Chapter 28

{{ Andrew's POV 🌊}}
They had been walking through the woods when an entire army emerged from the trees and surrounded them, all guns aimed at their heads. K.C. was standing slightly behind Andrew with Carrie and Ash directly behind her. They were all looking at him expectantly as if he was supposed to know what they were going to do. He didn't. What if he became responsible for all of their deaths?
His brain was working its way into overload when a small hand brushed his. Without drawing the attention of the guards, K.C. laced her fingers through his and squeezed. Her voice was just a breath when it came out, "I believe in you, Andrew."
So far the guards hadn't said or done anything but he was sure that wouldn't last for long. Andrew usually overthought everything, but they didn't have time for that.
I believe in you, Andrew.
With all the strength he could summon, Andrew threw his arms up and the four companions were surrounded by a ten-foot wall of stone. They all stood in silence, soaking up what had just happened until Carrie spoke, "If that was just on a whim, that was freaking fantastic," she enthused.
"It is fantastic, " K.C. gave him a small smile before adding, "But we can't stay in here forever. Andrew, how long do you think you can hold this up?"
He didn't know, but his arms were already starting to tingle as they sat stretched above his head, "I'd give it five minutes max. That is if they don't try scaling or shooting it first," he gestured to the stone with his head.
They all turned to Ash, surprised that he was actually speaking, "I think we all need to attack the moment that wall comes down. Carrie can block all the guns with her telepathy, K.C. can knock down all the guards with the wind, and Andrew can act as a shield with his stone walls. Any objections?"
None of them said anything but nodded in agreement. Andrew's arms were beginning to ache but took a deep breath to steady himself. He looked around and made eye contact with each of his friends before quickly lowering his arms.
All hell broke loose as bodies and bullets began to fly. Most of the bullets whizzed past without making contact due to K.C.'s wind but then he heard Ash scream. He threw up his hands and a small stone wall shot up from the ground to shield the two boys. Ash was clutching his arm, blood spilling from the hole in his bicep. His face was twisted in pain but he managed to spit out, "I'm fine, go help the girls."
Andrew didn't need to be told twice and he spun back to face the melee. With a little more concentration than usual, he pushed his hands together and pulled them apart to reveal a stone pike. He thrust the hand holding the weapon forward and it flew straight into a guard's neck, who gave a gurgling cry before collapsing.
He continued like that for a few minutes, periodically throwing up a wall for himself or one of his companions. Carrie was knocking guns out of the guard's hands and K.C. was sending their users flying. In just a few minutes all but a handful of guards were incapacitated and strewn across the ground. Only three guards stood before the four contestants but it was becoming obvious that the teenagers were tiring.
Carrie stepped toward the guards and extended her hands, sending one of the men crashing into a tree. Andrew was about to form another pike when Ash cried out behind him. He whirled around to find a guard, who must have snuck around during the chaos, aiming his gun at K.C.
Andrew didn't think before he surged forward. He heard the explosion of the gunshot and briefly attempted to make a shield only after realizing that he was too late. Pain bloomed across his chest, seeping into his neck and arms as he fell to the ground. He felt like someone was yelling but he couldn't make out any voices through the ringing resounding in his skull.
Then, through the encroaching darkness, he saw K.C.’s face, contorted with anguish. She was saying something, tears streaming down her cheeks and falling on his as she cradled his head in her lap. He tried to reach up, to wipe away her tears, to tell her that it was ok, but his arms had turned into lead. His mouth was dry and his voice cracked as he whispered her name before he closed his eyes and the pain receded into emptiness.

{{ Coryn's POV ☀️}}
Coryn was breathing hard. Really hard. Her side was a lacework of pain and her lungs felt like they were made of stone but she still ran. Xander ran beside her, clearly feeling the same overexertion but he never stopped. They couldn't stop.
There were mansion guards everywhere, swarming through the trees and flushing out any living thing they could find. By some miracle, Coryn and Xander had managed to evade them this far, relatively unscathed. After all, she did have an ice-covered hole in the side of her torso.
They had been weaving through trees and ducking under branches for the last half hour and the endless expanse of forest was getting unnerving. Did the woods always stretch so far? The answer was probably no, seeing as there was a host of weaponized soldiers.
Eventually, the pair made it to a large cluster of boulders, just big enough for them to sit and breathe for a second or two. Xander collapsed behind the rocks and Coryn followed suit.
"Is it just me or did this arena grow exponentially during the time I was incapacitated," Coryn meant her words as a question but they came out more as a statement.
"I was just thinking the same thing. I wonder if something happened to the dome, it would explain all the guards. Maybe they're here to round us --," Xander didn't finish what he was saying, a look of excited realization claiming his face. "Coryn, what if we can get out?"
He stared at her for a few seconds, apparently assuming his words would make sense. When he realized they didn't he tried again, "Coryn I think the dome is gone. I think we can escape the Infinity Games."
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The duo continued to run for what felt like miles until Coryn's eyes saw the impossible: the streets of the outside world. She stumbled to a stop and Xander joined her, both staring and what should have never happened. They shouldn't be able to leave. It shouldn't be possible. But it was, it was right in front of them and all they had to do was run out and take back their freedom.
Without a word, Coryn took off, completely forgetting about the pain in her side and her aching limbs, about the guards, or the impossibility that lay before her. She could see Xander in her periphery as they both ran into the streets of their home. They didn't stop until they had tucked themselves into a faraway alley, hidden behind piles of not plastic, but wooden crates.
After a few minutes of regaining their breath, Xander turned to face Coryn, the biggest smile beaming on his face. Coryn felt her face mirror his and they just stood there, smiling like buffoons and soaking in the taste of freedom.
Before she could even register what was happening, Xander had his lips on hers and his hands in her hair. She grabbed his face and twinned her fingers in his hair as she kissed him back.
They were finally home.

{{ Thomas' POV 😕}}
Thomas was throwing papers and files into a briefcase at record speed. At first, it seemed that the guards were winning against the powered contestants until they weren't. The last report he had been given detailed the escape of more than eighty percent of the contestants with at least two squads eliminated. This was not good. Very, very bad.
Rayne stood and watched his furious packing until her curiosity got the better of her, "Thomas what on earth are you doing? What's happening?"
Thomas merely glanced at her as he began to jump from desk to glowing table, collecting various tablets and loose pieces of paper. Rayne said nothing as she watched him, obviously giving him time to formulate his answer.
Finally, after stuffing everything into the case, Thomas addressed Rayne, "We have to leave the mansion. There's a safe house outside of the city that is known to only a handful of people. We'll be safe there."
Rayne just looked at him, a stubborn expression contorting her pretty face.
"I know you're confused and maybe a little frightened but you have to trust me. I'll explain everything once we evacuate, but we have to leave now," he put extra emphasis on the last word, trying to properly portray his overwhelming distress.
"Thomas, I am not moving one inch without you at least giving me a brief overview as to why you are so panicked. Everything was going according to plan and now you're acting like this. It makes no sense."
Thomas took in a deep breath and released it, before leveling his gaze with Rayne's, "All of the contestants have escaped. Half of the guards are dead or aren't responding. The last report I received said that some of the contestants might be making their way to the mansion and we don't have the proper protection to stay here. Please, Rayne, we need to leave before they storm the mansion or something much worse."
He watched as her face shifted from resolve to panic. He could see the wheels in her head turning for a minute before he grew impatient and reached out to take hold of her hand.
"We can get anything you need on our way out. I have a feeling we will be gone for a very long while."
Rayne just nodded and the pair left the glowing room and walked down the carpeted hall for the last time in a very long while.