Author's Note Thank you for reading and for staying with this story as it continues to grow. I wanted to share a quick update before the next stretch begins. I'll be taking a short pause, but this isn't the end—far from it. I've decided to expand this book into a long-form story of 100+ chapters, released in four seasons, with twenty-four to twenty-six chapters a piece per season. Each season will follow its own arc while building toward a larger, interconnected future for these characters and the world they're rebuilding. This pause is intentional. I want the next chapters to be deeper, richer, and more carefully layered—especially as the story moves into community, parenthood, and long-term survival. I'll be back soon with the next chapter and the beginning of the next season. I am cu

