FLASHBACK:
Maria's hand was trembling in his, her amber eyes wide, urgent, filled with a fear she tried so hard to mask with determination. They stood in the quiet of their home, the curtains drawn, the world outside asleep, and yet the air felt heavy with the weight of enemies neither of them could see but both knew were there.
"All we have to do is run," she whispered fiercely, her grip tightening as though she could anchor him to her resolve. "Leave this behind, Alvin. Start fresh. Somewhere far, somewhere they'll never find us."
Her voice cracked but she pressed on, desperate. "It's the only way."
Alvin looked at her, really looked, and for a fleeting moment he allowed himself to imagine it—packing what they could, taking Harper in his arms, and vanishing into the world like shadows. A new life, untouched by the Blackwoods, untouched by Rapture's claws. A life where Maria's smile wasn't lined with fear.
