Five months, or perhaps eight, had passed since Ivy left. Maybe it was eight. At the moment, Zoe couldn't recall; the days had melded together, with the past two months, in particular, forming a melancholic blur. The days blended together in a way that was unsettling yet comfortable, like watching the same gray film play on repeat.

  She sat on the edge of her bed in her new room, staring absently at her hands as she shuffled a deck of cards. The cards slid against each other with a soft, rhythmic sound, but her mind wasn’t focused on them. Her room was slightly bigger than the one she had shared with Ivy back in the House of Seeley, though it felt emptier. The old, thick wooden walls creaked occasionally as if they were alive. The carpet beneath her feet was worn, its faded floral patterns frayed at the edges. Above her, a string of lights cast a soft, faux-natural glow, but they didn’t brighten her mood. On her desk sat the golden horn Ivy had left behind, its polished surface gleaming faintly in the filtered light. Zoe's eyes lingered on it, the memory of Ivy showing this to her for the first time flashed in her mind. Ivy had left it for her before her expulsion from Crater.

  Zoe glanced up at the clock on the wall. It ticked steadily, indifferent to her musings.

  “It’s Tuesday,” she muttered to herself, her voice low and flat, 'She should be back soon.' Sliding off the bed, Zoe pocketed the cards and grabbed her keys from the desk. She unlocked her door with a deliberate motion and stepped out into the long hallway of the house. The air was cool, the scent of varnished wood faintly present. She passed other doors, some slightly ajar, others closed tightly, but no sounds came from within. At the end of the hall, she opened the front door and stepped out onto the wide porch. The afternoon summer sun blazed above. She leaned back, the shade from the overhanging roof covering her face with shadow.

  She scanned the scene before her: three houses arranged in a triangular formation around the massive fountain in the center of the courtyard. Across from her stood a sprawling, multi-story brown house, its windows catching the sunlight. To her left, the third house was painted a pale blue, its shutters slightly crooked but still charming.

  Children shrieked and laughed as they splashed and jumped through the water. Parents sat on benches, chatting idly as they kept a watchful eye on their kids. Teenagers Zoe’s age either bustled about on errands or lounged near the fountain, their feet dipping into the cool water.

  "No classes today?" Zoe heard a voice come from her left.

  The voice startled her out of her thoughts. Zoe turned her head to see Reiza hopping over the side railing with casual grace. Her backpack hit the porch with a dull thud as she tossed it aside and flopped down next to Zoe.

  Zoe tilted her head slightly, letting her long white hair fall like a curtain over her face. “I just didn’t go,” she mumbled.

  Reiza raised an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at her lips. “How many times have you skipped now?”

  "Well," Zoe thought back to the letter she saw earlier that week, "My attendance in the last few months has gone from one hundred percent to a low seventy percent."

  "Ouch. You okay, though?"

  "Sure," Zoe monotoned. "I just didn't feel like doing it."

  Reiza stretched out, propping her feet up on the porch railing. The designer logo on her pristine sneakers gleamed obnoxiously in the sunlight. She leaned back, her straight newly dyed bright red hair, and long colored nails. This look was usually against Crater's rules, but despite the earlier warning from her father, Aye, she still could get away with things others couldn't. "Hey, yo, is that…" she squinted. Abruptly, she stood, leaning over the railing, pointing to a group of girls walking toward the home.

  "And that's it," Reiza concluded. Her pacing back and forth stopped. She looked at the group of girls sitting in the home's living room. "What do you think I should do?"

  Ten girls sat listening to her story. Each lived in the house, along with Reiza and Zoe.

  "I mean," One girl, started cautiously, she was leaning back against a beanbag chair, "Mason shouldn't have done that, but technically…no offense or anything…you did kinda start it."

  Reiza stopped mid-step, and glared at her, "You're taking his side?"

  "You asked me what I thought about it."

  "No. I asked you what I should do. I don't care if it's my fault!" she paused, "Even though it definitely isn't, of course."

  "You could just talk to him about it," another girl offered.

  "Pfft," Reiza scoffed. "Oh wow. Didn't think of that one. Great idea!" her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Under her breath, she muttered, "Useless."

  Some of the other girls in the room cracked up hearing that.

  Reiza looked over at Zoe, who sat crouched in the corner of the room. Plastic noise-canceling headphones covered her ears, and a deck of cards was sprawled out in front of her on the floor. "Whatever, never mind. I'll figure it out," she sighed, sitting in the closest chair to Zoe.

  Zoe looked up from the cards sprawled in front of her on the floor.

  "You heard me with those on?" Reiza asked.

  Zoe glanced up, brushing a strand of white hair from her face. "I can hear people fine with these. It's easier to focus."

  "Okay, what do you think I should do?"

  Zoe looked down at the cards, flipping a few over before looking back toward Reiza, "I wouldn't know anything about this. We both know I've never had a boyfriend."

  "Yeah, but you always seem to have good advice on stuff," Reiza smiled.

  "I haven't thought about this kind of thing before, so I don't think I qualify to give advice."

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  "Never?" Reiza's mouth hung open. She turned, beckoning another girl to come over to them. "Why?"

  "Well, I figured no one is interested in me," Zoe said. She paused for several seconds, "If someone was into me…I don't think I could be with anyone with that low of standards," she monotoned.

  The other girl stifled a laugh.

  "Probably because you say stuff like that," Reiza rolled her eyes.

  "I was joking. Somewhat."

  "Also, you're shy."

  "Zoe, don't take this the wrong way," the other girl spoke. "You're pretty weird."

  "I'm aware."

  "It's like your facial expressions don't match the tone of your voice," she added, biting back a smile.

  "Well, I'm not shy," Reiza said proudly. "That's why once I'm done with this next mission, I'll go out there and be a model…maybe an actress. Whichever comes first."

  "What about you?" The girl said, looking at Zoe.

  "Do I want to be a model? I mean-"

  "Uh, no," Reiza interjected, half laughing, "Like, what are you gonna do?"

  "I don't know anymore," Zoe mumbled.

  "It really does baffle me," Colson commented, staring across the cafeteria at Reiza. "Of all people, that's who you're friends with?"

  Zoe shrugged, whatever.

  "She didn't even do much to me personally, but damn. If I were you, I'd be plotting murder," he said, sticking his fork into the cooked eye on his plate. The eyeball was the size of a ripe orange. Kovujin was the animal that the eye belonged to—an invasive species to the surrounding mountains. A massive six-legged herbivore that could eat up to nine trees a day; if one were to view it from a ways away, they'd think it was just a large mound of dirt with plants growing on top. Despite its size, the Kovujin is known for its quiet nature, so those from afar may not even hear it.

  "I guess I'm not one to hold a grudge."

  "True. How's living with her?"

  "I wasn't sure at first. I think I like it about as much as House of Seeley. Also, I didn't want to stay in my old room anymore; Keigh suggested I move into one of the smaller private homes."

  "Oh yeah, I heard that you met him. Your hero," he scoffed. "…I don't know, I think he's smart and has done a lot of good and said some interesting things, but then I'll hear him talk about seeing lizard people or reptilians, and it just kinda ruins everything."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It's like he just takes a shit in the punch bowl, ya know?"

  Zoe looked at him as if he were growing another head. "When did he do that?"

  "Zoe, no," he shook his head, half chuckling at the thought. "He didn't actually defecate in a punch bowl. It's an expression—you have a good thing, and you self-sabotage and ruin it."

  "How is he self-sabotaging?"

  "He may have a lot of valuable knowledge on things, but he goes off into crazy conspiracy stuff, and it just kinda ruins his credibility for me, is all. But you talk to him a lot, right? You'd know more than me."

  "A lot," Zoe repeated. "Well, we talk a lot about CraterCoin and stuff like that."

  "Isn't he only a four-star as well?"

  "I don't think he cares enough to take the rank-up test. But trust me, he definitely could."

  The teacher paced back and forth as he spoke, pointing to the board at the front of the room. In the seat in front of her, Herald leaned over his desk. He pointed at the teacher and whispered something to his friend. Both tried to stifle their laughs but were quickly glared at by another student. She turned around and angrily put a finger to her lips, "Shhhhh!" she hissed. In response, she received a middle finger from Herald. His friend rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath as they both went back to talking.

  Zoe swiveled in her chair, peering through the rear windows of the classroom. From her spot in the back, she had a perfect view of the schoolyard and one of the many running tracks. A group of kids sprinted across the lanes in the distance, their figures small but clear against the midday sun. Silas lagged behind them, his arms flailing as he likely barked orders for them to run faster.

  The classroom door creaked open, cutting through the dull hum of the teacher’s voice. A tall woman strode in, dressed head-to-toe in black. Every inch of her skin was covered except for her sharp, pale face. White leather straps were wrapped tightly around her forearms and ankles. Behind her, two massive black mastiffs padded into the room. Their heavy paws thudded against the tiled floor as they followed her. The whole room fell silent. All eyes turned to her.

  The teacher paused, marker hovering mid-air. "Oh, Amelia," he stammered, his voice tinged with confusion.

  "Good afternoon, Amelia!" the class called out, their voices slightly uneven.

  Her eyes scanned the class, eventually spotting a girl sitting in the very back with long white hair, turned the wrong way, staring out of the window. "I'm here for Zoe."

  The teacher straightened, frowning as he turned toward the back of the class. "Zoe!" The teacher barked.

  "Hm?" Zoe turned around towards the front of the room.

  "Amelia is here to see you. Have some respect!"

  "Good afternoon, Amelia," Zoe mumbled, her tone flat.

  Amelia smirked, gesturing for Zoe to follow her. Telling her to bring her backpack with her as she wouldn't be back. The room buzzed with murmurs as Zoe slung her bag over her shoulder and followed Amelia to the door.

  Amelia's shoes clicked loudly over the bustling hallway. Flanked by her two dogs, she guided them alongside Zoe, traversing the corridors of the school building. Children of various ages and colony ranks darted through the halls, making way for Zoe and Amelia, giving them a wide berth.

  "Alright, look here," Amelia turned to Zoe once they found a hallway with very few people. She fished in her pocket and handed out a sealed envelope to Zoe.

  "What is it?" Zoe asked after studying its outside—completely blank.

  "They've got a mission for you," she grinned. "You've been hand-picked!"