Chapter 87: The Calm Before the Storm

On the eve of battle, the camp was eerily quiet. Tents were set up in the forest, the dim glow of campfires flickering through the trees as soldiers and resistance fighters prepared for what could be their final stand against Solas. Nyla walked through the camp, her thoughts heavy as she observed the people she had grown to care about—people who were willing to fight for a world free from oppression.

She stopped by one of the campfires, where General Aria was sitting with a few of her officers. The general looked up, her expression as unreadable as ever. "Everything is in place. We'll move at dawn."

Nyla nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. "Do you think we're ready?"

Aria studied her for a moment before responding. "No one's ever ready for something like this. But we've prepared as much as we can. Now, we fight."

Nyla sat down beside the general, the warmth of the fire doing little to soothe her nerves. The weight of leadership was pressing down on her, and the stakes had never been higher. She was about to send people into battle, many of whom might not come back.

"I never wanted this," Nyla admitted quietly. "To lead. To be in charge of… all of this."

General Aria glanced at her. "Neither did I. But it doesn't matter what we want. We do what needs to be done."

Nyla knew she was right. It wasn't about what she wanted—it was about the future. The world Isaac had died to protect. And she was going to fight for it with everything she had.