TESSA'S POV

Hours went by in a blur of activities as we fought to save the Elders. Exhaustion gnawed at my bones, a relentless ache that seemed to make me almost collapse . My throat was raw from barking orders, and my head pounding from the relentless tension. But surrender wasn't an option. Not when two lives hung in the balance.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a semblance of stability returned. The Elders, though weak, were no longer in immediate danger. Relief washed over me, and I wiped sweat off my brow. Glancing around at my fellow medics, their faces with the same look of exhaustion that I...