we want to do is tip them off that we're coming. Aurora and Desire were planning on causing a commotion at the main entrance while the rest of us wander around in secret.

"Do you see anything?" Phoenix whispers as we peek down the hall.

"No, I think we're clear," I say as we quickly make our way through. Roxie had shown us maps of this place, hoping that we wouldn't get lost, but since a lot of the stronghold is in ruins, there is only so much that we can do to remember. We make our way around all of the twists and turns until things start to become familiar to me. Suddenly, as I look inside one of the rooms, I freeze solid. Sterling's room is just how I had left it, the floor stained with my blood from where he had attacked me. Just as I had suspected, he is nowhere to be seen.

"Tessa?" Phoenix asks worriedly as he looks into the room "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, let's keep going." I sigh as we continue down the hall. As we peek into the room with the altar, it's completely dark. The candles look like they have burned to the point of completely melting, leaving puddles of wax all over the floor. It's strange, the further we go, the more suspicious it becomes that there's no sign of anyone here. Soon, we find our way to the prison. The cells that we had been kept in were left with their doors wide open, and they all remain empty, almost as if they hadn't been used in centuries.

"Damnit, where the hell are they?" Phoenix asks frustratedly as he stares around the room.

"If they weren't here, they must still be in Winona's room," I explain as we head out. The longer that we wander the halls, the more and more pessimistic I become. Suddenly, I hear a shuffling noise nearby. Carefully, I peek around the corner where it had come from and nearly scream as Nixi and Roxie walk towards us.

"My god, you scared the shit out of me." I gasp as I peer behind them "Have you found anything?" I ask nervously.

"No, you?" Nixi asks worriedly.

"Nothing, this place is empty." Phoenix states skeptically "Do you think they knew that we were coming?"

"Maybe, but even if they did, I don't think that they would just abandon this place." Roxie sighs "From everything that you described, not to mention Ember's personality, they seem far too confrontational to pass this up." she explains anxiously.

"What should we do?" Nixi asks as we all start to head down another hall. Suddenly, I hear Desire's scream echo through the halls. Terrified, we all begin to run in the direction that it came from, Roxie leading the way much faster than the rest of us. Soon, we make it to a well-lit hall that seems completely untouched by the fire that had once consumed this place. Carefully, we follow the torches until we reach a doorway. Before we can even turn in, Desire comes out, tears streaming down her face and covering her mouth. As soon as she sees us, she stops, looking completely mortified.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Roxie asks worriedly as we catch up to her. She can't speak, she seems too shaken by whatever it was.

"Sister?" Phoenix asks as he slowly tries to go in the doorway, but she quickly holds her arm out to stop him.

"Don't," she states bluntly. Roxie looks scared as she and Nixi go around her, but she continues to stop Phoenix and me.

"What's wrong?" I ask nervously.

"You-" she tries to start "You don't want to see this." she sighs as she looks fearfully at both of us. I try to sympathize with her, but I can't stay back. I quickly push past her and immediately am met with the realization that she was right; I never should have seen this.

As I approach the scene laid out before me, Nixi and Roxie look at me completely mortified while Aurora seems to be examining what we're seeing. We had found them, but it was too late. Pearl and Jewel's bodies were laid out on the ground as though they were asleep, but they were thin, their bones clearly noticeable through their skin. There were symbols painted in blood on their foreheads, Jewel's depicting the sun and Pearl's showing the moon. On the ground in front of them, the Ancient Ones had left us a message saying nothing more than the words 'GIVE EMBER BACK'.

The scream that erupted from my lungs was unlike anything that I have ever felt before. I fall to my knees and crumble into myself, clutching at the ground in front of me as I try to breathe, but the only thing that comes through my mouth and my nose is the stench of their blood. The pain that I am feeling in my heart is unimaginable and sickening as I begin to gag, nearly getting sick on the floor beneath me. Suddenly, I feel arms drape over me as I realize that Phoenix and Desire had come in, holding me tight as we all cry together. No matter when we had finally come here, no matter what we had tried to do, we never would have made it in time. This is their way of punishing us for escaping, and that guilt is beginning to consume me with every tear that falls from my eyes. My best friend, my sister of this life, is gone.

Lovely- Billie Eilish & Khalid