Chapter 13: A Moment Intercepted

Back at camp, the atmosphere was somber. The death of Atom weighed heavily on everyone who knew him, and even those who didn't were shaken by the reality of life on Earth. Clarke and Ares, having returned from the ordeal in the woods with Bellamy, were quiet as they entered the dropship area. People moved about their daily routines, but a subtle tension hung in the air. Everyone felt the weight of survival, and it was beginning to show.

Ares scanned the camp with a calculated gaze, his mind still focused on what he knew would come next. Charlotte. He had seen the look in her eyes when she watched him mercy-kill Atom. Fear. Confusion. But deeper than that, something darker—something he recognized from his past life's memories. If left unchecked, that darkness would lead her to kill Wells, driven by the fear Bellamy had inadvertently nurtured in her.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the camp, Ares spotted Wells walking along the edge of the camp, deep in thought. His mind was likely still on his conversation with Clarke the previous night. Ares wasn't far behind, keeping an eye on him but maintaining a distance.

That's when he saw Charlotte.

The young girl approached Wells, her expression hesitant but purposeful. Ares' instincts kicked in immediately. This was the moment. He had to be ready.

Wells, unaware of the impending danger, smiled kindly at Charlotte as she walked up to him.

"Hey, Charlotte," he said gently, crouching down to her level. "You alright?"

Charlotte fidgeted, clearly nervous. She kept glancing around as if searching for the right words—or the right moment.

"I just wanted to say thank you," Charlotte began, her voice trembling slightly. "For always being so kind to me... and for protecting me from the others."

Wells tilted his head, his expression softening. "Of course. You don't have to thank me for that. We're all just trying to survive out here, together."

There was a long pause, and Ares watched carefully from his position in the shadows, his eyes narrowing as Charlotte's hand slid slowly to her side.

"I know..." Charlotte whispered, her voice breaking. "But... I have to do something. I have to stop being afraid."

In a sudden, fluid motion, she pulled a small, jagged knife from her jacket, her hand trembling as she lifted it toward Wells' chest.

Wells' eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Ares moved.

With lightning reflexes, Ares snatched a stone from the ground and hurled it with pinpoint accuracy. The stone struck Charlotte's wrist with a sharp thwack, knocking the knife from her grip. The blade clattered to the ground, and Charlotte let out a startled gasp, clutching her wrist in pain.

Wells stumbled backward, his face pale with shock, while Charlotte stood frozen, her wide eyes darting between Wells and Ares, who now emerged from the shadows.

"Charlotte," Ares said calmly, his voice low but commanding as he approached. "What do you think you're doing?"

Charlotte's eyes filled with tears, her entire body trembling as she stared at the knife on the ground. She looked up at Ares, her lips quivering. "I... I have to... I have to do it. To stop being afraid. That's what Bellamy said. If I'm not afraid, I can be strong."

Wells, still trying to process what had just happened, stepped forward cautiously. "Charlotte, listen to me. You don't have to do this. You don't have to hurt anyone."

But Charlotte shook her head frantically, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You don't understand! I keep seeing my parents—every night, I see them being floated. It's all I can think about! Bellamy said the only way to stop being afraid is to get rid of the thing that makes me weak!"

Ares exchanged a glance with Wells. His face was hard, knowing exactly where Charlotte's words came from. Bellamy had meant to teach her strength, to help her survive, but she had taken his words and twisted them into something dangerous. And now, she was close to doing something she'd never be able to come back from.

"Being afraid doesn't make you weak, Charlotte," Ares said quietly, his tone measured as he crouched down to her level. "It makes you human."

Charlotte's tear-streaked face turned toward Ares, her expression conflicted, torn between the fear driving her and the logic of his words.

"You think killing Wells will make it go away?" Ares continued. "It won't. You'll just have more nightmares. Worse ones. You'll see him in your dreams every night."

Charlotte sobbed, shaking her head as if trying to rid herself of the fear, the guilt. "But I don't know what else to do! I can't stop it!"

Wells stepped forward, his voice soft but insistent. "You don't have to kill anyone to stop being afraid, Charlotte. There are other ways. You don't have to do this."

Ares could see the turmoil in Charlotte's eyes, the struggle between her fear and the desire to do what she thought would make her stronger. But his intervention had given her a moment of clarity, a moment to reconsider her actions.

Charlotte dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to... I just want it to stop."

Wells knelt beside her, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We can help you, Charlotte. But this isn't the way."

Ares stood back, letting Wells take the lead. His task here was done, for now. He had averted the tragedy he knew was supposed to happen. The Wells he remembered from his past life wouldn't die at Charlotte's hands—not this time.

As Charlotte continued to cry, Wells stayed beside her, offering comfort in the form of quiet words and a steady presence. Ares' eyes scanned the camp, his mind already working ahead, thinking about what other events might unfold differently now that he was here, now that he could interfere.

He knew one thing for certain: Charlotte would need to be watched carefully. Even if she didn't kill Wells today, the darkness inside her hadn't vanished. It would take time, and perhaps more than just words, to truly change her course.

But for now, the immediate threat had been neutralized.

Ares turned his back on the scene, walking back toward the dropship as the camp began to stir with the evening routine. He couldn't stop thinking about what was to come—the choices he'd have to make, the people he'd have to protect.

And, most of all, how his presence was slowly altering the fate of everyone around him.

He glanced over his shoulder one last time, watching as Wells led Charlotte away from the knife that still lay in the dirt, untouched.

This time, the story was different.

This time, Ares would make sure of it.