"What happened!"
A crowd looked at the new arrival with their jaw dropped. The underground shelter was quiet as the people were shocked, stunned, and in denial was what they were seeing.
Their unbeatable commander was covered in bruises and blood while their strongest fighters were not looking good either. After the realization dawned on the people that their Savior was nothing short but human like them and they may be in danger. A gasp of cries filled the room as fear crept up to their faces.
They looked at each other and saw the panic on each other's faces, unsure of how to react.
They looked at the soldiers as they rushed to one of the private rooms where they tried to treat their commander.
Meanwhile, the panic in the heart of the people began to grow like a tumor, and various cries and voices echoed from the people.
"Will all shut up!" A hefty man came out of the commander and shouted with veins protruding from his forehead. "If any of you make noise again. I won't mind sending them outside to continue making the noise."
Hearing this, the crowd held their breath and averted gaze from the intimidating gaze of the hefty man. Even though they were panicked and scared, they knew this underground building was their safest place.
A woman came out of the room and looked at the people. "I know some of you are scared when you see the commander injured." She paused and looked at the faces of the people and saw them nodding their heads. "You don't have to be. His injury was only minor, and in a couple of hours, he will be back to his feet." She assured me.
A sigh of relief echoed from the crowd and the panic expression on their faces lessened a bit.
"Go back to whatever you're doing and don't worry about being attacked or anything." She added.
Watching the crowd disperse, the man and the woman looked at each other and sighed before they entered the commander's room.
"How many of us returned?" The commander asked with some difficulty.
The few people inside the room looked at each other and a gloomy expression appeared on their faces. Seeing this, he knitted his brow and asked with a deep voice. "Tell me"
"Less than 50," said the only woman in the room.
Silence!
The room was in silence and the only sounds were the occasional sniffles, as they mourned the loss of their loved one, comrade, and friends. The air was thick with a palpable sense of grief, like a heavy blanket that hung over them.
With their heads bowed and their eyes downcasted. A few held handkerchiefs, wiping away tears as they spoke. Their voices were soft and low, as if afraid of breaking the fragile peace that had descended upon them.
A few candles flickered on a nearby table, casting a soft glow that danced on their faces. The room was filled with the smell of flowers, a reminder of the fleeting beauty of life.
The commander came out of his grief and said, "What about the men we captured from the other group… and where are the men that betrayed their group."
Hearing this, they raised theirs with dejectedness and sighed for the umpteenth time.
"They should be in the room where we locked them. As for the other men, I don't know anything about them." A bald man said in a low voice.
The commander's eyes burned with hope as he thought about the men they captured. 'If I can find a way for them to join us…. With their battle experience and weapons, we can reclaim our strength and defend the shelter.'
"By tomorrow. We are going to get those men." He commanded, leaving no room for debate.
…
In another part of the city, a group of ten ran through the dilapidated street, their hearts pounding with fear and their clothes soaked through by the heavy rain. The old buildings that lined the street loomed over them like dark sentinels, their broken windows and peeling paint adding to the sense of decay and foreboding.
As they splashed through the puddles and dodged debris, the sound of their frantic footsteps echoed through the empty streets.
The rain beat down on them relentlessly, obscuring their vision and making it difficult to see what lay more than a few feet ahead.
"A-are…we not there…yet" A voice asked in panic as he wiped the stream of water from his face. His body was weak and fatigue all over his face, he was on his last leg and the only thing keeping him moving was the will to survive.
Hearing this, the men gasped with some difficulty and looked at the man leading them, hoping to hear the good news.
Grow!!
The intimidating sound of the Terra-saws beast came from behind and their faces contorted with fear and desperation, as they ran for their lives.
They knew danger was lurking behind them, and that it was only a matter of time before they were caught. The only thing that kept them moving forward was the thought of safety and the hope that they could escape the danger that pursued them. And all their hopes depend solely on one person — Robert.
"We're almost there." Robert's excited voice came from the front as he increased his speed. "It's around the corner."
Despite the rain and the fear that threatened to overwhelm them, the group ran on when they heard the voice of hope. They pushed themselves to their limits, their lungs burning and their muscles aching, knowing that their survival depended on their ability to keep going.
As they turned a corner and disappeared from view, the only thing that remained was the sound of the rain, falling heavily on the empty street.
In another part of the city, three people were racing through the rain, leaving a gust of wind behind while the heavy rain failed to touch their bodies.
Suddenly, the heavenly mark on their foreheads glowed and they changed their direction.
"Got you!"
