Chapter 4: Fragile Bonds
Night settled over the ruined city like a heavy cloak. The once vibrant metropolis now whispered with the voices of ghosts and distant echoes. The squad gathered around a small fire atop their makeshift rooftop camp, the flames flickering shadows across their faces.
Elara paced restlessly, breaking the fragile quiet. "We can't just sit here waiting. If we don't find something soon, this mission's pointless."
Xena watched her, her voice calm but firm. "Patience is part of survival, Elara. Rushing might get us killed."
Elara shot her a sharp glance. "Always preaching patience and caution. What good is staying alive if you don't take the fight to them?"
Rhys shifted closer to Miya, both offering silent support amidst the rising tension. Zion leaned back, stretching his arms and smirking.
"Relax, Elara. We've got a long way to go," Zion teased, "Besides, you sound like you're trying to wake every Nyxsie in a five-mile radius."
Elara scoffed, "Better to be loud and alive than quiet and dead."
Izan, sitting near the edge of the rooftop, studied their faces with a quiet intensity. "We each have our ways. The city tests all of us."
Miya caught Rhys's eye and smiled softly. "Maybe we all need to find a balance."
Xena finally broke her silence. "Tomorrow, we start early. Watch each other's backs. Keep the noise low and the senses sharp."
Elara muttered beneath her breath but said no more, settling awkwardly near the fire.
Amid the ruins, beneath a sky smudged with stars and smoke, six strangers forged a fragile bond—tenuous threads of trust woven from tension, rivalry, and the faint hope that they might survive what lay ahead.