"I don't know how to tell her."Marcus's voice cracked. He was standing at the edge of the clearing, staring at the fire. Rina was asleep nearby, her face still streaked with tears. The morning sun was rising, casting long shadows across the ground."Tell her what?" I asked.He turned to me. His eyes were red. "I got a call. From Michael's phone. It wasn't him. It was the hospital."My heart stopped. "What happened?""He got into an accident. Last night. After he left." Marcus's voice broke. "He was driving too fast. Lost control. He's in critical condition.""Oh my God. Marcus...""I have to tell her. She's his sister. She has the right to know." He looked at Rina's sleeping form. "But I don't know how. I don't know how to break her heart like that.""You have to tell her. She deserves to know.""I know. I just..." He ran his hands through his hair. "What if he doesn't make it? What if I have to tell her that her brother is dead?""Then you tell her. And you hold her. And you don't l

"Michael asked me to marry him."Rina's voice cut through the morning air like lightning. Everyone around the fire froze. Marcus dropped his carving."What?" Marcus's voice was barely a whisper."He asked me to marry him. Last night. In the hospital." Rina's face was a mix of confusion and something that looked like fear. "He said he almost died and he realized he couldn't live without me. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me."Sam stared at her. "What did you say?""I didn't say anything. I just stood there. I couldn't speak.""Why not?""Because I don't know if I want to marry him." Rina's voice cracked. "I don't know if I want to get married at all. I don't know if I'm ready for any of this.""You don't have to decide right now," I said. "You can take your time.""He proposed to me in a hospital bed. That's not exactly romantic.""It's still a proposal. That's something."Rina shook her head. "I don't know what to do. I love him. I really do. But I don't know if

"I knocked."Sam's voice was barely a whisper. They were standing at the edge of the clearing, their face pale, their hands shaking. The carving was still wrapped in cloth, clutched against their chest."What happened?" I asked, moving toward them."They opened the door. Her mother. She looked at me and she knew." Sam's voice cracked. "She knew who I was. She knew why I was there.""What did she say?"Sam was quiet for a long moment. "She said I shouldn't have come. She said I should have let her forget.""Oh, Sam.""She was so angry. So hurt. And I couldn't blame her. I just stood there and let her scream at me. I let her say everything she'd been holding in for years.""That must have been so hard.""It was. But I deserved it. I deserved every word.""No, you didn't.""Yes, I did." Sam's voice was fierce. "I took her daughter from her. I took her future. I took everything. She had the right to be angry.""What happened then?"Sam looked down at the carving in their hands. "She stopp

"I want to know everything."Kaelan's voice was soft, almost hesitant. We were sitting by the fire, the others asleep around us. The flames cast shadows across his face."Everything about what?" I asked."About you. About your life before this place. About what made you come here."I was quiet for a moment. "It's a long story.""We have time."I took a breath. "I had a family. A husband. A daughter."He stiffened. "You never told me.""I never told anyone. It's too painful.""What happened to them?"I looked at the fire. "They died. A car accident. I was driving.""Rina...""The road was slick. It was raining. I lost control. And when I woke up, they were gone." My voice cracked. "I've been carrying that guilt for years.""That's not your fault.""I know. But it still feels like it is."He reached out and took my hand. "I understand. I understand what it feels like to carry guilt you don't deserve.""Sarah. The woman you lost."He nodded. "I've been carrying her with me for so long. I

"Sam's leaving."Marcus's voice was flat, hollow. He was standing at the edge of the clearing, staring at the gate. The morning sun was bright, but his face was shadowed."What do you mean leaving?" I asked, my heart sinking."They're going. Today. They said they need to figure out who they are outside of this place."I felt the blood drain from my face. "Did you try to stop them?""I tried. They said they're not running away. They said they're running toward something.""That's what they all say."Marcus shook his head. "I don't think so. I think they're really ready this time."I walked over to Sam. They were packing their bag, their movements slow and deliberate."Hey," I said. "I heard you're leaving."Sam looked up. "I am. I need to go.""Why?""Because I've been hiding here for too long. I need to figure out who I am. What I want. What kind of life I want to live.""You can figure that out here.""No. I can't." Their voice was firm. "I need to be out there. I need to face the wo