In the aftermath, Alice stood in front of the smoldering ruins of the historic district, a sense of bittersweet victory washing over her. They had stopped the arson attacks and brought the perpetrators to justice, but the damage was done. The historic buildings were lost forever.
Ryan joined her, his expression reflective. "We did good, Alice. We stopped them."
Alice nodded. "Yeah, we did. But it feels like a hollow victory. So much of our history is gone."
Ryan placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll rebuild. And we'll make sure this never happens again."
Alice smiled faintly, grateful for his support. "You're right. We'll keep fighting for this city, no matter what."
