Chapter 80

I woke to pain, every nerve on fire, every breath a battle. My chest burned, my head spun, and my vision blurred with streaks of red and shadow. I was alive, barely, but I could feel death nipping at my heels like a wolf on a hunt. My limbs trembled beneath me, and I struggled to push my body upright, only to collapse again on the cold, hard ground.

The world around me smelled of damp earth and smoke, the kind of smell that made your stomach lurch. I tried to move, tried to think, but everything was hazy. My father’s words, his confession, the gunshot all replayed in a loop that made my chest tighten. I thought I was done, that this was the end, but somehow, some force was still keeping me tethered to the world.

Before I could even process what was happening, hands grabbed me rough, yet steady, lifting me off the ground. The air smelled different now, sharper, wilder, and I realized we were moving. I tried to struggle, tried to demand answers, but my body wouldn’t obey.