Alina woke up in a cold, dark room. Her wrists were tied loosely with a rough cloth, and her head pounded. For a moment, she couldn't remember where she was—then everything rushed back. The hospital. The strangers. The cloth over her face.
She sat up slowly, heart racing. Her hand instinctively flew to her belly. The baby kicked gently, and tears welled in her eyes—not from pain, but from relief.
The room was made of stone, lit only by a small window high above. Outside, she could hear faint voices, the buzz of a settlement unlike anything she'd ever known. This wasn't the survivor camp. This was something else. A hidden place. A threat.
The door creaked open. A tall woman with silver hair stepped inside, flanked by two guards. Her gaze was calm, sharp.
"You're awake," the woman said. "Good. I'm Zara. Leader of the Dawn Circle."
Alina narrowed her eyes. "Why did you take me?"
Zara didn't answer at first. She approached with slow steps. "You carry something powerful, girl. Life. And we're building a future—one we can't risk being poisoned by the chaos of your kind."
"My kind?" Alina said, confused.
"Survivors," Zara replied coldly. "Your camp spreads like wildfire. You don't build, you just take. We are the ones who kept peace while your people fought wars. Now, we take back control."
Alina's voice was steady despite her fear. "I'm just a girl. A pregnant girl. I'm not a threat."
"You're more than that," Zara said, eyes on her belly. "That child may be the key to peace… or the start of something far worse."
Back at the survivor camp, chaos broke out. Ethan led a furious search, Elena on edge with guilt and rage. Lyra clung to Kai, who blamed himself for not being there.
"She's strong," Elena whispered. "She's like me… she'll survive."
But even Elena's voice trembled.
They didn't know where Alina was… or who had her. But one thing was certain: they would find her. No matter what.