A Changed World - Book II | The Awakening of Darkness

Chapter 5: What Remains

John sat at the kitchen table inside of the cabin, pondering everything that just happened. His mind was so conflicted and he was in a world of his own as he tried desperately to make sense of the events that took place minutes prior. He was shirtless, and didn't even move a muscle as Ren and Mia resowed the stitches which were opened back up by Luna's attack.

"John... just stop thinking about it for a while, rest your mind." Ren said with a hushed, loving voice as she finished re-stitching his wounds, moving her hand to lovingly move her fingers through his hair.

The man slowly glanced up at her, blinking a few times as he came back to reality. "It happened so quickly."

"It wasn't Luna... that was something else." Mia chimed in, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We should wait here a little longer for the others."

John sighed, and shook his head as he stood up to grab his shirt. "Luna and I were the only one's who got out alive. Whoever isn't here right now... they're dead." he said coldly, but truthfully. "Cooper... Ivan... all dead."

Ren and Mia were shocked to hear that, their ears lowering. "What about Francis... and Shira?" Ren asked quietly with tears brimming in her eyes.

John was silent for a moment, and he let out a quiet sigh. "I don't know, I never saw them... but if they aren't here..." he refused to finish his sentence and his voice became shaken with the thought that he may have lost Shira, a woman he loved. "We might be all that remains."

Bill, who was sitting at the other end of the kitchen table, listened carefully to John's words and nodded his head solemnly. "F.E.O found me and my people on our way back home. Gave us a choice to go with em' or die... I'm the only one who declined and I barely got away." he explained, backing up John's claim that they were all that remained.

"They so easily betrayed us, even after all that we gave them?" Mia asked, glaring at Bill with a disgusted look in her eyes, then looked back at John. "We should've never given them the chance to live side by side with us." she scoffed as she walked over to the kitchen counter.

John thought for a moment, and looked down with a sigh. "Held at gunpoint and given only one choice to keep your family alive is an easy choice for anyone to make, Mia." he reasoned. "We have to accept that we're all that remains, and do whatever it takes to keep the rest of our family alive."

Ren slowly nodded her head with agreement. "We have Lilith, maybe the Supreme does care about her... but John, is it really worth keeping her around? She's just another mouth to feed."

"She could be more valuable to ya'll than just a bargainin' asset. Maybe she just needs a shove in the right direction." Bill suggested, taking a glance over at the closet where Lilith was currently locked inside, with Aura sitting guard in front of it. "I was in her place y'know, locked up by ya'll... and here I am, on your side now... people can change."

Everyone pondered on what Bill suggested, Ren and Mia already seemed unconvinced, but John slowly shook his head.

"Bill... we don't know the kinds of things she's done. She could've helped wipe out entire fur cultures for all we know." John reminded. "But we won't kill her if we find out she's decent, alright?"

"That's all I ask." Bill replied with a quick nod of his head, smiling a little. "Everyone deserves that chance to change."

John nodded with agreement, and grabbed his white shirt to slowly put it back on with a wince. "We can't stay here, F.E.O know where this place is now... so let's pack everything up and get out of here." He said, grabbing his black jacket which had now been stitched up where it was torn.

"Where will we go?" Asked Mia apprehensively.

"We'll head back to Perseverance and check for survivors, then we'll go to the Aviary." John said after a moment of consideration.