Ambush and Rescue

The chill of the night air hit me like a slap, the contrast against the suffocating heat of the collapsed cavern too sharp to ignore. But my focus narrowed as soon as I saw them—shadowy figures, armor gleaming under the dying light of dusk. Elite warriors. My heart sank. We had barely survived the cave-in, our muscles spent, and the last thing we were ready for was a fight. Yet, there they were, waiting for us like predators, their movements unnervingly still, as though they knew they had us cornered.

“They were waiting for us,” Felix growled. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, the tension in his voice betraying what his calm exterior tried to hide. I didn’t need to see his face to know how dire the situation was. He could feel it too. We were outmatched and exhausted.