The remnants of the settlement burned behind them, a smoldering ruin of betrayal and broken alliances. Aria didn't look back. Not when the memories still clung to her like smoke. Not when Kael walked beside her, blood drying on his sleeve and eyes darker than she'd ever seen them.
"Keep moving," he said, voice low, almost like he was talking to himself.
Rhea stumbled, catching herself on a jagged rock. "They were supposed to help us. We offered them everything."
Aria clenched her fists. "They took everything."
The betrayal cut deeper than she wanted to admit. The smugglers had taken the chip, yes—but they had also taken lives. People who trusted Aria's instincts. People who wouldn't be walking out of that hell.
As they climbed the ridge overlooking the valley, the wind howled through the dead trees like mourning spirits. Below, a new horizon stretched wide—a lake half-frozen, surrounded by ruins from the world before. A chance, perhaps. Or another trap.
"Do we even know what's on the chip anymore?" Rhea asked.
Kael answered before Aria could. "Enough to get us killed. Or keep us alive. Depends on who we give it to."
Aria turned to face the wind. Her coat flapped like torn wings behind her. "Then let's find someone who knows how to use it."