The Weight of Leadership

As the hours passed, Lena found herself retreating once again into the solitude of her quarters, the weight of her responsibilities pressing heavily on her shoulders. The war was escalating, and every decision she made felt like it could be her last. Every moment she spent using the core took a little more of her humanity, and the more she relied on it, the less she recognized herself.

She sat at the desk, her fingers drumming nervously against the surface. She had to make a choice. The alliance was looking to her for guidance, for leadership, and yet the very people she was fighting for seemed to be slipping further from her grasp. Every day, the distance between her and Elias seemed to grow, and she couldn't tell if it was the war, the core, or something deeper that was driving them apart.

The core pulsed beside her, its steady hum a constant reminder of the power that was both her weapon and her curse. She couldn't escape it. Every time she used it, she felt herself slip further into the void, unable to pull herself back.

What happens when there's nothing left to save?

Lena didn't have an answer. The war was close to its breaking point, and so was she.