Zeke's boots were torn, soaked through with mud, sweat, and blood. The forest had no path—only thorns, steep ridges, and endless stretches of shadow. He hadn't rested in two days. Hunger clawed at his insides, but he didn't stop. Not when the howls of patrol hounds echoed behind him. Not when his vision blurred from exhaustion. He was driven by something deeper than duty—hope, thin and ragged, but burning.
By dusk on the third day, he staggered through a veil of mist and into a clearing. There, the distant hum of human movement—the murmurs of determined men and women, the clinking of gear, the disciplined rustle of formation. The freedom fighters. He had made it.
Asa turned first. "Zeke?"
Devon and Keal's eyes widened. "By the stars… He made it."
Mora was at his side in seconds, helping him down to a sitting position. "He walked through the Gaulan forest… alone?"
Kael knelt beside him, gripping his shoulder. "You're insane, Zeke."
Asa stepped forward. His voice was steady, proud. "You're alive—and more than that, you made it to us. That alone is victory."
Zeke tried to speak but only managed a nod.
"You've honored us," Asa continued. "And you've reminded us what we fight for. Rest now. When we reach Sector 12, I promise you—we will find your mother. And your brother."
Zeke's throat tightened. The words landed like a warm cloak over his weary bones.
That night, the camp was quiet. Fires were low. The march toward Sector 12 would resume before sunrise. Soldiers sharpened blades, whispered prayers, or stared silently at the dark canopy above.
Zeke sat alone by a dying flame when Gad approached.
"I heard what you did," Gad said, settling beside him. "Through the forest like that… You could've died."
Zeke shrugged, a ghost of a smile flickering across his face. "Could've."
Gad hesitated, then said, "I know your brother."
Zeke turned, frowning.
"Jimi," Gad added. "He's with the Greenland army now. He didn't join them because he believes in their cause. He thinks it's the only way to help your mother. To keep her fed… safe."
Zeke was quiet. Gad watched him closely, expecting fury, betrayal—anything.
But Zeke only looked surprised. "He joined them… for her?"
Gad nodded slowly. "You're not angry?"
Zeke's gaze dropped to the fire. "No. I'm… surprised. That's all."
Gad tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because I understand why he did it," Zeke said. "We all make our choices. Mine led me here. His… led him there. But we both chose for the same reason."
Gad exhaled, then nodded. "Maybe we're not as different as we thought."