2025-09-18 23:10:33
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Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Nine
The wind shifted before anyone spoke. It carried the faint smell of dust and iron from the training yard, but inside the strategy hall the air felt locked in place, held tight by everything Elias had refused to say earlier. He stood at the center of the room with his arms folded, eyes tracing the map spread across the long table. He wasn’t really seeing it—just using it to keep from looking at the others.Rhea lingered near the doorway with her hands on her hips, breathing slowly as if she were counting to ten for the sixth time that morning. Cassian sat on the table’s edge, tapping the heel of his boot against one of its legs. Even that light sound rang sharp in the silence.Elias finally looked up. “I wasn’t hiding anything,” he said. “I was thinking before acting. That’s all.”Rhea stepped forward. “You disappeared for six hours without your comms and came back with blood on your collar. Thinking is not what it looked like.”Elias touched the mark she meant. He had forgotten it was
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight
Smoke rolled across the forest floor like a living thing, pulled by the wind in long gray ribbons that twisted between the trees. Elias pushed through it with one arm braced under the prisoner’s weight, his breath burning from the sprint. Behind him, shouts echoed—disoriented, angry, scrambling. The enemy camp had erupted into chaos the moment Roan’s charges blew, but chaos wasn’t safety. Chaos was unpredictable. And unpredictability killed faster than any blade.“Keep moving,” Elias said, his voice low but steady.Mara appeared beside him, half-carrying another prisoner. Her hair was plastered to her forehead, her breaths sharp, but her eyes remained clear and focused. “They’re fanning out behind us. Two units, maybe three.”Elias nodded. “Roan and Faris?”“If their side of the plan worked, they’re long gone,” Mara replied. “But whether they circled back to help us or not… I don’t know.”A branch snapped somewhere behind them. Elias stiffened. He gestured for everyone to duck, guidin
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Seven
The rain started just before dawn, a thin, cold drizzle that turned the ridge into a slick mess of mud and wet stone. Elias stood beneath the overhang of a jagged boulder, arms crossed, watching the horizon blur into shifting gray. The forest below seemed half asleep, its usual sharp edges softened by mist.Mara approached with two steaming cups in hand. “If you don’t drink something hot, you’re going to turn into stone yourself,” she said, pressing one cup into his palm.Elias took it, the warmth seeping into his fingers. “Sleep?” he asked.“None,” she replied. “You?”He shook his head. “Didn’t have the luxury.”Mara leaned against the boulder beside him, sipping slowly. “The scouts are back. They found tracks—heavy ones. Wagons, armor crates, maybe artillery.”Elias stiffened. “How many?”“Too many for casual patrol. Whatever they’re planning, they want this ridge badly.”A quiet tension settled between them. Elias felt the familiar weight begin to pull tight across his shoulders, t
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Six
Elias woke to the distant sound of gunfire echoing through the valley below. He rubbed his eyes, his body aching from the constant tension of the past days, but there was no time to linger. Mara had already left the tent, moving among the squads, issuing orders, checking positions. He swallowed a dry breath and stepped out, the cold morning air stinging his lungs.“Another night without sleep?” Mara asked, appearing beside him almost silently. Her dark eyes scanned the ridge with that unyielding intensity he had come to rely on.Elias shook his head. “I keep thinking about how they regroup. Every skirmish teaches them something. If we’re not careful, we’ll walk right into it.”Mara rested a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve survived worse. You don’t need to carry it all alone. That’s why I’m here.”He nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere, replaying the intelligence reports. “The scouts spotted movement in the northern woods. Small units, probing. They’re testing our flanks, trying to
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Five
The dawn broke with a muted light, the forest still heavy with mist, and Elias stood at the edge of the ridge, surveying the territory. The aftermath of yesterday’s clash had left its mark—trampled grass, broken branches, and the faint metallic scent of blood—but it also served as a reminder of their resilience. Mara moved alongside him, her eyes sharp, scanning every shadow, every movement in the distance.“We can’t afford to rest,” Elias said quietly, almost to himself. “They’ll regroup. They always do.”Mara’s gaze flicked toward him. “You sound exhausted, but you’re already planning the next move.”Elias turned to her, his expression grim. “I can’t stop thinking. Every misstep yesterday could cost lives today. We’ve beaten them back once, but they’ve learned. We need to anticipate, adapt, and strike before they can even organize themselves.”Mara nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “And we will. We always do. But you can’t do it alone. You need to trust the team, Elias. Let
Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy-Four
The first light of morning barely touched the ridge when Elias stirred from his restless sleep. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of smoke and dew, and the quiet murmur of the camp gave the illusion of calm. He pulled his jacket tighter around him, stepping toward the edge of the ridge to survey the forest beyond. Every movement, every sound, was under his scrutiny; every shadow seemed to hold the potential for danger.Mara was already awake, moving among the soldiers, checking equipment, and ensuring readiness. She noticed Elias and approached him quietly, her footsteps silent against the hardened soil. “You’ve been awake for hours,” she said, her voice low but carrying that unmistakable edge of command.“I couldn’t sleep,” Elias admitted, his eyes never leaving the tree line. “I keep replaying last night’s engagement. The way they moved, how they adapted, the way Victor’s men tried to flank us.”Mara’s gaze followed his. “And?”Elias exhaled, frustration and determination
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