Chapter 104: The Calm Before the Storm Anna’s POV

"It’s almost time."

It wasn’t just a statement; it was a reckoning. The kind of words that carried the gravity of everything we had fought for, everything we had lost, and everything we stood to lose. Even though he was trying so hard to hide it, I could detect the slight tremor behind his firm tone. It was the shudder of a man who was preparing for what was about to happen. 

I let out a breath and looked out over the area of land in front of us. As though the world itself were holding its breath for what was about to happen, the night was strangely calm. Tension permeated the air, the kind that caused your chest to tighten and your skin to prickle. Long, jagged shadows were cast over the assembled rebels by the orange glare of distant fires. As though they were restless too, the flames danced madly, reflecting the uneasiness that descended upon us all. 

With low murmurs and deliberate movements, the rebels moved in quiet tones. Each one of them understood the stakes. This wasn't just another battle or a last-ditch effort to advance. Years of hardship, sacrifice, bloodshed, and lost lives culminated in this. We had been training for this moment, which, win or lose, would define who we were. 

I clenched my fists, feeling as though the pain might ground me as my nails dug into my palms. *We have already gone too far to go back.* The thought reverberated in my head, a chant I kept repeating to myself. It was accurate. We had put up too much of a fight and suffered too much to give up now. However, that did not lessen the reality of the fear. 

Lucas was standing next to me, providing stability. I could feel his eyes on me even if he wasn't saying much. Observing. Studying. He did that every time, as though he could read my mind by the way I looked. Perhaps he could. Despite my best efforts to keep up, he had always been observant and able to see through the walls. 

He finally said, "Are you scared?" in a voice that was almost audible above a whisper. 

It was a surprising question. I hesitated and swallowed hard. "No," I lied. "Not for myself." 

It wasn't entirely false. I didn't worry about what would happen to me. Long ago, I had come to terms with that possibility. But my chest ached just thinking about losing him, of losing the people I cared about. 

Lucas's brows knitted together as he turned to face me. "Anna..." 

Suddenly, a harsh, uncompromising voice broke the silence. 

"You should be scared." 

When we turned around, Maia was coming toward us with her arms folded and her face tense. Her eyes were shadowed by fatigue, and her dark hair was pushed back into an untidy braid. She shook her head and looked from one of us to the other. "I know we all want to believe we’re ready for this, but what if we aren’t?" 

Her words sat heavy. 

The only sounds to break the silence between us were the distant rustle of the wind and the crackling of the fires. We had all questioned ourselves with Maia's question at some point, but hearing it out loud gave it a more immediate and genuine feeling. 

"You don’t have to do this," Maia added, her tone now gentler, almost pleading. "We can run. Oliver won't find us if we go somewhere. Just disappear." 

I scowled as I moved toward her. "Maia, what about the others? The ones still imprisoned under his control? Those who can't run?"

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a quick exhale. "I know, but..."

Lucas interrupted, his tone stern. "This confrontation was unavoidable. It's happening whether or not we're prepared." 

Maia, obviously conflicted, bit her lip. She briefly appeared much younger than she actually was, as if the weight of the world were too much for her to handle, as her eyes darted between us. "I just… I don’t want to lose you both."

Her words caused something within me to twist. It was more than just a fight. It was a matter of survival. About the relationships we had built, the family we had created amidst the chaos. Maia was my sister in every meaningful way, not just a fellow rebel. Lucas, too... Lucas was a completely different matter.

I grabbed her hand and held it firmly. "We won’t lose each other." 

Despite her lack of conviction, Maia nodded and tightened her hold on me. 

Lucas moved next to me and ran a hand through his hair before letting out a long sigh. "I never thought I’d be standing here, preparing for war." 

His blue eyes darkened with something unfathomable as I turned to face him. I hadn't noticed before the depth of his gaze, a vulnerability that he typically concealed. 

He laughed briefly and without humor. "Hell, I never thought I’d be standing beside you." 

A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Regretting it?" 

For a brief moment, it seemed as though the outside world vanished as Lucas's eyes softened. "Never." 

He wasn't looking at me the way he used to. There was no hesitation, no defensiveness. Just him.

"Anna," he said, taking a step closer. "Before we go into this battle, there’s something I need to say." 

My body went rigid, and my breath caught. "Lucas..." 

"I love you." 

Raw and unadulterated, the words lingered in the air. At last, he had spoken. No games. No cryptic terms. Just the truth. 

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. There were too many emotions racing through my mind to process them all at once. 

Lucas's jaw tightened as he looked into my face. "You don’t have to say it back." 

My heart thumping against my ribs, I swallowed. "It’s not that I don’t..." 

I was interrupted by a sudden horn blasting in the distance. 

We froze. 

Then there was the distinct sound of footsteps approaching. 

They had found us. 

An adrenaline rush took over as the moment broke. Lucas reached for the weapon at his side as his expression hardened. Maia tightened her hold on my hand before releasing it, her gaze darting to the source of the noise. 

The murmuring of the rebels around us gave way to stern orders and the sound of weapons being prepared as they sprang into action. Chaos had replaced the night's silence. 

With my heart pounding, I turned back to Lucas. I had so much I needed to tell him and so much I wanted to say. But time was running out. 

His eyes were intense when they met mine. "Stay alive," he said in a stern but hushed voice. 

With a constricted throat, I nodded. "You too."