The desert station's generator hummed with a rhythm that had become the soundtrack of their survival.
Axel stood at the window, watching the sun rise over the endless sands. The orange glow painted the horizon, a stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed his soul. Hawk's confession echoed in his mind. The man who had killed his brother was now standing beside him, fighting alongside him. It was a truth he couldn't escape.
"You've been standing there for hours," Mira said, her voice soft. "What are you thinking about?"
Axel didn't turn. "I'm thinking about how I'm supposed to trust a man who murdered my brother."
"You already trust him. That's why you haven't killed him."
Axel's jaw tightened. "I should have killed him. The moment he told me the truth, I should have put a bullet
