EPISODE 15: "Echoes Beneath"
Night in Maladiaville didn't fall.
It settled.
Heavy. Watchful.
Gabriel pushed open the creaking door of a modest, half-abandoned building.
"It's not much," he said, stepping aside. "But it's safe enough for the night."
Sander scanned the place, instincts sharp. "Safe enough?"
Gabriel gave a small shrug. "In this town, that's the best you get."
Sarah exhaled. "We'll take it."
Sam said nothing. Her eyes lingered on the dark streets outside… like they were looking back.
Later That Night
The sisters settled in, exhaustion dragging at their bones.
Silence stretched.
Then—
Sam's phone buzzed.
She froze.
The name on the screen:
Jace.
She stared at it for a long second before answering.
"…Hello?"
There was hesitation on the other end.
"Sam," Jace's voice came, quieter than she remembered. "I wasn't sure you'd pick up."
She didn't respond.
"I just—" he started, then stopped. "I messed up. Back then. I know that now."
Sam's jaw tightened.
"You always know things too late," she said flatly.
A pause.
"I'm trying to fix that," he said.
Sam closed her eyes briefly, something flickering beneath the surface.
But it hardened just as quickly.
"You should've tried earlier."
And just like that—
She ended the call.
She sat there for a moment after, staring at nothing.
Then quietly placed the phone face down.
Sander watched her from across the room but didn't speak.
Some silences weren't meant to be broken.
Flashback: Laspa & Amanda
A dimly lit room.
Amanda stood stiffly, arms crossed.
"You replaced me," she said, her voice controlled but sharp.
Laspa didn't look up immediately.
When he did, his expression was calm. Almost bored.
"You made an error," he said. "And errors have consequences."
Amanda stepped forward. "With her? Of all people? Why Sam?"
Laspa's gaze shifted slightly, something calculating behind it.
"Because," he said slowly, "Sam Brooks is not… ordinary."
Amanda frowned. "None of us are."
Laspa's lips curved faintly.
"You misunderstand," he said. "She is connected."
"To what?" Amanda pressed.
A pause.
Then—
"To the Malkietor."
The word hung in the air like a shadow.
Amanda's expression changed.
"That's not possible."
Laspa leaned back slightly, completely at ease.
"It is," he said. "And when the time comes…"
His eyes darkened with quiet certainty.
"She will lead me to it."
The Next Morning
Amanda stepped into school, scanning the halls.
Something felt… off.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
She stopped a passing student. "Have you seen Sam? Or her sisters?"
The student shook their head. "They haven't been around."
Amanda's eyes narrowed.
Later, phone in hand, she spoke quietly.
"I need information," she said. "Location tracking."
A pause.
Then she listened.
Her expression shifted.
"…Maladiaville?"
She lowered the phone slowly.
"So that's where you went," she murmured.
At Home
Amanda stood before her parents, voice carefully measured.
"I want to go help in Maladiaville," she said. "People are leaving… they need support."
Her mother frowned. "Alone?"
"I'll be fine," Amanda replied quickly. "I'm also visiting a friend there."
A lie.
Clean. Smooth.
Her father exchanged a glance with her mother.
Then nodded slowly.
"Be careful."
Amanda smiled faintly.
"I will."
Meanwhile: The President's Office
Dan stood near the window, tension visible in the set of his shoulders.
"You sent all three of them," he said. "Into an unstable situation."
Miss Bani didn't flinch.
"Yes," she replied calmly.
Dan turned. "That wasn't a question."
"And that wasn't a mistake," she returned.
Silence stretched between them.
"I trained them," she continued. "I know what they're capable of."
Dan's voice hardened. "This isn't training anymore."
Miss Bani met his gaze directly.
"No," she said. "It's exactly what they were trained for."
A beat.
Then, quieter—
"They'll find the Malkietor.
Back to Maladiaville
The town looked worse in daylight.
Cracks ran through the roads like scars. Buildings leaned at unnatural angles.
And yet—
A few people still moved around.
Calm.
Unbothered.
Like nothing was wrong.
Gabriel walked beside them.
"Most people left," he said. "But the ones who stayed…"
He hesitated.
"They act like everything is normal."
Sarah frowned. "Even after the earthquakes?"
Gabriel shook his head.
"That's the strange part," he said. "Some of them don't even remember it happening."
Sander stopped walking.
"…What?"
Gabriel looked at them carefully.
"And if you talk to them long enough," he added quietly, "you'll notice something else."
A pause.
"They won't remember you either."
A subtle chill passed through the group.
Sam glanced around the town again.
This time, it didn't just feel abandoned.
It felt…
Wrong.
And somewhere beneath their feet—
The ground shifted.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
END OF EPISODE 15