[Evelina's POV — Valemire Village—Morning After]
Peace was suspicious.
Not the fragile kind—the kind that shattered at the first sound. This peace was thick. Heavy. Like the land itself was holding its breath.
Sunlight filtered through gauze-thin curtains, dust motes drifting lazily in the air. Outside, Valemire Village woke slowly—wooden shutters creaking open, distant footsteps on stone, and the muted sound of water being drawn from a well. No sirens. No engines. No gunfire pretending to be silence.
I lay still, staring at the ceiling.
Alive. Safe. And very much not finished.
My legs throbbed beneath the bandages Theo had wrapped with infuriating care. Every ache was a reminder: I had run, fought, bled, and survived. The game hadn't taken that from me.
Yet.
A small weight pressed against my side.
I glanced down.
