AARON Shock held me in place. My mouth stayed slightly open, but no sound came out. Thoughts refused to line up. My body felt slow, heavy, like it belonged to someone else. The man in front of me shook his head. He took two unsteady steps back, then his legs gave out. He dropped to his knees beside the body Silas’s son had executed moments earlier. His shoulders collapsed inward as he bent forward and pressed his head against the dead man’s chest. Quiet sobs broke free from him, raw and broken. They carried through the air with no resistance. Silence followed. It spread outward, swallowing the sounds of movement, voices, and pain. For the first time since the fight ended, the noise inside my head eased enough to let awareness return.Bodies lay scattered across the ground. Some twisted. Some still. Survivors stood frozen, staring at what remained of the chaos. No one moved with confidence anymore. One sharp thought cut through everything. Where was Caleb? My head turned toward Marianne. “Where’s the representative?” She did not speak. Her face tightened, and her hand lifted. She pointed toward Silas’s body. Beside him lay another unmoving figure. Steps carried me forward. The truth was clear before I reached him. There was a clean hole in his chest, exactly where the heart should be. The damage was final. There was no fixing it. A glance back at Silas showed the same wound. Same placement. Same ending. Both men were dead. The first train car caught my attention. Passengers were climbing out, collecting dropped weapons with shaking hands. Several bodies lay among them. Attackers and defenders mixed together in death. No side had truly won. A knee hit the ground beside the man who had seemed untouchable only minutes ago. Caleb’s brown eyes stared upward, empty now, locked on the sky above. His right hand was clenched tight against his chest, held there by a thin chain. Fingers hesitated before gently opening his hand. Inside his palm rested a wedding ring. Breath left my chest in a long, uneven pull. The ring stayed where it was. Fingers closed back around it, returning it to him. People nearby began to stir. Low voices rose. Arguments started. Plans were thrown together without certainty. Everyone was afraid of stopping, afraid of standing still too long. Marianne stepped closer. Her hand rested on my shoulder. It was light, careful.My head lifted. “We have to tell his wife what happened.” She nodded slowly. Words failed her, but her eyes were wet and tired. My gaze dropped back to Caleb. “Even if she’s on the West Coast, she deserves the truth. He kept us alive. That matters. I’ll make sure she knows.” Standing hurt. Muscles protested. My body reminded me of every strike, every fall, every moment I should have gone down but did not. Marianne and I faced each other, both of us worn thin. “Some people say there’s a truck parked on the tracks,” she said. “That’s how the train was stopped. They want to move it and ride the metro all the way to the end of the line.” She nodded toward a small group already walking forward, weapons slung low, eyes darting as they moved to clear the vehicle. My head shook hard. Harder than necessary. Control was slipping.“That train is a trap. It’s predictable. Nothing stops the next group of maniacs from doing the same thing.” A finger lifted and pointed toward Silas’s corpse. “That’s how it ends.” She wiped at the corner of her eye and nodded. “I agree. It doesn’t help me anyway. It takes me west. I need to go north.” A frown settled in. “Marianne, Empire State isn’t safe right now. I thought you were coming with us to Clearwater Bend.” She stepped back, creating space. “That isn’t the right place for me.” The distance felt wrong. A hand reached for hers. She pulled away fast and took another step back. “What’s going on?” Panic slid in under my ribs. She was the last thing keeping me steady. This sudden distance made everything worse. “Walking to Empire State from here is dangerous. With everything happening, it’s insane.” She stopped and looked straight at me. No anger. No fear. Just certainty. “You can’t take care of them and me. You’ll have to choose. You already know how that choice goes. I won’t put myself through that.” Her voice softened. “Let me go, Aaron.” “I’ll survive. I’m smart. I’ll find my way home. Go take care of your family.” She turned and walked away without looking back. Feet stayed locked in place. The world kept moving, but I didn’t. Hands covered my face as rough breaths forced their way out. When they dropped, blood coated my skin. The sight of it sent a deep shiver through me. Lucas and Elena could not see me like this. They should never see me like this. The train restroom was empty. Water ran cold over my hands and face. Blood washed away in thin red lines down the drain. Knuckles throbbed, split and swollen, but pain felt distant. A pharmacy would be needed later. That could wait.The train was filling again. Some boarded with hope. Others left with fear. I stepped off and moved toward the berm separating the tracks from the nearby community. The line ran straight to Clearwater Bend. Staying on it felt wrong. Too exposed. Too easy to trap. Walking beside it felt safer. Familiar landmarks appeared. This was just outside Tysons Corner, Alder State. Nearly halfway home. Clearwater Bend could be reached by nightfall if the pace held. One last look toward the front of the train. Marianne was gone. She had already passed around to the far side and disappeared from sight. A small nod followed. She would be fine. Paths would cross again in a few weeks, once the world calmed down. A drink would be shared. Pizza too. Names of the dead would be spoken out loud.Steps carried me up the berm and down the other side. The train vanished from view. Direction shifted toward home. Toward family. Toward whatever waited next.