Sophie signaled to the rest of her squad. "We'll split up. Sharon, you and I will take the main party and search the marketplace. Theo, take a smaller team and scout ahead. We need to find any survivors or clues about what happened here."
Theo gave a quick salute, his face pale but resolute. "Understood, Captain."
As the two groups separated, the tension grew thicker. The streets were deserted, their footsteps echoing unnaturally loud in the stillness. Sophie's heart pounded as she led her team through the winding streets, every shadow making her nerves flare. She felt exposed, vulnerable. The cold wasn't just physical—it was as if the town itself was watching them, waiting for them to make a wrong move.
