Welcome to the first chapter of Cinder's arc. It's a coincidence that it happens to take place in Artemisia like her last one. Be aware of the subtitles since locations will change.

I know a lot of you are excited so I hope you enjoy.

Sifting Through Cinder: Part One

Artemisia, Luna

Iko, Jacin, and Kinney led Cinder, Cress, and Wolf to Iko's car (that they brought to the airport). Jacin opens the back as Iko heads to the driver's seat. Wolf helps Jacin put their bags in the car while Kinney hopes in the back row of the car. Once he lowers the middle seat, Cress takes a seat as Cinder sits shotgun. Once the back is shut, Jacin gets in the car beside Kinney so that Wolf could take the seat beside Cress.

Once everyone is buckled up, Iko pulls out of her parking spot. She's tense at the wheel since nobody knows how to drive or cross the road at an airport.

"Someone put that kid on a leash," Iko murmurs, "and can people not take selfies while walking here? The airport's exterior is a terrible backdrop...learned that the hard way."

"I should've driven," Jacin says.

"You would've run over the kid and the selfie dude."

Jacin scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, can you blame me?"

"I've been thinking," Cress says, poking Cinder from behind. "Mostly about this whole father revelation."

"What about it?" Cinder asks.

"It was hard for Levana to figure it out. Your entire family looks the same, meaning there's little genetic variation."

"What's your point?"

"Are you sure your mother didn't reproduce asexually?"

Wolf's the first one to burst out laughing and the other ones slowly join in. Cinder as well. She couldn't help it because Cress has a point. Aside from looking like a clone of her mother, the asexual reproduction theory makes sense. The Blackburns were known for being so vapid that, of course, they would want their spawn to all look alike.

Kinney nods. "She has a point. Are you sure that man is your father?"

Cinder turns around to face him. "Levana said so and she wouldn't do it if it wasn't true."

"Things can be true without you knowing it," Jacin responds. "Not everything that's true needs to be said."

Cinder nods but, even without the DNA test, she would've known it was him. Aside from being in her mother's cabinet, he was one of the founders of a hybrid car company. Cinder never knew where her love for cars and mechanics came from but that explains it. It has to. That trait made her an even bigger outlier in the family (even Winter shared more traits with Levana and they weren't biologically related). And now, there's a connection between Cinder and this handsome stranger.

"So, what's your plan?" Iko asks. "You find your father, whenever you do, and then what?"

"I'm not going to demand for years of child support," Cinder responds with a small laugh. "I don't know yet. Artemis will have a public showcase event for the latest model and he'll be there so we'll drop by. We only have four days so we'll need some time to unpack and settle into our hotel. And I have to show Cress and Wolf around. We're going self-discovering. All this has basically been planned by the stars above."

"Can we go shopping before you do anything?" Iko begs.

"No," Cinder responds. She's offended that Iko even offered. It's like she doesn't know her anymore. She couldn't have been gone for that long.

Iko groans, sliding her hands around the wheel. "Come on, you really need new clothes to meet your dad."

"No, I don't. I just want to see him as in look at him. I don't need a makeover."

"I swear, you're wearing the same outfit you left Luna in."

Cinder glances down at her outfit. A white tank top and baggy jeans with white sneakers. She tries to think back to leaving Artemisia and actually isn't sure. It's likely she wore this exact outfit or a variation of it. Just like her gene pool, there are little differences.

"I like dressing up like a minimalist lumberjack," Cinder states.

"I never understood that," Iko states. "Well, we would've loved to join you on your self-discoveries, but we need to study for tomorrow's exam. We'll catch up sometime soon before you leave."

"Whatever happens, you'll have my back, right?"

Iko glances over and smiles. "That's the definition of sisterhood."

-o-

Commonwealth, The Earthen Union

Sitting in The Rampion, Kai and Thorne scroll through their messages. With saddened expressions because they miss their girlfriends, they could at least be happy that they made it to Artemisia safely. Across the bar, Scarlet leans towards them. Although she's uniformed because she's on the clock, she's reading her messages as well. It was weird to be without their, as they would say, significant others.

They know they love them because they don't just think about them when they're alone. They think about them when they're having a blast and wish they were there to experience it too. But they're not having a blast now. Grounding and legality kept them, well, grounded here in Commonwealth.

They didn't even look up or acknowledge Winter when she walked inside. The bell that rang when she opened the door didn't register for them. Even when Winter stands between Kai and Thorne, they don't notice her. But Winter doesn't mind. She smiles innocently at them because she knows the feeling of being an entire country apart from their lover.

"People ask me all the time why or how I stay strong," Winter says as she takes a seat next to Kai. "When you find that true love, it lives on. That's why we stay where we are."

Kai sighs, putting down his phone. "Cinder is off seeing her dad and I want to do the same thing."

Thorne finishes a text message before putting his phone away. "What do you mean?"

"I got a call from the funeral home. My father's tombstone is ready. Can you three join me?"

All eyes are on Kai as they watch his face soften up. No matter how old people are or how ready they believe to be, nothing can prepare them for loss. For Kai, who lost both his parents at such a young age, who had his episodes of breakdowns and grieving, he took it well.

"Of course," Scarlet says on behalf of Thorne and Winter. The other two nod.

"Great." Kai smiles softly at them. "I'll pick you three up tomorrow."

-o-

Artemisia, Luna

Once dropped off at the hotel, Cinder, Cress, and Wolf went up to their hotel room. It wasn't a luxurious suite with a gorgeous view of the city but it wasn't just a bed and bathroom surrounded by walls. It was a simple room since Cinder wouldn't waste money on a place they wouldn't spend much time in. They're tourists in Artemisia. They'll be in the city.

"I don't give a spade about being a gentleman," Wolf says, lying down in the middle of one of the two beds. "This is my territory."

Cinder and Cress weren't going to argue him on that. They'd be more than fine with sharing the other bed. Cress is so small that she won't even use that much room.

"We can unpack and adjust to the time difference later," Cinder says. While it's still the middle of the day in Commonwealth, it was almost night in the evening. The eternal summers and late darkness throw the time off by a few hours.

"Why?" Wolf whines. He had the middle seat the entire flight and felt like he couldn't move because he didn't want to bother them. All he wanted was a power nap.

"We need to pick up the rental car."

"That sounds like a one-person job."

Cinder rolls her eyes as Cress holds back laughter. "I will give you a tour from here to the rental shop."

"Couldn't your dad lend us a car?" Cress questions. Wolf looks up and points at Cress because her statement was incredibly valid. "Or, better yet, give each of us our own latest edition of the hybrid Artemis?"

"If only," Cinder says before she walks across the room to tap Wolf's leg with her foot. "Get up."

"Fine."

They left the hotel. The setting sun hits them, warming up their bodies. Back in Commonwealth, it was starting to get chilly. Here, some people wore as little clothing as possible without shivering.

Every city has its own voice: Commonwealth is relaxed and quiet yet still busy. Paris is artistic, artisan, and natural. Artemisia is louder and bigger, intimidating and strange. Although the three of them are from different parts of Luna, Wolf and Cress are speechless. Everyone was right: Artemisia could be its own country.

Wolf could tell how much attention was put in Artemisia compared to the rest of Luna. The grass is a brighter green, rolled out in prepaid and weed-free patches. It wasn't like the prickly stuff his mom would tell him about. And it makes sense. If people visit Luna, they go to Artemisia.

"Was Anemone like this?" Wolf asks Cress.

"No," Cress responds, moving closer to him to avoid colliding into someone who had their face glued to a screen. "This is like a simulation."

Cinder stops walking at the street corner. When Wolf and Cress follow, she points ahead at the edge of the city. Just where the sun sets, there's a golden bridge that glows in the dimming light. The colour is almost like an amber-bronze.

"It's technically a law that we're not allowed to take selfies on that bridge," Cinder says. "People have gotten hit by cars, fallen over the railing or both."

"Seriously?" Wolf questions, raising his brows. "Artemisia: where even selfies will kill you."

"Simulation," Cress says again. This time, Wolf believes that.

They walk down another block where they reach the car rental shop.

"Okay, I'll pay," Cinder says. That was a given but since she said that, there had to be a catch. "But we'll need to use Cress's licence."

"Why?" Cress asks.

"You have the cleanest record. I have some missed parking tickets and its a miracle Wolf still has a license."

Cress nods as she and Cinder step inside, ignoring Wolf's glances. Wolf waits outside the shop as they handle the paperwork and pull out with the car. A few minutes later, Cinder comes back out.

"Cress will get the car," Cinder explains to him. "There was only one left when I was making the reservation and it's something I don't want to be seen driving."

"Oh, spades…" Wolf moans. He would say that he and Cinder have similar tastes and he agrees when he sees Cress pull out with the biggest smile that takes up her whole face.

That's a Cress Darnel car, if such a thing could exist. It's a small reddish-orange beetle car. Wolf looks horrified, Cress is elated, and Cinder is whatever, it's a car that will get us from A to B. To think that they just landed and Cress is already having the time of her life. Cinder couldn't help herself but take a photo of her behind the wheel with that big smile and tears in her eyes.

Cress is the kind of person who is fun to travel with, even if she's just company. She always wanders around and enjoys herself. She watches and analyzes everything with a comfort in her eyes, like she's meant to be there. That's a traveler's spirit.

"I don't even think I'll fit in that," Wolf says.

"You speak too highly of yourself," Cinder responds. "Cram in the back."

Wolf mocks her as he gets in the backseat. It was better than the plane but the car has a roof not too far from the top of his head. Transportation wasn't in his favour for this trip. Cinder, sitting shotgun, reclines her seat back just to mess with him.

I chose a beetle car because it's my dream car. I also recently learned that Marissa Meyer has a beetle with Rampion as her licence plate. It's a beautiful coincidence.