Through the crumbling streets, the rebels ran. Survival was their only victory tonight.
Reinhardt led them through secret passages, dodging patrols, avoiding the burning wreckage. The weight of failure sat heavy on his chest.
Selene moved beside him, her jaw clenched. "We'll rebuild."
Reinhardt exhaled, his grip tightening on his sword. They had lost a battle—but not the war.
---------------------------------
Beneath the starless sky, the remaining rebels gathered in the ruins of an abandoned fortress. A new stronghold, a new beginning.
Reinhardt faced them, his wounds barely tended, his voice steady. "This war isn't over."
A murmur spread through the crowd, hesitation and determination clashing.
Selene stepped forward, her voice carrying the weight of prophecy. "Varethas fell, but so will the Empire. If we rise again."
One by one, the rebels nodded. Oaths were sworn in the shadows of defeat.