(A/N) Hi guys! So it's been winter break for me for two weeks or so, but I forgot to say so. And I've been on vacation but didn't put myself on semi-hiatus, 'cause I actually got more than what I normally get done regularly. So I updated lots of stories there. Shoutout to lovekotlc for being the first reviewer.

And remember, this is my spin-off of book 4 and 5 and 6. Sophie and the crew hasn't met Tam and Linh.

And FYI, I'm changing the summary to something BETTER.

RR:

lovekotlc: Okay! I'll do mostly Sophitz and incorporate a couple more ships in there. Thanks for reading my other story too! And for being the first reviewer.

Chapter Two

Sophie could hear some voices faintly through her unconsciousness. She caught the word "Sophie" and "alive." Sophie... who was that? The name was calling to her. She felt like she should know who it was... was it... her? Who was she?

"...survived? I thought... no one..." She was picking up more words. Surviving? What did Sophie survive? No one else... what was that supposed to mean?

"Linh, can you grab one of those emergency jolting elixirs?" The voice asked, their voice clearer now. Linh... who is that?

Sophie felt a cold liquid being poured down her throat. It cooled down her body until she felt a strange shock. Then again. It jolted her body upwards, making her sit up, and she found herself in a dimly lit tent, no bigger than a human car. She was laying on a white sheet next to a portable table covered in elixirs. "Where... am I?" She managed to rasp to a black haired boy with silver-tipped bangs.

His face seemed to light up, despite his seemingly dark demeanor. "Linh," He called. "She's awake!"

Linh, the girl who the boy called, rushed over to where him and Sophie sat. "It really is her..." She breathed.

Sophie was confused. Now that she was fully awake and aware, these people shouldn't have been camping so close to the survivors. Everyone had been rounded up in a couple of square miles, and these people were just outside of the structure.

"How are you–" The boy covered her mouth. He looked around like he heard something, then removed his hand.

"Sorry. You were saying?"

Sophie took a deep breath. "How were you living here without being caught?"

"You mean by the 'gatherers?'" Tam asked. When Sophie nodded, he snorted. "Their security is too easy to slip around."

The boy and girl didn't look like much to Sophie. How could two kids evade professional gatherers? Sophie made a mental note to tell them to do another search in case there were others like these kids.

"And you are..." Sophie prompted to the boy. He shrugged.

"No one really cares who we were where we came from, but my name is Tam. This is Linh," He nodded to the girl who waved shyly.

"You're really... Sophie?" Linh whispered.

"Yeah, that's me." How do they know who I am? Sophie thought to herself.

Tam and Linh shared a look. "So where have you been all of this time?" Tam asked skeptically.

"What do you mean, where have you guys been?"

Tam and Linh exchanged another look. "With an organization called 'The Neverseen'" Tam said cautiously. "And they've instructed us to bring you to them.

"The Neverseen?"

"Yeah." Both Tam and Linh agreed.

"No. This is bad. No no no. Why didn't you guys–" Black cloaked figures burst into the tent with pieces of cloth dripping with sedatives. As they pressed one to Sophie's mouth, she began to black out.

The last this she remembered was Linh giving her a sad smile and mouthing something. She couldn't make out what it was, but whatever it was, she didn't care. These kids she barely knew betrayed her. And she wouldn't let them get away with that.

"So, Sophie." A deep voice startled Sophie out of her dreamless sleep. "I see you've met Tam and Linh."

Sophie refused to open her eyes. Refused to speak. She wouldn't risk giving away any secrets or locations. She wouldn't answer any of their interrogations.

"Ah, not talking, I see." It boomed again. "Well, I'll give you two choices. Sit here and die, or answer our questions and join us."

Sophie finally cracked her eyelids open a bit. Then more until they were fully open. "You expect me to join you?" She asked. She was startled to find nobody in front of her, but she refused to flinch in case they were watching. She refused to show any emotion.

"Well, not exactly." Sophie could make out some male-ness to the voice. At least she wasn't talking to someone she had never seen. It was probably Brant or Fintan talking. "But if I show you something that'll make you angry and reckless, then maybe you might." Light flared around the dark room so Sophie could see what the room was. A theatre of sorts. She had expected the typical dark, cramped corner in a hideout, but she was surprised when there was a huge auditorium around her. It was quite fancy to say the least. Opal walls, red velvet curtains, dark oak seats, nothing Neverseen-ish. The huge, blank screen was the center of attention.

Suddenly, the screen showed an image. Of a figure tied to a chair. Someone... she knew. Keefe. Then another figure next to him. Fitz. And more. Biana. Dex. Each was more angering, more heartbreaking, more–no. She wouldn't let the Neverseen break her.

"About being angry, will it change anything if I describe their screams as we broke them, one by one? How your friends yelled and shouted that Sophie would save the? Or how they had to watch each other break? How I saved the one closest to you for last, so he could see what happens when you are on the wrong side of the divide?"

Sophie tried to think of who he was talking about. The screen flashed and zoomed in on Keefe before she could, interrupting her thoughts.

"We know who you care about, Sophie. You can join us, or watch them suffer more."

Sophie stared blankly at the screen, betraying any emotion that she felt. She fought off all of the tears that were on the verge of spilling out. She just imagined. Imagined Keefe encouraging her to make the right choice. Fitz pushing her to be honest. Biana comforting her, letting her know she wasn't the only one. Dex reminding her she had an amazing best friend. But she couldn't listen to them. Not unless she wanted them to survive. And there was only one way to save them.

"Deal." Sophie whispered.

(A/N) And... there's your cliffhanger. If you liked this, please remember to review. And by the way, when the "voice" was describing her friends suffering, I know I kinda used the *Spoiler/Nightfall Reference Alert* Vespera tactic. *Spoiler/Nightfall Reference Over* If you read Nightfall, you know. I don't think that was a spoiler, but I'll put "Spoiler Alert" anyways. 'Kay, bye!