Jomiloju's POV
The dawn seeped through the cracked blinds, casting slivers of pale light across the room. Yet, the cold between Steve and me was thicker than the morning mist. The attack on the safehouse had left more than bruises — it cracked the fragile trust we had been building.
I sat on the edge of the bed, hands clenched in my lap, trying to steady the storm inside.
Steve was pacing, jaw tight, eyes dark with something I couldn't quite name — anger? Frustration? Or maybe fear.
He finally stopped, his voice low and sharp.
"We can't afford mistakes, Jomi. Not anymore."
Steve's POV
Her silence was heavier than any words.
She looked like a fragile rose, bruised and trembling in a storm she didn't understand.
But I saw the fire beneath — the fierce determination that had kept us alive so far.
"I'm not asking for perfection," I said. "Just loyalty."
Jomiloju's POV
Loyalty.
A word that carried the weight of chains and sacrifice.
Could I be loyal to a man whose world was drenched in blood and lies?
I wanted to scream, to run, to break free from the prison of fear and expectation.
But the look in Steve's eyes stopped me.
Flashback — Jomiloju's Childhood
I remembered my mother's voice, soft and tired, warning me to always be cautious.
"Trust no one," she said.
But how do you live when trust is the very thing that can kill you?
Present
Steve approached, his hand reaching out but hesitant.
"Talk to me, Jomi. Tell me what you're feeling."
I shook my head, unable to find the words.
The Breaking Point
Days passed with tension simmering beneath the surface.
Then the news came — one of our closest allies had betrayed us, revealing our plans to Koleosho.
The safehouse was compromised again, forcing us to flee into the night.
Steve's POV
Betrayal was a poison that spread fast.
I felt rage burn inside me, a wildfire threatening to consume everything.
But I had to keep my head — for Jomi, for the mission.
Jomiloju's POV
The betrayal shook me to my core.
How could someone we trusted turn against us?
I looked at Steve, searching for answers.
Confrontation
In a rare moment of quiet, I found myself face to face with Ada.
Her eyes were hard, unreadable.
"Why did this happen?" I demanded.
She sighed, a flicker of regret crossing her face.
"Because this world is built on survival, not friendship."
Steve's POV
I knew Ada was right. But that didn't make the sting any less sharp.
We had to move faster, hit harder.
The Plan
Steve gathered the remaining allies for a desperate strike — an all-or-nothing move to cripple Koleosho once and for all.
I watched as he laid out the plan, each detail precise and ruthless.
Jomiloju's POV
I felt the weight of the coming storm.
This was more than a fight for power.
It was a fight for our souls.
Night Before the Attack
Steve and I sat in silence, the unspoken fears hanging between us.
"I'm scared," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
He took my hands, eyes softening.
"We'll face it together," he promised.