Page 141 of Broken Oath

Real.

For reasons Rook couldn’t explain, he believed her.

Completely.

The woman closed her eyes.

One heartbeat.

Two.

When she opened them, the walls had returned.

Control.

Discipline.

Armor.

But not before Rook saw what lived beneath them.

“I wasn’t strong enough.”

Pain filled her voice.

Not fear.

Not anger.

The pain of failure.

The pain of surviving.

The pain of carrying something that could never be repaired.

Rook recognized it.

He saw it every morning in the mirror.

The woman looked directly into the camera.

“I’m sorry.”

Silence followed.

Then the screen went black.

The recording ended.

Nobody moved.

The room felt heavier.

Sniper finally broke the silence.

“She blames herself.”

Rook continued staring at the blank screen.