Draven's pov
The compound felt different lately,like something sharp was pressing beneath the skin of the walls, itching to be noticed. I could feel it in the way the soldiers moved, taut and alert, conversations cut short as I passed. But more than anything, I felt it in Kira.
She used to walk like she owned the perimeter,sure-footed, confident, steady. Now her steps were shorter. Her glances lingered too long in shadowed corners. Her jokes came late and forced. And her alibis? Exhausted things barely stitched together with half-believed excuses.
"She said she was checking the comms tower," River told me one morning, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "But I was on tower duty. Didn't see her once."
It wasn't the first red flag. Hell, it wasn't even the fifth. Kira was the best at blending in,loyal, sharp, the kind of soldier you'd bet your life on. And I had. More than once.
But now?
Now I didn't know who I was looking at anymore.
