Willow's POV
After hours of searching every inch of the compound and calling for my children until my voice was hoarse, I found myself standing alone in the courtyard, surrounded by silence. My heart pounded as I stared at the empty grounds as if my pleas might somehow conjure their small, familiar faces from the shadows. But no one came.
The few people I’d managed to find in the nearby houses and shops had only offered vague sympathy before turning away. I realized then, with a sinking feeling, that no one was going to help me. No one was as desperate as I was to find my children.
Desperation mounting, I made my way to the security office, my footsteps heavy with anger and fear. I didn’t knock, didn’t wait. I barged into the room and faced the chief of security with a glare that, at
