“Do you think everyone deserves the chance to become a better person?” I ask solemnly. “Or are there some choices we can never come back from?”

“I think accidents and intentions are two very different things. And maybe during a war, it doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong—it matters who survives.” Gil flattens his mouth, searching my face like he’s trying to solve a riddle. “You’re always looking for the good in people. The good in anything. But you can’t keep that up forever.” The grass rustles beneath him. “Sooner or later, someone is going to disappoint you.”

“Sometimes being good is the harder choice. But I want to believe it’s the right one.” I stare at my hands. “Maybe there’s more to being a Hero than saving a life or being brave. Maybe being a Hero means knowing how to stop your heart from going dark, even when darkness surrounds you.”

He releases a breath. “You’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, you know that?”

“But do you think I’m wrong?”

He looks toward the overhead branches. “I think it’s getting late and the Colony will want to hear your news.”

“It’s going to frighten them,” I say heavily. “They’re going to be in even more of a hurry to end this war.”

“As they should be.”

My expression turns grim. “You’ve always said we were running out of time. If anyone doubted you before, they won’t now.”

“Even you?” he asks darkly.

I rub my brow, feeling the pull of exhaustion tug at my face. “I know you love to question my allegiance, but I’ve been chased by Residents, a ghost, and a smoke monster, all in the span of two days, and I’ve probably lost half my body weight in blood. So as delightful as our arguments are, can we maybe just skip it this time?”

The corner of his mouth twitches, just as the taunting in his eyes is replaced with scrutiny.

I feel my face pinch together, cheeks hot. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

When he speaks again, his voice doesn’t carry its usual sharp edges. “Why did you jump out of the vehicle?”

I shift in the grass, trying not to look at the dried blood coating my clothes. “Because it was the only way to save Ahmet and Theo.”

Gil’s eyes move between mine studiously. “You sacrificed yourself for the Resistance?”

“It wasn’t about the Resistance; it was about people. Besides, I was pretty sure someone would come back for me, eventually.” At least I hoped someone would. I frown. “If you’re here, does that mean they made it back okay?”

“They’re fine. It wasn’t easy finding you, though,” he says. “Ahmet might understand how to travel through the shifting landscapes, but finding the right one is a different story.”