Chapter 29

The Price of Victory

The days following the Shadows' fall felt surreal. For so long, I had lived in fear of their power, their influence stretching like a dark cloud over my life. And now, they were gone—at least in the way they had once existed.

But victory came with a cost.

I stood in the heart of the city, watching people move on as if nothing had happened. Cars rushed by, laughter echoed from a café nearby, and the world kept turning. Yet, inside me, there was only silence.

Marcus found me leaning against a railing overlooking the river. His presence was grounding, but I could tell he saw the exhaustion in my eyes.

"You're supposed to be resting," he said, offering me a cup of coffee.

I took it with a small nod. "Resting isn't easy when your entire life has been a war."

He sighed. "You should at least try. The task force is handling the rest. The evidence we released has taken root—arrests are happening daily. There's even talk of a full-blown government inquiry into how deep the Shadows' corruption went."

I let his words sink in. It was the outcome we had fought for, but instead of feeling relief, I felt empty. The war was over, yet the scars it left behind felt permanent.

"She should have been here," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Marcus didn't ask who I meant. Olivia's death haunted us both.

"She made her choice," he said carefully. "And she died trying to fix her mistakes."

I closed my eyes, trying to push away the memory of her last words.

"Redemption was never easy."

"Maybe," I murmured. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less."

Marcus was silent for a long moment before shifting the conversation. "What will you do now?"

It was the question I had been avoiding. For so long, my only goal had been taking down the Shadows. Now that they were gone, I felt untethered.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe disappear for a while. Figure out who I am outside of this fight."

He nodded. "You deserve that."

"And you?" I asked.

A faint smirk crossed his face. "Still cleaning up the mess we made. Someone has to make sure none of their people try to rebuild."

I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. There would always be someone trying to seize power in the vacuum left behind. But for now, the city had a chance to breathe.

I turned back to the river, watching the way the water reflected the golden hues of the setting sun. It was a reminder that life moved forward, whether I was ready or not.

Maybe it was time I did, too.