Wendy's POV
The abandoned cabin emerges from the hillside like a forgotten secret, its weathered walls nearly consumed by creeping vines and decades of neglect. Built during the great uprising, it once sheltered those who had nowhere else to turn.
Tonight, it shelters only us.
Javier can barely stand when I drag him through the doorway. His body radiates heat like a furnace, his heartbeat stuttering against my palm when I check his pulse. I lower him onto the single cot, my hands shaking as I peel away his blood-soaked shirt. His torso gleams with perspiration, painted with crimson streaks and ash. The sight sends a sharp pang through my ribcage.
"Stay still," I breathe.
His laugh comes out as barely a whisper. "Wasn't going anywhere."
