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⁽ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ˢᵉᵛᵉⁿ ⁻ ᵉᵃʳᵗʰ ᵏⁱˡˡˢ⁾
𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐎 emerged from the cave, the forest fell into an eerie silence, the only sound being their own footsteps. Suddenly, Bellamy's voice shattered the stillness, calling out, "Anybody out here? Jones?"
"We're here."
They followed the sound of Jones' voice and reunited with the others- one person being missing.
Nova's eyes scanned the group, searching for Atom. With a worried expression, she asked, "Where's Atom?" The others shook their heads, indicating they didn't know. Bellamy questioned, "Lost you in the stew. Where'd you go?"
To which Jones responds with, "Made it to a cave down there." Bellamy hums before saying, "The hell was that?"
"Some sort of acid fog? What else?" Nova furrowed her eyebrows, questioning his words. Bellamy turned his gaze towards her and responded, "Yeah, I'm aware. But where did it come from?" He then looked around at the group and repeated Nova's earlier question, "Where's Atom?" Jones simply shrugged, and the entire group began scanning the area in search of the missing boy.
꩜
"𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐘," 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀 began, nervously fidgeting with her hands. "Can you not tell anybody about what we talked about last night? I don't need anyone finding out about the sappy shit I told you." As soon as Nova had opened up the previous night, she immediately regretted it. Opening up wasn't something she usually did, and she couldn't understand why she had felt so comfortable discussing it with him.
"Don't want anyone knowing Nova really does have feelings?" He replied, his gaze locked with hers. "But okay, I won't tell anyone." They continued walking in silence until a sudden scream was heard.
They both hurried over to Charlotte, who was standing over Atom. He lay on the ground, struggling to breathe, his face burned and his eyes looking almost clear. "Son of a bitch, Atom," Bellamy muttered as he looked at the injured boy.
Nova choked back a sob, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "Oh my God," she whispered, taking a few steps back, hesitant to get too close. Meanwhile, Bellamy moved forward, examining Atom's wounds, unsure of how he could help him.
"Kill me. Kill me. Kill me," Atom gasped, his voice filled with pain and desperation as he struggled to breathe. The rest of their hunting group arrived, standing behind Charlotte, who approached Nova and took hold of her hand.
Nova's gaze remained fixed on Atom, who struggled to speak, choking out the words, "I can't breathe." The group fell into a heavy silence, the realization sinking in that there was nothing they could do to save him. Charlotte reached for the knife Bellamy had given her earlier, passing it to him with a quiet reassurance, "Don't be afraid."
Nova ran her hand through her hair, fear evident in her voice as she exclaimed, "There has to be something we can do. We can't just let him die." Bellamy looked at her with a heavy sigh, shaking his head before instructing the group. "Go back to camp."
They all leave, but Nova stayed by Bellamy's side. He turns to her, concern in his eyes, and said, "You too. You shouldn't have to see this." Nova blinked away her tears and replied, "You don't have to do this alone." Bellamy nods and begins to bend down towards Atom, who choked out, "Bellamy, please." A single tear fell down Nova's face, and she quickly wiped it away, not wanting anyone to see her in that vulnerable state.
As Atom continued to choke, Clarke emerged through the trees, rushing to their sides. "I heard screams," she exclaimed, concern clear on her face. Bellamy glanced at her and replied, "Charlotte found her. I sent her back to camp." Clarke leaned down to inspect Atom, her expression filled with sadness.
It was clear that there was no chance of saving him. Bellamy and Clarke exchanged silent words, their eyes speaking volumes. Clarke then took the knife from Bellamy and approached Atom once more.
Clarke ran her fingers through Atom's hair, softly humming a tune in an attempt to bring comfort to him and the others. Nova, fighting back tears, moved to stand beside Bellamy. As Clarke brought the knife to Atom's neck and plunged it in, Nova grabbed onto Bellamy's arm, burying her face in his shoulder for support.
As Clarke started to rise, Nova slowly lifted her head from Bellamy's shoulder, her gaze fixated on the distance. Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed Charlotte watching, but her attention quickly shifted back to Clarke and Bellamy.
As Clarke started walking back to camp, Nova and Bellamy walked side by side behind her. Bellamy turned to Nova, his voice filled with concern. "You should've went back to camp," he said gently. "You shouldn't have seen that."
Nova looked up at Bellamy, her hair partially covering her face. "Neither should you," she replied, her tone filled with empathy. "No one ever should. But I feel like it's something we're gonna have to get used to."
꩜
𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐒, 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 into the fire in front of her, Atoms name echoing through her mind. Her voice trembles as she shared the news with Wesley and Miller, "Atom's dead." The three of them sitting together on a log. Shock painted their faces as they turned their gaze towards Nova. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued, her voice filled with sorrow. "He didn't make it to the cave with us," she explained. "Clarke had to— She had to kill him."
Wesley let out a sigh and instinctively pulled his sister closer, preparing to say something. But their attention was abruptly diverted by the sight of an argument unfolding between Murphy and Bellamy. Nova hurriedly made her way over, standing near them. She caught a glimpse of Murphy being held by Bellamy before she swiftly intervened, pulling Murphy away from him.
"What the hell is going on, J?" Nova asked, her voice filled with confusion. Bellamy directs his attention towards Murphy, his voice laced with anger. "Yeah, that's right. My little sister. Got anything else you want to say about her?" Murphy studied Bellamy's face for a moment before offering an insincere apology. "Nothing, sorry." Bellamy's gaze hardened as he assessed Murphy, then turned to Jones, instructing him to take care of Atom's body. With one final glare at Murphy, Bellamy left Nova and Murphy alone.
"What the hell just happened?" Nova asked once more, confusion evident in her voice. She looked at Murphy, who seemed too angry to answer. He turned away from her, grabbing his knife— marked J.M and hurled it at a nearby tree, finally managing to make it stick.
"Bellamy's just an asshole, Noves," Murphy muttered, frustration clear in his voice. Nova let out a small laugh, "I think him and I are kind of friends now," He side glances at her, and she decides to change the topic.
"J, can you stay with me tonight? I don't think I'll be able to sleep after what happened with Atom." A smile spread across Murphy's face. "Always," he replied softly.
The two of them walked away, heading towards her tent, Murphys knife still lodged in the tree.
