Eren awoke to a dull ache in his chest, the remnants of last night's confrontation still haunting him. Alista's words lingered, and no matter how many times he tried to brush them off, they echoed back, digging deeper into his mind. He pushed himself up, brushing the cold sweat from his brow. The shadows of dawn painted the room in muted grays, casting faint outlines against the walls.

Outside, he could hear Niall's voice, muffled by the walls but unmistakably tense. Eren strained to listen, catching fragments of the conversation.

"...another attack... council's pressure... imminent breach..."

Alista's voice followed, sharp and questioning. "Do you think it's one of us? Someone within?"

Eren felt a pang of unease. The council's reach was growing faster than he'd anticipated. If they had someone on the inside, everyone in the safehouse was at risk. He moved toward the door, listening closer.

Niall's response was quiet, almost resigned. "We don't have the luxury of trust anymore."

Eren stepped into the hall, catching their attention. Niall's eyes flickered with a brief look of surprise, but he quickly composed himself. "Eren. Didn't expect you up so early."

"Couldn't sleep," Eren replied, meeting Niall's gaze. "What's going on?"

Alista glanced at Niall, then back at Eren, her face unreadable. "Another lead gone cold. The council's moving faster than we thought."

Niall folded his arms, his jaw set. "They're systematically dismantling our networks. Safehouses across the city... allies disappearing. If they keep this up, it won't be long before they find us."

Eren's mind raced. This was no longer about simply surviving—this was war. And wars had casualties. But if he'd learned anything in this brutal world, it was that survival demanded sacrifice, calculated moves. He couldn't afford to hesitate.

"We need to start thinking ahead," he said, his voice colder than he intended. "Find out who's loyal, and who isn't. No more second chances."

Alista raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on her lips. "And if someone isn't? What then?"

"Then they're a liability." Eren's gaze was hard, unwavering. "And we can't afford liabilities."

Niall nodded, a faint glint of approval in his eyes. "Practical. Ruthless. Exactly what we need."

For a moment, Eren felt a surge of satisfaction, the kind that came from feeling he was finally in control. But Alista's expression dimmed his triumph. Her gaze lingered on him, a flicker of something—disappointment, maybe even pity—shadowing her features.

"Be careful, Eren," she said softly. "Sometimes, in trying to destroy your enemies, you become just like them."

He met her gaze, unyielding. "Maybe that's exactly what it takes."

A silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words. Eren's resolve hardened, a cold fire kindling in his chest. He was done with half-measures, with clinging to ideals that no longer served him. This world demanded strength, and he would give it—whatever the cost.

Turning away from them both, he stalked back to his quarters, his mind already calculating his next move. Each step echoed down the hall, a steady drumbeat of purpose. The remnants of the man he once was faded into the shadows, swallowed by the dark path he was now determined to walk.

And as he shut the door behind him, he welcomed the cold silence, letting it wrap around him, a cloak of resolve, as he prepared for the battles ahead.