CHAPTER 53: THE GAP IN THE DEFENSE
In the days after Lila’s revelation, the air around Black Rock felt charged and fragile. No one spoke of her openly, but her name hung in every pause, every glance, every quiet debate. She had not left us with an enemy’s threat — she had left us with a test, one that cut deeper than any blade: prove that our way was not just kinder, but strong enough to hold when it mattered most. And we did not have long to wait for that test.
Three days later, riders came racing in from the southern border, their bikes dented and mud‑splashed, their faces tight with alarm. A band of raiders had crossed the river far to the west, slipping past the outposts where the watch had been thinned by winter losses and lingering uncertainty. They were moving fast, heading straig
