Soon, exhaustion pulled me into a deep sleep, and I drifted into a dream where I was back home, celebrating my return with friends. I was recounting the tales of our daring expedition, reliving the highs and lows of our journey. But suddenly, the dream shattered with a loud *thud*, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked—*dok-dok chak*.
Annoyed, I began to wake, ready to scold Karun for disturbing my sleep. But before I could fully open my eyes, Karun grabbed my shoulders, shaking me awake with urgent intensity. His voice, barely above a whisper, was filled with panic as he silently shouted, "Wake up, Kathy, it's an ambush!"
The word "ambush" jolted me fully awake. My heart raced as the gravity of the situation sank in. Even before I could steady my breathing, Karun had already dashed to the door and started firing. I scrambled to my feet, hastily activating the comms and glanced at the map projected above my head.
Red dots—dozens of them—began to swarm around our hideout, multiplying with each passing second. The sheer number of them made my stomach drop. Through the comms, I could hear Aiden's voice, frantic as he relayed instructions to Karun. It was clear that Aiden was the only one awake besides us. As I struggled to think clearly, the realization hit me—everyone else must have fallen asleep.
But then, Daisy's voice crackled through the comms. True to her reputation as the "relentless workaholic," she was still awake, engaged in some late-night research. Daisy confirmed my fears: everyone else had let their guard down, assuming that the game was nearing its end. Even those on the other side of the comms had taken a break, believing we were safe. The game, however, had other plans.
As the situation grew increasingly dire, I asked Daisy if anyone was up, but she told me that everyone had retired to their camps just an hour earlier. Damian had gone out looking for a relief patch; he might be back soon. It was around 3:30 a.m., and after watching over us nonstop for two days, they had taken a well-deserved break. I would've done the same in their place. But now, with everything happening, their absence felt like a harbinger of doom.
Panic surged through me as I heard the storm raging outside, its howls competing with the noise of assassins storming into our crumbling hideout. The building, chosen for its four intact walls to shield us from the cold and damp, was now half-collapsed. The massive structure had no intact stairs on our side, and the ones on the other were already being used by the assassins to reach us. Our only choice was to jump from the sixth floor.
Karun and I pulled out our ropes, anchoring one end to the broken windowsill. The wind from the storm slapped against my face, cold and biting, but I had no time to think, let alone fear. "Hold tight, Kathy!" Karun shouted over the roaring wind. I gripped the rope as if my life depended on it—because it did. Just as my feet touched the ground, an explosion shook the night. Karun grabbed my hand, and we sprinted to another broken building, ducking behind the debris.
"It's okay, Kathy. We got this," Karun kept reassuring me, but I was silent. My mind was still reeling, struggling to process everything that was happening. The storm, the assassins, the explosion—it was all too much.
"Hello? Hellooo…" Karun was trying to get the comms working, but all we got was static.
For the first time, I felt utterly helpless. It seemed as if those on the other side had abandoned us. But there was no time to dwell on that. I snapped into action, firing in bursts while bracing my back against the right side of the entrance. Karun took the left. He finally managed to get through to Aiden on his comm, but there was no response from Damian. It was just the two of us, holding off the onslaught as best we could. But it was clear—we were running out of moves, and fast.
Then, through the static, Daisy's voice cut through. "The video feed's breaking up… electromagnetic force… infiltrating the game."
The news hit me like a punch to the gut. Our connection to the outside world was being severed, and with it, any hope of rescue. My limbs went numb as despair washed over me. For a brief moment, I mentally gave up.
But then, a man's voice crackled through the comms—wait, wasn't Daisy the only one online? Confused, I asked, "Daisy, is that you?"
"No, Kathy, this is Gibbard," came the reply. My heart skipped a beat. Uncle Gibbard, the elder leader of the guild, was awake. Relief washed over me, but it was quickly tempered by the realization that I had never trained with him. He had always remained in the background, observing from a distance.As the building shook and the storm outside raged, I clung to the hope that Uncle Gibbard's voice provided. His calm and reassuring words cut through the chaos, giving me a sliver of confidence amidst the overwhelming despair.
"We've got this, Kathy. I'm right here."