The first explosion shook the mansion like an earthquake. Daniel's head snapped up, his fingers frozen mid-gesture over the console. The sound of shattering glass echoed from the upper floors, and the flickering surveillance feeds showed flashes of light and chaos outside.
"They're here," Daniel muttered, his voice steady but cold.
Claire appeared in the doorway, her movements sharp and purposeful. "How many?" she asked, already tugging on her gloves.
Daniel's gaze darted over the screens. Drones swarmed the outer defenses, their sleek, black forms glinting under the moonlight. Experimental weapons mounted on their sides fired concentrated bursts of energy, systematically dismantling the traps and barriers he had meticulously set. Behind them, the Vanguard soldiers advanced, clad in their insulated suits, with Forsaken trailing like rabid hounds on a leash.
"Too many," Daniel replied. "They've brought everything."
