Claire swallowed hard, trying to push down the rising tide of panic. She had been so close to believing they were out of the woods, but now it felt like they were back at square one. The thought of facing more danger, more violence, left her feeling exhausted.
But she wasn't alone. She had Jake, and together they had already faced impossible odds and come out on the other side.
"Okay," she said quietly, nodding. "What do we do now?"
Jake's eyes softened with something like admiration, or maybe it was gratitude for her resilience. "For now, we wait for more information. But we stay prepared."
Claire exhaled slowly, trying to regain her composure. The road ahead was uncertain once again, but this time, she was ready to face it. She had survived before, and she would survive again.
