Chapter 120

Maya’s POV

By the time the clock downstairs had slid past midnight, everyone in the house had finally drifted off to sleep. I found that remarkable—under the weight of everything we’d endured in the past few days, I never would have believed any of us could rest. Yet exhaustion has a way of seizing even the most anxious mind. We’d carried so many worries into this night—constant threats, hidden enemies, the fragility of our refuge—but at least we’d shared a substantial meal before dusk, something warm and nourishing after too many days of ration packs and cold cereal. That simple act of breaking bread felt like a small victory.

I, however, lay in the darkness, eyes wide open as shadows danced across the ceiling. Every creak of the old floorboards and rustle of wind against the eaves sent adrenaline racing through me. My thoughts drifted relentlessly to what tomorrow might bring