Jivan scooped Adelita into his arms the moment he finished healing her wound. He looked at Isiah with a rare glint of pity in his eyes, his voice dropping into a grave, serious register Isiah had never heard from him before. "Do you know what happens when authority vanishes?"
Isiah offered no answer, simply staring back at him in quiet confusion.
"Anarchy rules, my boy," Jivan answered for him.
Isiah couldn't fathom why Jivan was giving him this grand lecture, as if it would alter his trajectory in the slightest.
Jivan patted his shoulder. "And when that chaos inevitably erupts, make sure you fight on the winning side."
"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do," Isiah replied, his tone cold. "Here is something you need to understand about me: I will never fight for someone else's beliefs, benefits, or salvation. If I ever find myself in a position where I have no choice but to fight... it will always be strictly for my own sake."
