The night was eerily silent. Darkness hung heavy, pressing down on everything.
Above, the pale moon drifted in the sky.
The faint creak of wheels broke the stillness as carts rolled slowly out of the base.
Men stood in line, lifting and passing white sacks with steady hands. Their movements were sharp and exact—like soldiers drilled for months.
Yet their eyes told another story. Empty, lifeless… they moved like puppets, bodies obeying without thought.
One sack was dragged from the pit, passed from one man to another, until it reached the waiting cart.
The first cart was nearly full. With five sacks stacked high, it was ready to leave.
Dhak
As the fifth sack settled into place, the man at the front gripped the handle and pulled—only for his body to explode in a spray of blood as a massive iron mace came crashing down.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Ariana burst out from the trees, swinging her chained mace.
