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Chapter 5 - Beneath Crimson Skies

The night air was heavy with tension as Amara stood on the rooftop of the rebel safehouse. The city lay sprawled below, a battleground painted in flickering fires and distant gunfire. Above, the crimson sky stretched endlessly—a brutal reminder of the world's fractured soul.

Kael joined her silently, rifle resting at his side.

"They're coming," he said quietly. "The Dominion won't give up. Not after the depot."

Amara swallowed the knot of fear in her throat.

"We have to be ready."

Inside the safehouse, preparations buzzed in a whirlwind of movement. Rebels armed themselves, loaded weapons, checked supplies. The weight of impending battle pressed on every breath.

Leo sat huddled beside Amara, clutching a worn photograph of a smiling family—his only memory of a life before chaos.

"Will we be okay?" he asked, voice small.

Amara hugged him close. "We will. Together."

As the first Dominion patrols crept near, Kael took command. His voice was steady, unwavering—a beacon for the weary fighters.

The rebels took their positions, shadows among shadows.

A sudden flare lit the sky, followed by the thunder of gunfire.

The battle had begun.

Amara moved through the chaos, tending to the wounded as bullets and screams filled the air.

Kael fought fiercely beside her, a force of nature fueled by vengeance and hope.

Together, they pushed back the Dominion, reclaiming ground inch by bloody inch.

At the heart of the fight, Kael confronted the Dominion commander—a ruthless man who had once been his mentor.

"You betrayed us all," Kael growled.

The commander sneered. "Survival means sacrifice."

Their fight was brutal, a clash of past and present.

Amara, meanwhile, faced her own test—saving Jax, who lay dying in a makeshift triage tent.

With trembling hands, she battled time and injury, pouring every ounce of strength into healing.

Outside, the sky shifted—crimson turning to dark blue as dawn threatened.

The Dominion forces, battered and broken, began to retreat.

Victory was theirs, but the cost was carved deep.

In the quiet aftermath, Kael and Amara stood together on the rooftop once more.

Leo slept peacefully between them, a symbol of hope born from ashes.

"We survived," Amara whispered.

Kael nodded. "But the fight continues."

She looked up at the fading crimson sky.

"We'll rebuild. One day at a time."

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