Without shedding another tear, Dessie pulled out her suitcase. She tossed in clothes, essentials, her travel documents. Then she crept into her mother's room and raided her jewelry box, stuffing gold and gemstones into her bag with shaking hands.
Once everything was packed, she slipped quietly out the back of the house. Her footsteps were light, silent. She didn't even look back.
______________
After six grueling days away, Axel returned to his apartment. The familiar scent, the stillness, the soft hum of the city outside—it was a stark contrast to the chaos he'd just left behind.
He sank into his favorite cushion chair with a long, deep sigh, his muscles aching slightly, though not from exhaustion—just habit. The last few days had been brutal, even for someone like him. He hadn't gone easy on the newly claimed vigilante group. Not a single member had been spared from his relentless training regimen.
