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Chapter Text

Hoofs clattered across the hard, ruined soil as the brown, yet white-striped horse yowled with determination, celebrating its victory upon travelling miles and miles to go to the wooden, creaky cabin that stood out from the fragrant, towering and thick trees which silhouettes followed like impossible jigsaw puzzles, many years ago. Aditya Singh had finally reached Yellowstone after many days apart. The hooves cluttered one final time on the surface before it came to a stop. The mysterious Indian man, who was riding his horse, tugged at the reins and ordered it to stop, to which it acquiesced without any complaint whatsoever. In front of the so-called house, the man sighed with fascination and interest at the appearance.

Aditya hopped down from his animal companion, his large antlers sticking out of his fluffy, black hair now more prominent than ever before. Running his fingers through his bushy beard, he took a couple of deep breaths. His stag-like ears perked up with slight excitement when he realised that the entrance was open. Curious, he slowly approached it and went inside the cabin. The floor creaked under his feet, however he ignored it as he was exposed by the beauty that surrounded him. It was very dusty and shrouded in darkness, indeed, but however, he was used to it already, as he witnessed it many times on lonely and isolated nights, sleeping in abandoned caves and rummaging for any canned food in small, disorganised shops at dawn. It was a long story how he became a Hybrid, indeed …

–

When Aditya had first woken from the purple flowers, he was wholeheartedly bewildered of how they didn't kill him as they were biohazardous, but he then spotted the broken window, in the distance several, bloody soldiers, both from the Animal Army or the Last Men, who were dead. He stood up absent-mindedly from his chair, then he climbed out of the window in confusion, fixing his spectacles as he lifted them up to the bridge of his nose. He had looked at the violet flowers one last time, before he ran to the stairs and tried to search for anybody who was still alive. One such room was a bathroom, when he opened it and saw a massive mirror staring back at him.

It was a reflection of him, the same glasses and the same outfit and everything, except that he had large, crooked antlers that were seemingly stuck to his head and two cone-shaped ears perking up in shock as he gaped at the mirror.

Poor Singh had a panic attack not for the first time in both surprise and great dismay.

He heaved heavily as he made use of his hands to pull at his antler and tried to wretch them away. The result was Aditya yelped in pure agony as the antlers were glued on to his head. Secondly, he tried pulling his ears that looked like Gus' apart. It was the same pain that he had. Eventually, after many attempts, Singh collapsed to the ground, staring up at the roof. He regretted living and wanted to be a victim of the H5G9 virus, but he couldn't. He was now a hybrid, after all.

He couldn't understand why he turned into a hybrid in the first place. Apparently, it was impossible for him to even be a hybrid, as the oldest was Gus and he was only ten years old. Then, all of a sudden, his mind suddenly snapped about Gus. Like clockwork ticking evenly, his clever mind began to piece together how he was now a Stag Hybrid. The purple flowers. Gus. All of a sudden, it had all made sense to him now.

The last person to be in the room of purple flowers was Gus. He was a deer Hybrid. Then, when he went in and started suffocating inside the room of the deadly flowers, the petals had somehow absorbed the energy and hormones of Gus previously – Aditya thought that he was going to begin puberty, very, very soon – and passed other on to him, much like wind pollination. The hormones and the energy of the Hybrid had maybe gone inside his body and started to alter his body features by working in the bloodstream. It was quite unlikely, if truth be told, but it was the only explanation that he had come up with.

And that was when he realised that the deer boy may be more powerful and special than he thought. At once, he thought that it was one of his many unknown abilities that made him a Hybrid. Then, soon afterwards, as he continued laying there, he had realised a terrible revelation.

If everybody knew he was a Stag Hybrid, they were going to hunt for him until he would breathe his last breath, believing that he was the one who caused it due to the fact that he was the oldest. That thought alone horrified him, and he started to notice the obscene fate that it had in store for him: a 'doctor', just like his old self, seeking for a cure and the truth for the greater good would operate and dismember him like he did for that poor chameleon Hybrid.

Aditya gulped at the horrifying fate. For once, he realised that what he did was wrong, including everything but it was too late. His significant other had left him for a much better life without him, his madcap experiments burned to dust as if they ceased to exist perhaps because of karma, and Singh wasn't doubting anymore to say the least that he deserved it. Turning into a Stag Hybrid had certainly changed him so abruptly and regretted his decisions.

And Aditya needed Gus' help. To help resolve his mistakes, find the solution to revert him back to his human state and also to apologise to Gus for everything he had done. He doubted that he would forgive him back after he did everything to make him mistrust him, but to say the least that his life would be better if he teamed up, and especially that now that he was a Stag Hybrid.

And also, about that cure that he wanted. Oh yes, I needed to complete and find it to do some good to save the entire world from this disease. However, I would be taking much more decisive and cautious steps from now on, Singh thought as he stared at the ceiling blankly. This time, no more killing Hybrids. This time, no more extreme extents to possibly injure or harm anyone that is a Hybrid. I am one now because of this … predicament, so I wouldn't hurt them anymore. Not anymore for the 'greater' good.

And that was when Aditya decided to search for the deer Hybrid and repair and make up for his mistakes that he had done in the past. He stood up, before walking down the metal stairs and grabbed the Ganesha figure from the red carpet placed on the table. It would remind him what to do and how to make it right, and also to reminisce his relationship with Rani.

When he took a step towards the pipe-like, plastic tunnel, he stared back at the zoo. His antlers still prominent on his head and his stag-like ears perking up with nostalgia, Singh shook his head bitterly at the bad memories he had in the zoo and exited the zoo, leaving the bodies and building abandoned.

–

He looked in wonderment as his stag-like ears perked up again at the old artefacts in the cabin, including the papers messy on the wooden desk nearby. Hastily, he hurried towards it and read its contents.

One of them was a detailed map that covered the North-West of America, specifically Alaska. A red circle was on the map, which Aditya made an instant grab at it. He lifted the word to closer inspection. It read out: Agvagniagvik. On the left corner, it said 'Fort Smith'.

For not the first time in days, he exhaled in disbelief, his perked up ears almost going down in shock, almost gasping at the realisation. As he thought more about it, his mind turned to the positive, hoping that he would mend his mistakes in time. He believed that he would change his mistakes forever. However, he finally found a clue.

Aditya Singh, the now oldest adult Stag Hybrid ever known to exist, has finally found a lead. And he will try to change for the better and perhaps the world, no matter what.

Chapter Text

This was it, finally.

The stag-like individual could not even believe his eyes. They were here. They were really here. It took Singh almost a matter of weeks, perhaps months (he did not know) to reach where they were. It was an utter pain in the arse to arrive at this destination, where he knew they were, especially after his journey to search for him. Maybe it was luck that led to this, or a leap of faith, or maybe himself; whatever it was, they were here.

The dimly illuminated Hotel stood in front of him, lights flickering occasionally, whilst the darkness flooded his senses overwhelmingly. The long grass surrounded him, blooming even, flowing magnificently like a mockingbird from the slight breeze, as he was glued to his feet, relieved and surprised. His sharp eyes tried to pierce through the tenebrosity, however he couldn't. It was dark, and he was used to it. But he could smell. He could practically smell them here.

A skill he regrettably inherited from that day. He was supposed to pass away, to die, because those flowers … they were supposed to slaughter him. They didn't. It was as if they took out on him, and fate had subsequently blessed him with being … a hybrid. Very touching, he had thought sarcastically, if that meant being hunted down by every remaining human in the first place. 

Once he attempted to approach the hotel, however, he subconsciously halted in his tracks, gazing at the temporary residence Gus and his friends were likely on. He did not know why he had stopped – he had come so far, yet he was hesitating, hesitating despite the amount of effort he had partook in order to come here in the first place – nor why his chest tightened when he realized he was actually going to confront them.

Their history, even before Aditya's newfound awakening as a Hybrid, was, needless to say, complicated. In simple terms, to him and Gus, their relationship was rather … ambivalent, with some very dubious intentions on his side. Indeed, it was; the man was a doctor for goodness' sake, a doctor, with full awareness about what he did to the Hybrids, still did it, for his twisted sense of the greater good. In that time period, he thought what he did was right, what he did would help save the world; most significantly, Rani.

But his strong longing had fallen when everything went wrong. When the Last Men fell. When Rani left him. After all these weeks, or months, the light weight of the Ganesh figure carried a heavy burden on his shoulders – and his fragile heart. Back then, he did not understand how everything went wrong, how his experiments had failed. He had murdered all of those Hybrids, just for nothing. And of course, karma had got up to him when he was at his lowest.

He barely had anything, but the sheer will to survive and redeem himself. To rectify his mistakes, and save the world with Gus. It first intensified when he had a picturesque vision shortly after his departure from the zoo, a vision so vivid that it had remained in his mind for the past few weeks … he acknowledged that his vision that he received was not due to his mental state, but because of fate … otherwise, why wouldn't fate turn him into a Hybrid … 

The howling gusts of freezing wind immediately swept through the dusk of deep winter, where it was very frigid, cold, unbearably cold … the burning blizzard had occurred upon the place in an uncontrollable frenzy, as the white material had built a foundation on the surface. None was welcome in the winter. Only the fortunate survived in the frozen season, being granted exceptional abilities to scrape through the tumultuous snowstorms by Nature itself. The survival of the fittest was the first and most fundamental message in this destination, at this moment in time.

Amidst the falling snowflakes, there were audible crunches of weight against snow, happening every few seconds. The distracting noises were heavy but gradual, meaningfully trodding through it all. The footfalls had vanished as soon as they were formed; the harrowing snowfall had made it disappear, denoting the manner that nobody was ever here in the first place. Sharp breaths were heard from the individual … in front of him he stopped … a large cave stood in his way, stones besotted with white slushes of the winter. Darkness only reigned within the cave, silent besides from the usual screeches of the weather. He was staring at it through his glasses, his ears perking with guilty astonishment, while he was holding Gus –

The past was horrible, if truth be told. It was traumatizing, heart-breaking, with all of those short moments where he quietly spent time with his dying loved one, the look of betrayal in the young boy's brown eyes, and the smell of rotting flesh and sounds of screams when he had not experimented, but tortured Hybrids … not only that, they were children, children who were supposed to live a fulfilling life, children who begged instead of played during the time of the virus and the Hybrids. Oh God, what have I done … I should've died from the start –

At once, he aimlessly shook his idea from his mind for a long moment, reminding himself fervently that he was in the place he sought, and dying right now would defy fate, the world, his Rani, himself, ripping himself from the destiny he was prophesied to act upon. He couldn't do that. He would think about it later, to sort out his inner conflict without any trouble.

He inhaled a deep breath, and as he clambered up the steps of the building, time seemed to slow for him. Having considered his decisions a while back and reassessed what would happen, he unconsciously realized that Gus and his friends would never forgive him, not after what he had done. 

However, he could help them. Not to gain their trust, though, as that would be selfish of him, and he knew now what being a Hybrid felt like. It was to help them get to Alaska, and he had to talk about it. Certainly he was the one who needed to go with them, no matter what, but only fate would decide. He wasn't allowing himself to make the decisions. Fate did.

The familiar scent grew thicker, and his breaths became more shallow once it did. They were moving, by the disturbances within. They had noticed someone was here. Of course, barging in here unannounced wasn't exactly pleasant, but so was knocking as well. He was an unwanted visitor to them. Might as well surprise them, although it might cost him his life.

Briskly and surely, he dragged his feet through the entrance and into the hallway, the door slamming behind him. Each singular step had pummeled his heartbeat, blood rushing to his ears in a surge of anxiety. There were panicked footsteps heard in front of him, but he couldn't care nevertheless. Whilst he did so, he threw his bag as he rounded a corner and promenaded towards the source.

Subsequently, when he stood there as a bright light shone his countenance, he instantly knew that he was staring at the familiar individuals: Gus and his companions.

It was time.

"Gus," he said. "We need to talk about Alaska."

There was utter silence. At first, they seemed both disconcerted at his entry, with tinges of restrained anger, particularly within the adults. Gus and his other companion – Wendy, perhaps? – only looked at him. Then, as the two grown-ups were about to act upon their urge to injure him, they halted in their tracks. Time seemed to slow for all of them, as stupefaction gradually emerged on their faces. Not due to himself, of course, but due to his Hybrid-like appearance.

"Gus," he said once more, disregarding their consternation and to shatter the awkward silence that had been developing. "I must speak with you."

What occurred next was absolutely frightening, in his view; as soon as he spoke those words, not even a few seconds later, the Black individual had immediately broken his stance and hurtled towards him at the speed of a bullet. The man forcefully grabbed at his shoulders prior to practically launching him towards the wall. He grunted as he landed, though had not enough time to recover as the Black man trapped him with his heavy arms, leaving him no option to escape his clutches.

"Who are you?! Who are you with?!" He almost shouted at him in an aggressive tone – yet despite this, despite his rage-filled countenance, Aditya heard a hint of inquisitiveness in his tone, as if he was curious, so curious … the Stag Hybrid internally shivered at it … it reminded him of his worst memories and fears.

Somehow, he still kept a steady tone, replying solemnly: "My name is Doctor Aditya Singh. And I am alone."

"Dr. Singh … he … he killed Roy!" exclaimed the Pig Hybrid with disbelief, making him turn his attention to the girl … Aditya remembered her … back from the zoo, a clever girl she appeared, a person who might've cared for the other Hybrids, he did not know … no, no … she … no, no, no, no, no –

Breaking from his overwhelmed thoughts, he visibly flinched at the girl's words, before fearfully gazing back at the man holding him hostage. Once he did so, he met his eyes and it blazed in an unpredictable anger. The adult snarled, and threw him towards the pool table, digging into his abdomen when he cannoned onto it. However, to his surprise, an audible crack was heard, and the taller person let out a pained groan.

The man winced, and that made Aditya look at him sympathetically as the other clutched his leg. He stumbled forwards from where he was thrown to and vaguely gazed at his wounded leg.

"You're injured … I can take a look at that …" He responded quietly, gazing at him.

"Shut up!" He let out gruffly and emphatically like an injured animal, pointing a finger at him, in front of his face. Worriedly, he raised his hands into the air, not yearning for more violence in the meantime. 

After several moments, the man slowly lowered his finger and Aditya, seemingly reluctant, proceeded to mimic his decision, hoping not to break his bones at this very moment. He breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down, as his eyes went in the direction of the three individuals before him. Regrettably, whilst he stared at them all, he reached for his pocket, for Gus' antler, and the human girl's eyes were on his antlers and his ears, before it then followed his movements.

"Hey, hey!" She answered in alarm as she instinctively raced towards him and locked his position, yet he was successful, too, in a sense – in his hand in the air, was Gus' other antler that was torn away from him, essentially his other half.

"I … I know this can't make up what you've been through …" He tried to reason, voice painfully overflowing with guilt.

"You mean what you put him through," she hissed as her eyes narrowed to slits at that response, and simply pushed him away from them. 

Fortunately, unlike what happened with the injured one, albeit it was harsh on his head space, it was not brash on him physically … he contemplated whether or not he should take this as a vow to continue, but he did.

He believed they had to listen to him. They had to.

"I'm not here to ask for forgiveness," he started, "because I don't deserve it."

He took a breath, sensing an piercing agony in the breeze; despite the Hotel inside smelling quite familiar and refreshing – like when he spent those days and nights with her – something was unbearably, uncomfortably wrong. Then he looked at Gus' countenance. All he had to know was that he experienced things a child shouldn't have experienced and it was visible by the tears threatening to dribble down his cheeks. Because of him.

He inhaled deeply, prior to continuing. "I worked for the Last Men … I thought what I was doing would save the world." He maintained eye contact with him. Just like the others, he saw curiosity within those inquisitive eyes. "But I was wrong."

"I was so, so wrong … and I understand that you will never accept this, but … I'm sorry. Truly." Aditya added as an afterthought, even though he immediately knew what the results were the moment he stepped into here.

"How did you find us?" The older girl questioned, with venom in her tone.

"Well … all it took was a scent of your smell … and would you believe me if I said faith?" He mused to them and himself, his ears perking at the sight of his slight relief, yet tense from his encounter with them. He ruffled his hair, avoiding the large antlers that bore into his head. "Faith in your young friend, Gus … and in destiny."

"Destiny." The bulky man repeated with utter skepticism in his voice. 

For a moment, there was yet again a moment of uneasiness crowding in, seeping into the room and into their bodies … the tension burst into the seams, as his arms were trembling and were constricting him … he was trapped, again, in the fragile yet almighty strings of destiny, when an ethereal voice called out from the luminosity of the void … and then he came back to his own senses.

"I should've died a dozen times already, yet," he gestured to himself, his very atypical appearance that closely resembled Gus' own looks, gulping dryly. "Even when I tried to end my own life, destiny spared me and gave me another chance. A chance at … being like Gus. To feel what the Hybrids felt."

He languidly strolled towards them, bursting with defiance against his own initial instincts, brushing past the girl who so hated him, for maybe hurting her family. He ignored her. His attention was only on Gus, the one who was his savior along with destiny itself.

"And I know that it is because that the world has a greater purpose for me. For us, Gus." He replied, standing just a few meters from one another. They were so different, yet they were all the same, somewhat – two sides of the same coin. But he was an adult, and Gus was a mere child ... that was why he had to help him.

"That's why I'm here. To lead Gus to Alaska." He finished his sentence, while gazing at them. At the last second, he suddenly remembered what he needed to say, and added: "To the cave."

"The cave …" Gus whispered softly, and for the first time in months, he felt hope in his chest, playing the strings of his heart.

Alas, it all occurred so quickly, as the feeling ended as the woman came back and carried on, about to practically drag him out of the hotel as he let out a grunt ("You're not talking your way out of this.") When, all of a sudden, Aditya heard Gus yell in a voice that he hadn't heard before: "Wait!"

They both halted and as if on command, the doctor was immeasurably glad that he had not been restrained any longer, standing there, frozen in place whilst the Deer Hybrid trudged his way towards him with suspicious curiosity. 

"How do you know about the cave?"

"Because I saw it." He responded truthfully. He cautiously perceived him, scrutinizing the boy intently, before he finally realized. "You … you did too, didn't you?"

And when Gus managed to nod – he knew, too. It … it seemed that his journey was worth it all along, just for this, that he actually found someone else who knew, to know that he was not alone. He reminisced about his thoughts that day. Although it felt like they were years ago, they were still picturesque in his mind. 

"We're running out of time, Gus." He merely said, the yearning blooming in his chest … the same hope that bloomed every time he found a potential cure for his late wife.

Maybe they were still in the running, after all.

–

"How did you exactly become a Hybrid?" the Deer Hybrid questioned with wonder, squinting at him, still incredulous that he had miraculously transformed overnight. 

Singh did not blame him at that question; he, too, thought it was impossible, improbable even, for a human to turn into one, nonetheless himself. It was a phenomenon to occur, never before to be seen in this world … in his studies (prior to his transformation) he had concluded that such occurrence was deemed unthinkable. Although the humans the Hybrid did share DNA as they were born as the former's offspring, to be able to actually change a human was … unthinkable and unethical. Of course, science in this case wouldn't help them, as it had failed to do so with the Hybrids and the virus.

"Well," he scratched his nape of his neck, not sure where to start. "I attempted to end my life by those purple flowers; the last memory I had before my unconsciousness was simply going inside … I didn't realize I was a Hybrid until some time later. It just happened right out of the blue … so, I have a probable theory that your hormones, Gus, may have entered the flowers when you were in there, and it went into my bloodstream and altered my characteristics when I suffocated."

"So Gus saved your life, in a sense?" The older girl – whom she was known by Bear, Aditya had learned – quizzed him, eyes still studying his features.

"Y-yes, he did … which is why I owe him, and in that I offer him my help." Aditya responded to them, inspecting the black man – his name was Jepperd – trying to sort out his wounded leg. 

The saddened doctor felt his heart sink, since he could've easily mended his injury if it weren't for the fact that the moral ambiguity surrounding him heavily being the topic, at least internally. The … the mere thought that nobody trusted him due to his past sins deeply shook him to the very core.

"Hmm …" the girl called Wendy came over, resting her head on Bear's shoulder briefly prior to facing him, while her eyes were still wide – whether in amazement or disbelief – at him. "If you want to help him, then why mention the 'cave'?"

"Ah, yes, that's what I've been meaning to discuss you all about," his heart once more blossomed into an internal warmth, satisfyingly traveling to every bit of his chest, as Aditya sat up and focused his eyes on him. 

He paused. "The cave."

"You see … Captain James Thacker traveled to Alaska to find a cure to end all cures, but he was never heard nor seen from again. Your mother and the scientists at Fort Smith sent in a team to investigate, but when they returned … they had brought back the Sick, and the Hybrids.

"I believe that everything began in that cave, and now … whatever's in there is calling out to both of us. What else would it be? Why would we even share the exact same vision of a place we've never been before?" He broke off on speaking, and stared at Gus, hoping for him to accept his logical reasoning.

"All right," Jepperd said gruffly. "Enough of this woo-woo crap. I don't believe you, you –"

"He's right, Big Man." Gus cut him off-handedly, still absorbing this newfound information. "I felt it too. I saw her there."

"Your mother?" As far as it was, Singh guessed almost instantly, as if he had developed telepathic abilities at that very moment.

"Yes!" He chimed in, nodding almost fervently. "She said that she needed me … she went up there after I was born to stop the Sick."

The gears grinded in his head, seeking for another answer to answer him, when he heard of it. Expected, yet still surprising, he spoke to himself internally. His purpose with Gus was becoming less subtle …

"Of course …" He muttered to himself, scratching behind his stag-appearing ears lazily. "But she … she can't succeed. At least, not without you, Gus."

"Because you are the key. You are, as we know, the first of the Hybrids and whatever lies in that cave … is the lock."

"Then what are you?" He asked him, scrutinizing his prominently stuck out antlers whilst he did so. 

"Me? Well …" he succumbed to silence at his question, as he rubbed his hands anxiously; in his opinion, his transformation from a human to a Hybrid was purely a pointless chance from fate, yet for some reason … something called him from the deep vices of his mind, whispering otherwise … Aditya only acknowledged that he had a destiny to fulfill. 

"I am … I am the light, Gus. The torch towards the lock. Towards the cave. The beacon of guidance, if you will …" the Stag doctor trailed off, whilst looking at him all the same.

They were both united in the hope, the ambition: to save the world from all of this, from total annihilation. For Gus, the Stag Hybrid assumed it was for his loved ones, the desire to carry on from the past, the positivity to give all of them another chance despite their impacts on him. For himself … it was for his someone, for destiny so that it could repair itself and go back to when it was … ordinary, and to coexist with them, and spend time with her. 

Then, a high-pitched yet subdued ringing struck his ears, traveling all the way to his brain and hitting on it sporadically. He let out a pained whimper, covering his ears; with one eye still open, he saw that Gus instantly stood up and walked away from him. So, he heard it, too. He thought, nodding to himself in understanding.

Then came faint snarls, dim at first, before the keening roars from the outside, that trembled him somewhat yet he closed his eyes with calmness. Whatever it was, it only cleared out one message: something was hunting for them.

"Dogs," Bear noted promptly.

Jepperd stumbled to the window as he peered through the shutters. Outwardly, Aditya exhaled, already foreseeing what was going to happen. It was a pity that they hadn't chatted more in this room, however it was a life or death predicament. Thank goodness he experienced death once, so maybe a second coming wouldn't be too bad this time –

"Shit." He swore, clenching his fists. "They're coming this way, and fast."

"We need to ditch him, now." The girl declared, looking at him with her face contorted with disapproval.

"Doubt me all you want, but I promise you you'll never find her without me." He quickly retorted, his lips moving senselessly.

"We can't leave him," Gus agreed with him, to his utter comfort, as Singh jumped to his feet. 

"Gus." Jepperd warned.

"We don't need to forgive him, but we can't leave him here." 

He saw the black man study Gus blankly for a moment, prior to bowing his head briefly in begrudging compliance. "Fine, but we have to go quick or else we'll be the ones being devoured."

At that very moment, the younger Hybrid girl stuttered out strings of broken words, as she backed from the entrance. Silhouettes of monstrous beasts drawled behind their remaining protection, seething with bloodlust as they tried to break down the doors, staying there.

Aditya was so disconcerted with the situation forced upon him that he barely caught on to the urgency of the older girl's sentence ("Something with your scent, all of you, now.") and although the pack did not likely had his scent, he passed her an useless mask he had stored in his backpack.

Those next few minutes zoomed by like seconds, as one minute he was just standing around, wondering in his mind with glorious imaginations, and the next moving his legs as discreetly as he could with the rest of the group, the man's hand on his back firmly as they trudged out the doors and down the steps.

And without a second thought, the doctor and the others retreated through the beckoning sways of bushes and into the vast wilderness.

Chapter Text

When Aditya began to properly sleep after her passing, he always dreamt of Rani.

It was precious, of course. Those wondrous and ethereal memories with her shining in his own imaginary world, even including the tiniest little things, had amplified his emotions, his smile, making his toes curl in childish excitement, wishing to see her again, her face. He wished to perceive her, keeping her as a token in his mind, someone to cherish dearly. She was everything to him, and without her, he would always be incomplete, his heart empty agonisingly empty, devoid of colour. He was a blooming plant and she was the glorious sun, but when the sun set for the last time, it began to rot.

He just couldn't comprehend … why she chose what she did, abandoning him as if he was just a household toy that can be easily replaced by a newer one. The last memory of her had also the most profound impact on him. He was in denial. He went into a state of nonchalance for the past few days despite trying to convince himself he needed to save the world with Gus, almost unaware of his surroundings, refusing to do anything. Until that vision of the cave came, that gave him a pathway to a clear future.

Ever since, he dwelled every night in his mind, deliberately burying his sins away with dreams of her, of Rani.

"Adi!" She called from afar, fitted in a remarkably vibrant dress; the colour was pure white, yet it was marked with decorations of her heritage, multi-coloured and transitioning to each colour every single time. Her hair elegantly glided through the soft breeze, as she smiled at him brightly. "Come look at this!"

The man curiously looked towards her, drawn to her like a bee to a flower, before briskly arriving where she was. They were at a brilliant field, his feet crunching at the wheat he stepped on, as he moved the grains away from his face.

In front of them, in her arms, she cradled a yawning babe, fidgeting, the tiny arms and legs moving aimlessly, trying to grab ahold of something, something to sleep on. 

"Isn't she beautiful?" His lover asked, whilst the long, greyish trunk curled around her finger, clutching it tightly, never to let go. The baby giggled at the unfamiliar sensation, inquisitive as the trunk began to explore her hand. Her large, flat ears lay unresponsive, though it was a pleasant sight to see.

"Yes," he said, looking at the babe … she looked like he had seen her somewhere. "What's her name?"

"I don't know yet," she replied truthfully, though she nuzzled her trunk with a motherly air. "But she needs to have a name … let's name her Ganni. Ganni Singh."

And his heart melted. It was their child. Their child. A child to love dearly, care for their needs, to cherish, to protect from those who wish harm on their baby. It was their very own and he loved it. He gently touched the cheek of the baby, watching her steer his attention to him. For a moment, everything was perfect, she was alive, and they had a child, and everything was going to be okay.

Until it wasn't.

The baby let out a boisterous cry upon recognising him for a few seconds, and Aditya felt pity and shushed her softly. She did not budge. She simply screeched, clear that her lungs were running out of oxygen. He didn't know what to do. He hadn't actually cared for a baby before, despite having looked after some in the hospital that he worked at. He began to carry her out of her arms, cradling her and rocking her around, eyes focused on her.

As he closed his eyes, he heard the baby begin to calm down, and eventually became still as the breeze around him. He excitedly turned to his lover as he opened his eyes, happy that he managed to calm down the baby, to see that she wasn't there.

He panicked, looking in all directions, frantically turning around, before all he could see was the tall grass that surrounded his feet and the cloudy, hazy skies. It was as if she disappeared. With fatherly instinct, he looked at the baby, too – but there was nobody on his arms.

Instead, he saw the Ganesh figure resting on his palm.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no –" Aditya fell to his knees, as if begging in mercy, clenching his hand that held the figure. "No no no … please, not again, please –"

His vision blurred, creating a dizzy kaleidoscope of many hues, and before he knew it, he collapsed.

He awoke with a start. He got up, his eyes reacting to the horizon; it was sullen and cloudy, with remains of the dusk that had been left behind by the night. By the looks of it, it seemed to be early morning, judging by the lack of sunlight glittering through the branches. He slightly opened his eyelids just not to stir any attention, and saw that everybody was sleeping soundly. His head leaned against a hard tree, he almost winced by the pressure it had dug into his skull, especially paired with the antlers that almost stuck to it.

Once he realised that everyone was asleep, he gave himself the ultimate pleasure to curl into a ball. Then, he began to grieve.

–

Wendy was not a fool, to say the least. She wasn't.

She could tell by the bloodshot eyes the doctor harboured, as he turned away from them discreetly. She could tell by his obvious eyebags as he began to gather firewood for them, as ordered, quietly. She could tell that something was terribly, terribly wrong. 

Wendy had a familiar feeling that Singh was hiding something. She just didn't know what, nor why he seemed more … depressed, lately.

She sat on a nearby log as she observed the doctor's back retreating to the forest for more wood with a slightly confidential air, backed by Jepperd, who was rightfully suspicious of him. Her eyes trailed from them to Gus, who was still snoozing on the floor, his eyes closed as he yawned. To be honest, Gus seemed quite adorable like this, it gave him a vulnerable side of him, even in this post-apocalyptic world. It gave her more reason to comfort Gus, since the Hybrid-like doctor was there, yet she restrained herself for another time.

She didn't notice Becky sitting beside her, until she got gently tapped by the shoulder. She turned her attention to her big sister. Curious.

The trilling of the birds were drumming at her eardrums, reminding her of the vast, winsome landscape. Her hand crunched on a nearby branch, pressing onto it hard. Although it hurt, she didn't get any marks from it. Her attention was sorely on her.

"I don't trust him." Becky said to her, as she saw them gradually vanish to the wilderness. "Even if he turned into a Hybrid, I don't trust him."

"Mhm," she said knowingly, looking at her. She knew why she would say that. She was bewildered and conflicted too. Of why Gus brought him along. On one hand, she trusted Gus; they were best friends after all, so of course she would support his every decision. On the other hand … she didn't understand. Why did he bring him along? Even if they shared the same dream … was he worth it for the meantime?

"Singh experimented on your friend, didn't he?" she asked, and the girl, though became still when faced with her memory, nodded. "He's still a heartless murderer. He tried to experiment on you, and the other Hybrids."

She then hugged her tightly, never letting go, letting Wendy rest on her chest, as she stroked her hair. An unspoken promise. "I just … I don't want to lose you again."

She understood what she said. Despite what had happened, she knew. She put herself in Becky's shoes, and thought what she would feel if her little sister was forcefully taken away from her, once. An ache formed in her chest. Without each other, they wouldn't be the people they were today. Wendy couldn't even imagine what it would feel like if she was alone again.

It would feel horrible.

They continued to embrace one another, enjoying the presence of one another as they sat there, with her big sister whispering sweet reassurances to her ear. Although trials and tribulations would come to meet them, their love for each other would remain the same, always unmoving. They would always be by each other's side.

"We're back!" shouted a gruff voice, and they broke from their embrace to see Jepp and the doctor return with a lot of wood in their arms. They promptly placed the firewood into a space where it was surrounded by stones that they collected from earlier.

"If we're lucky, by brunch we'll be able to get this fire up and going," Jepperd commented, looking somewhat relieved of the efforts he had put into his work, with the reluctant help of Singh. "Then we can eat."

Wendy perceived Gus finally awaking from his deep slumber at the mention of the likely possibility to eat, rubbing his eyes lazily while he instinctively nodded with acute awareness. He managed to heave himself up with an exhausted smile on his face, thanking Jepp and that doctor for the work they accomplished.

She didn't understand why he thanked Singh too, but appreciated Gus for doing his own thing nonetheless.

Even as she was observing Gus with a slight upturn of her lips, she couldn't shake off the thoughts of numerous questions that ran through her mind. Of why, what, how. Of what and why the doctor did what he did, before turning to … their side? She couldn't really tell yet.

All she cognized was that the doctor was going to join them on this tedious journey, and onwards.

"You know …" Becky abruptly began to her with a tinge of ambivalence in her voice, whilst they both watched Jepp (along with Gus and Singh) attempting to ignite the fire. "Do you think Gus made the right choice?"

"What?"

"To have Singh come with us?"

"I don't know," she told her earnestly; Wendy, too, doubted Gus' decisions even through her ongoing support for him. "Does Gus believe in him?"

"That's a question you should be asking him, not me," she chuckled, and Wendy let out a specifically loud snort from that half-humoured sentence alone. She was right. Maybe she should ask Gus.

But she wanted to question Singh first.

"Yes!" Wendy looked back at the spot where they were to see that they eventually succeeded. Sparks of flames flickered out of its threshold, as the pyre had begun to fully form into a multitude of dancing, vibrant hues, undeterred, chaotic. The wood escalated the small fire, leading it to stand tall and bright. 

Gus had explicitly exclaimed loudly of that word, before colliding with Jepperd in a tight and warm hug, standing on his tiptoes. "We did it, Big Man! We did it!"

They both chuckled to one another with relief and happiness in their eyes. Meanwhile, however, the doctor was left disregarded by him, leaving Wendy to gather more time and implement it on surveying his expression with full detail. 

By the looks of it, he seemed more … emotional than the last time she saw him. His eyes were more redder than she had seen before, with his lip quivering insistently whilst he stared at the pair talking to each other. His fists clenched in disapproval, his stag-like ears shivering in … misery? Fear, maybe? Although he was thought of as a prisoner by her big sister and Jepp, they hadn't done anything bad to him at all – she knew because she saw him most of the time, and he didn't have any bruises or anything, that would be shocking to her, or maybe he did have them but he didn't want to show that he was being –

"No." She told herself firmly. They would never do that. She knew them. They would never hurt Singh, although he was a murderer. It was so uncharacteristic for them to even try to do that, they treated others with kindness no matter how rude the others were to them … besides, why was she caring for Singh in the first place? 

Out of all of the people in the group, besides Becky, she would be the most unlikeliest person to feel sympathy for him.

These vacillating emotions were getting out of hand, her inner conflict only being stirred more and more, as if waiting for a disaster to arrive – no, no. She needed to stop thinking about it. She couldn't let her own emotions get the best of her. She had to do this, for Gus.

"Well, bad news," Becky called out – which brought Wendy to realise that she wasn't sitting to her anymore – as she aided them by pulling out a pot and some food that hadn't expired that they hoarded from the hotel. "We don't have any clean water."

Jepp immediately swore at that declaration. "Great … someone has to collect water from the nearby stream, then."

"I will." The doctor simply said.

All eyes fell on him instantly.

"Well," he continued. "Since I'm only a guest to you all, I guess I should make myself useful."

Jepp had made a move on him, but the look in Gus' face made him refrain from doing so. After a tough moment of consideration, he sighed. 

He nodded. "Alright. Go on, then."

Without a moment's notice, he fled, grabbing his belongings (to possibly purify the water as Wendy knew, that was a doctor's survival tactic) with haste and soon disappeared from their line of sight. The only things that accompanied them were the birds nestling in the trees above and the sunlight shining on them with a gentle glow.

And as she looked in the direction he retreated, a twisted yet enticing idea popped into her mind.

She would interrogate him.

At first, the thought shook her very core; the one responsible for the most traumatising memories would be confronted, to speak to her. And her heart sank into her stomach, her fists clenched, many things happened in her body that made her breathless.

But it was not discomfort or frustration that reigned in her mind. It was mind-numbing anxiety.

Wendy was anxious. Her breathing cut for a moment as if somebody had cut the pathway to her lungs, though she recovered. She wasn't scared yet she felt she was, as her toes curled inside her shoes. 

But, somehow, with a great mental push, she took a deep breath, inhaling. Holding it. Exhaling. Through that drained most of her nervousness. She knew that Jepp definitely wouldn't allow it, but she wasn't sure with her sister. Despite confiding with her concerns several times since they reunited, she … she seemed that maybe she would look at Wendy's view, placing her in her shoes, and then – her mind went blank afterwards.

It seemed worthless to try.

But she was going to do it, no matter the cost.

That was why while Wendy and Becky sat with one another, watching the fire crack and cooking their food within the pot, with Jepp helping Gus in every way he could, she sighed to gain her attention.

"I have a question."

Becky raised an eye at her. "What is it?"

"Well … I want to ask …" Wendy struggled to aim for her words, before she did. "Can I help purify the water with Singh …"

All at once, she saw the paleness on her big sister's countenance. Her expression had an O-shaped mouth, before redness flushed the colour back into her cheeks and her face became almost scolding at her words, as if she was a mother reprimanding her child.

"Wendy, I thought you hated him –"

"I do, I do, Becky, but I, I just want to speak to him about some things –"

"Even so, I would never trust you with Singh." Her reaction was very expected, while Wendy, slightly relieved but also disappointed, felt her hopes lowering. "Remember what I said earlier? He's a murderer. And with him being a Hybrid now –" she made a face at that, " – I, I just feel worried for you, Wendy. If you're forcing yourself that you even need to speak to Singh, then don't force yourself. I'll always be with you, you know?"

Albeit those words were both encouraging in a sense, it did not seem contextual for her in this situation. Maybe any other time, but not now.

She didn't want comfort. She wanted answers.

"Please, Becky. I promise I'll be safe." Her expression went into a sad one, making Becky doubt her original decision. "If – if he does something to me, I'll do anything in the forest to catch everyone's attention. If something happens, I know you'll be the first one to find me."

Her expression hardened, conflicted for a moment, before softening slightly, as she held her hand securely. "You promise you'll be safe?"

"I promise."

Then, unbelievably, she merely let go of her hand, as if she acquiesced her choice. She tilted her head and up, eyes pointed at her. She was urging her to travel there, to do her own thing.

And she smiled at her, waving at her, and before she had known, she was slowly vanishing from their sight too.

It didn't take Wendy a long time to travel through the path where Singh went, judging by the scent she had picked up. After a few long and impatient minutes, she heard water streaming down nearby, and knew that she had struck gold.

She began to walk even more, to the extent that the river was visibly and aimlessly gushing through the forest, only disturbed by the birds chirping above and the breeze that carried them. Only the moments of solace were haughtily disturbed by a peculiar noise that didn't exactly match nature's round and round hum.

It was him, she supposed. She could tell. Her ability to smell led her, irrevocably, all the way here. He was here. He was here. And now, she didn't know what to do, except for the urge to find out the truth. Her feet remained stuck to the ground, before a brief flash of courage forced her to stride towards the source.

And there he was, sitting there in a sort of solitary confinement. The doctor collected and purified the water without a single thought, his hands mechanically doing his work, as if he had no sentience. No thought. At this angle, Wendy saw that his bloodshot eyes were holding back unshed tears, as she heard some muffled sniffling from him. 

He was absent-minded in his own world. Wendy understood; the feeling was all too relatable. Sometimes she did that, too.

Though Singh was very absent-minded and unaware of his surroundings to the point that when Wendy sat down next to him, he didn't even acknowledge her presence. It was only when she nudged her shoulder at his abdomen that he jolted in place, wrenching himself away from what reality he had in store in his mind, before staring at her.

"Y-You …"

"Yes. Me." Wendy confirmed with a bitter tone, her brow furrowing. His ears were perking down slightly, trembles running through his body, as one hand reached to one of his grown antlers. The right antler.

"Why … why are you here?" He asked in disbelief. As if he didn't expect anyone to be next to him.

"Well, I'm here because I'm going to help you." Wendy innocently said, using her half-truth as a gentle excuse to lower the doctor's defences, but it backfired, judging by the suspicious look she had gained in the process.

She cut straight to the point. "I'm here because I want to ask you a few questions."

"What questions?" He merely quizzed, still doing his best to purify the water. Wendy, despite depising him, helped him along, collecting the water with cups and poured it into the purifier. "I'm happy to answer."

Wendy knew he wasn't. He didn't want to answer her. His tone held a nervous tremble. Singh already acknowledged that she hated him, yet he was willing to answer every question she had nevertheless? That was already suspicious all by itself.

But she utilised that as an advantage, a breakthrough.

"Why did you kill him?" She started with the most obvious question. "Why did you kill Roy?"

Singh was lost for words, pausing for a long time, before responding with a forcefully calm tone. "I … I thought it was for the greater good. I thought I … I could stop the Sick by doing so. But, now, of course … I was wrong."

"So killing a kid to you was 'for the greater good'?" She butted in bitterly, which made the doctor noticeably flinch. "So if there was a child who was different, you would simply kill them to make the rest 'normal' again?"

Singh did not answer, perhaps in fear of her lashing out once more, or out of guilt. His lip was quivering. A lot. Wendy did not comment on it, simply watching him if he was going to make a move. He didn't.

The girl felt almost bad for Singh. Almost. Despite him reacting negatively already to her first question, he deserved it. He deserved to feel her rage, her bitterness towards him, towards the things he had done. But Wendy knew his limits, and settled for a much lenient question.

"And what about the cave? You never told much about your dream."

"My dream … My dream is only confined to me, and me only. Destiny withholds me from revealing it, from sharing it. All I can tell you is that only me and Gus were going inside that cave. That's all." 

His words sounded poetic, but Wendy remained a sceptic. Blatantly he was hiding more than that, he even admitted to it, but he refused to tell her. Her anger was bubbling under her skin, but she didn't budge. Her self-control was palpable. She didn't want Singh to not answer her again. She needed more answers.

"Not even us?" She asked, and all that Singh signed as an answer was a shake of the head. Her rage bubbled almost outwardly, her fists now almost clenching into the purifier as she helped hesitantly. It was untrue, surely … 

"And how about your wife?" Wendy squinted, getting a response she never anticipated; Singh almost spilled his water, looking at her with … an emotion in his guarded eyes.

"You cared about her, didn't you? But you didn't care about her priorities." She stated. "I think she'd rather die than sacrifice the Hybrids, sacrifice me. I know it because I know."

"You … you're right. I … I should've listened to her." Singh only replied, his breaths becoming somewhat sharp. Wendy frowned. The past was the past. He could've, but he didn't. And that was what mattered to the Hybrid girl the most. "Actually ... I … I think I need a break. Thank you for talking to me, but I should be doing this by myself … please …?"

That was less questions than she thought, but she appreciated and respected his decision nonetheless. Alas, she was disappointed regardless.

"I want more questions to ask, yet you are backing away right now, even as you said you would be willing to ask every question I had in store ..." She murmured.

His breath hitched. "A-alright ... just one more question ..."

His shaky tone became more desperate, and even Wendy wasn't willing to force him into submission, especially when he was pushed to the edge like this, so she mercifully refrained from doing more than the doctor asked.

"Do you regret doing any of this?"

"I … I do." Singh stammered, with regret in his tone. He didn't want to answer any further, Wendy thought, and so left it at that. "I regret ... Wendy … please ... leave me alone … I-I think that's enough …"

Wendy stood up, passing the water purifier back to Singh with some thoughtfulness with some of the answers gathered during their so-called interrogation, but her rage … her suppressed rage needed to be released, even just slightly. Wendy didn't want to, yes, because that would be too much. Maybe when she would go back.

However, as Wendy walked away, when her thoughts ran aimlessly in her mind, so did her mouth. And so, without warning, she said in a furious tone that could be heard by Singh at a far distance.

"Your wife was more kind to me and the others than you'll ever be." She half-regretted that as soon as she recognised the voice as hers, but she was too far uncomfortable to apologise to him, so she just simply followed the path back to the temporary shelter.

She didn't bother going back there, though she felt a pang of guilt about her words when she heard faint, soft sobs from afar.

Maybe Wendy was too harsh on him, just to find out the answers. But then again, she thought, he was too harsh on my friends too, so it was all fair. 

All she could ever think of was the look on his face that immediately reminded her of herself when she thought she was alone.