The air around them shifted at once, thinning as if an invisible weight had been lifted. Alex pressed a trembling hand against his chest, a harsh breath of relief tearing from his throat—mirroring everyone else's reactions. Above them, the sky cleared, the broken spell dissolving like smoke. With the forest finally visible again, they could all see the sun dipping low behind the trees.
But Luca was still on the ground, his breathing faint. Before anyone sensed the warning signs, he coughed—blood splattering onto his palm and jolting everyone back into panic.
"Luca! Luca!" Lyn cried, sprinting to him. She had thought her brother was recovering, but now his condition was spiraling. Dropping to her knees, she lifted his head onto her thigh, trying desperately to soothe him.
"Does anyone have water? He needs his medicine now!" she shouted, but the others stood frozen like statues. Alex rushed forward, carefully lifting Luca from Lyn's trembling arms. None of them dared voice their fears—his sickness was something they had never fully understood.
Determined, Lyn bolted into the forest. She couldn't just stand there and watch her brother fade—she would find water, with or without help. Minutes passed as she strained her ears, trying to detect any trickle of a river, but the forest was silent. She pushed deeper until a sudden rustling snapped her to a halt.
Her heart hammered violently. She crouched, grabbing a fallen branch and gripping it tight with unsteady hands.
Not now… please not now.
"What if that witch is following me? I swear, I'll run so fast she won't see my shadow," she muttered, inching toward the sound.
But the bushes only rattled again—this time louder. And before she could lower her guard, something lunged out. Her reflexes took over. She thrust the stick forward. A strangled squeal. Silence.
Her breath shattered in her throat.
A small bush rat lay impaled at her feet, its blood soaking into the leaves. And instantly—terrifyingly—Drew's body flashed in her mind, the precise angle of the wound, the way his throat had been sliced open. Her vision blurred. She blinked rapidly, swallowing the rising sob.
Shaking, she picked up the rat. At least it could feed the others when roasted.
She turned—only to collide with someone solid.
She gasped. The rat fell from her hand.
"Alex? What the hell?!" she cried, clutching her chest. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Alex said, holding his hands up. "You were gone too long. I thought you were lost."
"I wasn't," she snapped, then quickly added, "Luca—how is he? Is he—?"
Alex's expression fell. "Don't panic. He's stable for now… but Lyn, it's getting worse. He might not—"
"Survive." The word slipped from her lips like ice. "That's what you're trying to say."
Her voice cracked. "I knew it. I knew this moment would come. I kept telling myself he'd pull through, that somehow—somehow—things would fall back into place. But they won't. They never do. Luca will die… just like Maa and Paa. He'll leave me too." Her breath hitched as Alex stared at her, stunned by her breaking composure.
A faint voice echoed behind them.
"So… is that why you never told me?"
They spun around.
Luca stood there, pale and trembling, tears streaming freely.
"You knew all along… that I wouldn't survive," he said, voice quivering. "That's why you worry so much. You never told me what I'm sick with, never told me if I would live… or die."
"Luca—no—"
"Just because I'm weak? Because my body doesn't work like yours?" He stepped closer, desperation twisting his words. "Mama and Papa knew too, didn't they? They hid it from me. Everyone treated me like a child who sees monsters under the bed."
His breathing grew ragged.
"I remember that day clearly—the woman I saw, the shadow behind her—and nobody listened. Nobody! Except Alex, and even he doubted me. I needed you, Lyn. I expected you and Papa to believe me." His voice cracked into a sob. "But what did I get? That thing killed Maa and Paa… and your stupid boyfriend Vicky! Then she killed Drew. And we're running and running, like blind fools."
He wiped his tears angrily.
"She wants me. I know that now. So why don't we just face her? I'll go. I'll give myself up. If I die—what do I lose?"
"Luca!" Lyn cried, grabbing his cold hands. "No one neglected you. No one! I kept the truth because I wanted to protect you. I didn't want your life to revolve around fear."
"Safe," he scoffed. "Then tell me, Lyn. Tell me what I'm suffering from. Right now."
"Luca, this isn't the time…" Alex tried, but Luca didn't even glance his way.
"I don't want to die without knowing what's happening to me," Luca whispered. "Please…"
Lyn's shoulders sagged. A defeated exhale escaped her lips.
"Fine."
She wiped her tears, though they kept falling. "You're suffering from… psychosis. Your mind was damaged a long time ago. And… and there's more. You have a growth—one that's reached its final stage. The doctors said you couldn't be treated anymore." Her voice broke completely as she collapsed into Alex's arms, sobbing.