"Where are we, Rachel?"
The pair sat in the shadow of the ruined lighthouse, their fingers laced together as they gazed out over the muddy, restless sea. For a moment, Rachel did nothing but lean against Max, basking in her warmth and the relief of finding her intact. Let me stay like this,she told her silently, just for a little while.
"I could make a guess," Rachel said, gazing at the gray, breathless sky. "It's not exactly a 'where.' It's a shared vision. A dreamscape."
"That's why it feels familiar." Max nodded. "I came here when I went into my trance. So we're both dreaming, then?"
"Yes and no. I think…I think we're also in the dreams of the land itself. The spirit is part of me, so in a way, I feel what it feels. And this—" she gestured around them, "—is what that looks like."
"Empty and ruined? That's how the spirit sees Arcadia Bay?"
"I think maybe even the whole world."
"It's—it's so sad. It's almost like there's no hope." Max sat quietly for a while, watching the town from where they sat. "I can imagine this is what the town would look like had…had I let the storm happen."
"Max…"
"How long was I out for, Rachel?"
Rachel sighed. "Several hours."
"Was it?" Max gave the slightest shake of her head, her expression unchanged. "It didn't feel like hours. I don't think time means anything here. The last thing I remember…was Jefferson. That happened too."
"Yes," Rachel bit her lip. "I'm so, so sorry we couldn't stop him from taking you. We were fighting for our lives against the Twins, and—"
To Rachel's surprise and alarm, tears ran down Max's ruddy cheeks. She reached out to grip the younger girl's shoulder. "Max?"
The younger girl buried her face in her hands. "I—I'm so useless."
"…Oh." Rachel caressed Max's hair. "Oh Max, please don't say that."
"It's true."
"It really isn't. Lulu told me how you tried communicating with Arcadia Bay's spirit. That was very brave."
"And I screwed that up too. I'm such a screw-up."
"Max, you did it to help—"
"And it didn't work, Rachel!" Max's head fell to her tucked knees. "I'm a fucking dead weight! I even managed to let Jefferson catch me! I had one chance to escape and I fucked it up! Like how I fucked everything else up!"
As Rachel watched her, she realized that this may not even be wholly Max. This younger version of her was her pain talking. This was how she saw herself at this moment. And it's what I need to heal.
So Rachel let her talk.
"What do you mean? In your timeline, you saved Arcadia Bay."
"No. Chloe saved Arcadia Bay. She told me what to do, and I…traded her for the town. I was a coward who—who was too scared to bear the guilt of letting so many people die! So I did what Chloe asked. I gave her up so I didn't have to take the blame." Max gave a harsh, barking laugh. "And you know what? It didn't even fucking work! Two weeks later, a tsunami destroys Arcadia Bay! I abandoned her for nothing! One way or another, I'm always leaving her behind!"
Max lashed a foot out at a stone, kicking it so hard it tumbled down the cliff before them.
"After that, I hated myself every moment I was awake. I still do. And all this—" she threw her hands around, "when I look at this town, it tells me that no matter how I choose, things always go wrong. Why did I come all this way if I'm just going to make it so much worse?"
At last, she quieted down, her face pressed against her bare knees. Rachel gently smoothed the brown ponytail that hung against her neck.
Oh, I love her, she thought. This girl who suffers to protect those she loves.
"Max," she whispered. "Remember what I told you the day we met? About how people here see each other through lenses and filters?"
Max neither moved nor answered, but Rachel pressed on. "I said that people in Arcadia only see what they want to see in other people. But you're not like that. You see more good in others than they care to show. And you're that way with everyone but yourself. You're your own harshest critic, Max Caulfield. I think the world of you, and it hurts me to see you hate yourself like this."
Finally, Max inched her head up to look at her.
"You don't need me, Rachel," she muttered. "You and Chloe, you're so good together. You're a perfect team. I'm no use to you."
Rachel had to restrain herself from taking her shoulders and shaking her. "Don't you remember, Max? I'd be dead and Chloe'd be lost if you hadn't come to save us! The reason we kept going is becauseyoukept going. I told you before you were the bravest person I ever met, and you don't even have your powers!"
"Rachel…"
"You are so much more than what you say you are. You're exactly what I needed, right when I needed it, before I even knew I needed it. You're my hero, Max."
Max stared at her, and to Rachel's surprise and delight, her form shifted, aging rapidly till the girl sitting beside her was now closer to sixteen, a young woman in braces and a red hockey sweater.
"I know this is a terrible place," Rachel sighed, continuing to smooth Max's tangled hair. "But it's nice to have somewhere peaceful, for once. I wish I could stay here a bit longer with you."
"Rachel…" Max closed her eyes and enfolded her hand with her own. "Thank you. Thanks for coming for me."
"Of course I would. I'll always have your back—" She paused, frowning down at the other girl's hand. "Hey, what's this?"
"Huh?" Max gazed down at the star-shaped mark on her skin right below her knuckles, as if seeing it for the first time. "I—I don't actually know. I got it after I woke up from my trance. I guess—the spirit put it there?"
Rachel raised her hand to examine the mark, tracing the shape with her fingertip.
"The spirit showed me a vision of Polaris," Max went on. "The impression I got was it telling me only one person can have powers, just like there is only one North Star. Lulu said it has rules, so I guess this is one of them."
"Only one, huh?" Rachel didn't quite understand why she found herself smiling, but again, hope blossomed in her chest. A wordless, formless hope, but heck, she only had hope to cling to when she followed Max to this place, hadn't she?
"What do you think it means, Rachel?" Max was asking.
"I don't know, either," Rachel replied, the smile never leaving her. "But I think the spirit marked you because it wants to remember you. I think you made an impression. It trusts you."
"And you know this because…?"
"I would have done the same, and the spirit is part of me." She put their hands down, gazing tenderly at Max. "I know you'll do the right thing when the time comes. Which is why I'm trusting you with Chloe."
Max's eyes widened. "W-what? What do you—"
Rachel brushed the hair from Max's forehead. "In a little while, your body will have healed enough for you to wake up, and soon your parents will arrive at Arcadia Bay Medical Center to get you. I want you to leave with them and take Chloe with you to Seattle."
"Leave? But—you're staying? Why? What's going on?" She gripped Rachel's wrist with a strength fueled by fear. "Tell me."
Rachel turned away, knowing she couldn't lie, not even to put Max at ease. "Dionysus is blackmailing me. They said they'd kill you and Chloe if I didn't go and meet them tonight."
"What?" Max's eyes widened in terror. "Rachel, don't do this! Tell me you won't do this!"
"I need to finish what I started." Her hand reached out to cup Max's cheek. "I promise that when I'm done, you and Chloe will be out of danger."
"If you're going to face Dionysus alone, you're the one who's going to be in danger!"
Rachel blinked, then grinned. Max was no longer a child but back to her 18-year-old self.
"I came here to heal your mind, but I see you're so much stronger than even you think you are. You really are a hero, Max. You inspire me so much."
She took Max's hand in her own. "Promise me something, okay? Promise me you'll always look out for Chloe. If you love her, you have to be there for her. So promise me."
"I do, and I promise…but Rachel—!"
"Good." She raised Max's hand to her lips, kissing her knuckles. "I'll keep my end of the bargain. Regardless of what happens, it will all be over tonight."
She stood up to leave, but Max still clung to her. "Rachel, please. Don't go."
"For everything that happened in your timeline, I want you to know…I'm sorry. It shouldn't have happened to you. To any of us." The tears were coming freely now. Rachel let them come. "But whatever the reason it's us, I'm glad that you're here. That you're alive. And that you're my friend.
"Thank you, Max, and goodbye. Don't be sad. This is our kismet."
She disentangled her hand from Max's grip and sprinted toward the cliff. Ignoring Max's cry, she threw herself over the edge in a swan dive. But suddenly, she was no longer falling but rising into the sunless skies, out of the dream and back into reality.
Rachel removed her forehead from Max's, instantly regretting the loss of contact. "She's going to be alright now," she told Chloe, who was still hovering over Max from the other side of the bed.
Chloe's gaze remained glued to Max's face. "She's gonna wake up soon?"
"Sooner than you'd expect, I think." Rachel slipped away from the bedside as Chloe sat down and leaned over Max. "I'll go get the nurse," Rachel said, inching toward the door. "They'll take care of her when she regains consciousness."
But for a long moment, Rachel lingered by the entrance, simply watching them. Chloe raised Max's hand to her lips, like Rachel had in the dream world. And though it killed her to leave them knowing she would not share their tomorrow, there was a deep satisfaction in knowing she was making the right choice.
I'm finally choosing you, Chloe, Rachel thought, smiling through her tears. You'll be free and far from here. I'm glad you'll be able to escape, to see the world like we wanted. I'm just sorry I won't be there with you.
But I made a promise with Max, to the most important person in the world to you. This promise I'm going to keep.
Goodbye, my loves, my life.
As stealthily as she had come, Rachel let herself back out into the hall.
The car was already waiting for her as she exited through the hospital's main doors. It was a sleek black SUV. Really? came her stray thought. They're hell-bent on using every movie villain cliché. The driver who stepped out to open the door for her even wore shades and a black suit.
Steeling herself, she approached the open door, giving the man a hard stare. He kept his gaze averted, and despite the cool evening, a drop of sweat left a glistening trail down his cheek.
"Get in," he told her.
Rachel peered inside. No one was in the leather-upholstered backseat, but another slick-haired agent sat in the front, watching her every move. She gave him a grim smile as she stepped inside.
"Put these on," he said, handing her a blindfold, which she accepted. "These too," he added, holding out a pair of handcuffs.
Rachel scowled. "Keep your kinks to yourself. I already agreed to meet with your boss, but not without my dignity."
"Mr. Morten insists. Do it or your friends die."
She made a show of ill-concealed fury before deflating in her seat. She put the cuffs and blindfold on and leaned back in her seat. "Anything else, Mr. Gray?"
The driver's door slammed shut and the engine revved. They were finally on the move.
Rachel didn't mind the blindfold. These fools actually thought she wouldn't know the streets of her hometown well. She could use that. The handcuffs were another matter, but she could figure that out later.
For now, she concentrated on the movements of the vehicle. It took a left as it exited the parking lot, meaning they were on Evergreen Avenue. If they turned right next, they should be on 1st Street…
Rachel knew she only had one chance at this. She needed to know where they were taking her. She could already make a guess, but she had to be sure. It would be harder if they were taking her out of town.
Turning right..this would be Cypress Road. Then left—2nd Street. If we turn right here—
They were on Arcadia Bay Drive, she was sure of it. Were they taking her to the Marina? No, they were hurtling down the avenue, too fast to stop. Were they leaving town then?
Rachel got her answer soon enough. The SUV slowed down and took a right, the wheels grinding on a rocky, uneven road. Rachel released the breath she'd been holding. They were on the side road into the woods, heading toward the Theater, as the Twins had attempted. She now had everything she needed.
Rachel raised her wrists to her mouth and exhaled a chilly breath onto the locks. The metal instantly froze, and when she pulled her wrists apart, the cuffs shattered.
"Sorry boys," she said, tossing the blindfold away as the two men swung their heads toward her. "This is where I get off."
She swiftly raised her palms skyward and a tornado sprang up from beneath the SUV, hurling it into the air like a dead leaf. The agents were shouting; the driver grabbed onto the dashboard and the other one reached into his coat for his gun. Rachel didn't give them time to react—she merely unlocked the door on her right and jumped out, the wind bearing her higher into the night sky. Facing east, she floated down the road to the Theater, the spinning SUV in tow.
Her tornado roared ears like a jet engine, gathering strength, building momentum. Rachel wanted all of Dionysus in the Theater to hear it. She wanted them to feel what she had felt, waiting for every disaster to fall on her and her loved ones. She wanted them to know what was coming.
The whirlwind ripped through the road and the surrounding trees. In a few seconds, it had carried her to the gate and chain link fence that marked the edge of Prescott's property. All the lights were on, illuminating the Theater where it stood on the upturned soil, a single rotten tooth ready to be carved out of its socket.
Rachel took a moment, filling her lungs with the cold night air. She hit the jackpot alright—the well-lit grounds within the fence were filled with men in suits, gaping up in terror. They drew guns, shouting for her to surrender. But none dared fire. Even if they could harm her, Dionysus had forbidden them from doing so. They couldn't risk losing her. Which meant they were out of options.
Rachel cried, "MORTEN! COME OUT!"
The Theater's double doors remained shut. No one on the grounds moved a muscle.Fine, she thought. I'll come to you.
She threw her hands forward and the wind obeyed. Shrieking like a banshee, the tornado hurled the SUV through the gate. Limbs and twisted metal went flying as both the gate and the guard house folded beneath it like cardboard. Men scattered before her, screaming as they were lashed by wind and hail and rain.
Rachellovedit.
Gone was the horror of killing; all that mattered to her was destroying anything that threatened her and all she cared about. She was Prospera brought to life. The immensity of her power filled her, like holding the sun inside her chest. She loved it so much it scared her.
The tempest carried her forward, scattering anyone too slow to get out of her way. Some actually shot at her. It was useless now—they wouldn't be able to hit water from inside a boat, not with the dirt and grass and bits of steel flying around them.
The winds carried Rachel right up to the Theater's face.Your turn, parasite, she thought.The bill's long due and you're paying in full.She focused all her thoughts on the building. The tornado bore down on it, a raging monster that hurled hailstones and freezing rain.
And yet the Theater stood firm.
Rachel stared unbelieving at the building's facade, a swarm of pale, frozen eyes carved into the wood. Then she threw her full strength at it. The winds howled even louder as they crashed and tore at the roof of the Theater. But not one shingle fell despite her onslaught.
Something else was happening. Her winds were weakening—she wobbled in the air, fighting to stay aloft.No!Rachel gritted her teeth as her tornado drained away beneath her. She had to win now or they would lose everything!
She raised her hand to the sky. Lighting struck her arm, collecting around her wrist in a coil of power, then she hurled it full force at the building. Thunder crashed and echoed through the surrounding woods and a shockwave rippled on the grass beneath her. But there wasn't even a scorch mark on the facade—the Theater absorbed it all.
That last act only made things worse—she weakened further, her arms falling to her sides as the last of her whirlwind petered out around her. Her vision darkened as she slumped onto the grass.
What's happening?
As she peered up at the building before her, Rachel finally understood how deeply Prescott had deceived her. He hadn't lied about Dionysus; apart from their money and influence, they had no one like the Twins left, no one with actual powers.
But the Theater—the Theater itself had defenses. This structure, from its beams to its foundations, was designed to capture and hold the Incarnate. Of course it would be protected by some mystical means.
As Rachel cursed her naivety, she struggled to keep her eyes on her enemy. She couldn't give up now. Max and Chloe needed her. She had promised.
She raised a hand to bend the wind, the lightning, even fire to her will. But only one thing happened—with the softest creak of its hinges, the Theater doors swung open.
Holding herself at the cliff edge, Max stared down at the gray, swirling waters where Rachel had disappeared. How long had she been standing here in this timeless placelessness, waiting for her body to knit itself back together? Rachel had said it wouldn't be long, but there was no way to tell.
Maybe she was worried over nothing. Maybe when she woke up, Rachel would already have won. Maybe Dionysus had nothing left in the tank. But really, when had the universe gone easy on Max Caulfield?
She couldn't take it anymore and covered her face with her hands to blot out the sight. She was going to wake up, but then what? Do what Rachel said? Run back to Seattle with her tail between her legs? What would Chloe say?
No, Chloe would stay and fight. And if Rachel fell, she would avenge.
Which means I'm staying too, Max resolved, putting her hands down. We promised to leave this place together. We have to find a way.
Any moment now, she would wake up. Then she'd have to face Chloe and somehow—
The ground rippled beneath her, sending rocks from the edge tumbling into the ocean. Max leaped back from the cliff and promptly fell on her butt. What the hell?
The ocean before her sighed and swelled, the murky waters roiling and foaming. Then, with a blast of air and sea spray, an island rose from within its depths. No, not an island. Something bigger than her mind could fathom emerged from the water—a mass of dark flesh bristling with grassy hair. Several elongated necks unwound, unveiling the heads of a wolf, a raven, a bear, a serpent, and finally, a doe.
"It's you," Max breathed.
The spirit towered over Max, its blank moonlight eyes converging upon her. Immediately, Rachel's words came back to her—it trusts you.
She gathered her legs beneath her. "Do you want something from me?"
The heads regarded her for a moment, water spilling out from the creases of communal flesh, before turning their gazes skyward. Like before, a field of stars shimmered into view, wheeling through the sky as if the days were rapidly unfolding.
But something was different. The constellations were circling a hole in the night sky. Polaris was gone.
Max's eyes narrowed. "Something happened to Rachel."
All the heads released an enormous cry, a symphony of pain that drove Max to cover her ears. Then they leaned down, staring at the center of its dark mass, where gaped a stark white shape, a hole to nowhere cut out of its abdomen. There was no mistaking its tapered point and its wide base—it was shaped like the Theater.
"That's where you want me to go," Max said, nodding. "That's where Rachel went. I understand. She's in trouble and you're telling me to help her."
She shut her eyes and collected a breath. This was it; there was no time to lose. She had to wake up right now.
"I'll do it." She got back on her feet, staring at the spirit. "You don't even have to tell me to, but thanks for pointing the way."
Max took several steps back. She didn't know if she was fully healed or if she was even ready, but Rachel needed her. Chloe needed her. It was time to be the hero they believed her to be.
With a cry, Max rushed at the cliff. At the very edge, she leaped into the void, curling into a cannonball as she plunged into the gray waters below. As she hit the waves, the last thing she saw was a pinprick of light on her hand, the star mark burning brightly on her skin.
And Death asked her, Who is stronger than me?
And she cried, "I am!"
Time restarted.
Max gasped as she opened her eyes. For an instant, she thought she was blinded by pale light, but it was only the blank white ceiling above her.
Then a lovely, familiar face, its blue eyes marred with grateful tears, hovered into view. "Max?"
Her lips curled into a smile. "H-hey, Chloe," she croaked. "I'm back."
"Oh God, oh God." Chloe's hands cupped her face as if to keep her from slipping away again. Now they were sharing a grin. "Welcome back, you asshole."
Max couldn't resist; she raised one weak hand to grasp Chloe's chin and pulled her down into a kiss. The sweet weight of Chloe's lips on hers, the taste of peppermint and cigarettes, all told her this was real. It was good to be alive.
Chloe pulled back too soon. "I don't know how I'm gonna get used to you surprising me all the time," she gasped, the grin still on her face. "What the heck happened to the shy and predictable Max Caulfield I used to know?"
"She's still in here somewhere," Max replied. Rubbing at her eyes, she gazed around the room. "Rachel..."
Chloe's eyes went blank and her forehead wrinkled. "She—went to get the nurse. But that was some time ago…"
"No." Max shook her head to clear the last of the fog. "She went to the Theater to fight Dionysus," she said, struggling to sit up. "We have to go after her—she needs us!"
"Whoa, Max, slow down!" Chloe took hold of her shoulder. "Lie back before you hurt yourself—!"
"There's no time!" She grabbed Chloe's hand to remove it, but it was unexpectedly heavy in her grasp. Like moving a stone statue.
Max blinked and stared at her girlfriend. Chloe was frozen solid, her lips parted in mid-protest. And that wasn't all—the sounds from the vital signs monitor, the hushed conversations from the hall, the drone of the aircon—they had all fallen quiet beneath a slight hum, the universe vibrating as it was held down by a powerful, unseen grip.
Oh my God. Max stared down at her hand. The star mark was gone from her flesh, making everything all too real in her mind. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT!
Adrenaline surged through her as her mind whirled at the possibilities. She leaned away from Chloe's grasp and wobbled out of bed. Chloe still sat frozen on the mattress, but Max could fix that with only a thought.
Chloe blinked, staring down at her empty fingers before jumping to find Max standing at her side.
"Chloe!" Grinning madly, Max threw her arms around her. "Chloe, my time powers are back!"
"What?"
"Look!" Max raised her hand and was about to rewind, then a thought struck her. Instead, touched the monitor next to her. "Let me try something."
Max focused hard, holding back the clock once more. Only this time, she focused on the machine beneath her hand. And like before, it stopped completely, its beeps surrendering to a vibrant hum—but everything else around them was still moving!
Chloe's wide-eyed stare glanced from the monitor—frozen mid-heartbeat—to Max's hand. "Holy fuckballs," she muttered. "It's really happening! So can you rewind time?"
"Looks like I can do a little bit more than that." Max released her grip and the monitor's beeping restarted. She flexed her hand; she could still sense time flowing through it, like strings ready to be plucked or strummed. It wasn't like before when she had to strain to control it.
Chloe's eyes gleamed as her mouth hardened. "Do it, Max. Go back in time. Tell us what to do to keep all this shit from happening!"
Max was about to agree, but the image of the spirit flitted before her eyes. The white shape of the Theater gaped wide in her mind like a door to nowhere.
Is that what I'm meant to use my power for? She took a moment to feel her way through her choices. The map of time opened up before her eyes.
If she followed Rachel's wish, one path led to Seattle. Chloe would come with her, sure, and they would be safe from harm—safe but miserable. They would never see Rachel again, would never know what happened to her. Threes become twos, and inevitably, they would dissolve into ones. Max shut that choice out of her mind.
Another way was to do what Chloe wanted, and again, Max could follow the path for a while. She would go back to another point in the past, change something, arm themselves with the right knowledge, and—the paths simply splintered into more paths, a mirror cracking into tens, then hundreds, then thousands of shards. She would play gamble after gamble, fighting to create that perfect outcome, with no end in sight.
Max focused harder, and a third path opened. It meant staying in the present, where Dionysus was at the cusp of victory. But that way…that led through fire.
Hesitantly, Max said, "I can't go back."
Chloe gaped at her. "What do you mean, you can't?"
"I…I need to do what I was meant to do." She met Chloe's wide blue gaze. "To save the Incarnate and let her choose. Rachel has everything she needs to make that choice here and now."
"I—okay." Chloe pressed her clenched fist against her forehead. She was wrestling with her desire to go for the easy way out, and Max loved her all the more for it. "I can't pretend to know what the hell you're talking about, but you're the one who can make the big decisions here, Super Max. I'll follow your lead."
"Thanks for trusting me." Max paused. She had the time, after all, and she was sure that charging into the Theater would mean certain death for all of them, with or without time powers. Somehow, they needed to tilt the odds their way.
"Chloe," she said, "I need to know something important. Did Brooke ever finish decrypting the files she stole?"
Chloe's eyes widened and she slapped her forehead. "Fuck! Yeah, she did!" She checked her phone and held it up for Max to see. "It's here! She emailed me hours ago!"
"Good!" Max grabbed the phone and stared down at the email attachment. "We're going to need this, but right now, we gotta get out of here. Rachel needs us."
She found her look of determination mirrored on Chloe's face. "I'm with you, Long Max Silver."
Max smiled and planted a kiss on her girlfriend's lips. "Then let's go, Captain Bluebeard."