The police swarmed the hall, arresting Nora. As they led her away, she turned to Zara and smiled. "This isn't over," she said. "There are more like me. More who know how to use pain to get what they want."
Lila walked over to Zara, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "For everything. For letting her use me. For almost hurting you."
Zara pulled her into a hug. "You're not the one who needs to be sorry. We'll get you help. We'll make sure you can start over."
Kairos joined them, his arm around Zara. "We did it," he said quietly. "We stopped her."
But Zara knew Nora was right—there would always be people who used pain and fear to control others. But there would also be people who stood up to them. People like Isaac, like Lila, like Kairos.
People who refused to let evil win.