Chapter 30: The weight of Failure

Conor and Parker returned to the hotel under the cover of darkness, their footsteps heavy with the burden of what they had witnessed. The lobby was quiet, the usual hum of activity replaced by an oppressive silence that mirrored the weight in their hearts. The elevator ride to the suite felt interminable, and neither man spoke a word. The events of the night clung to them like a shadow.

As they entered the suite, they found Kerrigan pacing the floor, her movements frantic, eyes wide with a mix of fear and anger. The moment she saw them, she rushed forward, her emotions unraveling all at once.

"Conor!" Her voice cracked with a mixture of relief and fury as she reached him. "What happened? Why did you send me away? I was terrified—ye charged right into danger without me! I should have been there!"

Conor looked at her, his face pale and drawn. The horrors he had seen were etched into his mind, and for a moment, he couldn't find the words to respond. The room felt too small, too suffocati