Mars brought me back to the base. My mind was in a fog, unable to process his words as he spoke softly in my ear. The only thing replaying in my head was the blood-soaked image of Sofia's head exploding from a single gunshot.
The nausea hit hard. I vomited until I felt hollow, my body collapsing under the weight of days of running, being kidnapped, constant fear, and the final horrifying blow.
Then I fell ill—a raging fever kept me bedridden for days, pulling me into a haze of disjointed, chaotic dreams.
In one, I was at an amusement park with Angela. She was calling, "Mom! Mom!" as she ran toward me, her laughter ringing out like bells. I knelt down and stretched out my arms to catch her.
But the scene twisted. Suddenly, it was Will throwing Angela from the second floor. In the dream,
