(James' POV)
The rain was relentless, a torrential downpour that turned the world to a blur of shadow and water.
My heart hammered in my chest, a frenetic drumbeat that seemed to echo the chaos unfolding around me.
This was my first real battle, a nightmare made flesh in the form of snarling, mutated beasts that charged out of the darkness.
I was just a young recruit, barely out of training, and every fibre of my being screamed at me to flee, to find safety in the sanctuary's walls.
But then, amidst the cacophony of roars and the clash of weapons, I saw him—Jared, one of my fellow recruits, and a friend.
He lay on the ground, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle, his face a mask of pain and fear.
In that moment, the world seemed to slow, and the choice before me crystallized with terrifying clarity.
I could run, or I could stand and fight, not just for the sanctuary, but for a friend in need.
