LOGINAria's POVThe water skin slipped from my fingers and struck the stone floor with a soft thump, my attention fixed entirely on the face in front of me: dirt-streaked, gaunt, shadowed by exhaustion, yet instantly recognizable.Finn.He stared back with equal disbelief. His cracked lips parted, and my name formed silently on his tongue."Finn," I whispered, the word catching in my throat. "You're alive.""Barely," he rasped, attempting a smile that twisted into a grimace. "You look different, Aria.""a year will do that to a person." I dropped to my knees beside the cot before I finished speaking, checking his pulse, examining his pupils, assessing the visible wounds through his torn shirt. "How bad is it? What did they do to you?""Nothing permanent." He caught my wrist with surprising gentleness.”"I need to examine you properly," I said, steadying my voice. "You're dehydrated and malnourished and those cuts require cleaning, we can talk afterward."He nodded and released my wrist, al
Sylvie's POVBefore dawn I rose and walked to the entrance and Fen was already there, inspecting his gear under the faint glow of a lamp."You should have slept," I said, sitting beside him."So should you." He kept his eyes on the knife he was sharpening. "Nerves?"I drew my own blade and joined the ritual. "Nerves belong to people who have never faced this, experience belongs to those who know exactly how many things can still go wrong."He nodded slowly. "How many things went wrong for you in the past?"I weighed whether to soften the truth, then discarded the idea. "Enough to teach me that preparation carries you only so far after that, you rely on instinct and hope the odds favor you.""Did your instincts ever fail you?""Sometimes." I met his gaze steadily. "But I am still here that means I learned from the failures faster than they killed me."He considered my words, then returned to his sharpening as the rest of the team arrivedLiv appeared first, moving without sound, her eq
Kai’s POVThe kiss started slow, the way the night itself felt slow—cool air brushing our skin, stars steady overhead, no hurry anywhere.Aria’s lips were soft and warm against mine, tasting faintly of the mint she chewed after supper. I kept one hand at the small of her back, the other cradling the side of her neck, thumb resting along her jaw. She sighed into my mouth, small and quiet… When we parted just enough to breathe, her eyes caught the starlight. “You said walk with no purpose,” she murmured, lips curving the smallest amount. “This feels like purpose.”“It is.” I brushed my nose along hers. “The best kind.”She laughed under her breath, a soft sweet sound… then tugged my hand. “Come on then. There’s a place behind the old grain shed, no one goes there after dark.”I followed without question.The path narrowed until we walked single file, her fingers still laced through mine. When we reached the spot, the grass was really flat, silvered by moonlight, bordered on three side
Kai's POVMorning arrived quietly, I stood in the courtyard watching the teams gather for drills. Rylan and Kira appeared first, their steps already more controlled than they had been a week earlier. Fen, Liv, and Tor arrived next and took their places without prompting, Malrick stepped out from the hall carrying a cup of tea; his lined face held a faint look of approval.Then Sylvie passed me without speaking, the same as always but this time I noticed details I had overlooked before, how her stride eased slightly when she neared Malrick and her gaze, usually distant, met his for a brief second, shoulders loosening when he gave her a quick nod.“Focus,” Malrick called to Rylan, who had shifted his boot and scraped a stone. “That noise travels, you might as well blow a trumpet.”Rylan muttered under his breath but corrected his footing.I left the wall and walked to where Aria filled water skins she worked steadily, eyes scanning the group even while her hands moved.“You keep watchin
Sylvie's POVLight footsteps approached from behind—Liv."You should rest," I said, keeping my eyes on the map."So should you," she replied."Rest comes after."Liv stepped beside me and studied the markings in the dim lamplight. Her face appeared softer in that glow, yet her gaze held steady. "The prisoner. Do you believe we can bring him out?""We will attempt it." I met her eyes briefly. "Attempting and succeeding remain separate matters.""I understand." She hesitated. "Fen believes the cage sits close enough to the supply tents that a single diversion could serve both goals.""Fen focuses on possibilities that succeed and overlooks those that collapse." I straightened, rolling tension from my shoulders. "That is my responsibility, his role is to report what stands before him, not what he hopes to see."Liv nodded. "Tor insists on returning tomorrow even if only to observe and verify the delivery schedule.""No.""He claims—""I know his arguments. He insists he can move unseen,
Kai's POVI stood at the wall overlooking the cellar tunnel entrance, fingers pressed against cold stone. Below, Fen, Liv, and Tor had just disappeared into the darkness. Three shadows swallowed by a greater shadow. No dramatic farewells. No promises. Sylvie had checked their gear one final time, nodded once, and stepped back.“They will return,” Malrick said from beside me. His voice carried certainty rather than comfort.“They have never done this alone,” I replied. “Without you or Sylvie to guide them.”“She has been guiding them for three days. Now they guide themselves.” He paused. “That is how training works, Alpha. You release them and trust them.”Aria’s voice drifted up from the hall below. “The map is ready. Elara is bringing the latest supply estimates.”I turned from the wall. “We will be there shortly.”Malrick followed me down the narrow stairs. His movements were slower than usual; the old wound in his side troubling him more than he admitted. A large oak table held ou







