Jace's Perspective
I was asleep, weighed down by the stress of everything—my parents abandoning Lumi and me, the shapeshifters, and this chaos. Anger kept me going, but even that was starting to feel hollow. Theo slept beside me. Kai and Ryn were behind us—Kai was awake, staring out the window, while Ryn snored softly.
Lumi and Yuki sat up front, still awake.
Ash was curled on the back seat, completely covered in a blanket. It wasn't even cold—but I understood. He wasn't hiding from the cold. He was hiding from the world. From grief. From us. His silence was louder than any scream.
The bus jerked to a stop. The cars following us did too.
"We've arrived," the bus driver called.
I stepped out with Kai's grandfather. The others were starting to wake—except Ash. He hadn't moved an inch.
In front of us stood a towering apartment building, surrounded by a fortress of iron bars—like a prison turned inside out.
A voice came from behind the metal.
"Park the bus in the basement. Stand in front of the stairs. You'll be let in."
We drove the vehicles into the underground parking area. There were already a few bikes, some cars, and a large truck. Looked like it had carried in all the metal to fortify this place.
An old man and a girl about our age stood behind another set of bars, guarding the stairwell.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" the old man said.
Ryn stepped forward and tossed him the purple shapeshifter core.
"Go to the second floor," the man said. "You'll all be locked there for two days. Don't worry—food will be provided."
"What about the core?" Theo asked. "Shouldn't you check us first?"
"We will. But outside isn't safe. You're cleaner than anything out there."
The gate opened.
Ash finally got off the bus.
He looked worse than before. Swollen, red eyes. Lifeless gaze. Dark circles deep as trenches. Some of his hair had turned white.
"Bro... you need rest. And therapy," Kai muttered.
Ash said nothing. Not a word. Just followed the old man and the girl silently, like a ghost among the living.
Inside, the second floor was covered in thin mattresses—no beds. The old man gave instructions.
"Girls and boys will stay on opposite sides. Don't cross the line unless given permission."
No one joked. No one even smiled.
Two Days Later
Yuki's Perspective
The past two days had been quiet—eerily quiet.
The people in this apartment didn't believe the video of Garry Brills. They still thought shapeshifters were rumors. Idiots. But thankfully, when they finally tested us with the core and solution, we were all human.
Jace and Theo were given the job of helping secure the third and fourth floors. Reinforcement duty.
Ryn and Kai were learning how to manage supplies, emergencies, and security procedures from the old man.
Lumi cried at night, but hugging Jace always calmed her. She kept asking about their parents. Jace always postponed answering. "Tomorrow," he'd say. "I'll explain tomorrow."
I helped with food. Cleaning. Organizing. Carrying things from the basement to the first floor.
Ash… he didn't speak. He didn't laugh. He didn't cry in front of anyone.
He just worked. Carrying boxes, helping silently. The old man was the only one who tried to speak to him. Said something like:
"Your parents wouldn't want you to break. Live for them."
But no one else brought it up. We were all afraid to. Afraid he'd shatter completely.
[Later – Yuki walking through the hallway]
Knock knock.
"Can I come in?" I asked.
"Yes," a quiet voice replied.
I stepped into the dim room.
Ash was sitting alone, gently sliding a photo of his parents into his bag. His eyes were red. He'd clearly been crying.
"Is... is Jace here?" I asked, unsure.
Ash shook his head. "He's probably in the basement."
His voice was raw. Tired. Like even words hurt now.
I wanted to say something—anything. But I couldn't.
None of us could.
Everyone was keeping their distance from him.
Because anytime anyone mentioned his parents, he just… left. Walked away. Disappeared into silence.
So I sat quietly, letting the silence stretch.
Because sometimes, broken people don't need words.
They just need someone to stay.