Chapter 50: Rebirth
Alex's POV
The forest stretched out before them, a sprawling tapestry of wild greens and ancient browns, whispering of life beyond the endless destruction they'd endured. Every step away from the battlefield felt like peeling back the scars of war, inch by inch, as if leaving behind pieces of themselves in the ashes. The silence between them wasn't empty; it was the quiet comfort of two souls who had survived fire and blood together, who had earned this peace through every drop of sweat and sacrifice.
Alex looked up, the canopy of trees breaking here and there to let shafts of light dance through the leaves. The air here felt different—cleaner, alive, almost buzzing with something she hadn't felt in so long: possibility. For years, she'd been a soldier, a leader, someone who couldn't afford to think of "what next." But now, she was free to imagine a future that was more than survival. She was free to dream.
