The city erupted into action within minutes. Soldiers hastily donned their makeshift armor, grabbed weapons ranging from crude swords and spears to sharpened bones scavenged from fallen demons, and rushed toward the western walls.
Civilians too weak to fight—elders, children, and the sick—were escorted to whatever shelters could be found. Some huddled in basements, while others crammed into half-collapsed buildings, whispering prayers for survival. The air was thick with fear, urgency, and impotence. There was nothing they could do other than wait and hope things would work out in the end.
