The safe house in the Swiss Alps was supposed to be a sanctuary, but Wayne had long ago stopped believing in safety.
He sat alone in the dimly lit room, the weight of endless battles pressing down on his shoulders like a physical burden. The holographic map flickered before him, showing the remnants of the Pact's network—scattered, broken, defeated. Another victory. Another organization crushed. But the cycle continued, relentless and unforgiving.
The door opened behind him, and Lucy entered, her footsteps soft on the wooden floor. She looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes, her face pale from weeks of sleepless nights. She had been fighting this war with him from the beginning, and it was beginning to show.
"You've been staring at that map for three hours," she said, her voice g
