The Altered.

Chapter LXXI.

"We're all going to die," Aaron said positively.

"We're not going to die," Miles responded.

Kano cocked his head. "Declan did."

Miles might have said something in response, if Kano hadn't looked to be halfway to tears. Instead, Miles said, "Do we have everything we need?"

The sun had just set. Since Bri's group and the others from Miles' group had returned to the library, they'd spent the time planning and packing. Miles had been sure to jam anything that seemed important to him in a backpack. Well, almost everything important to him - Aaron couldn't fit in a backpack, though, so Miles had just anchored himself to Aaron with a grip on his hand.

The thought that today, they could end all of this, that the Altered could become normal people again, was terrifying and wonderful. What would happen afterwards? Miles glanced up at Aaron, but Aaron was distracted making sure Eira had everything.

"We have the e-Screen, right?" Aaron asked.

Eira responded with a glare. "You think I'd leave it behind?"

Aaron didn't seem to have the confidence to confess that that's exactly what he'd thought, so he looked away from Eira. When his eyes fell to Miles, Miles bounced up and down once on the balls of his feet. "We're really doing this."

"We're going to save the world," Aaron decided forcefully.

Miles sure as hell hoped they were.

Miles' group and Bri's group were currently gathered by the bottom of the escalator on the lower floor, preparing anxiously to make their way to the door. Aaron was swinging his bat in one hand, and most others had some kind of weapon too.

"We need to leave now," Claire insisted, nudging Bri with her shoulder. "It's getting dark. That's good."

"Keep in mind," Lia warned, "that although we can use the darkness to our advantage, the Altered can too. We're still at risk."

"Obviously." Claire had seemed particularly tense since she'd gotten to the library, and Miles had no doubt in his mind that it was courtesy of Declan's death. Out of everybody, Claire had seemed closest with Declan when he'd been alive, and she appeared the most impacted by his loss. Her hands were shaking, and though her voice somehow remained unwavering, that was compensated for by the prickly tone she'd been using to accompany everything she said.

Miles knew what it was like to lose somebody, but that didn't meant he knew how to talk to Claire about it. Even if he wanted to reassure her, what could be done? He watched her thoughtfully until she caught his eye and glared at him, and he dropped his gaze.

"Okay, then," Lia breathed, letting her hands find the pockets of the pants she wore. "Let's go."

Lia started walking first, and when everybody else started moving, they moved as a pack. It stayed like that as they all moved towards the door, Lia falling back into the group so it felt almost like they were a single being, all walking as an individual. They reached the exit to the library and left as if the shattered door wasn't an obstacle at all. Nobody glanced once over their shoulder to look back at the library as they left.

Buddy, who'd fallen asleep on the carpet, didn't follow them out. Thankfully.

Nobody stopped once they were out of the library, but they all became hyperaware of their surroundings. Miles was suddenly straining all of his senses, trying to locate sounds or movements in the corner of his vision that could indicate the presence of an unwelcome guest or multiple. After seeing Angelina's group earlier, Miles was realising how easy it was for people to pass the library by, not even realising it was inhabited - rather, had been inhabited - by Miles' group.