Kayleigh sat on the edge of the cliff, her gaze lost somewhere between the endless sea and the broken camp below. The waves were calm today—too calm for what was happening among the survivors. You stood a few steps behind her, unsure whether to speak or wait for her to turn first.

Amber was gone. Vanished into the night without a trace. And somehow, everyone had quietly decided that Kayleigh should lead.

You watched her tuck a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her voice barely carrying over the wind. “Do you think they’ll listen to me?”

You hesitated. “They already are.”

She gave a faint laugh, though there was no joy in it. “Only because they’re scared. Amber ruled with fear, and now they expect me to do the same.”

You moved closer, sitting beside her on the sun-warmed rock. “You don’t have to be her.”

Kayleigh’s eyes flicked toward you, guarded but soft. “And what if that’s the only way this place works?”