Smoke choked the air.
Muzi crawled across broken chairs and concrete rubble, heart hammering, vision sharp. Each breath dragged in dust and blood. Around him, gang members screamed, fired blindly, or lay silent — some already dead.
"Cover the back door!" Banele shouted, ducking behind a steel cabinet as a fresh volley of gunfire shattered a row of windows.
Muzi didn't move toward the back. His eyes locked on a figure slipping through the smoke ahead — one of the attackers, dressed in dark grey, face masked, rifle raised.
> [Spiritual Surge Detected – Defensive Response Recommended] [Suggestion: Channel Shadow Vein Breathing]
Muzi's chest tightened — then released.
He inhaled slow.
Time slowed.
The veins in his arms shimmered faintly black, a web of energy surging under his skin. His vision dimmed around the edges — not from pain, but focus. The world narrowed to one truth: survive.
Then he moved.
Shadow blurred around him. His body ducked and slid between rubble, his steps ghosting over broken glass. The attacker turned too late — Muzi's fist cracked into their throat, then disarmed them with a brutal twist of the wrist. He used the rifle's strap to yank the body forward, flipping the man over his shoulder.
Gunshots echoed. Screams. Another body dropped beside him, chest smoking.
"Muzi!" Sphilile called from behind an overturned table, her hands shaking as she reloaded.
He scrambled over, sliding into cover beside her.
"I-I jammed it," she stammered, her rifle rattling in her hands.
"Give it here." He took the gun, cleared the jam, and passed it back. Their fingers brushed.
> [Connection Thread: Strengthened – Subtle Pull → Tangible Bond]
Maphanga's voice echoed quietly.
> "This battle binds more than flesh and steel. You grow, Muzi. But there is more."
Muzi exhaled. "We can't stay pinned."
"Then let's move," Sphilile said, steeling her eyes. They crouched, preparing to push forward — and then—
> [Mini-Boss Detected: Armored Enforcer – Spiritual Signature Detected]
A hulking figure stepped through the dust, wielding a modified shotgun, flanked by two more men with vests and riot shields.
Muzi cursed under his breath.
Banele spotted it too. "Muzi, go around! They're focusing on the front!"
Muzi nodded once.
Then vanished into smoke.
---