Jake was familiar with that feeling now, the creeping sense that no matter how much they fought to build something new, the old structures were always waiting to take back what they had lost. He didn’t want to think about it too much. The more he focused on it, the more it seemed like the city would drag them all under. But it was hard to ignore when you could almost feel the weight of it pressing in from every side.The Assembly had grown. More zones were sending representatives now, some tentative, others eager. The progress was slow, but the idea had taken root. That was the key. If enough people believed it, they could make it work. But that was the thing, belief. It was fragile, and every challenge they faced, every new threat from Amanda or the Council, felt like it could shatter the fragile web they had spun.Jake was in the factory again, this time standing in front of a large, makeshift map of the city, surrounded by a handful of the core Assembly members. Reeva, Mara, and E

The silence in South Ridge was deafening. Every step they took could either solidify their hold on the city or unravel the fragile hope they had built.Jake had been here before, in the underbelly of the city, where everything felt like it was on the verge of collapse. But now, it was different. This wasn’t just about survival anymore. This was about control. About making sure the city didn’t slip back into the same kind of tyranny they had fought so hard to escape.South Ridge wasn’t like the other zones. It was the lifeblood of the city’s communication, trade, and movement. If they controlled this, they controlled everything. The Council knew that too, which was why they had moved in quietly, establishing a foothold under the guise of neutrality. But neutrality was a lie. They wanted South Ridge. They wanted everything.Jake’s eyes scanned the area as they walked, taking in the decaying buildings and the quiet streets. It had once been a bustling hub, a place where goods and informa

The city was beginning to change. Slowly, at first, almost imperceptibly. It was as if the people had started to stir after a long, restless sleep. And it wasn’t just the acts of sabotage, the quiet disruptions in the Council’s supply lines, or the communications blackout that had brought them to this point. It was the way the people were reacting, the way they were starting to find their voice again.Jake stood by the window, looking out over the horizon. The skyline of the city, fractured as it was, felt like it had a pulse now, something alive. The people had started to speak, to rise, and though their words were soft, though their steps were hesitant, it was enough to change everything. He had always known it would take time, but now the momentum was on their side.“Jake.” Elena’s voice broke his thoughts, sharp and steady. “We’ve got another problem.”He turned toward her. Elena stood at the entrance to the room, her expression unreadable. She was holding a datapad in her hand, h

Jake’s breath came in quick, shallow bursts, the rapid rhythm of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. His team was running low on ammo. Reeva had already taken a hit to her side, and Elena’s arm was bleeding from a shallow graze. But they couldn’t stop. They couldn’t afford to stop.Jake’s mind was a whirlwind of calculations and instincts. Every angle, every movement counted. The Council forces outside were regrouping. The reinforcements from earlier weren’t just there to take back the relay station—they were there to finish them off. Jake knew it, Elena knew it, and so did Reeva.“We need to go, Jake,” Reeva’s voice was strained, her breath ragged. “They’re pushing us back. We can’t hold this.”Jake’s jaw tightened as he glanced around. The comms station had turned into a battlefield. Bullet holes peppered the walls, and the floor was slick with blood. Their retreat was blocked on every side, and with each passing moment, the walls of the room seemed to grow smaller.But Jake wasn’t

The pulse of its heartbeat echoed in Jake’s ears as he moved quickly through the shadows, his footsteps steady and deliberate. He could hear the faint hum of the armored vehicles in the distance, the low growl of their engines reverberating through the broken streets. They hadn’t found him yet. But they would. He couldn’t stay hidden forever.His pulse still raced, but Jake was a machine in moments like this. His instincts were honed, razor-sharp, and his focus was absolute. He wasn’t thinking about the past. He wasn’t thinking about Elena, Reeva, or the people he had left behind. He was thinking about survival. That was all that mattered.But as he moved deeper into the winding alleyways, his mind flickered back to them. To Elena. To the others. He’d sent them to the warehouse, hoping they could hold out. But he knew better than anyone that no place was truly safe anymore. The Council wasn’t just after him. They were after everything he had built. And that meant everything was at ris