Morning began with thick tension even the air felt heavy inside the rundown building. The remaining team members sat around a folding table now covered with maps, supply notes, and a list of those still alive. only remaining team members sofia and altair. there no team member from military.
Altair stood in the corner of the room, clutching the communication device with an unreadable expression. He had been trying to reach HQ for the past two hours. His voice had once sounded loud—angry, disappointed, even near despair—but now, only silence remained. The screen of the device showed static before finally going dark.
"…Sorry, but central command cannot provide further support. All troops are being pulled back to defend the primary zones. You're on your own until the situation changes," came the last message from command.
Altair stared at the device in silence. His eyes didn't blink, his jaw clenched. Then, with a swift motion, he hurled the device at the wall.
CRASH!!
It shattered into pieces, the sound echoing sharply through the room.
No one spoke. A few glanced over instinctively, but no one dared say a word. They had suspected the answer… but hearing it directly still hurt.
Altair took a deep breath and lowered his head for a moment to calm himself. When he turned back, his face was composed—though his eyes still burned with unquenched anger.
He looked at them all and slowly shook his head. "No backup. They don't see us as a priority."
Sofia rose from her seat, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. "Of course not. They're afraid of losing more troops just to save us. Humans always give up quickly when numbers are involved."
Altair approached the table, placing both hands on the map. "Today's our last day for supplies. We're almost out of water, and there's only enough food for tonight's dinner. Tomorrow, we move out. Whether we like it or not."
Viktor, a member of Team Raijin, gave a slow nod. "We know there are two nearby supply caches… but both are in open areas. There's a high chance Tyrant is watching them."
Sofia pointed to one area on the map near the ruins of a market. "But this one was used as an early aid distribution site. There might still be leftovers."
Rina, from Sofia's team, added, "If we split into two teams, our survival odds improve. But the risk goes up, too."
Altair nodded. "Which is why everything has to be set tonight. No mistakes. We're down to sixteen people, and every single life is worth more than gold."
That night, no one slept.
Everyone got involved in planning. From rotating guard shifts, exit and entry routes, to even who would act as bait if necessary—every detail was accounted for.
Sofia drafted small-scale combat formations based on each member's magic capabilities. Meanwhile, Altair drilled the team in ambush-response scenarios. Despite their fatigue and stress, a shared determination began to form.
"We may have been abandoned by command," Sofia said as she handed out water to everyone, "but we're not alone."
"As long as we trust one another," Altair added, "we're not just survivors. We're a threat to anyone who dares to hunt us."
Their comrades nodded. A spark lit up in eyes that had once gone dull. It wasn't the same confidence they had when they first set out—but it was stronger… because now, they were no longer just soldiers.
They were the last remnants of hope and tomorrow, they would move.