The bridge carried them over a body of water toward an island in the distance. Alex looked out the window, trying her best to see the sea rolling beneath them. The capsized remains of old ships sat in the water like rusted skeletons caught on the shallow land they were leaving.

White and gray birds roosted on the ships. There were some flying above the ships, circling above the flock. They drifted on the breeze before dipping down to roost, squabbling amongst one another for the best spot to perch.

"I should tell you something." Edric's words peeled Alex away from the sights outside.

 "What?" Cicero asked for both of them.

"Vida told me right before we got to the city. Will's so important to the people here because his, your, parents run the place."

Alex's head whipped around. "My parents are here?" she asked while rubbing her neck from the pain that the sharp movement elicited.

Edric nodded at her. He twirled around the unlit cigarette between two fingers absentmindedly. "I guess somehow they all found themselves here. Your parents worked their way up to leading it."

"And what is this place exactly?" Alex pushed.

"I'm still not sure, like I said. I don't know what this place is or how it works. Avoiders, the Code, no one knows about this place. Not unless you find it by accident. That's how Vida found it. She has, or had, a knack for exploring. Vida wanted to see the world, or what was left of it."

Anticipation swelled inside Alex's chest. She didn't know if she should have felt excited or worried.

Her parents were in front of them.

My parents are here. They're alive, Alex thought. She tried to picture what they might look like and hoped they would have more brains than her brother.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cicero looking over at her. He appeared more worried for her than for what they were about to drive into, but he didn't say anything.

The vehicles carried on slowly, and two riders escorted them the entire way across the bridge. Buildings grew to distinguished shapes the closer they got to the other side. They weren't as tall as the ones back in the cities, but they were magnificent nonetheless.

Three shapes in the far distance caught Alex's eyes in particular. Giant pyramids, each a different color, towered from the ground. Holographic images, visible even from the bridge, swarmed around the tops of them.

"How is this place not run by the Achilles?" Alex questioned in disbelief.

"Maybe it is," Cicero warned. He guided the Glider in a straight line, glancing back every once in a while to check on the van.

Soon enough, they were crossing over the last few feet of the bridge onto the island. Alex sucked in a deep breath.

Everything was as alive as it had looked from far away.

There were houses and apartment buildings, sparse like most of them had been torn down, but still enough to be considered a city in Alex's mind. Clothing hung out on balconies and waved in the wind like distant greetings to their arrival. Tall trees with thin trunks rose out of grassy patches lining sidewalks and streets.

People bustled around the sidewalks. Dozens of cars had already passed them, turning up and down the multi-laned roads navigating the city.

The city moved at a slow pace, as did the vehicles and people, and there was also a heavy presence of animal drawn carts. Alex craned her head as a mule trotted past them with a cart full of laughing children.

One of the riders that had escorted them into the city rode ahead of the Glider and led them along the street off to the left. They were heading down a road that led them closer to the pyramids.

People stopped their daily tasks to watch them roll down the road. They most likely hadn't seen newcomers in a long time, if what Edric had said was true.

Children ran up and down the streets, but stopped to look just as their parents did. Alex scanned their faces as they passed. The children looked different. It wasn't the naïve bliss that she knew all too well growing up. Instead, they appeared genuinely content. They were happy, even. For once, people didn't look rigid or scared to make the wrong move. They were actually living.

"I really hope this place is safe. It doesn't look like there's any other way out besides where we came from," Cicero said. He rolled his hand over the steering wheel, the leather squeaking.

"You've met my parents, right? They sound like good people." Alex hoped they were. She wished that every dream she had about them were true.

"They were when I met them, but that was a long time ago. Time changes people," Cicero said dismally.

The street opened up into an enormous field. People dispersed quickly as they neared, running toward a building standing not far off from the three pyramids. Now that they were closer, Alex could see the images swirling at their peaks. Birds, marine animals, and what looked like a solar system flew around each respective structure. She was so engrossed in the images, she didn't notice a small group of people nearing them.

Cicero stopped the Glider, and Alex finally drew her eyes away from the pyramids. She regarded the figures approaching their vehicles. They stopped short, as if waiting for them all to get out and join them.

"I guess that's our cue," Cicero mumbled, waving his hand over the dashboard.

The Glider fell silent, and the three hopped out of the car. Alex turned around and waited as Ace and Rollo walked over toward where they were. Ace was stifling a yawn, appearing to be unimpressed.

"I heard you brought our son back." A woman started over toward them. Her brunette hair fell in loose curls to her shoulders. Soft eyes looked around at the people she walked toward, when suddenly they widened. Surprise wrinkled her small face. The woman was looking directly at Cicero. Then, her eyes darted between him and Alex. "Oh." She held her hand up to her mouth. "Oh!"

Alex felt her stomach flip over itself. This woman was her mother. Her real, flesh and blood mother. Someone she never thought she would see again. Convinced, by Cicero, that the Achilles had most likely killed her.

She wanted to run forward, to fall to her knees and cry. Alex wanted to embrace the woman who had fought to give her up so long ago to Cicero. But she knew she couldn't. Doing so might reveal her secret. There was no telling if her mother had said anything about what she was.

Her mother cut her eyes behind Alex to the riders. She was careful not to make a sudden movement. "You're all dismissed. My husband and I can take care of our son and those that brought him."

"But these strangers—" the man started.

"They're our guests. I'm sure they'll surrender all their weapons over to you without a problem."

The two men climbed down from their horses. The one who Alex's mother had silenced barely showed any defiance.

They seem loyal enough. But then again, so did the Avoiders. Alex chewed her lip.

Alex and the others did as directed. The men went over to the van and took Nyx's weapons as well. Once they confiscated all weapons, the riders loaded up their bags and led their horses off.