boots pounding against the concrete floor. Lorian grabbed Amara's hand a

his voice barely audi

d the dimly lit room. There were too many of them-far more than she and Loria

nd handed it to Amara. "When I say go, throw this tow

e felt the weight of the moment, knowing that

the enforcers' positions. He ducked back

he sh

ld, sending it skidding across the floor. A second later, it deton

eir faces. Lorian grabbed Amara's hand again, and toge

-

Amara's lungs burned, and her legs felt like lead, but she didn't dare s

said, pulling her i

Lorian seemed to know exactly where he was going. They darted throu

r entrance. Lorian pried the grate open

ed. "I'll ho

, her voice breaking.

You're more important than me, Amara. If they

ght. With a trembling nod, she climbed into

-

a moved cautiously, her footsteps echoing in the silence. She tried t

had he sacrificed himse

es echoing through the tunnels. Panic surged throu

. She rounded a corner and found herself at a dead end. Des

rambled up the ladder, her fingers slipping on the wet metal. She pu

ounded by crumbling walls. The slums st

r body shaking with exhaustion a

-

an old bakery. The owner, an elderly woman named Marta, was a quiet all

, her voice gentle. "But you can't st

h plans. She couldn't afford to stay idle

d endured. The rebellion was battered and broken, but it wasn't defeated

orian had given her-a collection of names, locations, and plans

wouldn't let fear consume he

was far