The tension has been building too long.
Too quiet.
Too controlled.
And then—
Summer snaps.
A loud, sharp scream rips through the hallway.
"THIS IS ALL MESSED UP!"
Everyone flinches.
Nurses glance over.
No one moves to stop her.
She's breathing hard, pacing now, running her hands through her hair.
"I'm tired of this!" she says, voice shaking. "Everything just keeps getting worse and worse and nobody is saying it how it is!"
Zyren stands slowly. "Summer—"
She turns on him instantly.
"No, don't 'Summer' me!"
The room goes still.
Her eyes flick—
And land on Lyrelle.
And that's it.
"That night—" she starts, voice sharp, "if you didn't run—"
Zyren steps in immediately. "Nah."
Firm.
Low.
"You don't mean that."
Summer lets out a short, bitter laugh.
"Oh wow."
She nods slowly, clapping once. "Oh wow, so now I can't even say the truth?"
"That's not the truth," Zyren says.
"But it is!" she snaps, pointing. "If she didn't run, Thorian wouldn't have gone after her—"
"Stop," Zyren says.
But Summer's already gone too far.
⸻
Lyrelle laughs.
Not soft.
Not broken.
Cold.
"You're blaming me?" she asks.
Summer lifts her chin. "I'm just saying actions have consequences."
Lyrelle steps closer.
Slow.
Dangerous.
"Then let's talk about consequences," she says quietly.
Her eyes shift—
To Kyra.
The room tightens.
"You," Lyrelle says.
Kyra freezes.
"Say it again," Lyrelle continues, voice low. "Say how things just 'happened.'"
Kyra shakes her head immediately. "Lyrelle—please—"
Lyrelle cuts her off.
"You're a whore."
The word lands like a slap.
Silence.
Heavy.
Jake flinches.
Prince goes completely still.
Kyra's face crumples instantly.
⸻
"Lyrelle, stop," Kaida says quickly, stepping forward.
Lyrelle turns to her slowly.
Eyes sharp.
"Ohhh," she lets out a dry laugh. "Yeah."
She nods.
"This explains everything."
Kaida's chest tightens. "What does that mean?"
Lyrelle scoffs.
"Of course you'd defend her."
That hits.
Hard.
Kaida steps back slightly.
⸻
Ryan runs a hand over his face. "Are you guys serious right now?"
Jason lets out a frustrated breath. "Thorian is literally in the hospital bed right now and this is what we're doing?"
No one answers.
Because he's right.
But no one can stop anymore.
⸻
Prince finally speaks.
"Lyrelle, don't do this."
She turns to him.
Eyes empty now.
"No," she says quietly. "Don't tell me what to do."
He steps forward anyway. "You're hurting people—"
She laughs.
"Good."
That shocks even her.
But she doesn't take it back.
⸻
Summer folds her arms again, defensive now. "At least I'm saying things out loud."
Lyrelle snaps back instantly. "No, you're just loud. There's a difference."
Zyren exhales sharply. "Enough. All of you."
But no one really listens.
⸻
Aurora finally pushes off the wall.
Slow clap.
Once.
Soft.
Mocking.
"Wow," she says lightly. "This is… impressive."
Everyone turns to her.
She smiles.
"Grief, guilt, betrayal—all in one room? You're basically doing the game's job for it."
Kaida glares. "Shut up."
Aurora tilts her head. "Why? I'm not the one tearing each other apart."
Her eyes flick between them.
"You are."
That silence again.
Uncomfortable.
True.
⸻
Summer looks away first.
Kyra is crying quietly.
Jake isn't touching her.
Prince looks like he's losing control.
Kaida looks like she's barely holding on.
Lyrelle stands in the middle of it all—
Breathing hard.
Eyes burning.
Zyren steps closer to her.
Not saying anything.
Just there.
⸻
And for the first time—
The group doesn't feel like a group anymore.
Just people.
Breaking.