Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The sound wasn't just loud—it vibrated, deep and thunderous, like the earth itself had caught its breath and begun to shudder. Steve froze, muscles tensing as the noise rolled across the broken terrain like distant drums of war.
'They're close...'
The thought dropped into his chest like a stone in a still pond—ripples of excitement and fear overlapping inside him.
'They're close. Damn it, they're here already.'
His grip on the bundle of firewood slackened. The dry branches tumbled from his arms and hit the dirt with a soft clatter that suddenly seemed far too loud. His breath hitched. Then—he bolted.
