Paths That Diverge
“ Flora, do you feel it too? ” asked Captain Morales as he leaned over a table in the crowded strategy room, his voice hushed yet violent.
Flora’s reply came in a measured tone, “ Every day, I feel the distance widening — not just between us, but throughout the pack. It’s as if our shattered bond has strained into every decision, every order. ”
Adrian’s low voice fitted from the far side of the table, “ I hear you, Flora. The absence we created together now echoes in every corner of our species. I see it in the reluctant eyes of our soldiers, in the query of our strategies. ”
Lieutenant Carter added still, “ When leaders are divided, the whole unit suffers. I can smell the ripple effect — fidelity falters, morale dips. It’s a heavy cost to pay for a broken history. ”
