Into The Fire

The sound of approaching footsteps was enough to pull Lena into full alertness. She turned quickly, her heart pounding as she tried to determine the source. The dim streetlights cast long, wavering shadows on the ground, but nothing about them felt comforting. Instead, they seemed to stretch like silent warnings.

“Stay behind me,” Ethan ordered, his voice calm but commanding.

Andrew raised a hand, as if to stop them from panicking. “Before you react, hear me out.”

“Hear you out?” Ethan’s voice cut through the air like steel. “Andrew, you’ve been missing for days, and now you show up with strangers in the middle of nowhere? You think I’m just going to stand here and listen?”

“They’re with me,” Andrew said, his voice firm yet careful. His gaze shifted to Lena, and she could see something flicker in his eyes—was it regret? Or guilt? “They’re not here to hurt you. This is... complicated.”