Chapter 5: The Unwilling Shadow

The aftermath of the attack was a grim, silent affair. Kaine’s wounds were tended to by a tight-lipped Lila, who shot me looks that were more curious than accusatory. The bodies of the intruders were dragged away, and the broken door was hastily barricaded. The air in the guardhouse was thick with tension, a mixture of blood, sweat, and the unspoken weight of what had just happened. Kaine barely looked at me. Once the immediate danger had passed, he’d erected a wall between us as solid as...