Clara said softly, ​“Alex,” her voice cutting through the hum of the engine. “Oh no, come on. You don't have to carry the weight of the entire territory on your shoulders tonight; it's not right.” ​Alex didn't look at her immediately. His mind flashed back to the dark cell, remembering the freezing nights when he coughed up blood onto straw mats, wondering if Sophia was waiting for him. The sharp, bitter memory hit him like a physical blow. Alex muttered, ​“I don't have a choice, Clara. If I stop moving, even for a second, the past catches up to me. When I look in the mirror, I still see the prisoner uniform. I still hear Sophia laughing in that visitation room.” ​Clara’s heart ached for him. She reached out, placing her hand over his fingers on the gear shift. Clara said earnestly, her eyes locking onto his. ​“Sophia was a parasite who mistook your kindness for weakness, but you aren't that helpless man anymore, Alex. My struggle isn't much different... Ever since my father se