The four of them suddenly picked up the pace, their strikes doubling in force. Seraphina Sterling, caught off guard for a moment, was hit in the shoulder and abdomen. Amidst the thick, rolling smoke, she couldn't even tell how far away they were unless they attacked.
The surrounding footsteps grew more chaotic, and Seraphina Sterling could only sense that many people were passing by. Suddenly, a punch flew out from the darkness. Seraphina ducked under it and kicked her attacker squarely in the shin. A sharp CRACK echoed—a sound anyone in their line of work would recognize as a bone breaking.
After landing the kick, Seraphina Sterling intended to press her advantage. But in the next instant, she launched herself into the air, planted a foot on the wall, and used the rebound to vault far away from her original spot.
A bullet whizzed past the very spot she had just vacated.
