The hunter who had watched from the trees returned to his camp before dawn. His name was Silas, one of the most loyal enforcers of the hunters' brutal regime. What he had heard shook him—not because of sympathy, but because betrayal had no place in their ranks. Noah had to be punished.
Back at the survivors' camp, the mood was tense. Trust was fragile. Even though Noah had helped, some still kept their weapons close, eyes sharp.
Lina, however, continued to believe in him. She saw something the others didn't—a lost soul trying to make things right.
That morning, Noah approached Alex and Elena.
"They'll come soon. Silas... he's the one they send when they want to make people disappear. If he knows I'm here, we don't have much time."
Alex exchanged a look with Elena. "Then we prepare. We don't run."
They gathered everyone and began building traps, fortifying their shelter, preparing to defend what they had left. But deep down, they knew this would be a bloodbath.
At dusk, the silence was broken by a scream. One of the lookouts was down.
The forest lit up with movement—arrows, fire, chaos. The hunters were here. Silas led the charge, merciless and calculated.
Ethan and Alex fought side by side. Elena kept the younger survivors safe. Noah, armed and determined, faced his old brothers in arms.
He locked eyes with Silas. "You don't have to do this!"
But Silas only smiled. "You're already dead to me."
They clashed in a brutal fight—memories, rage, and guilt colliding. And then, a shot rang out.
Silas dropped.
Elena stood behind him, rifle in hand, breathing heavily.
The battle ended in exhaustion. Some hunters fled, others were taken down. But not without loss—two survivors were gone, including one of the juveniles they had rescued.
Noah sat alone, blood on his hands. Lina approached and sat beside him.
"You saved us," she whispered.
"No," he said, voice cracked. "Not all of you."
Alex walked over, placing a hand on Noah's shoulder.
"You did what you had to do. And you stood with us."
Noah looked up. For the first time, he wasn't just a former hunter. He was one of them.