CITY OF LOST SOULS

The flames had long since died down, leaving only smoldering embers where Mother Olga's wretched home once stood. The girls stood in the courtyard, their faces illuminated by the moonlight, their eyes filled with something foreign—hope.

For the first time in years, they were free.

Laughter and tears mixed as they clung to each other, celebrating the impossible victory. Some of them danced, others wept in relief, while a few simply stood in stunned silence, unable to believe that the nightmare was truly over.

Thania stood beside me, a soft smile playing on her lips as she watched the girls rejoice.

"We did it," she murmured, nudging my arm.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Yeah. We did."

Despite the triumph, a hollow ache settled in my chest. What now? The battle was over, but the war wasn't.