The fire crackled softly in the canyon, its light flickering against the high walls. The group huddled close, their faces illuminated by the faint glow, but none of them seemed comforted by its warmth. The cold wind still cut through the night, and the silence pressed down on them like the weight of all they’d lost.
Refuge was gone. The realization hung unspoken in the air, too painful to say aloud.
Grizzley sat apart from the others, his back against the cold rock. His machete rested beside him, and his gaze was fixed on the fire. He didn’t speak, but his mind churned over every moment of the past few days—the fall of the walls, the screams, the sight of Magnus standing triumphant in the ruins.
“Grizz?” Sam’s voice broke the quiet.
Grizzley glanced up. Sam was sitting near Lila, his arm around her shoulder as she rested against him. The girl’s face was pale, but her eyes were sharp, glinting with the kind of determination that only came from survival.
“What’s next?” Sam asked.
Grizzley looked back at the fire. “We move. Keep going. Far as we can.”
“And then?”
Grizzley sighed, the sound heavy. “Then we figure out how to fight back.”
Mara shifted where she sat, her bow resting across her lap. “Fight back?” she echoed, her tone sharp. “You think that’s possible? We couldn’t even hold Refuge. What makes you think we stand a chance against Magnus?”
Grizzley met her gaze, his expression hard. “Because we don’t have a choice.”
Mara’s eyes narrowed. “We could keep running. Find somewhere he won’t follow.”
“He’ll follow,” Ezra said quietly. He was sitting near the edge of the camp, his wrench resting beside him. His voice was low but firm. “Magnus doesn’t let anyone go. Not really. He’ll find us, no matter where we go.”
Grizzley nodded. “Exactly. We can run all we want, but it won’t change a damn thing. The only way this ends is if we end him.”
The group fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. The fire popped loudly, startling Lila, who shifted closer to Sam.
Sam spoke up after a long pause. “If we’re going to fight back, we can’t do it like this. We’re too scattered, too small. We’ll need supplies, weapons… people.”
“There’s no Refuge left to rally,” Mara said bitterly. “What people are we talking about?”
“There are others out there,” Grizzley said. “People who’ve been hurt by Magnus, who’ve lost everything because of him. They just need someone to lead them.”
“And you think that’s you?” Mara asked, her tone skeptical.
Grizzley didn’t flinch. “If it has to be.”
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Ezra shifted, his fingers tracing the edge of his wrench. “I’ll stand with you,” he said, his voice quiet but resolute. “I owe it to the people who didn’t make it out of Refuge.”
Sam nodded. “Me too. For Lila’s sake, if nothing else.”
Mara looked at them for a long moment before sighing. “Guess I’m in. Someone’s gotta keep you all from getting yourselves killed.”
Grizzley’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile. “Good.”
Far to the east, Magnus stood atop the ruins of Refuge. His iron mask gleamed in the firelight, the jagged edges casting long shadows over his lieutenants gathered below. Smoke still rose from the rubble, carrying with it the stench of ash and blood.
“The chaos has been purged,” Magnus said, his voice deep and steady. “But the work is not finished.”
Jace stepped forward, his blade resting casually on his shoulder. “What about the ones who ran?”
“They will run. They will hide,” Magnus said, tilting his head slightly. “But no one escapes the eye.”
Sister Amara raised her staff, the brand of the Sanctified glowing faintly in the fading firelight. “What is your will, Watcher?”
Magnus’s voice was calm, methodical. “Send the scouts. Spread the word. Let them know there is no place for chaos in my world.”
Jace grinned, his sharp teeth glinting. “And when we find them?”
Magnus tilted his head slightly. “Remind them of the price of defiance.”
The group’s fire burned low, casting faint shadows on the canyon walls. Grizzley stood watch, his machete in his hand, his gaze scanning the horizon. The others were asleep now, their breaths uneven but steady.
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out one of the few remaining cigarettes he had left. It was bent, the paper yellowed with age, but it still felt like a luxury. He lit it with a battered lighter, the flame flickering weakly in the cold air.
The first drag burned his lungs, but the familiar taste settled something inside him. He leaned back against the rock, exhaling a long plume of smoke that rose toward the stars. His mind wandered, not to regrets, but to plans. The world had changed, and if he didn’t adapt, it would crush them all.
The faces of the others flickered in his thoughts—Sam, determined but weary; Lila, young but brimming with untapped strength; Mara, sharp and defiant; and Ezra, quiet but with something in him waiting to ignite. They weren’t much, but they were all he had. And maybe, just maybe, they were enough.
As the cigarette burned down to the filter, Grizzley let the ember glow in the dark for a moment before snuffing it out against the rock. He flicked the stub into the dirt, watching as the faint wisp of smoke disappeared into the night.
“This isn’t over,” he muttered, his voice low. The words weren’t meant for anyone but himself, a quiet reminder to keep going. “Not by a long shot.”
The canyon was still as dawn began to creep over the horizon, painting the sky in muted shades of gray and pink. Grizzley shifted, gripping his machete tightly as he stood and stretched. The cold had settled into his joints overnight, but he didn’t complain. Complaints didn’t change anything.
He nudged Ezra awake first, then Mara. Sam stirred on his own, his hand instinctively resting on Lila’s shoulder to check she was still beside him. The girl blinked awake slowly, her eyes taking a moment to focus. Despite the exhaustion on her face, there was a flicker of determination that hadn’t been there the day before.
“Time to go,” Grizzley said, his voice cutting through the quiet. “We’ve got a long way to cover before nightfall.”
Ezra groaned, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood. “Where are we even going?”
Grizzley looked at him, his expression steady. “Anywhere but here.”
Sam helped Lila to her feet, giving her an encouraging nod. “We’ll figure it out as we go.”
Mara adjusted the strap of her quiver, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon. “If Magnus sends scouts, they’ll find us sooner or later.”
“Then we make sure we’re ready for them,” Grizzley replied. He tightened the strap of his pack and slung his machete over his shoulder. “We’re not just running. We’re regrouping. There’s a difference.”
The others nodded, their movements slow but resolute. They were battered, bruised, and barely holding on, but they were alive. And for now, that was enough.
Far behind them, in the ruins of Refuge, the fires had died out, leaving only smoldering embers and the occasional wisp of smoke. Magnus stood in the center of