Morning didn’t arrive with light. It came with noise. Sirens wailed somewhere far beyond the safe house, low and mechanical, echoing through the broken city like a warning meant for anyone still foolish enough to hope. I woke with my heart already racing, the twins restless inside me, their movements sharp and uneasy. My body knew before my mind caught up, something had shifted during the night. Damian was already on his feet. He stood near the window, shirtless, weapons strapped across his back, eyes fixed on the horizon. His posture was rigid in a way that told me everything I needed to know. This wasn’t another scouting wave. This wasn’t a random sweep. This was organized. “They found us,” I said quietly. He didn’t turn. “They found the area. Not us specifically. Yet.” Chloe moved behin
