The explosions echoed through the night long after the resistance had retreated to the safety of the forest. Enno stood with the others on a hill overlooking the wreckage of the supply depot, watching the distant fires burn. They had struck a devastating blow, and Valtoria would feel the loss. But the victory was not without its price.
As dawn approached, the resistance fighters gathered back at the camp. The tension in the air was different now—a mixture of triumph and uncertainty. They had succeeded in their mission, but they all knew that Valtoria wouldn't let this go unanswered.
Senna stood at the center of the camp, her face hard but calm as she addressed the fighters. Her voice was steady, but Enno could hear the underlying urgency.
"We've hit them hard," she said, her eyes scanning the group. "But we need to be ready for what comes next. Valtoria won't stay on the defensive for long. They'll retaliate, and when they do, we need to be prepared."
The fighters nodded, their faces set with determination. They had won a victory, but it felt fragile—like a flame that could be snuffed out at any moment.
"We've bought ourselves some time," Enno added, stepping forward to stand beside Senna. "But that's all it is—time. We need to use it wisely."
Aftermath and Recovery
The day after the raid was spent tending to the wounded, repairing equipment, and preparing for the inevitable retaliation. Enno moved through the camp, checking in with the fighters and making sure everyone was ready for what came next. The victory had given them a sense of hope, but it was tempered by the knowledge that Valtoria would strike back harder than before.
As Enno passed one of the makeshift medical tents, he caught sight of Daron helping a wounded fighter. The older man's hands were steady, his face etched with quiet determination. Daron had been a rock for the resistance since the beginning, always calm under pressure.
"You doing alright?" Enno asked as he approached.
Daron glanced up, his expression tired but focused. "As well as can be expected. The raid went better than I thought it would."
Enno nodded, though his mind was already racing ahead. "We've dealt a blow, but we can't let our guard down. Valtoria will come back stronger."
Daron wiped his hands on a rag, his gaze steady. "We'll be ready. We have to be."
As Enno left the medical tent, his thoughts turned to the bigger picture. The raid had been a success, but it felt like a small victory in a much larger war. They were fighting against a system that had controlled their lives for so long, and every step forward felt like pushing a boulder uphill.
But they had no choice. The resistance had to keep moving, keep fighting. There was no turning back.
A Conversation with Senna
That evening, Enno found Senna sitting alone near the edge of the camp, staring out at the horizon. The glow of the distant fires from the raid still flickered in the distance, casting an eerie light over the landscape.
Enno sat down beside her, the silence between them heavy but comfortable. They had been through so much together, and in moments like this, words weren't always necessary.
"How are you holding up?" Enno asked after a long pause, his voice quiet.
Senna didn't look at him, her eyes still focused on the horizon. "We won," she said, though her tone lacked the usual confidence. "But it doesn't feel like a victory."
Enno nodded. "It never does, does it? Not when you know what's coming next."
Senna sighed, leaning back against the rock behind her. "I keep thinking about what happens if we lose. If Valtoria crushes us… what then?"
Enno looked at her, surprised by the vulnerability in her voice. Senna had always been the strongest among them, the one who kept everyone going. But even she had her doubts.
"We won't lose," Enno said, though his own doubts gnawed at him. "We've made it this far. We'll keep fighting."
Senna finally turned to face him, her expression weary. "And if we don't? If this is as far as we get?"
Enno didn't have an answer. He had asked himself the same question more times than he cared to admit. The weight of their fight—the losses, the constant battles, the uncertainty—was heavy. But giving up wasn't an option.
"We'll find a way," Enno said, though he wasn't sure if he believed it.
Senna gave him a small, tired smile. "We always do, don't we?"
The Spy Returns
The next day brought unexpected news. One of the scouts returned with a message that sent shockwaves through the camp: Teris, the spy Enno had let go, had resurfaced.
Enno was in the middle of a strategy meeting with Senna and Daron when the scout burst in, out of breath and wide-eyed.
"Enno, you need to see this," the scout said, holding out a small, crumpled piece of paper.
Enno took the note, his heart racing as he read the hastily scribbled message:
They know everything. I didn't mean for it to go this far. They're coming for you. I'm sorry.
The note was signed by Teris.
Senna's eyes narrowed as she read over his shoulder. "So he's still alive."
Enno nodded, his mind racing. "And it sounds like he's trying to warn us."
Daron crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. "Or he's leading us into another trap."
Enno's jaw tightened. Teris had betrayed them once before, and he had let him go out of a sense of mercy. But now, it seemed that Teris was still caught in Valtoria's web—and whatever information he had, it could spell disaster for the resistance.
"He wouldn't send this if it wasn't real," Enno said, though the doubt lingered in his mind. "He knows what's at stake."
Senna's expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in her voice when she spoke. "We need to act fast. If Valtoria's coming for us, we need to be ready. But we also need to find out what else Teris knows."
Enno nodded. "We'll send a small team to track him down. If he has information that can help us, we can't afford to ignore it."
A Desperate Search
Enno, Senna, and a small team of fighters set out that night, following the lead from Teris's message. The scout who had found the note had given them a rough idea of where Teris might be hiding, but it was a dangerous gamble. If Valtoria was tracking him, they could be walking into an ambush.
The forest was eerily quiet as they moved through the darkness, their footsteps muffled by the thick underbrush. Every sound seemed amplified—the crack of a twig, the rustle of leaves in the wind. Enno's heart pounded in his chest as they approached the area where Teris was supposedly hiding.
They found him in a small clearing, huddled beneath a tree. His clothes were torn, and his face was gaunt, as if he hadn't slept or eaten in days. When he saw Enno and the others approaching, he scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with fear.
"Enno," he gasped, his voice hoarse. "I didn't know… I didn't think they would…"
Enno raised a hand, silencing him. "What do you know, Teris? Why did you send that message?"
Teris swallowed hard, his hands trembling. "Valtoria… they're planning something big. They're not just going to retaliate. They're going to wipe the resistance out, once and for all."
Senna stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "What are they planning? How do we stop it?"
Teris shook his head, panic flickering in his eyes. "I don't know all the details, but they're mobilizing everything. They're going to attack soon, and when they do… it's going to be devastating."
Enno's mind raced. If Teris was telling the truth, they had little time to prepare. Valtoria's full force could crush the resistance in a matter of days if they weren't ready.
"We need to get back to camp," Enno said, his voice urgent. "We need to warn the others."
Senna nodded, her face grim. "Let's move."