Dawn leaked through the cracks, turning the blood on the floor into sticky black. Tidam was alive, but only just.
Tim leaned against the table, shirt ripped open, chest streaked in sweat and crimson. He looked like a fighter dragged off a pay-per-view main event, body battered but still standing. The girls' eyes kept pulling to him — not just for orders, but for something more.
Lacey was first to break the silence. She crossed her arms, tank top clinging like she'd just finished a CrossFit session. Sweat still ran down her cleavage, glistening like an Instagram gym selfie. "We need structure. Drills, routines. If we keep winging it, we'll die."
Yuko perched on the edge of the table, skirt riding up, legs crossed smooth and deliberate. She twirled her knife, smirking like an idol at a fan meet-and-greet who knows she owns every gaze in the room. "Drills are fine. But intel comes first. Casey's job is mine now. Without eyes, your routines are just TikTok workouts with no audience."
Amy shifted where she sat curled beside Jenny, hoodie sliding off one shoulder. She looked like a soft gamer-girl streamer until you noticed her nails digging into the wood. "Supplies," she piped up. "If I don't keep us stocked, your workouts and intel mean nothing." She clung tighter to Jenny's arm as she said it, pressing her cheek into her chest like a kitten staking territory.
Jenny sat stiff, blouse torn low, the edge of her bra strap showing. She looked like she'd been dragged through a warzone runway show, hair messy but eyes locked. "Then put me in front," she said. "I'm not hiding while others fight for me."
The room went quiet.
Lacey's jaw tightened. Yuko's smirk sharpened. Even Amy's wide eyes narrowed for a beat.
Tim looked between them all. He could feel it — the weight of Casey's absence, the messy knot of desire and distrust filling the air. The girls weren't just fighting for survival anymore. They were fighting for space beside him.
He exhaled. "Casey died saving Jenny. That matters. But this isn't about one person. It's about Tidam. And Tidam stands together."
It didn't fix the tension. If anything, it made the air heavier. Lacey's arms pressed tighter under her chest, pushing curves upward as if daring him to look. Yuko slid off the table with a smirk, brushing past him close enough her thigh grazed his hip. Amy whispered something into Jenny's ear, but her kitten eyes darted to Tim, as if checking whether he was watching.
Jenny met his gaze across the table. Fragile, yes, but her stare had steel. "Then let me prove I belong here. Don't treat me like a ghost from your past."
The words hit harder than she knew.
Tim didn't smile, but his shoulders eased. "You'll get your chance."
For now, Tidam was four women circling a single leader — half-warriors, half-rivals, each with their own pull. It felt less like an alliance and more like a reality show that could tip into blood or lust at any moment.
And Tim knew: restructuring wasn't just about roles. It was about keeping this fragile, dangerous chemistry from burning itself apart.
Outside, Villian Ville woke. Whispers spread of Tidam's survival and Genny's fury.
Inside, Tim sat in silence, the weight of four sets of eyes pressing into him, each demanding something different — loyalty, protection, intimacy, maybe love.
For the first time since Casey vanished, he felt the storm building again.
And he wasn't sure if Tidam would survive it.