83:   FINDING LOSSES

We started the tiring task of questioning the bandits we had captured. Each one was brought forward, their faces a mix of defiance and fear. We needed answers, especially about Alpha Jo's whereabouts.

One by one, we questioned them. Some were hardened criminals, their eyes cold and unyielding. But many were just desperate men, recruited to swell the bandits' numbers. They told us where their camps were, and their merciless leaders, but none could tell us anything about Alpha Jo. Each futile answer only deepened our frustration.

As the interrogations dragged on, I decided to search the chambers one last time, hoping against hope to find some clue. The grand hall was eerily quiet, the remnants of opulence now cloaked in shadows and despair. I moved through the rooms, my footsteps echoing against the cold stone floors.

Then, in one of the side chambers, I found her. Lita. Her body lay crumpled on the floor, her lifeless eyes staring into the void. My heart sank, and a wave of grief and g