Dray POV
The gate clung to me like it didn't want to let me go. A wall of sticky, fibrous sludge, cold and wet, dragged against my arms as I shoved my way through. Each step felt like tearing free from a spider's web spun out of nightmares.
And then—silence.
I stumbled forward into the Upside Down version of the lab. The air was thick, damp, metallic. The walls around me sagged under roots that pulsed faintly with a sickly glow. My boots crunched on dust that wasn't dust, something that seemed alive beneath the surface.
It was colder here. Always colder.
I pushed out of the lab doors, and from a distance, I spotted two familiar shapes against the dark landscape—Joyce and Hopper. Relief flickered across their faces as I approached.
"Sorry," I said, my voice hoarse. "I'm late. Had to take care of some things in the lab."
Joyce exhaled hard, her shoulders sagging for a moment. In this poisoned atmosphere, even that brief reprieve looked like a gift. "It's okay. We just got here five minutes ago."
I nodded, scanning the endless shadows around us. "Then we move. We need to find them."
I started forward, but Hopper's hand caught my shoulder, steady and firm. His eyes were hard, serious. "Should we divide? You look for the girl. We'll look for the boy."
Joyce nodded quickly, eager. "Yes. We shouldn't waste more time. Every second—"
I cut her off with a shake of my head. "No. Splitting up here is suicide. This place…" My throat tightened as I forced the words. "From what El described, I don't have much hope for Nancy's friend. I'm sorry, but we can't risk all our lives chasing ghosts."
"No," Joyce snapped, fierce and immediate. "Don't say that. Don't you dare. We stick to Hop's plan. Both of them. They're alive. I know it."
I clenched my jaw. "I want to believe that too. But dividing ourselves makes us weak. If something finds you—"
Hopper pressed harder on my shoulder. "Kid, Joyce and I left our lives behind the second we stepped through. It's not about us anymore—it's about getting those kids out. Both of them.""
The conviction in his voice was like iron. I dropped my gaze, fighting the war inside me. Every instinct screamed to keep us together, to protect the few people I trusted. But Joyce's eyes softened, almost pleading.
"I know what you're doing, Dray," she said quietly. "You're trying to protect us. But this isn't your choice alone. We decided this."
Their resolve was unshakable. I swallowed, then gave a small nod. "Fine. I'll search for her. You go for the boy."
Joyce let out a breath she'd been holding, and Hopper gave a curt nod.
He pointed toward the twisted skyline where the ruins of Hawkins High hunched in the distance. "School's that way. We'll head toward the woods. Castle Byers should be there."
They turned to leave, but I raised my voice. "Listen to me. If you see it—if the Demogorgon comes—don't fight. Hide. Do you hear me? Just hide."
Both of them glanced back, Hopper with a grim nod, Joyce forcing a shaky thumbs-up. And then they were gone, swallowed by the fog.
Alone, I sighed under my breath. "At least Nancy wasn't here. She'd have shot me for saying all that." A small, bitter smile tugged at my lips before fading.
I turned toward Hawkins, Boots crunching over soil that pulsed with roots, alive like veins beneath the surface. My chest tightened. I hope Nancy and Jonathan figured it out by now.
One Hour Earlier – Gymnasium POV
The gym was too quiet. The kind of quiet that made every drip from the ceiling sound like a gunshot.
The kids sat clustered together on the bleachers. Steve leaned against the wall, arms folded, trying to look calm but failing. Eleven sat apart, wrapped in towels, her knees pulled to her chest, her face hidden.
Lucas tapped his foot nervously against the floor. The sound echoed sharp in the silence.
"Can you not?" Dustin hissed, glaring at him. "You're making us all more nervous."
Lucas shot him a look. "What else am I supposed to do, huh?" Their voices rose, tension breaking through.
"Both of you—enough," Steve muttered, rubbing his temples. "You're gonna drive me insane." He exhaled, mumbling to himself, "Dray really left me babysitting duty…"
He looked over at Nancy. She hadn't moved for minutes, staring at the floor, her brows furrowed deep.
"Hey," Steve said softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
Nancy blinked, jolted out of her thoughts. "What?"
"I said, what are you thinking about so hard?"
She hesitated, then lifted her gaze to the group. "How could they just walk in there like that? Hopper, Joyce, my mom… Dray. They're walking into a death trap. That thing is still out there. And they know it."
Mike spoke up quickly, his voice tight but hopeful. "But Dray's with them. He'll keep them safe."
Beside him, Dustin and Lucas both nodded, echoing, "Yeah. Exactly."
But Steve frowned. "Hold on. That doesn't make sense. You guys keep talking about this monster like it's unstoppable. Dray's smart, sure, but… with his injuries? Can he even fight something like that?"
Eleven's voice cut through, quiet but certain. "Steve is right. Dray can't fight it."
Jonathan's head snapped up. "Then why did he go with them?"
Silence spread like frost.
Nancy's hand twitched in her lap. A memory flashed—Dray glancing back at her before leaving, his fingers making a small, subtle gesture. At the time, she hadn't understood. But now… the thought clawed at her. Could it mean something? Or was she just imagining it?
Her heart pounded. "Wait," she whispered. "I think… I think he had another plan."