The dawn was still a whisper on the horizon, shrouded by heavy clouds, as we took our positions along the sanctuary's battered front lines.
Rain poured down in relentless sheets, turning the ground beneath our feet into a treacherous mix of mud and pooled water, mirroring the turbulent turmoil within each of us.
The constant drumming of raindrops against the leaves and earth seemed to mock the pounding of our hearts, as anticipation and dread knotted together in the pit of our stomachs.
I stood at the forefront, my gaze sweeping over the array of determined faces beside me.
These were the defenders of our sanctuary, individuals who had become warriors out of necessity in the face of an apocalypse that spared no one.
Despite the fatigue etched into their features, their resolve was unyielding, each one ready to lay down their lives for the safety of our home.
