CHAPTER 58
Morning came like it didn’t want to — slow and reluctant, spilling pale light through the blinds like it was ashamed of what it was about to witness.
No one had really slept. We just… paused. Drifted with our eyes open, hearts wired tight.
Lana sat cross-legged on the floor, sipping lukewarm tea that tasted more like metal than comfort. Her hair was pulled back, but stray strands clung to her cheeks. She hadn’t said much. None of us had.
Chen stood by the map we’d taped to the wall, tracing routes with a marker that was running out of ink. He’d been doing that for an hour. Looping the same lines. Port access, escape paths, dead zones. His jaw was clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grind.
I stayed at the table, surrounded by papers that smelled like mold and fear. Alet
