Chapter 142

As I stood outside, the unsettling silence enveloped me, punctuated only by distant voices and the faintest sounds that almost resembled furniture being moved within the building. The absence of gunfire was alarming, but the atmosphere weighed heavily with the remnants of chaos. I couldn't shake the feeling that this scenario epitomized the essence of a true battlefield.

The sight before me churned my stomach; I averted my gaze from the lifeless bodies that glared back at me with vacant stares, even as I fought against the urge to look away. I knew I had to scan the scene for any familiar faces, even though I dreaded the possibility of discovering those I hoped to never find among the fallen.

When I finally located the hauntingly familiar gaze of Alice Cain, my heart twisted painfully. It was evident she had endured unimaginable torment—three gunshot wounds marred her body, alongside cuts that traced their way across her arms and face.

I could see that she had fo