TFOS- Chapter 3
Mia hadn’t slept in days. The encounter on the field replayed endlessly in her mind, each detail etched into her thoughts like an unfinished puzzle. The frisbee—if she could still call it that—was locked away in her room, but its faint, unrelenting hum seemed to resonate in her bones.
And then there was the warning.
Prepare.
She tried to focus, to piece together what it all meant, but her thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind. Just when the tension felt unbearable, Sol disappeared.
It wasn’t dramatic—no flashes of light, no sounds of a struggle. One moment, Sol was there, sketching out plans with her, her expression tense but determined. The next, she was gone. No footprints to follow. No sign of where she’d gone.
The world shifted around Sol as she passed through the portal, the cold steel of the alien facility dissolving into the cool, damp embrace of the forest at night. She collapsed to her knees, the ground solid and real beneath her palms. The air was crisp, filled with the scent of earth and pine, but her lungs burned as if she’d never breathe freely again.
Mia crouched beside her, her hand steady on Sol’s shoulder. Max whined softly, nudging his nose against Sol’s arm. “Sol, are you okay?” Mia asked, her voice a mix of worry and relief.
Sol nodded faintly, though she didn’t feel okay. Her body ached, her mind reeled, and a heavy weight settled in her chest—the weight of everything Mia had risked for her. “I’m fine,” she lied, her voice hoarse. “We made it out. That’s what matters.”
But it wasn’t fine. None of this was.
Sol leaned back against a tree, her head tilting toward the star-speckled sky. Lythera’s stars had been brighter, she thought, a pang of longing cutting through her. She closed her eyes, fighting back the memories. Not now. Not here. She couldn’t afford to let them in.
“Mia,” Sol began, her voice strained, “you shouldn’t have come.”
Mia folded her arms. “Too bad. You saved my life. Did you really think I wouldn’t return the favor?”
Sol opened her eyes and met Mia’s gaze. There was no anger in it, no blame—only concern. That made it worse somehow. Mia had risked her life, thrown herself into danger, and she deserved answers. But saying the words felt like tearing open a wound that had never truly healed.
“They’re Revenants,” Sol admitted, voice low. “The remnants of a war that should have ended long ago. They destroyed my home, my people. And now… they’re hunting what’s left of us.”
Mia frowned, sitting cross-legged beside her. “Why? What do they want?”
Sol hesitated. She didn’t want to burden Mia with the truth, but hiding it would only put her in more danger. “Lythera wasn’t just a planet,” she said finally. “It was a power source—a nexus of energy unlike anything else in the galaxy. The Revenants wanted it for themselves, and when we resisted, they destroyed us. But even after all this time, they still think we’re a threat.”
Mia’s brow furrowed. “A threat? To what?”
“To their control,” Sol said bitterly. “Lythera’s technology… our knowledge… it could undo everything they’ve built. That’s why they won’t stop until they’ve erased every trace of us.”
Silence settled between them, broken only by the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Sol expected Mia to ask more questions, to demand more answers, but instead, she said quietly, “You don’t have to face them alone.”
Sol blinked, taken aback. “Mia… you don’t understand. This isn’t your fight. It’s mine. I can’t let you—”
“I don’t care,” Mia interrupted, her tone unwavering. “You’re my friend, Sol. You saved my life. And now, I’m going to help you save yours. Whether you like it or not.”
Sol stared at her, the weight in her chest shifting, becoming something else—something warmer, more fragile. She had spent so long running, hiding, convincing herself that she didn’t deserve help or hope. And yet here was Mia, standing by her, refusing to let her face the darkness alone.
“I don’t know how to fix this,” Sol admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Mia smiled faintly, a spark of determination in her eyes. “Then we’ll figure it out together. One step at a time.”
For the first time in years, Sol felt a flicker of something she thought she’d lost forever: hope.
The next morning, as the first light of dawn filtered through the trees, Sol stood at the edge of a stream, watching her reflection ripple in the water. Her pale skin was streaked with dirt, her dark hair tangled from the ordeal, but it was her eyes that held her attention. They seemed older now, wearier, as if the weight of Lythera’s destruction was etched into her very soul.
“You can’t keep running,” she murmured to herself, the words as much a challenge as a promise. “Not anymore.”
Behind her, Mia and Max were gathering supplies—a makeshift plan forming for what came next. Sol turned to watch them, a strange mix of gratitude and guilt swelling in her chest. She didn’t deserve their loyalty, but she would fight to earn it.
As she stepped back into the clearing, she felt the faint hum of the frisbee in Mia’s bag. It was more than a guide; it was a connection to her people, to the life she’d lost. She would use it—not to run, but to fight.
“Mia,” Sol said, her voice steady now. “If we’re going to do this, we’ll need to prepare. The Revenants won’t stop, and we can’t face them alone.”
Mia grinned, her determination unwavering. “Then let’s find some allies.”
For the first time, Sol smiled back. The road ahead was uncertain, the danger insurmountable. But for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t walking it alone.
