[Scene 1 – The Ambush]
We're moving through the wreckage of an old street market, stepping over cracked stalls and broken glass.
The air is thick with the scent of mold and something metallic — blood that's gone cold.
Selene raises a hand, and the sisters freeze. I hear it too: bootsteps.
A dozen armed survivors appear from between the buildings, rifles and shotguns pointed directly at us.
They're in mismatched armor, faces hard.
The man in front spits on the ground. "Zombies. Four of 'em." His eyes flick to me. "And one idiot walking with them."
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[Scene 2 – Stand-off]
Selene's voice is calm, but I can see the tension in her shoulders. "We're not here for you."
The leader laughs. "They never are. Until they're chewing your throat out."
I step forward. "They're under control."
One of the men raises his gun higher. "No such thing. Step aside."
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[Scene 3 – The First Shot]
It happens too fast.
A rifle cracks, and the bullet slices past my cheek — too close to Selene's head.
I don't think. I just move.
The next volley comes, and I throw myself between the sisters and the firing line.
Pain explodes in my side, my shoulder, my thigh. Bullets tear through me, the impact knocking me to my knees.
Selene catches me before I hit the ground.
Her eyes — usually sharp and unreadable — are wide with something like shock.
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[Scene 4 – The Counterattack]
Ryn and Anna don't hesitate.
They dart forward in a blur, ripping guns from hands, breaking bones before the humans can reload.
Level Three — still nameless — lunges at the leader, pinning him to the ground, her claws at his throat.
Selene kneels beside me. Her hands are cold, pressing into my wounds. "Why?" she demands. "Why would you do that?"
"Because…" I cough blood, "…they were aiming at your head."
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[Scene 5 – Aftermath]
The surviving humans scatter. The sisters stand over me like a wall of flesh and claw, keeping anyone from coming close.
Selene looks down at me, her expression unreadable, but her grip on my arm is firm — almost… protective.
"You're a fool," she says softly. "Our fool."
The world starts to fade to black, but the last thing I feel is her cold hand against mine.
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