Chapter 112: The Weight of Separation

The heat of the desert had faded, replaced by the cooler air of Rodent City, yet the weight of their journey still clung to Alex like an anchor. He sat in the corner of the small, dimly lit inn, nursing a drink in silence. The clinking of glasses and the quiet murmur of voices around him were drowned out by the whirlwind of thoughts in his head.

His family. The faces of Lyra, Yuki, Joan, and even the unborn child he had yet to meet haunted his mind. Each sip he took felt like a futile attempt to drown the guilt, to numb the ache that had settled deep within him. But it didn't help. It only made the gnawing regret sharper.