revenant|c.g.|

xv

"You know you're a walking miracle, right?"

Clary furrowed her eyebrows as she looked towards Richard, whose eyes fell upon her. "When you and your usual group didn't show up for the monthly exchange, we knew something was up. Ezekiel had me lead a squad to go check on Solaris." He clenched his jaw. "When we saw what happened... the bodies and destruction... well, we thought everyone had fallen to them, you included." With a shake of his head, Clary nodded softly, the image of what he had seen probably matching what she had with her own eyes. "There was no sign anyone had even lived there. It was a ghost town."

Clary didn't know what to say, only nodded softly at his words. They continued walking side by side before he continued. "Ezekiel hosted a candlelight vigil for your people the night we found out what happened. He was heartbroken." Clary nodded softly, feeling a sort of warmth as she realized Ezekiel cared greatly about her people, and hopefully that would reflect to Alexandria. "As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person of Solaris to have survived. The only other one was—" Richard cut her off, "Charles, your Second."

The two grew silent until Clary confirmed he was correct with a nod before he continued. "About a month after we had seen what happened, he joined a Savior pickup. He's the one that told us that you had died. Ezekiel still had a slight hope but it was destroyed when he told us." He let out a sharp breath. "Everyone lost hope. Ezekiel, Jerry, Ben... me. But, somehow, my boy still had hope."

Clary clenched her jaw at the mention of his son. Richard had fallen in love with one of Ezekiel's closest friends, a woman by the name of Annabelle Warren, taking in her child as his own. She only had a son, who was just a bit older than Clary, named Alexander.Her and Alec had grown close, a bond she had formed in the three months of her staying in the Kingdom as a proxy for Solaris.

The thought of the boy faded as she smiled softly. "He always held more hope than most. How are they, Annabelle and Alec?" However, her smile turned to a frown as Richard sighed. "Annabelle got bit a few months ago on a run. She turned within hours. There— there was nothing we could do." Clary's gaze softened as she placed a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, Richard. Annabelle was a great woman, one of the best I had known." The man nodded softly, patting her hand in thanks before he pulled away. "I'm sure she would have been glad to see you're okay, and I know Alec will be, too." Clary nodded in agreement. "Well, it looks like his hope for my survival was well placed. I wish I could have returned under different circumstances, where I had time to see you without the looming threat of war." Richard nodded as Clary turned, looking to see Carl with his eyes on her.

Departing from the man, she made her way to Carl, who smiled in greeting. "How are you feeling?" Carl shrugged, allowing his eye to focus on the path ahead. "I'm not sure what I expect. What's it like, the Kingdom?" When she didn't answer, Carl looked to her with a raised eyebrow upon seeing a slight smirk. "What, and ruin the surprise?" Carl let out a laugh as Clary allowed her eyes to focus forward, happiness filling her upon seeing the familiar gates of the Kingdom. "And besides, we're already here."

As the group approached the gates, there were guards protecting it, allowing passage upon seeing not only their brothers in arms but also Jesus and the believed to be dead Commander. They walked inside, making their way to the middle before Clary turned to see her people looking at those in the Kingdom with awe. "They have the numbers," Michonne spoke, a sort of lightness in her voice. "Yeah, but can they fight?" Rosita asked, to which Clary nodded. "Oh, they can fight," Clary declared, the woman turning towards her with a raised eyebrow in question. "I should know, I trained them."

Before Clary could say anything else, she was cut off by Tara, her words filled with surprise. "Morgan?" Everyone turned to see Morgan approaching them with Richard following, hugging Tara and Sasha in greeting before looking to the others. Richard looked between the group and the man. "How do you know each other?" Richard asked, Rick looking to Morgan before nodding. "We go back to the start." Richard nodded in understanding, "The King is ready to see you." Rick nodded, the group making their way towards the theatre that had become Ezekiel's throne room according to Clary's memory.