The hum of the tunnel faded behind her.
Kale sat in the dim quarters they'd been given — a narrow room in the underbelly of the bunker, lit only by a flickering filament bulb overhead. Pipes ran along the ceiling like rusted veins. The concrete walls wept with condensation. Everything smelled like oil, rust, and a grief too sharp to name.
She cradled Galvano against her chest. His breathing was soft now — too soft. That terrifying silence of a baby who had cried himself into empty sleep. He'd lost his mother. Kale had lost her sister.
And Foden...
Where is he?
She hadn't seen him since the gate closed behind them. The last thing she remembered was the chaos — blood, teeth, shouting, a sewer lid slamming shut, and a man's cold voice demanding to know where Ivy was.
Now, the only sound was the flickering buzz of the light and Galvano's steady breaths.
A knock.
Kale turned fast, heart hammering.
"Who is it?"
No answer.
She stood, body tense, hand gripping the sharpened pipe she'd hidden under the bed. A second knock. Quieter. Almost… uncertain.
She opened the door just a crack.
It was Mora — the medic. Thin. Pale. Her eyes carried the weight of too many sleepless nights and too many secrets. She held a folded blanket in one hand, and a tray of food in the other.
"You need to eat," Mora said, her voice even flatter than before. But her eyes… they flickered toward Galvano, then away.
Kale narrowed her gaze. "Where's Foden?"
Mora hesitated.
"They've detained him."
The words hit like a punch to the ribs.
"Detained? What the hell for?"
"Assaulting the Chief," Mora replied quietly, eyes locked to the floor. "He… lost control."
Kale swore under her breath. Of course he did.She knew Foden — grief didn't make him quiet. It made him explosive.
"I need to see him," Kale said, stepping forward.
"You can't."
"Try me."
Mora's voice turned sharper, a sliver of steel beneath the calm.
"You are under protection. Until they know what the child is, you're not allowed beyond this corridor. Orders from above."
Kale bristled. "He's just a baby."
"Maybe. But babies don't cry for seven days and live. Babies don't survive a cliff-fall with nothing but a scrap of cloth and blind luck. And people around this one? They die."
Mora stepped closer and held out her arms. Her next words were softer.
"Let me hold him for a moment. You need time. A moment to breathe."
Kale didn't move at first.
But her body… her bones… were breaking.She hadn't slept. Hadn't eaten. Hadn't let go of Galvano since Ivy's blood dried on her clothes.
With slow, reluctant hands, she unwrapped the sling and passed the baby into Mora's arms.
Galvano stirred, let out a soft whimper, then fell back asleep against the medic's shoulder.
Kale stepped toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Mora asked.
"To find the Chief."
"You won't make it three steps."
She wasn't wrong. The moment Kale left her quarters and turned the corner, two guards stepped from the shadows. Faces blank. Weapons not drawn — but ready.
"Turn around," one said flatly.
"I just want to talk—"
"Orders are orders. Return to your room."
"He's our friend!" Kale snapped. "He's all we had left! And Ivy—!"
A hand touched her shoulder. Mora.
"Kale… don't do this. Not now."
Kale stood frozen in place, jaw clenched, eyes burning. Then slowly, she turned. The guards watched her like hawks as she retreated.
Back in the room, Mora gently laid Galvano down and whispered:
"Stay quiet. For him. For all of us."
As the door closed again, the silence returned — thick and heavy.
Kale stared at the child, her breath unsteady.
They can lock the halls… but not my will.
She wouldn't wait forever.
Chapter End.