The smoke from Dominic's explosion still lingered, drifting through the cavern like ghostly mist. Tiny fragments of scorched debris floated down in slow spirals, settling softly onto the blood-soaked ground. The iron stench hung thick in the air, so heavy it felt like a weight pressed against the lungs.
Only a handful of recruits remained.
They stood frozen where they were, trembling uncontrollably, eyes wide and unfocused. Sweat dripped down the sides of their heads, carving thin trails through dirt and dried blood. Weapons slipped in their shaking hands. Knees buckled. Whatever courage they once held as Awakened had evaporated entirely.
They looked nothing like warriors.
They looked like children abandoned in the dark, waiting for the monster to take them.
The first one to break collapsed with a choked, broken sound. He fell to his knees, then all the way down, forehead pressing desperately against the cold stone as tears streamed down his cheeks.
