The ripples spread faster than I anticipated— that kind of shock that stopped every conversation mid-sentence and sent whispers flying like embers in the wind. Even Uncle Hunt looked like someone had slapped the breath out of his lungs.
He grabbed my arm roughly, dragging me to the side of the grieving compound, behind a quiet shed that smelled of dust and iron.
“What the hell was that?” He hissed. “Are you out of your freaking mind?”
Maybe I was. I tilted my head, studying his face as if I were trying to read the meaning of his fury. Then, I let out a dry chuckle, a hollow sound. “Isn’t this what you wanted? For me to prove to the boys that nobody's dying in vain?” slowly, I stepped back, spreading my arms. “Well… there you go.”
His jaw clenched. “That gesture— do you even understand
