The night before the mission, everything felt quieter than it had in weeks. It wasn’t just the stillness in the cabin, but the space between Claire and Ethan that seemed to stretch out endlessly, a gulf that felt impossible to cross.
Claire had been trying to prepare herself for what was coming—what they all had to face. Lucas was dangerous, and the stakes were higher than ever. But tonight, something felt different. Something shifted in the air, and Claire couldn't ignore it. It wasn’t the calm before the storm; it was the calm after a storm that was waiting to break, pulling her in a way she didn’t want to admit.
She was standing near the fireplace, the low crackling of the flames filling the room, when Ethan entered the cabin. His movements were more deliberate tonight, and Claire cou
