Chapter 65: Into the Unknown

The next morning came with a heavy silence, broken only by the soft rustle of the wind through the trees. Luke, Ava, and Raven stood by the village's edge, staring at the figure who had approached them the night before. His name was Darius, a man with scars that told stories of battles long fought and trust hard-earned. He had come to lead them to the resistance—a place that was both their potential salvation and a dangerous unknown.

"Are you sure about this?" Ava asked, her voice barely a whisper as she adjusted the straps of her bag.

Luke glanced at her, nodding slowly. "We don't have a choice. If what he says is true, the resistance is our only hope to fight the darkness. We can't do it alone."