The woods were darker than you remembered, the dense canopy blotting out the setting sun. You adjusted your grip on your knife, your ears straining for any sound. It was supposed to be a quick scouting mission—check the nearby area for potential threats before the camp moved. But now, the shadows seemed alive, and every crack of a branch sent her heart racing.

you moved cautiously, your boots crunching softly against the forest floor. A rustle to you left made you freeze. Slowly, you turned your head. Nothing. Just the wind in the trees, you told herself. But your gut said otherwise.

You took another step forward—and then it happened. A trap. The ground beneath your feet gave way, and suddenly, you were tumbling. The world tilted as you crashed into a net, your knife slipping from your grasp. The ropes cinched tight around you, hoisting you into the air.

Dangling several feet off the ground, you struggled, biting back a curse.

“Great. Just great,”

you muttered, kicking futilely.

The sound of footsteps approached. you stilled, your breath catching. You twisted your head to see three figures emerging from the trees, their faces painted in the distinctive patterns of a rival clan.

“Well, well,”

one of them sneered, a cruel grin spreading across his face.

“Looks like we caught ourselves the Commander of death.”

your mind raced. You needed a plan. You could try to cut the ropes, but your knife was on the ground, out of reach. You were trapped.

“Enough,”

a voice cut through the tension, sharp and commanding.

The laughter stopped. You twisted in the net, your breath catching as another figure emerged from the shadows. Lexa. Her war paint was smeared, her cloak torn, but her eyes burned with an intensity that silenced the rival warriors instantly.

“Commander,”

one of them stammered, suddenly unsure.

“We didn’t know—”

Lexa’s gaze was icy.

“You didn’t know this area was under my protection?”

she asked, her voice deceptively calm. She stepped closer, her blade glinting