I warned him.
I really did.
“You still think you should’ve stayed out of this?” I ask quietly.
He looks at me.
Steady.
Certain.
Not even a flicker of doubt.
“No,” he says.
And that—
That might be the most dangerous thing of all.
6
Mila
Location: Forest Ridge — Temporary Cover
Time: Night
We move.
Not fast this time.
Careful.
Measured.
Because now we know what we’re up against.
And they know we’re still alive.
The trees are thicker here, the ground uneven, roots catching at my boots as we push deeper into the forest. The wind cuts through everything—cold, sharp, relentless.
I feel it now.
The cold.
The exhaustion.
The blood at my temple has dried, but my head is starting to pound.
That’s… not ideal.
“You’re slowing down,” Jase says behind me.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I said I’m not.”
