The silence stretched like a wound that wouldn't close.
Everyone sat in the ruins of what had once been a facility, the weight of everything pressing down on them. Wolfen was finally starting to heal after absorbing an immense amount of Pulse, his body slowly knitting itself back together. Ab 2 Eva sat apart, completely untouched, like she hadn't just killed a man with her bare hands.
"You're all weak."
The words cut through the quiet like a blade. Everyone looked at her—except Wolfen.
"If Sasha hadn't been here, you would all have been killed." Her eyes swept across them. "And you—" She looked at Wolfen. "Where were you when all this was happening?"
Wolfen didn't pay her any attention. He was looking at Zoey's unconscious form, her breathing slow and steady, her arm newly regrown.
"I'm asking you something." Her voice sharpened.
Wolfen looked at her. His golden eyes were flat, tired. "What were you saying?"
Ab 2 Eva's jaw tightened. "Where were you when all this was happening?"
"Oh." Wolfen's voice was flat. "I was getting beaten up by a monster." He turned to Maya. "Did you kill that thing?"
Maya shook her head. "Shadow's portal brought me back before I could finish it."
Wolfen looked at Warden. Then at Sasha. "Open the portal to Warden's universe."
Warden signed something quickly—she should stay. She could help—but Wolfen shook his head.
"You should go. We can handle it."
Warden hesitated. Her visible eye moved across the group—Eva unconscious, Zoey unconscious, Wolfen barely standing. Then she looked at her son, nodded once, and walked toward Sasha.
Sasha opened the portal. Green light spilled out, wrong and familiar. Warden stepped through with her son, disappearing into the other universe without looking back.
Ab 2 Eva stood. She looked at the survivors Derek was helping, their faces hollow, their bodies trembling.
"I'm going to kill these people."
Leo was on his feet instantly, his eyes wide. "What?"
Maya, who had been sitting next to Eva, stood too, her fists clenched. Jordan reached for his katana. Lena grabbed her daggers. Derek, hearing the words, turned slowly, his body already hardening.
The survivors scrambled backward. Hands reached for children. Mothers pulled their babies close.
Wolfen didn't move. He was still looking at Zoey.
Energy started buzzing around Derek—static electricity, crackling, building. His eyes looked murderous.
Wolfen sighed. "Oh, for fuck's sake."
Everyone turned to him.
"Do you guys really think Eva would do that?"
Maya and Leo looked at each other. Then Jordan spoke, his voice quiet. "No."
"Exactly." Wolfen's voice was flat. "She's testing you."
Ab 2 Eva looked at him. "What makes you think that? What makes you think I'm the same as her?"
Wolfen finally looked at her. His golden eyes were steady.
"Because you cared for Lily the same way she did."
Ab 2 Eva held his gaze for a long moment. Then she sat down.
"I apologize for startling you." Her voice was softer now. "Starting tomorrow, I'll help you get stronger. So you don't need me."
The energy around Derek faded. His body softened. He sat down, exhaling slowly.
The survivors settled back into their huddle, eyes still wide, bodies still trembling.
Wolfen turned back to Zoey.
He was still looking at her. Still waiting.