Chapter 21: Zane's Resolve

A sorrowful silence laid stagnantly in the air. The hot air in the basement had now turned into a dreary cold. The remainder of the group took refuge in the underground living room of the house. Noah's death was heartbreaking to watch, especially for Zane since he was the one who chose to release him from his misery. He carefully watched Serenity with his wet blue stained eyes. A fourteen year old girl who had lost everything she had in a space of a few days. Her heart was stinging with pain. Her eyes soaking wet and a smile non-existent on her innocent face.

She laid in the arms of Almarie who gently tried to comfort her. Almarie hummed softly as if she were a mother to a child. Her voice was sweet and deeply soothing. It even had some effect on Zane who felt his anxiety and sadness slowly dissipate which each hum. Zane then felt a pat on his shoulder as he turned his head to stare into the angelic grey eyes of Layla.

"How are you holding up?" she asked him in concern.

Zane released an unpleasant sigh, "I could be worse. I've got life in my body with minimal injury so if anything I should be grateful."

"You don't have to force yourself to be so optimistic all the time you know... Keeping all that fear and anxiety bottled up inside of you can really have a negative impact on you later down the line."

"I know, but now's not the time to allow ourselves to sulk so much. We should get a move on from this place soon. The Apocrypha will figure out where we're hiding eventually, especially if Apollo decides to leak information about us again."

Layla gave Zane a soft smile as she looked at him. Her admiration for him continued to grow. She loved how Zane adapted to any situation that came his way. When she had just met him, he seemed like he could breakdown at any moment if forced into a tough spot. He couldn't have proved her anymore wrong. Zane put himself in uncomfortable situations just to ease the pain of others around him. He didn't try to run away from his mistakes nor did he ignore when he was wrong. He had traits that were scarce for human beings in this modern age, especially since the world was now ending. Layla was grateful that she had ended up with him out of all the crappy people she could have encountered.

"What?" asked Zane a bit flustered from Layla's sweet smile.

"Nothing, just admiring you is all."

"Layla stop teasing me!"

Layla chuckled adorably, "Why do you think I'm always teasing you when I tell you that? I mean it..."

"Yeah... Yeah... Like I'll fall for that. We really should be getting to bed though. It's probably pretty late and we need to move out of here bright and early tomorrow morning."

Layla agreed as she too thought that everyone at least needed to sleep off some of the negative emotions that plagued them.

"Okay everyone, we should get to bed for now. We'll probably have to leave this place bright and early tomorrow morning."

Nick got up from the couch and stared at them with curiosity, "Where are we going though?"

"Well, we really don't know... But staying here for too long will only increase our chances of being found. We have to move before that happens."

Nick sighed depressingly as he thought they actually needed a destination. Wondering around aimlessly was simply absurd.

"You're telling me this entire time you've been wondering around aimlessly? That's ridiculous man!"

"Well at first we planned to take a boat and sail into the Caribbean but due to all the struggle we ended up facing we had to just abandon it. The Apocrypha seem to have patrols on the sea as well." explained Zane grimly.

"Even so, it's better to try for a final destination and be caught rather than wonder around aimlessly and still get caught. We need a goal man or this makes no sense. We'll be dead running around in the open before we even know it!"

Nick's words hit as hard as a baseball bat. Layla and Zane had been so traumatized by what had happened to Sarah that they allowed it to deter them.

"What Caribbean Island anyway? We don't know if the islands will be any safer. At first I was thinking of maybe the Cayman Islands, Jamaica or Aruba, because of their small size. Do you think it's a good idea to go there? I mean they're still pretty populated so they are still a target." explained Layla carefully.

Nick then placed his hand to his chin as he thought. Even though those countries were less populated they were still very small, meaning that there was less space to run to if anything were to happen. Nick's face then brightened like a light bulb as a thought hit him.

"What about an uninhabited island? There are plenty of very small islands across the Caribbean that aren't occupied. The Apocrypha would be less willing to come there meaning that confrontations would be little to none!"

Nick's thought brightened Layla's and Zane's gloomy view. They hadn't really thought about it before but an island they could keep as their own sounded like heaven at this point. If they could find an island with a fresh source of running water and at least a few fresh fruit bearing trees, then they could maintain themselves for months or even the entire year if they tried hard enough.

"That sounds great!" exclaimed both Layla and Zane simultaneously.

"Alright then! We'll just need to bring a couple items with us to aid us on the journey and we'll be good to go! I'm sure this house has a couple things we could use!" rejoiced Nick.

The friends were overjoyed. After feeling that they had little hope of survival left, Nick had made it clear that they could still make it through the year. The only real problem was Apollo's tracking. They had to just hope he kept his lips sealed for the time being, even though they felt there was very little chance of that. Still, they didn't want to dwell on that fact. They wanted to stay positive so they wouldn't think of giving up anytime soon.

They then heard Serenity call out to them in a depressing-tone, "If we're going to leave, I at least want to make an offering for my father's death."

They abruptly stopped their conversation as they looked at her.

"What kind of offering?" asked Zane curiously.

"Just a letter to him... I want to dig a small hole and place some rocks, then bury the letter underneath it all."

Zane smiled as he stepped over to her, "Sure, we can bury it tomorrow morning in the front of the yard before we leave."

A displeased look then placed itself across Serenity's face, "It's not here in the yard... My mom and dad use to venture out into the Fernbank forest in the early mornings to relax themselves. When my mom died, my dad went out into the forest and created a small grave offering for her. I want to bury my letter to him right beside that."

They all froze in shock as they listened to Serenity. Venturing out into the Fernbank forest was way too risky. Could they allow such a thing to really take place? Even if it was just for her father, the thought was still very unwise.

"Serenity, I know you must really want to do this for your father but this is way too risky. We can't venture out into the Fernbank forest even if it's for something like this. I doubt your dad would want you to do something that dangerous. Let's just bury it in the front of the yard." bargained Layla.

Tears began to refill Serenity's eyes. She knew that it was dangerous but she felt like she had to do this.

"Layla please! I know it's dangerous, I know that I could get hurt but please... I won't feel satisfied unless my dad and mom rest in peace together!"

"Serenity, I agree with Layla on this one. Noah wouldn't want us to do this, especially with you. I promised Noah I would take care of you and I intend to do that. We can bury the letter in the front yard before we leave in the morning." stated Nick softly.

Serenity didn't answer. She turned around like a zombie and marched back inside of the room towards Almarie. Zane felt his heart sink as he felt sorry for her. This was in no way easy for a 14yr old girl, no matter how smart she was.

"What if I take her?" prompted Zane quickly.

"No, don't be stupid Zane. Your life is much too valuable to risk for something like this." sternly noted Layla.

"Zane for real man... We understand how she's feeling but the risk is simply not worth it bro. I hate to say it, but Serenity needs to bare with this one." added Nick.

Zane bit down on his lip in frustration as Serenity disappeared into the room. Layla and Nick were right and the risk was definitely far from worth it. Zane swallowed his sympathy and turned back around to face them.

"Okay fine... You all get to bed then. Nick, I know you're tired from all that happened today so you should get to sleep. The couch is still free so you can use that. Layla, you haven't gotten any sleep for basically over a day now. You should get to bed as well. The other bedroom is yours for the keeping. I'll take watch for tonight."

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it." said Nick showing his gratitude as he walked off towards the couch.

"Okay, don't over do it Zane." said Layla as she walked off towards the next room.

Zane sighed before he noticed Layla turn and looked towards him. "One more thing, if you feel sleepy don't sleep on the floor. I'll share the bed with you again. You make a nice teddy bear!" teased Layla as she shut the door.

Zane let out a small titter towards Layla's statement. He then slumped himself down beside her room door as he got ready to keep watch. The night was quiet and still as it slowly crept by. He watched on for hours as he tried desperately to stay awake by playing with whatever he could find like a little kid. Before long, Zane's head began to nod due to the tiredness. He tried to keep his eyes open but they became as heavy as an elephant. He fell asleep soundly with only three hours remaining till dawn.

Silently, a figure crept passed the sleeping body of Zane. The footsteps made no sound and it moved as stealthy as possible. Fortunately, Zane was a light sleeper. He flung his eyes open as he could tell that something was trying to sneak past him. He looked up in shock as he tried to adjust his fuzzy eyes to his surroundings. The figure froze as it saw Zane awake from his sleep. For a moment, Zane thought it was an Apocrypha until his eyes came into complete focus.

"Serenity?" he called quietly trying not to disturb the others.

"Um- Hey Zane... I was just going to get some water. Sorry for waking you..."

Zane took a good look around as he looked at where Serenity stood. She was set as if going in the opposite direction to the kitchen. She was also holding something behind her back but was obviously trying to play it off as being polite.

"Serenity... you're not going to the kitchen. That's a lie. Where are you going and what are you hiding behind you?"

Serenity slowly moved a neatly folded letter from behind her back as she began to tremble. "It's my dad's letter... I was writing it..."

Zane instantly realized what was taking place. Serenity was trying to sneak out to bury the letter.

"Serenity, you know I can't allow you to do this. It's too dangerous."

Serenity's innocent act then dissipated into a sorrowful look. "Zane I'm sorry but please I have to bury this letter as an offering to my father! I need to do this to find closure with his death... I'm begging you to allow me to go! None of you have to follow me, I can handle this by myself. So please I beg you... let me go!"

Zane needed to stop her. He needed to say no. It was way too dangerous to allow her to go out to do this by herself, especially since it was night time. Apocrypha would be swarming the streets like wildfire. Yet, even though Zane knew this, he found himself unable to deny Serenity her chance. She needed closure and Zane understood that. Just like how Layla had needed closure back on the yacht, it was the same for Serenity. He took a deep breath and did the unthinkable.

"I can't allow you to go Serenity... At least not alone. I'll tag along with you to keep you safe until you bury your offering. Once we do that we'll come back here quietly without waking anyone."

Serenity was shocked as she didn't expect Zane to actually offer her help with something so reckless.

"Zane, you can't! If something happens to you then-"

"I don't care... I can't leave you like this. It just doesn't feel right to prevent someone from finding closure within themselves. I'll help you and bring you back here safely."

Serenity felt a warm feeling develop on her insides. She knew Zane seemed like the type to do something as dumb as this, but experiencing it for herself swept her off her feet. She smiled showing her gratitude to him. She then got a kitchen knife that was wrapped up inside the letter and gave it to Zane.

"This is for you then. I have another in my waist. I really appreciate you helping me with this Zane. Thank you."

Zane then nodded as he took the hand of Serenity and disappeared towards the staircase with her. The staircase creaked as they climbed it slowly just in case something was lurking in the shadows. They silently moved through the rest of the house and came out through a broken window without drawing any attention to themselves. The cold night air instantly hit them like a pack of ice. The stars and moon danced around in the dark sky like a festival of lights.

The air felt creepy and extremely dangerous as if something would jump out at them at any moment. They then moved closer to the yard gate and exited quietly as Zane made sure to keep Serenity as close to him as he possibly could. He took constant glances behind him to reassure himself it was her. The two didn't dare to utter a word in fear of drawing near by Apocrypha to them.

They got into a crouching position and began to head towards the Fernbank forest that was situated not too far behind the house. Just then, they began to hear very unnerving sounds. Constant bellowing and alienated noises could be heard as if they were coming from out of the forest. It was obviously the Apocrypha that were patrolling the area in the thick darkness. Zane placed his hand on his chest to check his heart rate to make sure he didn't come out panicking. He looked back at Serenity who was obviously scared and looked as if she would become paranoid before too long.

"You still want to go through with this? You don't look too good." whispered Zane as softly as he could.

Serenity nodded as she didn't want fear to turn them back now. She was determined to follow through with the offerings to her dad.

"Let's go" she prompted softly.

Zane and Serenity crouched close to the ground. They watched their every step to ensure they didn't step on twigs or dried leaves. It was extremely difficult since the forest was covered with them. Serenity slowly passed Zane as she needed to lead the way. The air seemed to become colder with every step they took into the forest. The sounds of owls hooting and the bellowing of near by Apocrypha drifted through the air. Zane's leg began to hurt from the constant crouching to keep themselves concealed.

"Are we there yet?" he asked wanting to hurry it up.

"Just a little further I think. All this mist is making it hard to see."

Zane was about to ask what she was talking about until he took a good look around him. The entire forest was blanketed in a thick mist that almost rendered their eyes useless. He was so caught up in keeping himself concealed he had failed to notice it.

Lost in thought about what could be in the mystery of the thick mist, Zane stepped on a twig that snapped like a firecracker. They froze in place afraid to take another step. The twig had snapped quite loudly. Serenity looked at Zane with fear in her eyes afraid to breathe. They both waited in a stifling suspense thinking something would jump out on them but nothing came.

Zane released a relieved sigh, "Sorry about that..."

"It's okay... I remember where my mom's offering grave is. It's just a little bit up ahead."

The two continued to move silently until they came upon a small mound of dirt with a beautiful white candle protruding from it. Beside the mound was a picture of a lady beside both Noah and Serenity. She had chocolate brown curly hair and light blue eyes. Her smile was sweet and filled with joy. She was basically just an older version of Serenity.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of this Serenity..."comforted Zane.

Serenity gave a dim smile, "Well I'm not gonna lie and say it's all okay but I plan to keep living for both my parents. Their will lives on inside of me."

Zane stared at Serenity as he compared her to himself. He knew the feeling of losing his entire family but how would he have dealt with it if it happened to him at Serenity's age? He thought he would probably never recover if that were the case. He admired Serenity's wits and strong perseverance. She would definitely become a capable person in the future if they made it through all this.

Zane watched her as she dug a hole and buried the letter underneath. He wondered what she could have written but it was not his place to ask. Serenity finally gathered a pile of grey stones all of different sizes and ordered them from largest to smallest like building blocks. She then took the picture of her family and placed it between the two grave offerings. It was a creative yet sad design. Serenity finally got onto her knees and clasped her hands doing a small prayer.

As Zane watched her, he felt an urge that he had to protect her no matter what. This fourteen year old girl before him held endless possibilities which he couldn't allow to be wasted by the likes of the Apocrypha.

"Okay thank you Zane... I really appreciate you doing this." noted Serenity showing her appreciation.

Zane nodded with a smile on his face, "No problem, let's hurry and get back."

"Ye-" Zane saw Serenity froze on spot cutting her statement short.

Just her reaction alone was enough to let Zane know they were in serious trouble. Zane shifted his head like a robot to see a dozen Apocrypha walking through the mist towards them. Their flame like hair danced above their heads disrupting the steady flow of the mist. Their bodies moved calmly and bright purple eyes illuminated the mists color.

Zane had made a terrible mistake venturing out into the forest and he was about to face the consequences once again for his mistake.