The Shadows Within

Chapter 24

**Alexander's POV**

I stood tall, my eyes scanning the room as we prepared to face whatever lay ahead. Scar was down, but I knew that wasn't the end of it. There were more out there who wanted what he wanted.

But for now, we had a moment of peace,and Scar's men were subdued.

I turned to Dantae and Shameka, who were sitting on the floor, holding hands. "We should get out of here," I said quietly. "We've got what we came for."

Shameka nodded, her eyes never leaving Dantae's face. "Yeah," she whispered. "Let's go home."

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. We had done it. We had stopped Scar.

I turned to Shana, who was standing guard. "You good to go?" I asked.

Shana nodded, her eyes cold and hard. "Yeah," she said. "Let's get out of here."

We made our way back through the corridors, the silence between us a palpable thing. We didn't need to say anything - we knew what we had accomplished.

As we reached the exit, I turned back to look at Dantae and Shameka. They were still holding hands, their eyes locked on each other.

I smiled grimly. They were going to be okay.

**Shana's POV**

I followed Alexander and Rachel out of the building, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of trouble. But everything was quiet.

As we emerged into the bright sunlight, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. We had done it.

But as I turned to look back at Dantae and Shameka, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Dantae was clutching his chest, his eyes wide with shock.

And then I saw the blood spreading across his shirt.

"No," I whispered.

Alexander rushed forward, his face pale with worry. "Dantae!"

I felt a surge of panic as Shameka scrambled to her feet, her eyes fixed on Dantae's face. "No," she whispered again.

I felt a numbness spread through me as I watched Alexander bend down beside Dantae's body.

"Dantae?" Alexander whispered, shaking his head.

And then everything went dark.

**Matthew's POV**

I stood there, frozen in shock as Alexander's words echoed through my mind. Dantae was dead.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. We had just gotten him back, and now he was gone again.

I looked up at Shameka, whose face was twisted in grief. Rachel was holding her close, trying to comfort her.

And Alexander... Alexander was just staring at Dantae's body, his eyes empty of all emotion.

I felt like I was going to vomit. This couldn't be happening again.

But it was happening again.

And this time, there was no bringing him back.

*To Be Continued...*