The firelight flickered in the center of the rebel camp, casting long shadows across the tired but determined faces gathered around. Nia could see the same resolve in their eyes that she had once seen in her own—people who had nothing left to lose, who had been broken by the empire but had found a glimmer of hope in their shared defiance. This was the moment they had been waiting for.
Ash stood beside her, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, taking in the rebel camp and the movement around them. This was no longer just about survival. It was about something more. About creating something worth fighting for—a future where the empire no longer reigned supreme, where people could live free, unafraid of the iron grip of a corrupt system.
Eva, the leader of the outpost, paced in front of
