The ruins of the command center lay before them, a testament to the ferocity of the battle. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and the lingering echoes of destruction. Debris scattered across the ground, twisted metal and shattered glass glinting ominously in the dim light of the setting sun. Ava stood amidst the wreckage, her heart a storm of conflicting emotions. Guilt gnawed at her like a relentless vulture, but there was also an undeniable sense of relief. They had survived, but at what cost?
Ava's eyes scanned the devastation, each fallen beam and crumbled wall a reminder of their actions. The team moved slowly, the weight of the aftermath pressing down on them. Caleb, his face etched with worry, approached Ava. "We need to regroup," he said, his voice steady but tinged with urgency. "There's more to this than we realized."
