At End's Gate

GONE

Paige stood up and followed Conner out of the room. She felt her heart skip a beat when Conner opened the door to the next room. She was afraid of Blake's current state mostly because she was solely convinced that it was her fault. When she entered the room she saw Blake seated on the floor with the others around him. His face looked pale. When he met Paige's gaze he immediately stood up and started walking toward her. He looked scared of the response that was to come. Paige embraced him. She hugged her brother who then started speaking." Paige I'm so sorry. I didn't want to shoot him. I was scared he was going to kill you and Lexi and I can't bare losing either one of you," he said with a shaky voice.

"Blake it's okay," she said before Blake started breathing in such a way that she understood that he was crying.

"I killed Erin, our friend." That's what he said before he gave a sigh of depression.

Paige broke off the hug looked at him. "Blake look at me." Blake was looking at the floor. She ended up holding him by the hand which triggered him to raise his chin." Blake you did what you had to do. You did what mom and dad would have wanted you to do. Before they died they told us, the six of us to protect each other. That means making difficult choices to save one another. You saved Lexi. You saved me. Thank you," she said before hugging him again." You did good." He let out his frustration allowing the tears to fall down. After a while the two broke off the hug. Paige looked at Lexi and went up to her." I'm so sorry," she said hugging her. She then looked at everyone." I'm sorry for putting you guys in danger. I'm so sorry," she said fighting the tears.

James went up to her and hugged her." P don't blame yourself. We all wanted Erin to be okay. We found him and he was our friend. He needed us."

"Yeah," Alexis said holding her shoulder," it wasn't your fault. You did what any human person would do."

"It's okay Paige. You can be vulnerable with us. You loved him and don't beat yourself up because of that," Lisa added.

Paige started crying." Yes I did love him but the Erin we knew was gone a long time ago. I blame myself for not noticing that earlier."

"Paige you're not psychic. How could you have known that? You need to stop blaming yourself and start moving past this," James encouraged.

"Yeah Paige. You need to be strong for us," Lexi added.

"Yes Paige. We can only survive this, I can only survive this if I know you're okay," Blake said.

Paige looked at him and felt pained. She nodded." Okay."

"Good," Conner said with a small smile." You need to be strong so we can survive this. We need to anchor each other on the right side of sanity. What we're experiencing is enough to push us over the edge but we need to hold on to each other so as to not fall."

"That's really true. After I saw my parents die I trembled in shock. I thought I wasn't going to survive. I actually wanted to die as well but you guys helped me. I'm okay now," Lisa said caressing her black locks.

"We have to make sure we all survive this together because we need each other," Alexis joined in.

"Whatever it takes to make each other survive," James added.

Paige wanted to complain about how James almost died because of wanting to be a hero but she realised that he was still there. Despite being willing to put his life on the line he survived. He was a survivor and he wouldn't go down easily. She felt warmth by that thought. Blake was now a true warrior. Although it scared Paige that he might end up losing himself she dismissed that thought. She told herself she would do everything in her power to help him not lose his humanity. For now she had to think of the fact that a boy she considered vulnerable had become the strong man who saved her. A man who kept her out of the Grim Reaper's grasp.