I limped through the hallway, one hand pressed against the wall for support. Every step sent pain radiating through my body—ribs that were definitely broken, muscles that had been pushed beyond their limits, exhaustion that went bone-deep.
Without my System, I felt naked. Vulnerable in a way I hadn't experienced in such a long time. No Superior Endurance to push through the pain. No Advanced Trauma Care to tell me which injuries were critical. Just raw, unfiltered suffering that threatened to drag me down with every movement.
The building was chaos. Alarms still blaring. Smoke from the raid drifting through corridors. The sounds of combat from the lower floors—Samuel's forces still fighting Hugo's security contractors.
I passed bodies. Some in security uniforms. Some in Ghanaian military gear. The raid had been costly.
But I couldn't think about that. Could only focus on moving forward. One step. Then another. Then another.
