Assault
* * *
I woke with a jolt, disoriented and groggy. The screams pierced through the remnants of my dreams, growing louder and more desperate with each passing second. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline flooding my veins.
I sat up, my mind racing, trying to make sense of the chaos of sounds around me.
"What the fuck is going on?" I muttered.
The door to my room crashed open, slamming against the wall. One of my combat team members burst in, eyes wide with panic, gasping for breath. "They're attacking us! The first floor is attacking!" he shouted, his voice trembling.
The realization hit me like a cold wave, snapping me into action. I jumped up and sprinted toward the corridor, my mind racing with possibilities and plans.
When I reached the corridor, it was chaos.
The barricade we had built from tables and chairs was under assault. First-floor soldiers were slamming into it with all their might, trying to break through. The makeshift barricade groaned under the pressure, the wood creaking ominously.
They weren't just trying to break it down; they were stabbing their knives through the gaps, thrusting wildly, hoping to catch one of us on the other side. The tips of the blades flashed in the dim light as they punctured through the gaps, deadly and relentless.
On our side, my soldiers were pushing back with everything they had, trying to keep the barricade upright. They braced themselves against the onslaught, but the force of hundreds of frenzied attackers was overwhelming.
Each impact sent shudders through the barricade, and my soldiers struggled to hold their ground, their feet slipping on the floor slick with sweat and fear.
"Hold the line!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the chaos. "We can't let them through!"
My words seemed to rally them, sparking a new wave of determination. But even as they pushed back, I knew we couldn't hold on like this forever. I had to come up with a plan—and fast.
* * *
Jacob stood at the base of the stairs, surveying his men as they prepared for the assault. His eyes gleamed with anticipation, a crooked smile playing on his lips as he watched the chaos unfold above.
The hurried construction of a barricade made of tables and chairs stood at the top of the stairs, a futile attempt to stave off the inevitable.
"They think they can stop us with that?" Jacob muttered, half to himself, half to Aiden, who stood beside him. His voice dripped with disdain. "We'll smash through it and take what's ours."
Aiden shifted nervously, his gaze flickering between Jacob and the melee. The soldiers charged forward, a relentless wave that slammed against the barricade. "Are you sure about this?" Aiden asked, doubt creeping into his voice.
Jacob shot him a sharp look. "Of course. They're outnumbered and outmatched. Their so-called king is nothing compared to us. Once that barricade falls, we'll take control and make them regret ever thinking they could defy us."
The soldiers hurled themselves at the barrier, the wood creaking under the weight of their assault. Knives jabbed through the gaps, the blades glinting in the dim light as they sought flesh on the other side. Jacob watched with a sense of grim satisfaction, convinced that victory was within reach.
The defenders on the other side struggled, their desperate efforts to hold the barricade evident in their strained faces and shaking hands. They pushed back, trying to keep the barricade upright, but Jacob knew it was only a matter of time before their resolve crumbled.
"Look at them," Jacob sneered, gesturing toward the defenders. "They're scared. They know they can't hold out against us forever."
The noise was deafening—the clamor of bodies, the shouts of men, the groaning of the barricade under pressure. It was chaos incarnate, a symphony of conflict that played to Jacob's twisted sense of triumph.
Aiden glanced at him again, uncertainty still etched on his face. "And what if it doesn't work?"
Jacob's smile widened into something crueler, a glint of madness in his eyes. "It will work. We'll break through, and once we do, the king of the second floor won't stand a chance. We'll take his throne and rule over both floors. No one will challenge us again."
With that, Jacob turned his attention back to the siege, watching as his men pressed harder against the barricade. The victory he envisioned was so close he could taste it, and nothing was going to stand in his way.
* * *
I gritted my teeth, my shoulders burning as I pushed against the barricade with everything I had. My combat group and I strained together, trying to hold back the relentless assault from Jacob's army on the other side. The makeshift barrier of tables and chairs groaned under the pressure, threatening to collapse at any moment.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I shouted, barely able to hear myself over the chaos. My mind was racing, desperate for a solution. We were barely holding on, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they broke through.
The idea of using the gun flashed in my mind, but I dismissed it almost immediately. It wouldn't be efficient here. Once the barricade fell, the first-floor soldiers would rush us, and in close quarters, the gun wouldn't be much use. Besides, I had told the non-combat members to save their weapons, so if the attackers broke through, it would be a massacre.
We had to keep the barricade up, no matter what. It was the only thing standing between us and total chaos. The pressure against us was unrelenting, but we had no choice but to dig in and hold our ground.
My heart was pounding in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins as I pushed against the barricade. The shouts of the first-floor soldiers echoed in my ears, mixing with the grunts and groans of my comrades. Sweat dripped down my face, stinging my eyes as I fought to keep my footing.
"Hold the line!" I yelled, my voice hoarse from the strain. "We can't let them through!"
The barricade shuddered, the creak of wood and scrape of metal mingling with the chaos around us. I could feel the strength of the attackers on the other side, their determination to break through palpable. My arms shook with the effort, but I couldn't give in. Not now.
Beside me, Jake was panting, his face set in grim determination. His eyes met mine, and I saw the same fierce resolve mirrored there. We couldn't let this be the end.
As the seconds stretched into minutes, the noise seemed to fade away, leaving only the pounding of my heart and the ragged sound of my breathing. Time slowed, and for a moment, all I could focus on was the weight of the barricade pressing back against me.
The screams and shouts of my enemies were nothing more than a distant roar, drowned out by the singular focus of keeping that barricade upright. The world narrowed to the space in front of me, every sense attuned to the fight at hand.
The barricade shifted slightly, and I felt my heart lurch in my chest. We couldn't let it fall. Not now, not ever. I pushed harder, my muscles screaming in protest, refusing to give an inch.