Chapter 69

Camilla's pov The silence of the night weighs me down like a thick shroud. As I lie awake, I consider what I'm leaving behind while gazing up at the cracked ceiling. I am leaving behind something more enduring than the fights, the blood, or the adversaries. What sort of legacy am I creating? I'm not creating this legacy for myself. Alejandro is not the sole beneficiary. However, for the children who will follow us children with a fiery gaze who will have to bear this burden long after we are gone. Alejandro is sleeping when I turn to the side; his expression is serene but worn out. "Are you prepared for this?" I mumble. He smiles after blinking, but it lacks the warmth that he usually displays. He whispers, "We don't get to choose easily." Since I am the only one who knows that, I nod. I gathered the young combatants in our safe house's small back room early the following morning. Tension permeates the air, and while some of them fidget, others look straight ahead as if they've already