The vibrations of footsteps from above were no longer faint.
Now they were clear.
Close.
Heavy.
Numerous.
The air in the underground chamber felt increasingly tight not from lack of oxygen, but from pressure coming from all directions.
Daniel stared at the stairs with a clenched jaw.
"Second wave," he murmured.
Leonard Graves shifted his position, making sure his line of sight was unobstructed.
"More than that," he said softly. "This isn't just an assault team."
Richard Blackwood stood straight in the middle of the room, his weapon aimed forward, his breathing steady.
"Defensive formation," he said shortly.
No one argued.
Ethan stood a few steps away from the core, now locked behind a protective layer.
Blue light still glowed inside it.
Calmer.
Yet still alive.
He could feel it.
Like a distant pulse, but never truly gone.
The footsteps finally reached the top of the stairs.
The first shadow appeared.
Then others.
