Chapter 36: Clash of will
The cold night air stung Alex's lungs as she rose from the ground, wiping the blood from her lip with the back of her hand. Lina's body lay at her feet, her defiance extinguished, her breath ragged and shallow. The knife was still gripped loosely in Alex's hand, but the fight—the real fight—was far from over.
Alex's mind was already spinning, calculating her next move. Gabriel's death had left a vacuum in the camp's power structure, and now his loyalists, scattered but not defeated, were beginning to stir. Lina's attack had been a warning, not just a personal vendetta. There were others out there, watching, waiting for their chance to strike.
As she stared down at Lina, something flickered in Alex's chest—a mix of exhaustion and raw fury. She had done everything in her power to keep this group alive, to fight for their survival, and now the very people she had tried to protect were threatening to tear everything apart.
