e bustle of the bakery above-a comforting reminder that life in the slums carried on, even under El

to let despair take root. Lorian had risked everything for her e

Marta return

man said as she handed Amara a bowl of warm soup. "The

, her voice steady despite th

But they will be soon. You

er time was limited. "Do you kno

"There's a group still operating out of the old distillery near the

here were still rebels out th

-

to blend into the shadows. She moved cautiously, sticking to the narrow alleys and avoiding the main

illed the air. The distillery loomed ahead, its window

and silent. She knocked twice, then paused, before knoc

e. Then, the door creaked open, an

re?" a voi

ping her voice low. "I

utinizing her. "You're

a replied. "I n

let her in. He gestured for her to follow him down a

-

to a makeshift headquarters, complete with maps, supplies, and a radio crackling softly in the corner. A

amiliar voic

g near the table, his expressio

voice barely above a

rward to embrace her. "When we he

id, cutting him off

s expression darkened. "We haven't hear

tayed behind to buy me time. I don't know if he...

. "We'll find out. But right now, w

-

w about Elric's recent movements and operations. She showed them Lorian

oring over the notes. "If we can act on this, w

ill be on high alert after what happened at the fa

st-his funding. Without money, his enforcers lose

"There's a shipment of gold scheduled to leave

n the tide,"

-

d tirelessly, gathering intel, assembling weapons, and mapping out t

ouldn't stop thinking about Lorian-whether he was al

s the rebels prepared to move

r this?" he asked

ning with resolve. "I have to

at the corners of his lips. "Then le

-

into position. The shipment was heavily guarded,

a sharp whistle-

uick and precise. She fought with everything she

ted a familiar figure in the chaos-a man with a sca

hispered, her

e battlefield. His smirk was cold and

battle wasn't over, and neithe