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chapter twenty-one, Speechless

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CLARKE COMES BACK AFTER A WHILE. Nova, Octavia, Bellamy, and Fio were anxiously waiting for her return to find out if their plan had succeeded or failed. Clarke appeared beaten up and was breathing heavily, her expression grim.

"So?" Nova asked, her voice filled with concern.

Clarke cleared her throat, trying to steady herself. "It didn't work. We leave soon," she announced, and Bellamy groaned in frustration.

They all began to prepare for their departure. "Where's Jasper?" Bellamy asked, looking around. He still hadn't come out yet.

"Saying goodbye to his new friend," Octavia replied, and Nova chuckled softly, despite the tension.

Luna approached, speaking to the grounder who was assisting them. "Sorry, Cap. We have to take them back. Your gear. You get your weapons once you land," she instructed.

"Inside," the man said, motioning for them to enter. Clarke stood by the entryway, hesitating.

"Flame?" Clarke asked, and Luna showed it to her. "Remember, Clarke. The path of violence is a choice," Luna said, her voice calm but firm. Nova noticed the grounder behind Luna eyeing the flame intently.

"When the choice is fight or die, there is no choice," Clarke responded. Just as Luna was about to hand over the flame, Luna's people started infiltrating the rig, attacking Floukru and taking Luna captive.

"Luna!" Fio shouted, rushing to the door as it slammed shut. "They just took the flame. They're locking us in," Nova said, panic rising in her voice.

"Hey! What is this?" Clarke demanded, as she and Nova began banging on the door.

"What the hell is going on? Where's Jasper?" Nova asked, her voice shaking as she pounded on the door.

"Luna's people are attacking her. A.L.I.E.'s here," Bellamy stated, his face grim.

"Right now? How did she get here?" Nova asked in shock, turning to Bellamy, who started banging on the door as well.

Octavia joined in, pounding on the walls of the room they were sealed in. "How did ALIE even find this place?" she asked, her voice filled with frustration.

Nova and Fio sat down next to each other against the wall, feeling the weight of their predicament. "There was a drone at Niylah's. She must have followed us, looking for the flame, and now she has it," Bellamy explained.

Nova leaned her head back against the wall, feeling defeated. "She's going to put the AI in Luna," Bellamy continued, his voice tense.

"She'd have to chip her first. If Luna is chipped before she gets the AI, ALIE will know everything. We'll never be able to stop her. We can't let that happen," Clarke said urgently, hitting the door one last time, her desperation echoing through the room.

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OCTAVIA, NOVA, FIO, BELLAMY, AND CLARKE had finally escaped the room. The air was thick with tension as they sprinted down the dimly lit corridor, their footsteps echoing off the walls. "This place was safe until we got here," Nova muttered, frustration and guilt lacing her voice as they hurried to find Jasper and Luna.

Their search came to an abrupt halt when they stumbled upon a woman lying on the cold floor, an arrow protruding from her back. Jasper's recent companion, now dying before their eyes.

"Oh my God," Nova whispered, her voice breaking as she knelt beside the girl. She could see the pain etched on the woman's face, her breaths shallow and labored.

"Machine room. P Level," the girl managed to gasp before her eyes closed, her body going still. Nova gently closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek as she stood up, determination replacing her sorrow.

"We need to move," Clarke urged, and they all took off running again, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Arriving on P Level, they frantically searched for Jasper. The sound of water splashing, and distant screams drew them to another room. Bursting in, they were met with a horrifying sight: Luna, covered in blood, was holding a man she had just killed, her face contorted in anguish. She dropped the knife, her screams of pain piercing the air as she cradled the dying man.

Jasper was there too, tied up but unharmed, his face a mixture of relief and sorrow. "I'm fine. They couldn't break me. Shay?" he asked, his voice trembling as Octavia hurried to untie his hands.

"I'm sorry," Octavia murmured, her voice heavy with regret. Jasper nodded slowly, his eyes filled with understanding.

"It's what we do," he replied, his tone resigned yet comforting. They all turned their attention to Luna, who was rocking back and forth, her sobs wracking her body. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she kept repeating, her voice raw with emotion.

The group stood in stunned silence, the gravity of the situation settling over them. The once-safe haven had turned into a nightmare, and the weight of their decisions and actions hung heavy in the air. Nova's heart ached for Luna, for Jasper, for all of them. She wished for a moment of peace, but knew they had to keep moving, keep fighting, no matter the cost.

In that room, amidst the chaos and heartbreak, they were reminded of the fragility of their existence, and the painful reality of the world they were trying to survive in.

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A FUNERAL CEREMONY IS BEING PERFORMED before the people of Floukru. The group stands next to each other being respectful as the ceremony goes on. "Any one of them could be chipped and we'd never know" Bellamy whispers and Nova looks around trying to scan each individual for any signs of possession.

"If they are, they'll make their move before we put the Flame in Luna. Stay sharp" Clarke states and Nova furrows her eyebrows looking to Clarke. "You changed her mind?" Nova asks and Clarke clears her throat as Luna walks out.

"Quiet" Clarke demands, and Nova slowly looks forward at Luna.

"The ceremony is about to begin" Luna speaks and Clarke steps forward. "Luna, wait. I'm so sorry. But now you see what we're facing. An enemy that will do anything to win. She won't stop until she has everyone" Clarke calls out and Nova sighs.

"Clarke, give it a rest. She said no" Nova argues and Clarke turns to face Nova.

"We need her!" Clarke says. "Yes, but we can't keep forcing her!" Nova shouts and Clarke looks taken back.

"People I love died today. Needlessly, at my hand. I can't let that happen again. As we prepare to give our brothers and sister to the sea, we honor their lives" Luna says and Nova looks over to her.

Luna hands everyone a cup of something to drink. "From water we are born. To water we return" Luna says and everyone takes a drink.

"If we're going to do this, we have to hurry. A.L.I.E. will send reinforcements. And we have to find someplace private to perform the Ascension," Clarke said urgently, glancing around. Nova was stunned to hear that Luna was actually going through with it.

"You believe that to defeat an enemy who will stop at nothing, you must stop at nothing. How is that different than 'blood must have blood'?" Luna asked, her voice calm but firm. Nova furrowed her eyebrows, the realization dawning on her that Luna wasn't helping them but sending them back home instead.

Nova looked down at her cup, then over to Octavia, who appeared unsteady. "Wait a second. Luna. You can't just..." Octavia began, her words slurring before she fell unconscious. Bellamy, Fio, and Jasper dropped next. Nova and Clarke exchanged worried glances before Nova's glass slipped from her hand, and she collapsed, watching Clarke fall beside her. Luna walked away as Clarke whispered, "No..." It was the last thing Nova heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Jasper, Clarke, Bellamy, Nova, Fio, and Octavia awakened on a sandy shore, disoriented but alive. They stood up, looking out toward the sea. Fio hurried over to Nova, helping her to her feet. Nova wiped the sand from her jeans and spotted her sword half-buried in the sand. She grabbed it and attached it to her weapons belt with a sense of relief.

"Now what?" Bellamy asked, his voice breaking the silence as everyone turned to Clarke for direction. Clarke looked at each of them, all eyes on her, and for the first time, she found herself speechless.

The group stood in tense silence, the weight of their situation pressing down on them. The sea behind them was calm, a stark contrast to the turmoil they felt within. Nova's heart pounded as she took in their surroundings, the vast, empty beach stretching out in both directions. They were stranded, their path uncertain, but they knew they had to keep moving, to keep fighting, no matter what.