"Let's go over this again. As soon as echo and raven get the eye down, we take the rover, we drive across the wasteland. We break out our people before Wonkru attacks with the worms." Bellamy said, pacing like he always did when a plan has to be perfect.

I frowned, watching the lines of worry etch his face.
"Octavia will except us to do something like that. She'll post sentries" I say

Bellamy's smirk was sharp.
"That's too bad for the sentries" he said

Monty slammed his fist on the table, and my stomach lurched.
"This....This was supposed to be jaspers suicide note, after we pulled him out of the city of light. He was gonna put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger." Monty said, voice cracking.

"Monty, now's not the time" harper said, calm but firm.

"Now is the perfect time! 'Monty I know you're an optimist, you think better days are ahead.' But that's not true. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. There's only the tunnel, another enemy to fight, another war. I've come to the conclusion that we're the problem. Human beings. All of us. The cycle can't be broken as long as we're here. That's why I won't be here. That's why-'" he said, as he broke down, tears streaming down his face as my chest tightened.

"Monty...It's okay" Harper said gently, moving toward him.

"Yeah...jasper was smarter than all of us. It doesn't matter what we do. Coming back to the ground, opening the bunker, all we've done is made things worse. If a war is the only way to have the last survivable land on earth, then maybe we don't deserve it." He walked out, leaving a heavy silence.

"Bellamy, something's happening" I said, my eyes glued to the screen.

He same over, and I felt a flicker of hope.
"We're in. Echo did it." I smile

"Okay" he nods, starting to walk out.

"Bellamy wait." I called out.
"As soon as we tell her she marches to war and unleashes the worms." I add

"That's why we got to get there first. We take the rover we get out people out. Then we worry about stopping a war okay?" He said. I nodded, trying to steady my racing thoughts.

"Good. I'll get Monty and harper. You get Madi- we leave tonight." He turned and walked out, and I let out a quiet breath, turning to shut down the computer before heading to find Madi.

The fighting pit felt eerily familiar. Kids sparred under Octavia's watchful eye, and I froze for a moment, taking in the scene. Madi was sitting among the children, eyes alert, and I felt a pang in my chest. My daughter....my daughter was about to step into a world I wished she didn't have to see.

One boy punched another, and Gaia spoke sharply.
"Jonas, you're next" she said

"Wait....Madi, you're up. Fight." Octavia commanded

"Blodeina, she's not ready." Gaia tried to interject, but Octavia's stare silenced her.

Madi rose calmly and walked toward the swords lying nearby- one conveniently by my side. My stomach tightened as she picked it up. Her hand gripped the hilt like she'd been born for this. She turned to face the other boy, standing tall and steady.

"Be the last" Gaia said, and the fight began.

I could see her holding back at first, almost hiding her skill. But then her expression shifted- something hard and determined. She wanted to win. My heart lurched, a fix of pride and fear, but she didn't glance at me. Not once.

Her blade connected, pushing her opponent back. I shook my head slightly, but she ignored me, moving with purpose. Another strike, another block- and then she knocked him down, swinging decisively.

"Enough!" Gaia yelled, and Madi stopped immediately. She extended a hand to help the boy up, and he hesitated before taking it.

"Gaia, fit her for armor. And get her a real sword." Octavia ordered. My body felt weak, every muscle heavy as I watched my daughter step fully into a role I hadn't imagined her taking so soon.

"Madi, we're about to fight a war on your land, for your land, and I could really use a second who knows the terrain when we get there. What do you say, Madi kom Wonkru?" Octavia asked, holding her hand out.

My breath caught. Every part of me trembled as Madi took her hand. The trust, the power, the weight of what was about to come- I felt it hit me all at once.

"All right then. We march as soon as the eyes down. I need to barrow her for a strategy session. You don't mind do you, Diana?" Octavia asked me

I smiled, forcing the weakness from my voice.
"No. It's fine." I said, glancing at Madi once more before stepping away.

Back in the room, I looked at Bellamy.
"Where's Madi?" He asked

"With your sister." I answer sharply

"Diana, we don't have time for this. We have to leave now as soon as diyoza realizes what echo and raven did, they're dead. We have no choice" Bellamy says

My gaze could barely meet anyone's.
"She made Madi her second. If they march, Madi dies" I said, and all eyes snapped to me. But my gaze stayed fixed on the ground.

For a second, no one spoke.

"You're wrong. We have a choice." Clarke said, stepping forward, grabbing the radio.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Harper asked, her hand reaching for it. Monty stopped her, holding her wrist.

"Stopping the cycle" Clarke said, holding up the radio.

"This is Clarke Griffin. I have a question for colonel Diyoza." She said, steady.

"Hello, Clarke. What the hell do you want?" Diyoza replied

"What would it take for you to share the valley?" Clarke asked

"Share it? Well let me see, short of an unconditional surrender nothing." She replied

"Octavia will never surrender" Monty said

"That's why we're gonna take her out." Clarke said and I felt my stomach drop.

"I don't care how you make it happen, Clarke. Kill Octavia if you have to. Bring her to me in chains and I'll do it for you. Or she can surrender herself but your red queen doesn't seem like the type." Diyoza said, and I buried my head with my hands

"Let us worry about that." Clarke replied

"We have an understanding, then?" Diyoza says

"We do" Clarke answered

"Good. Call me back when it's done, and we can work out the details of your crossing. Over and out" diyoza finished

"No way" Bellamy snapped

"Bellamy-" Clarke starts

"We are not killing my sister, clarke. I don't care how crazy she is. Run the loop, the rovers charged, we're getting our friends. That was reckless. We had a plan, you agreed." He shot back

"I'm doing this for Diana. If octavia made Madi her second, that army marches to war as soon as they find out the eye is down. We need to stop this now before anyone else dies." Clarke says

"So we don't tell anyone" harper offers

"They'll know as soon as we drive away" Monty says

"Who cares? We grab Madi and we go" Bellamy
says

"Bellamy, Clarkes right. Madi is by her side." I finally say

"She's my sister, Diana" he said, eyes snapping to mine.

"I know. We need a different plan. So please, help me find one" I say, almost begging.

"We stop the war" Monty said

"How?" Harper asked

"Algae" Monty said, holding up a small vial.

"Monty-" Bellamy started

"Cooper already gave me permission to show what it can do. She's meeting me before the afternoon meal so I can take her to the-" Monty began

"That's enough." Bellamy said, grabbing it.

"Hey, give it back!" Monty yelled

"Monty, Bellamy's right. Coopers worse than Octavia. No offense. Besides the first batch our Murphy in a coma for almost a week. By the time it's ready to eat-" harper started

"The first culture, and we're not gonna eat it this time. We're gonna feed it to the plants. If we can make the farm viable again then we'll still have a chance." Monty explained

Then Octavia walked in.

"The spy did her job?" She asked

"Uh we were just about to send for you. Told you echo would get it done." Bellamy said quickly

"Can the enemy still see us?" She asked

"For now yes, it's technical but-" Monty started

"He has to run a loop to mask our troop movements. When the time comes, we need to clear the surface to reduce the risk of anyone noticing the same people moving in the same direction again and again." Cooper explained

"Well done, Monty. Load the worms into the rover and mobilize the army. War is here." Octavia said, and they all walked out, leaving me with a tight chest, racing thoughts, and the weight  of what was coming.