Lily remained kneeling beside Murphy, mud caked on her knees, her fingers hovering just above the raw, angry welts ringing his neck. She could almost feel the burn of rope against her own skin as she stared at the bruises. Around them, the clearing was littered with trampled leaves and footprints, blood smeared into the dirt like bruises on flesh. The air still smelled of sweat and fear.
She could hear Bellamy, Clarke, and Finn arguing in low, urgent voices a few yards away. Then she saw them turn and disappear behind the wall of the camp, Charlotte between them, looking small and terrified.
Murphy was staring at the ground, chest heaving, dried blood crusting his face. Lily swallowed, trying to steady her voice.
"Murphy… we should get you checked out," she said softly, but he didn't look at her. His eyes were distant, fixed on the path where Bellamy and the others had gone.
All around them, the clearing lay battered and silent. Drops of blood dotted the mud. The rope lay coiled near Murphy's feet, like a venomous snake waiting to strike again.
She reached out slowly, her hand shaking slightly as it hovered near his elbow. When her fingers brushed his skin, Murphy jerked as though her touch were a spark of fire. His shoulders stiffened, and he twisted away just enough to keep distance between them.
"Let me take a look at your wounds," Lily said, helping him up, but Murphy took his arm away from her.
"I don't need that," he said struggling to get up, "I'm going to kill her, where is she?"
Lily grabbed his arm, holding him up, so that he could lay his back against the tree, "You're just going to make it worse," she said, searching his eyes, but she saw growing fury in his gaze as he looked around to spot Charlotte. "Murphy," she called him, "You need to calm down."
A dark and bitter smirk appeared on his bloody face as he observed her, "I almost died," he said leaning over towards her face. "This is not over."
Her hand moved to his chest, to stop him from moving, so that he wouldn't follow Charlotte, his eyes looked down at her hand before raising his gaze again. "I get that you're angry. I get it." She said as firmly as she could, "But this needs to stop before someone dies for real."
His chuckle made her shiver as his gaze met hers, "Oh, someone is going to die, sweetie."
"Murphy!" She said stronger than before hoping to finally make him see reason, "Revenge will only lead to more violence. Why do you think that you've ended up there?" Without warning, Murphy's hand lashed out, clamping around her wrist firm, but not as strong as she thought it would have been. His face was suddenly inches from hers, his breath sharp and metallic with the scent of blood. He lingered his fingers against her skin for a moment, before pushing it away from him.
"This is my fault now?" he asked angrily. But Lily didn't back down, but she didn't get angry either. She could not blame him for reacting like this after all that had just happened to him.
"Please," Lily murmured, her voice catching as her eyes searched for him. A tiny crease formed between his brows, and his eyes flickered across her face as if looking for a lie. "Don't give them another reason to come for you again. Don't do this. Don't go after Charlotte. Let—"
"Bellamy handle it?" he interrupted her, and when she dropped her gaze she heard him let out a dark chuckle.
A bitter knot twisted in Lily's chest. Just hearing the name managed to have that effect on her. She felt so disappointed and angry, after what he had just done; pushing the bucket from under Murphy's feet. And yet somehow she still believed that he could protect them, keep them safe.
"No," he said, "He pushed that bucket. I'm not waiting for him anymore." He shoved himself off the tree, muscles tight like a coiled spring, and pushed past her shoulder—but not as roughly as he might have. Lily staggered a single step, but caught herself quickly, lifting her eyes to follow his track.
"Murphy," she called, observing him as he walked up the hill to go back to the camp, "Murphy!"
Maybe I'm truly naive, she thought, looking at how hurt Murphy looked.
Lily took a last breath, looking for the last time that cursed place that still ringed with cries, yelling and beating. She still could not wrap her mind around what had just happened, she had never witnessed that much violence in all her life.
She quietly walked up the slope to reach the camp, following everyone else. But as she did so, she could not help but cross her arms over her chest as she was trying to shield herself, as she passed next to Connor and the other boys that engaged in Murphy's beating.
"Hey," Octavia's voice preceded her, coming towards Lily, "Are you okay?"
Lily shared a look with her, shaking her head a little, before she saw Murphy pacing back and forth in front of Bellamy's tent.
"He seems ready to start a riot," Octavia said, her eyes too observing Murphy.
"Can you blame him?" Lily said with a heavy heart. She just hoped that he'd soon realize that what he was doing would only be worse for him.
Octavia took a breath, "What are we going to do now?" she asked, following Lily towards the tent. Lily shook her head. She had really no idea what was going to happen. But she was at least relieved to see that they had decided to talk it through privately. Even if she could already see that no one was as worked up as they had been when they had thought that Murphy was the killer.
Why did you do that, Charlotte? She thought, looking at the tent. She was such a sweet girl, shy, and gentle. How could she possibly have been Wells' murderer? She wasn't even sure they had ever spoken.
Suddenly, Lily realised that she knew very little of Charlotte. She didn't know much about any of the people around her.
Maybe that could have been avoided, she thought, torturing her trembling hands. They had kept trembling since Murphy's beating had ended. What would they do to Charlotte? She didn't believe that they would have gone that far with the little girl, but were they about to punish her. She was not even sure that Bellamy would let them do anything to that little girl. But was it fair?
Lily did not know what to think. Charlotte was guilty, she had confessed, but she was a child. What was the right thing to do? She felt so overwhelmed that she could not come up with a single idea, or calming thought.
"That's it," she heard Murphy, pacing back and forth, before the crowd that was waiting for Bellamy, Clarke and Finn.
"Oh, God," Jasper said from next to Lily.
"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!" Murphy yelled, looking at the tent and Lily closed her eyes realizing that he would have not stopped. "Bring the girl out, now!" he yelled even more angrily.
Lily bit her lips. They could not start this all again, not on a child, and not Murphy. That circle of violence would have never stopped.
She then took a deep breath, stepping forward, voice trembling. "Murphy, stop—this isn't the way."
He spun on her, eyes wild with rage, but she knew that it wasn't directed to her. "Don't start with me again, sweetie," he said. "I've already told you how this is going to end."
"This is not how we are supposed to fix these things," she said, searching for his gaze, "Please." He looked at her in silence for a moment, nodding his head.
"Yeah," he said, but something told her that he was not agreeing with her, "Yeah, the princess over there has many ideas on how we should live." His anger flared again as his gaze moved to the tent once more. "You want to build a society, princess?" he spoke loudly to make sure Clarke could hear him. "Let's bring a society. Bring her out!"
"Murphy, please!" Lily tried to grab his arm, but he jerked it away from her reach, just before Bellamy walked out of the tent. Alone.
Lily could see the tension in his posture, but he stood tall as Murphy stepped forward to face him.
"Well, well," Murphy said, smirking but with anger sharpening every word, "Look who decided to join us."
"Dial it down and back off," Bellamy answered with a strong voice. But Murphy just moved forward, until they were face to face.
Lily glanced between them, holding her breath, silently begging Bellamy with her eyes to keep this from exploding.
"Or what?" Murphy asked in a hiss. "What are you gonna do, Bellamy, hang me?" Lily's eyes shot to Bellamy's face. He wore his leader's mask, hard and unreadable, but his dark eyes were shining with an unmatched light.
"I was just giving the people what they wanted," Lily dropped her gaze at his answer, feeling her chest tighten.
"Yeah," Murphy muttered, before raising his voice. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't we do that right now?" he said, turning to the crowd at his back. Lily instinctively shook her head, stupidly thinking that he would change his mind. But of course, he didn't.
"So, who here wants to see the real murderer hung up?" he asked with venom in his voice, as he raised his hand. "All in favor?"
Lily's eyes widened at his proposal, and she cast a quick glance at Bellamy, searching his face for any sign of a plan. He met her look briefly, jaw clenched, but he too seemed as tense as she was.
Lily's eyes widened at his proposal, but she was not surprised when she saw just a few people raising their hands in favor. They did not understand what all of that was doing to them? When would they find the end of that spiral of violence.
Maybe Marcus is not wrong after all, she thought, surprised by herself. Maybe strict laws were the only way not to let people kill each other. But unforgiveness was what the Ark had taught them. Where did they draw the line? How could they build a functional society, one that was fair and safe, without bloodshed and death. Was it even possible to create one?
"I see," Murphy said, disappointment on his face as he noticed that so few had agreed with him. "So, it's right to string me up for nothing," his voice broke as he kept with his speech, but gradually he started to yell in rage again. "But when this little bitch confesses, you wanna let her walk?" He looked at all of their faces and then he exploded again. "Cowards! All of you are cowards!"
"Hey, Murphy!" Bellamy called him, striding to reach where Murphy was standing. The other boy turned, hearing Bellamy's voice. "It's over," he demanded a few inches from Murphy. Silence fell between them for some moments, and Lily really hoped that Bellamy had been able to stop him, before things would turn uglier once again.
Murphy took a couple of steps back, his hands raised. "Whatever you say, boss." Lily let out a relieved breath as she saw Bellamy turning his back. For a fleeting second she thought she had seen him look over his shoulder at her, but before she could focus he had turned his back, making his way towards the tent. But suddenly, before any of them could say anything, Murphy grabbed a piece of wood and hit Bellamy hard on the head, making him fall to the ground.
"Bellamy!" Lily found herself yelling as she rushed forward, passing Murphy by so that she could kneel beside Bellamy, laying on his side. Murphy had knocked him out. As she turned, she noticed Octavia trying to dash forward towards Murphy, but Jasper pushed her back, just to be hit in the face by Murphy's punch.
"Come on," he said to some of the guys that had raised his hand just before, "Let's get the girl." They rushed towards the tent, Lily's trembling when they pushed away the cloth to see inside. But once they did, there was no one inside.
Murphy groaned angrily, before turning to the woods, "Charlotte!" His yell was able to make Lily tremble, as he frantically looked around, "Charlotte, I know you can hear me!" he yelled again, "And when I find you, you're gonna pay!"
He was making everything worse than it already was.
"Murphy, stop it!" she yelled still knelt next to Bellamy, a hand on his arm, as her eyes searched for Murphy's. When he heard his voice, he slowly turned towards her, he was blinded by rage.
"Not happening," he said, shaking his head. Then she saw him, kneeling to take another piece of wood, while the other guys gathered next to him.
"Please," she said, "We can still fix it."
Murphy looked at her quietly for a moment, before shaking his head, "I'm about to," he said, "Stay out of this, Lily. Come on!" And then he and the other five boys ran out in the woods, to search for Charlotte.
Lily felt her hands trembling even harder as she watched Murphy and the others disappear into the trees, branches cracking beneath their frantic steps. She spun back to Bellamy, still sprawled on the ground, his chest rising and falling shallowly.
"Bellamy… Bellamy, wake up," she whispered, leaning closer. With gentle fingers, she brushed his hair away from his forehead. There was no sign of blood. That should be a good sign. She hoped.
Suddenly, a voice reached her, full of panic.
"Bell!"
Octavia dropped down beside them, her hair loose around her face, eyes wide with fear. She reached for her brother's shoulder, shaking him gently.
"Bellamy, come on, open your eyes. Bell, please!"
"He's coming around," Lily said, keeping her voice as calm as she could, even though her heart pounded. "Murphy hit him pretty hard."
"Damn him," Octavia said, her eyes flashing with worry and rage, but she turned back to her brother. "Bell, wake up. You can't just lie here."
Then unexpectedly, Bellamy let out a low groan. His eyelids twitched, then slowly lifted, dazed brown eyes locking onto hers.
"Lily…?" he mumbled, voice rough and unfocused. And then he noticed his sister. "O…?" He winced, trying to sit up.
"Easy, don't move yet," Lily said, gently gripping his arm. "You took a pretty bad hit."
But Bellamy ignored her, pushing himself up to sit despite the pain. Lily and Octavia shared a look before both helped him get more comfortable as he settled down, making sure he wouldn't faint again.
"Murphy…" he said, holding his head. "Where is he?"
"He's after Charlotte," Lily said. "He took five guys and ran into the woods."
Bellamy drew in a harsh breath, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Shit." He dragged a shaky hand over his face.
"I'll go get some water," Octavia said, glancing anxiously between them. "Don't move, Bell."
"No, there's no time," Bellamy said firmly, grabbing her arm as she started to stand. "I have to go search for her. And I need you to stay here. If Murphy comes back, I want you at camp."
Octavia hesitated, glaring at her brother. "But—"
"O," he said firmly, despite the pain.
Octavia pressed her lips together, furious tears shining in her eyes, but she didn't argue further. She knelt beside Bellamy, touching his arm one last time. "Be careful," she said softly. Bellamy gave a curt nod.
Lily frowned at him. "You can't go alone," she said, making his gaze shift to her. For a moment, he just stared at her, as though measuring something deep behind her eyes. But he didn't answer.
Instead, Bellamy tried to get to his feet, staggering slightly, and Lily instantly reached out, gripping his arm to steady him. He glanced down at her hand on his sleeve, then met her eyes with a look halfway between gratitude and stubborn pride.
"I'm fine," he muttered, but didn't pull away.
"Sure," Lily said softly, not believing it for a second. "But I'm coming with you."
He shook his head. "No," he said, but she didn't let it go.
"Listen," she said stubbornly, "We can stay here, wasting time arguing about whether I'll be coming or not, or we can move and try to stop Murphy before he does something incredibly stupid." His eyes widened at her words. "Your choice," she said finally.
Bellamy held her gaze for another second, then let out a shaky breath.
"Fine," he said finally, turning toward the trees, moving stiffly but with determined steps.
Lily fell into stride beside him, scanning the shadows between the trunks. The forest seemed thicker than ever, closing in around them as the sun slipped lower in the sky. She hadn't even realized how much time had passed since the beginning of that day.
They moved through the trees, branches snapping under their boots, the air thick with the smell of moss and damp earth. Lily kept stealing glances at Bellamy as he walked beside her, and little by little his steps grew steadier, his eyes sharpening as he scanned the forest ahead. He looked stronger now, as if the blow to his head had been nothing but a fleeting inconvenience.
But Lily couldn't ignore the way his jaw clenched every so often, or how his fingers curled tightly around the strap of the knife at his belt.
For a moment, she thought about keeping quiet. Letting the silence swallow everything that had just happened. It would be easier. Safer.
But the images kept flooding back anyway: Bellamy stepping closer to Murphy, the crowd chanting his name, the moment he pushed past her and kicked the bucket from under Murphy's feet.
Her chest squeezed painfully as she remembered Murphy gasping and clawing at the rope, the camp roaring for blood around them.
She folded her arms tight across her chest as they walked, as if trying to shield herself from the chill creeping under her skin. Part of her wanted to say nothing. To try and forget everything that had happened that day. But the silence felt heavier than the forest pressing in around them.
She turned her head, studying Bellamy's profile in the shifting light, the strong line of his jaw set in determination, the faint lines of strain around his eyes. She needed to know if he regretted it—or if this was who he truly was.
She took a slow breath. And finally, she spoke.
"Bellamy."
He glanced over at her, one brow furrowing.
"Why did you kick that bucket?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best effort to keep it steady. "You told Murphy that you gave the people what they wanted, but this can't be."
Bellamy scoffed, running a hand roughly through his hair as he kept walking, branches snapping beneath his boots. "What the hell else was I supposed to do, Lily? That was the only way to bring back order."
Lily let out a disbelieving chuckle. "So the solution was to hang him? To make them happy so they'll still want you as their leader—is that it?"
Bellamy stopped so abruptly she nearly crashed into him. He turned on her, his shoulders tense, eyes blazing with frustration. "You know I was against what Clarke wanted to do," he snapped. "But what choice did I have? The entire camp was screaming for his blood. You saw them!"
Lily met his glare without flinching. "Kicking that bucket—that wasn't you stopping them. That was you giving them exactly what they wanted. You became part of that mob, Bellamy. No wonder Murphy's filled with rage right now."
Bellamy let out a harsh laugh, his eyes darkening as he stared at her. "So what, you're defending Murphy now? Even after what he's doing?"
"I'm not defending him!" she shot back, her voice rising. "I'm saying what happened was wrong. You almost killed someone who might have been innocent—and you did it to stay in control."
As she spoke, her thoughts flickered to her father, and she couldn't shake the sick feeling that Bellamy and Marcus Kane were more alike than she'd ever wanted to believe. Keeping order by doing terrible things wasn't justice. Making mobs happy didn't stop chaos.
"What are we going to do about Charlotte?" she asked after a tense silence.
Bellamy let out another humorless laugh. "I can't believe you right now," he said, shaking his head, the muscles in his jaw twitching. "She's a child."
"She killed Wells, Bellamy," she stated, like he had forgotten it. And she got even more confused when she saw Bellamy shake his head, his tone dropping, "It wasn't her fault." He then turned to keep walking, but Lily could not let this slide.
"What do you mean it's not her fault?" she asked following his steps, so that she could catch up with him. "She said it was her? Something else happened?" But he didn't even turn his head, moving forward with determined steps. "Bellamy?" she called again, more urgently. And when he still didn't answer, she reached out and grabbed his arm. "Bellamy!"
He finally stopped, and when he turned to face her, his eyes were different. They weren't blazing anymore. They were lowered, shadows gathering in their depths. There was something raw and almost broken there.
"Bellamy?" she said again, much softer this time, her hand still clutching his arm.
There was a heavy silence, and then Bellamy finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "It was my fault."
Lily blinked, not understanding. "Your fault…? How could this be your fault?"
His eyes flickered up to hers, full of turmoil, as if he was trying to keep his usual composure but couldn't hold it together anymore.
"Charlotte… she did it because of what I said that night. About slaying your demons. She thought I meant… this."
Lily closed her eyes, the anger draining from her chest. Suddenly, she didn't feel like yelling at him anymore.
"Bellamy," she said gently, searching his face as she moved her hand down to his. Her fingertips brushed his knuckles lightly. "You can't blame yourself for that. You were trying to help her."
"And she killed Wells instead," he said bitterly. But he didn't pull away when her hand touched his.
She felt her heart grow heavier seeing him like this. He had put himself in a leadership position, but things were much more difficult than what any of them had thought it would have been.
"Alright, listen." She squeezed his hand gently, drawing his gaze back to her. "We'll find Charlotte. We'll bring her back. And then we'll figure out what to do, okay?"
Their eyes met. For a moment, his expression was unreadable—but then he nodded, slowly.
She nodded back. And just before letting go of his hand, she tugged lightly, keeping his attention on her.
"This one's not on you, Bellamy," she said quietly.
Bellamy stood there for another moment, as though gathering himself, his chest rising and falling with measured breaths. Then he gave Lily's hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.
"Come on," he murmured. His voice was rough, but steadier now.
He turned and started forward again, his shoulders squared, his steps purposeful. Lily fell beside him, watching him from the corner of her eye as they moved deeper into the forest.
The sky above was black now, pin pricked with distant stars. The trees loomed like tall shadows, branches whispering against each other in the night breeze. The air smelled of damp leaves and cold earth.
At first, Bellamy moved quietly, lost in thought, his gaze distant, his jaw still tight with something unspoken. But little by little, Lily noticed how the old Bellamy seemed to creep back into his posture. His eyes sharpened as he scanned the dark woods, and his hand hovered closer to the knife strapped at his hip. His stride lengthened, confident again, as though he was setting himself firmly back into the role of leader.
Lily kept silent, feeling the chill of the night sink into her bones. She hugged her arms around herself, stealing glances at the way moonlight glinted off Bellamy's hair and traced the hard lines of his face.
He always finds his way back to himself, she thought, both awed and frustrated by it.
They pushed through a dense cluster of pine branches, and Bellamy held one aside for her to slip through.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"Don't mention it," he said, eyes scanning the shadows.
Then, just as they stepped into a small clearing, Bellamy suddenly froze.
Lily nearly bumped into his back. "What—"
"Shh," he breathed, lifting a hand to signal her to stay still. His eyes narrowed, locked on something ahead.
The silence of the woods seemed to press around them, heavy and tense. Then came a faint sound—a soft crunch of leaves under cautious feet. Another. And another.
Lily held her breath, her eyes darting across the clearing, trying to pierce the darkness. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Then she saw a small figure emerge from between two trees, pale in the starlight, hair tangled and eyes wide. Bellamy slipped forward through the shadows, moving quietly until he was close enough to grab the girl. Charlotte started to scream, but he quickly covered her mouth so no one would hear.
Lily immediately looked around. Just five minutes earlier, they had seen torches moving through the woods. If that was Murphy, it wouldn't take him long to find them—and if he found Charlotte, he would take his revenge on her.
They didn't need Charlotte's screams drawing attention, because as Lily glanced around, she saw those torches moving closer in the dark.
"Bellamy," she whispered, moving over to where he was still holding Charlotte. "They're here."
"Shit…" he muttered, just before Murphy's voice echoed through the clearing.
"Charlotte!" he called. "You can't hide forever." His voice was getting closer. "Don't worry—we won't hurt you."
Lily and Bellamy exchanged a tense look.
"Maybe I could let them find me," Lily suggested. "That way, you two would have more time to run in the other direction."
Bellamy's eyes widened at her. "Are you out of your mind?" he hissed.
"He's looking for Charlotte, not me," she argued back, but he glared at her, shaking his head.
"Not a chance," he said firmly. "Come on." And he started moving into the woods, with Lily following close behind.
But something was wrong with Charlotte. She didn't look even a little relieved to see Bellamy, and as they moved, she struggled more and more to break free from his hold.
"Let me go!" Charlotte protested, squirming against his grip.
"I'm trying…" Bellamy tried to explain, but the child kept thrashing restlessly, so he tugged her closer. "Hey, I'm trying to help you."
"I'm not your sister!" she spat at him. "Just stop helping me!"
Lily blinked in confusion at Charlotte's words. She felt for Bellamy as she saw the hurt flicker across his face. The girl wasted no time—in the moment Bellamy loosened his grip, she tore herself free and started running back in the direction they'd come from.
"What is she doing?!" Lily exclaimed as Bellamy ran after the child, grabbing her arm.
"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Bellamy demanded, but Charlotte refused to surrender.
"Just go, okay?" she almost pleaded. "I'm the one they want."
Lily stepped closer to them, her eyes darting between Bellamy and Charlotte. Bellamy's expression was tight, a mix of confusion and pain.
"Listen to me, Charlotte," he said, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "I'm not leaving you."
Charlotte seemed on the verge of tears. "Please, Bellamy." Lily stared at her, trying to understand what had made the girl so terrified. Did she not want to go back? Was she afraid of what would happen if she did? It was the only explanation Lily could think of.
Then Charlotte tried to break free again. Bellamy swiftly scooped her into his arms to move faster.
"Lily, let's go," he said. She only nodded, following him silently—but kept glancing over her shoulder. The torches were getting closer again.
Murphy, she thought. She was about to call out to Bellamy, but Charlotte suddenly yelled instead.
"Murphy!" she cried. "I'm over here!"
Lily turned sharply toward the torches. The silence that followed was too complete. They must have heard her for sure. And indeed, she saw the lights change direction, heading straight for them.
"Charlotte, what are you doing?" Lily demanded, hurrying after Bellamy.
"Come on out, Charlotte!" Murphy's voice rang out, closer than before. "Come on out!" They were moving faster now, and Charlotte kept screaming for Murphy. Why did she want him to find her? He'd made it perfectly clear he meant to hurt her. Why?
"Put me down," Charlotte insisted, twisting in Bellamy's arms. He kept running without pausing. Lily kept glancing back. The torches were nearly upon them.
Suddenly, as Lily stumbled along behind Bellamy, she felt an arm shoot out and stop her short. She gasped and twisted around—to find that Bellamy had blocked her with his arm, pulling her back before she could tumble off a steep drop hidden by the darkness.
She opened her mouth to thank him, but the torches were just a few feet away now.
"It's a dead end," Lily said, breathless, locking eyes with Bellamy. "What do we do?"
But Murphy's voice cut through the trees. "Bellamy!"
Lily stiffened, glancing over her shoulder as the torchlight flickered closer, casting harsh orange light across Murphy's face. He came striding into view, eyes wild, breath steaming in the cold air.
He spotted Bellamy first, then Charlotte trembling in his arms. Then his gaze slid sharply to Lily.
"Well, look who's here," Murphy sneered, tilting his head as he advanced a step. Bellamy immediately stepped in front of Lily and Charlotte, planting himself protectively between them and Murphy.
Lily clenched her fists. "Murphy, don't do this."
Murphy barked a short, cold laugh. "I told you to stay out of this, sweetie," he said, eyes shifting back to Bellamy. "You can't fight all of us, Bellamy. Give her up."
The other five boys emerged from the trees, torches burning in their hands.
Lily swallowed hard, glancing up at Bellamy with rising worry. There were too many of them.
"Maybe not," Bellamy said, his voice hard. "But I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me."
Lily's hand shot out, grabbing his arm, her fingers trembling. She didn't even know what she wanted to say. "Bellamy…"
He turned to her, but before he could reply, Clarke's voice rang out from the woods, clear and desperate.
"Bellamy, stop!" she cried, stepping quickly between the two sides. Finn appeared just moments later, flanking her.
"Bellamy, this has gone too far," Clarke said, looking frantically between him and Murphy.
Murphy stared at Clarke, his expression unreadable. Clarke kept talking, trying to soothe the tension. "Just calm down. We'll talk about this."
"Murphy, please, listen to her," Lily pleaded, her hand still wrapped around Bellamy's arm. Murphy looked at her, and for a second it seemed like he might be listening—but then his eyes found Charlotte, and rage surged back into his face.
Before anyone could react, Murphy lunged forward and grabbed Clarke, pressing a knife to her throat.
"I'm sick of listening to you talk!" he shouted, glaring at Clarke.
"Let her go!" Finn yelled, panic tightening his voice as he took a step forward.
Murphy snapped the knife toward Finn, eyes blazing. "I'll slit her throat!" he snarled.
"Murphy, this won't fix anything!" Lily cried, stepping forward. Instantly, Bellamy's arm shot out, blocking her path.
"I think this will," Murphy said, eyes boring into Lily's. He was trembling with fury, completely blinded by it. Lily wanted to believe he wouldn't actually kill Clarke—but she wasn't sure anymore.
"Please. Please don't hurt her!" Charlotte shouted, her voice cracking as she stood a few feet behind Bellamy and Lily.
Murphy turned his head slowly toward the little girl, his grip on Clarke still tight. "Don't hurt her?" he repeated, voice icy. "Okay. I'll make you a deal. You come over to me right now, and I'll let her go."
What was he planning to do to her? He'd calmed down for half a second—but one look at his eyes told Lily he was completely beyond reason.
"Charlotte, don't do it!" Clarke cried, her voice trembling.
"Murphy," Lily tried again, shoving Bellamy's arm away so she could step closer. Their eyes met, and she spoke as gently as she could. "Please. There's no coming back from this."
Murphy's hand trembled around the knife. "Stay back, Lily! I mean it," he shouted, and Lily gasped as the blade pressed closer to Clarke's throat.
"Okay," Charlotte said softly, drawing all their attention. She took a step toward Murphy.
Bellamy instantly moved in front of her. "Don't do it, Charlotte!" he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. But the little girl struggled.
"No, no!" she cried. "I have to!"
Bellamy finally managed to stop her, turning to keep an eye on Murphy.
"Murphy," he said, voice firm, "This is not happening."
But it was Charlotte who spoke next, her voice frail and thin as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I can't let any of you get hurt anymore," she whispered. "Not because of me. Not after what I did."
Without warning, Charlotte turned her back at them and hurled herself off the edge of the cliff.
Lily's entire body froze as Clarke and Bellamy screamed the girl's name. For a moment, Lily couldn't hear anything but the rush of blood in her ears. Hot tears spilled down her face as she turned to look at Murphy. His eyes were wide, frozen in shock as he stared at the edge.
What have we done? she thought, as their eyes met. Nothing would have happened if they hadn't all been dragged into this spiral of violence.
Rain began to fall, cool drops spattering through the branches above them, as if the sky itself was mourning. The silence of the night seemed to swallow Clarke's sobs, making everything feel unbearably real. Lily trembled, unable to move, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Then, suddenly, she heard a sharp intake of breath and turned—just in time to see Bellamy launch himself at Murphy. He slammed into him, dragging him to the ground and landing punch after punch to Murphy's face.
Lily blinked back tears, her body shaking from the cold rain and the shock of Charlotte's fall. She stared at Bellamy as he punched Murphy again and again, each blow harder than the one before.
"Bellamy!" she shouted, her voice raw and cracking. She stumbled forward and grabbed his arm, but he jerked it away, refusing to stop. "Stop! You have to stop!"
Bellamy didn't even look at her, his knuckles slick with blood. Murphy's groans rose weakly beneath the pounding rain.
"Bellamy! You'll kill him!" Clarke cried from behind them.
Lily tried once more to pull him back, but she couldn't manage it. At last, Finn lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Bellamy from behind and hauling him off Murphy.
"Get off me!" Bellamy roared, still twisting, eyes wild with rage.
Finn kept wrestling Bellamy away, while Clarke hovered close by, her eyes wide with panic.
Lily dropped to her knees beside Murphy, her hands hovering uncertainly over him. Blood ran from his nose and the corner of his mouth, mixing with rain and dirt as it dripped onto his jacket.
"Murphy," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Hey… can you hear me?"
His eyelids fluttered open, revealing unfocused eyes. A ragged cough wracked his chest, and more blood spilled from his lips. Lily reached out, gently tilting his face so he wouldn't choke.
"He deserves to die!" she heard Bellamy cry, his rage made Lily tremble.
She blinked, rain and tears mingling on her cheeks. She just wished for all of that to stop. She wanted for them all to calm down, and stop with all that bloodshed. She just wanted a moment to breathe and cry.
"No!" Clarke said, managing to put herself before Bellamy, "We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here!" Lily looked up at Clarke, a spark of relief flared in her chest. But how would they do it. Words were not enough, nobody listened if they didn't want to.
Was that what you mean, Marcus? She found herself thinking, as she looked down at Murphy. Without authority people get violent, people get dangerous.
"So help me God, if you say the people have a right to decide!" He protested, but Clarke shook her head.
"No!" she exclaimed, "I was wrong before, okay? You were right!" Bellamy let out a shaky breath, as Clarke turned and her gaze met Lily's. "Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth." From Lily's eyes fall another tear, as she looks down to check on Murphy. Clarke turned to Bellamy, "But if we're gonna to survive down here, we can't just live by 'whatever the hell we want', we need rules."
Rules could also be violent and dangerous, though. They had seen it all their lives. How could they find the right balance? What was the right way of creating a society that won't end up killing itself? Lily was afraid of rules, but she was also afraid of chaos. What was the right thing to do?
Bellamy passed a tired hand over his face, before turning to Clarke, "And who makes the rules, huh?" he asked angrily, "You?"
Clarke took a step forward, "For now, we make the rules."
The two of them looked at each other for a moment, and Lily could see that the rage in Bellamy's eyes had not disappeared yet.
"What then?" he asked Clarke, pointing at Murphy, still lying on the ground, "We just take him back and pretend like it never happened?"
Lily's eyes widened. Banish him? Her breath caught painfully in her throat. Send him out there, alone? That was just another way of killing him… only slower.
For a moment, Lily felt her chest squeeze as if a cold hand had closed around her ribs. Was that justice? Or just cruelty hiding behind different words?
She glanced at Murphy, still bleeding into the dirt, but he had them and their decision. She hated what he'd done. She hated the fear he put into everyone. But did he deserve to be left alone out there?
Lily's eyes searched for Bellamy, but she knew it was pointless—he would never help Murphy in any way. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Bellamy striding toward where she was kneeling next to Murphy.
"Bellamy," she said, her voice trembling in a last, desperate attempt to reach him. His dark eyes locked onto hers, but there was nothing soft in them—only cold determination and a glint of fury that chilled her blood.
"When will all of this end?" she whispered, her words barely audible over the steady hiss of the rain.
For a moment, Bellamy only stared at her, towering above her as water dripped from his hair and splattered against his shoulders.
"Once he's gone," he said at last, voice rough as gravel. Without another word, he seized Murphy by the front of his shirt and hauled him upright, dragging him toward the edge of the cliff where Charlotte had fallen just minutes before.
A strangled sound escaped Lily's throat as she scrambled to her feet, nearly slipping in the mud as she rushed after them.
"Bellamy, don't do this!" she shouted, but he didn't even look back. Clarke called out too, her voice cracking, but Bellamy was locked onto Murphy, as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist.
Lily's hands flew to her mouth as she saw just how little effort it would take for Bellamy to shove Murphy over the edge and into the darkness below.
"If I ever catch you near camp again, we'll be back here," Bellamy hissed, his face so close to Murphy's that his breath misted in the cold night air. "Understand?"
Murphy gave the faintest of nods, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Bellamy released him with a violent shove that sent him sprawling to the ground, groaning in pain.
"And for the five of you," Bellamy snapped, turning to glare at the boys who had followed Murphy, "you can either come back and follow me—or go off with him to die. Your choice."
None of the boys answered, but the decision was written on every pale, frightened face.
Bellamy turned to leave, but Lily stepped into his path, planting herself firmly in front of him, chest heaving.
"Bellamy, we can't just leave him here," she said, voice shaking with both fear and conviction.
Bellamy stared at her, rain sliding down his cheeks like tears he refused to shed. For an instant, something flickered in his eyes—regret, or maybe exhaustion—but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"It's over, Lily," he said flatly, his tone brooking no argument. "Let's go."
He brushed past her, leaving her standing there, struggling to catch her breath.
Are we really leaving him here? she thought, turning to look back at Murphy. We don't know anything about this planet. Alone out here… he'll die.
"Clarke," Lily whispered, barely able to keep her voice steady as she glanced at the other girl. Clarke bit her lip, eyes brimming with tears, and shook her head slowly.
"It's the only thing we can do, Lily," she murmured, her voice raw, before following Bellamy into the shadows of the trees.
A bitter, trembling breath escaped Lily's lips as she turned to Murphy, who was still sprawled on the ground, battered and bloodied, staring up at the sky as if he couldn't quite comprehend how everything had ended up like this.
For a long second, Lily simply stood there, raindrops falling like cold needles onto her skin. Then, pressing her lips into a thin line, she dropped to her knees beside him, mud splashing around her shins. Her hands trembled as she reached for the hem of her shirt and tore off a strip of fabric. She gently pressed it into Murphy's hand, her own fingers stained with blood and dirt.
"At least you'll be able to clean your wounds," she murmured, though her voice wavered.
Murphy stared at the scrap of fabric, his face pale and slack with shock, his eyes unfocused. For a moment, Lily wondered if he even understood what she was saying.
She swallowed hard, feeling a burning knot tighten in her throat. I wish none of this had happened, she thought desperately.
Raising her eyes, she met Murphy's. His expression was utterly defeated, and yet there was a flicker of confusion—or maybe disbelief—that she was even still there beside him.
"I'm so sorry, Murphy," she whispered, her voice breaking as tears slid down her rain-slicked cheeks. She hoped that he knew she meant it.
Suddenly, she felt a presence at her side and flinched at the gentle touch on her shoulder. She twisted around and found Finn there, his hair plastered to his forehead with rain, his eyes somber.
"Lily," Finn said softly, his voice calm and patient as he offered his hand. "We need to go."
Lily drew in another shuddering breath, her chest aching under the weight of it all. With one last, lingering look at Murphy, she slipped her trembling hand into Finn's. He helped her to her feet, his grip firm and reassuring.
As they started back toward the dropship, Lily cast a final glance over her shoulder. Murphy was already swallowed by shadows and falling rain. She couldn't see him anymore, and a silent prayer formed in her chest: Please, don't let death find him so quickly.