The rain had finally eased, leaving the forest damp and slick, the smell of wet earth and metal lingering in the air. Lena’s hands shook as she gripped the wheel of the armored vehicle, though her body moved with a precision that felt alien. Every instinct, every twitch, was guided by Adrian now, silently pushing her forward, calculating the next microsecond before danger could strike. She hated him for it, hated that part of her that no longer felt fully hers, yet the truth was undeniable: he had kept them alive when every other instinct would have failed.
Alex’s eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, his jaw tight, knuckles white against the wheel. The armored vehicle bounced over slick patches, tires screaming against the wet asphalt, yet somehow it stayed on the narrow forest path. Le
