Halie

I am Halie, and I find myself here in this ruined sanctuary with these women—Jeane and Silra and Hera—I barely know—not by choice, but because what else could we have done? The city outside is consumed by whatever madness has taken root here, and the church was the only place left that offered any semblance of safety. But I cannot ignore what happened last night—the things we did to survive, to find comfort in each other's bodies when the world was falling apart around us. It leaves me with a heaviness in my chest that has nothing to do with physical exhaustion. Now, as dawn breaks through the stained glass and paints us all in fractured light, I know we cannot stay here. The city is waking up, and whatever monstrous entity feeds on fear and lust will be looking for its next victims. We need to leave—together—but first, I must find a way to reconcile what we've done with who we are supposed to be. That's my burden now.