The jet touched down smoothly, its wheels screeching briefly against the runway before slowing to a controlled roll. The engines hummed low as the aircraft came to a stop, the sound echoing across the wide, empty stretch of tarmac.
Lana was the first to step out.
The cold air hit her immediately, sharp and clean, carrying that familiar Russian bite. She paused at the top of the stairs and lifted her face toward the sky. Gray clouds stretched endlessly above, heavy and unmoving.
"Russia," she murmured.
There was something about the place that always stirred memories she never asked for. The last time she had been here, it had been chaos. Blood. Fire. Fear. But also Liam. Standing beside him again now made the weight feel lighter, even if the unease never fully left.
