The world was fire and chaos Emily lay on her back, struggling to pull air into her lungs.
The explosion had knocked the wind out of her, and every breath burned like she'd inhaled smoke.
The acrid stench of burning metal and scorched earth filled her nose, making her cough violently.
Her ears rang with a high-pitched whine, drowning out the distant gunfire and shouting.
Dust and embers swirled in the air, reducing everything to shifting shadows.
She forced herself onto her elbows, blinking rapidly to clear her vision.
Silhouettes flickered through the haze—figures in dark armor moving in disciplined formations, weapons raised.
Enemy reinforcements.
Her pulse pounded. This wasn't just an ambush—it was a trap.
A hand grabbed her arm.
Emily flinched, reaching for her sidearm—
"It's me!"
Theo's voice cut through the noise, rough and urgent.
His face appeared out of the smoke, blood trickling down his temple from a gash near his hairline.
