"I've thought about that," Jude admitted. "But I don't remember anything. I don't remember planning any of this. I only remember waking up here after the outbreak."
"But what if the outbreak wasn't real?" Serena said.
Everyone looked at her.
She bit her lip and continued, "What if the world didn't end? What if it was just us brought here? What if we've been lied to this entire time?"
The words landed like stones thrown into still water.
Sophie stood abruptly. "We need to search the island. All of it. Not just the places we're used to. We need to go beyond the border."
"No," Jude said quickly. "That's suicide. The monsters, "
"Maybe they're not monsters," she snapped. "Maybe they're guardians. Maybe they're there to keep us in , not keep danger out."
Everyone was looking at Jude now. Waiting. Expectant.
He swallowed hard. "We'll scout the border tomorrow. A small group. No one goes alone. If there's something hidden here, we'll find it."
