That’s… new.
That’s wrong.
I force a breath in—
Pain explodes through my chest.
Sharp.
Crushing.
Yeah.
That tracks.
Vest hit.
More than once.
I remember that part.
Kids—
Where are the kids?
My eyes try to open.
Too heavy.
Everything’s dark.
But not quiet.
Never quiet.
“Stay with me.”
The voice cuts through everything.
Sharp.
Clear.
Familiar.
Not part of the fight.
Not part of the chaos.
Something else.
Something… steady.
I latch onto it without thinking.
Because that’s what you do.
You find the steady thing—
