Chapter 41: Picking Up the Pieces
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a dull orange hue over the remnants of the camp. Shadows danced across the charred earth, flickering like the memories of those they had lost. Alex stood at the center of the makeshift settlement, her heart heavy with the burden of leadership. The world around her was a patchwork of destruction and decay, yet amidst the ruins, a flicker of hope began to emerge.
She had made her choice to stay, to fight for a future that felt almost unattainable. The truth was, she had nowhere else to go. Earth had never felt like home to her; it was just a place she had existed in, a backdrop to the chaos that had followed her. Here, amidst the ashes of war, she had purpose. She had people who depended on her, who looked to her for guidance.
But the weight of that responsibility bore down on her like a heavy cloak, suffocating and relentless.
