Rachel's Perspective

Rachel sat alone in her room, textbooks scattered on her desk, though she couldn’t focus on any of them. Her bow rested against the wall, a stark reminder of the pact they’d made. She had always been calm, steady, a voice of reason among the chaos. But now? Now, her hands trembled whenever she thought of that night.

Her mind kept playing it over and over—the way the woman had shifted reality like it was nothing, the way they had been completely powerless.

How do you fight something like that? How do you stop something you can’t even understand?

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away angrily. She wasn’t supposed to be weak. She was supposed to be the one who kept the group together. But fear clung to her, pulling her under.

“I hate this,” she whispered, voice breaking. “I hate feeling scared all the time.”

She reached for her bow, feeling its smooth wood beneath her fingers. Her heart ached with uncertainty. She had taken up archery because she thought it would give her a sense of control, but now, it just felt like a flimsy defense against the nightmare that haunted them.

What if I can’t protect them when the time comes? The thought gnawed at her, leaving her feeling more vulnerable than ever.

Mike's Perspective

Mike slammed the tomahawk into the stump outside his house, over and over again, his breath coming out in ragged bursts. His heart pounded, adrenaline still coursing through him long after his impromptu “training session” had ended. But no matter how many times he swung the axe, the frustration inside of him wouldn’t ease.

“Why did this have to happen to us?” he muttered under his breath, slamming the blade into the wood again. “Why now? Why Eli?”

He was angry—angry at the world, at the situation, at the helplessness he had felt that night. He had always been the jokester, the guy who lightened the mood, but now? Now, there was nothing funny about what they were dealing with. And it terrified him.

If I wasn’t strong enough then, will I be strong enough next time?

He wiped sweat from his forehead, trying to push down the feeling of inadequacy that lingered in his gut. He hated feeling this way, hated that no matter how much he trained, there was still a part of him that felt like a scared kid who wasn’t ready for the real world. But the real world had come for them, and it wasn’t going to wait for him to catch up.

Lilian's Perspective

Lilian paced her room, back and forth, her thoughts racing faster than she could keep up. The kukri knives she had chosen were strapped to her thighs, but the weight of them didn’t make her feel any more secure. If anything, they felt like a reminder of how fragile everything had become.

She had always been quick, agile, the one who could slip in and out of a situation without a scratch. But that night had shattered her sense of invincibility.

I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t save Eli. I couldn’t even run. We were trapped.

She rubbed her temples, the pressure building behind her eyes. Her mind felt like it was unraveling, no matter how hard she tried to stay calm. Lilian had never dealt well with fear. She avoided it, ran from it, distracted herself with fun, with friends. But now, there was no running from this.

The tears came suddenly, and she sank to the floor, burying her face in her hands. “I’m scared,” she whispered to herself. “I don’t want to be scared anymore.”

But no matter how hard she tried to will it away, the fear remained.

Alyssa's Perspective

Alyssa sat at her desk, staring at the crossbow in her lap. Her hands were steady, but her mind was anything but calm. Ever since that night, she had been trying to push down the panic, trying to tell herself that things would be okay. But deep down, she knew better.

We weren’t ready. I wasn’t ready.

She had always been the quiet one, the cautious one, the person who avoided conflict. But now? Conflict had come knocking, and it had nearly taken Eli’s life. She bit her lip, her chest tightening at the thought of it. She was supposed to be the smart one, the one who thought things through, but no amount of thinking could have prepared her for the nightmare they faced.

What if it comes back? The question gnawed at her, refusing to leave her mind.

Alyssa had been practicing with the crossbow, trying to ready herself for whatever might come next, but she didn’t know if she’d ever truly feel ready. The unknown was terrifying, and the possibility of losing someone—anyone—was too much to bear.

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes glistening. “I just want us to be okay,” she whispered. “I just want us to be safe.”

But no matter how many times she wished for safety, she knew it was something that would never come without a fight.

The weight of the situation was crushing each of them, pulling them into their own spirals of fear, frustration, and helplessness. The reality of what they had faced—and what they might face again—hung over them like a shadow. And no matter how hard they trained, no matter how much they tried to prepare, the uncertainty of it all loomed, ready to strike at any moment.

They were all scared.

And they all knew that the next time, there might be no going back.