Ambush and Rescue 2

The night was cold, and though the sky glittered with stars, the heaviness in the air made it hard to breathe. We had barely set up camp, the faint glow of embers crackling between us, when Aria handed me a canteen of water. Her eyes were sharp, always scanning the perimeter, always aware of the next danger.

"We’ll need to move fast," she said, her voice low. "We can’t afford another ambush like the last."

I nodded, feeling the weight of the artifact still in my pack. It seemed heavier now, knowing what we had learned, what lay ahead. The vision of the puppeteer’s stronghold was seared into my mind—the swirling dark energy, the faint but unmistakable point of weakness. I wasn’t sure how we would exploit it yet, but I knew we had no choice. We had to strike soon.

"We integrate your rebels into the strike," I said, staring into the fire. "We’ll need their strength, especially if what you said about the puppeteer’s forces is true."