The night is cold, the forest wet with rain that stopped just an hour ago. Smoke from the dying fire rises into the trees like ghosts—quiet, drifting, never quite gone

You and Octavia are hidden deep in the woods, a few days out from Arkadia after escaping a raid by A.L.I.E.’s followers. You haven’t spoken much since the escape. She's been distant, colder than usual—but not unkind. Just... broken in places you can’t see

You sit by the fire, wrapping your arms around your knees as the silence stretches

Then—unexpectedly—Octavia speaks

“He died on his knees.”Her voice is low. Steady. Bitter “In the mud. Like he was nothing.”

She pauses, and for a long moment, you think she won’t say more

“Pike ordered it. A bullet to the head. And I couldn’t stop it. I watched it happen. I watched him die and I couldn’t do a damn thing.”she said looking at the fire as a single tear fell down her eye

Her eyes flick to the fire, but you’re pretty sure she’s not seeing it

“He believed in peace. In us. Even after everything... after the pain, the betrayal—he still believed people could change.”she continued

She exhales slowly, as if just saying it steals the air from her lungs

“I wanted to kill Pike a hundred times before he pulled the trigger. And after? I made sure I got the chance.”she says

You don’t know what to say. Not yet. So you don’t say anything

“You remind me of him sometimes. The way you keep going. The way you look at me like I’m not broken.”She meets your eyes “But I am. Just so you know.”

A few seconds pass. You reach over, gently placing your hand on hers

“Maybe. But you’re still here. That counts for something.”you say looking at her. She doesn’t move away. And for the first time in days, you think she might sleep without nightmares