Night hit hard and fast. Crickets chirped like they were auditioning for a horror movie soundtrack, and the fire we made was more glowstick than bonfire.

  Max and Nora were out cold. Curled up near the fire like two beans in an apocalypse burrito.

  Harun sat beside me, stirring some embers with a stick. No frying pan tonight, which was a shame. That thing really brought the ambiance.

  "Nora seems to be in control of their dynamic," he said, quiet but clear.

  I didn’t respond. I was busy sharpening Ol' Reliable 2. The edge caught the firelight in all the right places. Therapeutic.

  "Max seems to be her yes-man. I’ve seen a lot of relationships like that. If it doesn’t change... it’ll be bad for the two of them."

  I gave him a side-eye. "Good read, Harun. But as much as I want to psychoanalyze their romance arc, that’s not our top priority."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I glanced at the stars. They were dim tonight. Probably judging me.

  "We have six more days before Cleveland. I hope Alex and the others have already come home."

  Harun tilted his head. "You’re... not being your usual self. What’s wrong?"

  I sighed. And when I say sighed, I mean collapsed from the soul up.

  "Can’t hide anything from you, huh?"

  "Not a thing."

  I stopped sharpening the axe. Just held it in my lap.

  "I’m worried. About us five. About the Fortress. About Unity, Cincinnati, The Collective. And now these two. It’s like we’re a magnet for strays."

  Harun didn’t flinch. Didn’t nod either. He let me talk.

  "You talk like they’re burdens," he said after a beat.

  "They’re not. Not really. It’s just..."

  I stared into the fire. Flickering orange. That same burnt color I saw in my dreams. Sometimes nightmares. Sometimes worse.

  "If you could snap your fingers," I said, "and immediately know what’s going on with the others... Would you?"

  "Of course."

  "Yeah. Me too. I’d rather focus on them. Not strangers. Not these two with their off-sync anniversaries and matching trust issues."

  "But there’s no real reason to worry," Harun said.

  "If you can’t control it... don’t worry about it. If you can control it, why worry about it," I muttered. A Reddit quote. Ancient wisdom from the gods of upvotes.

  Harun smiled. "Exactly. So why don’t you lighten up? Give these people a chance? Return to being the overthinking jokester Alex and Jules know and love?"

  "You think I’m slipping into Gail Mode."

  "You’ve been in Gail Mode since the Collective."

  I chuckled. Then sighed again. A little lighter this time.

  "You’re right. Tomorrow... I’ll play nice. Let’s test their skills. See what they’re made of."

  Harun clapped my shoulder. "That’s the spirit."

  ---

  The fire crackled.

  Max snored.

  And I sat there, still holding my axe.

  Intent and motivation. Those were weapons too.

  And tomorrow, we’d see exactly who was carrying what.