The door creaked open, a sound I had never been more desperate to hear.
Vera and I froze where we stood, bloodied and breathless. My pistol was still in my hand, but barely—I had no strength left to lift it. I was ready to collapse. So when the shadow of a figure stepped into the doorway, I braced for the worst.
But then I saw Carl.
My knees wobbled with relief so intense it almost knocked me off my feet.
He burst through the door like a force of nature—boots pounding against broken tiles, uniform streaked with sweat, dirt, and adrenaline. His weapon was already lowered, eyes sharp and searching until they landed on me.
"Sidney!" he called out, rushing toward me, his voice raw with urgency. "What happened? Are you okay?"
I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. I didn't know what to say. The chaos of the mission, the screams, the pain, the fight—it all swirled inside me.
