The fire raged below, casting flickering shadows against the walls as the building trembled from the bst. The air was thick with the acrid scent of burning flesh, the screams of the wounded mixing with the crackling fmes. Smoke curled upward, billowing into the second floor. The Encve had taken heavy losses, but they weren’t done yet.

  Gunfire erupted again. Bullets smmed into the walls, sending splinters of wood and chunks of concrete flying. Hugo ducked behind an overturned desk, breathing hard, gripping the firefighter’s axe so tightly his knuckles turned white. Frank crouched beside him, rifle still steady despite the chaos. He was breathing heavily, sweat beading down his wrinkled forehead. “They ain’t stopping,” he muttered. Another Encve member rushed through the smoke, rifle raised. Frank fired first. The man’s body jerked as the bullet tore through his chest, sending him sprawling into a pile of burning debris. His screams were swallowed by the fmes. A second man followed right behind him, ducking low. Hugo lunged, swinging the axe in a brutal downward strike. The bde cleaved through flesh and bone, burying deep into the man’s shoulder. He gurgled, blood spilling from his mouth as he crumpled. More were coming. The Encve knew the fire station was a death trap, but they were pushing forward anyway. Then—a tripwire snapped. A metal beam, rigged high in the rafters, came swinging down like a pendulum. It smmed into an Encve soldier’s chest, lifting him off his feet and flinging him backward into a pile of broken furniture. He didn’t get back up. Another member ran blindly into the next trap—a deadfall of bricks and debris, which colpsed onto him with a sickening crunch. The chaos worked in their favor, but the Encve was still pushing hard. Their numbers were dwindling, but they weren’t breaking. Hugo could hear their leader barking orders, his voice rough and filled with rage. Then Frank grunted. Hugo turned just in time to see Frank stumble backward, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his fingers. “Frank!” “I’m fine,” Frank hissed through gritted teeth, dragging himself behind cover. “Just a graze.” Hugo knew better. The wound was bad. Frank’s face was paler than it had been a moment ago, his breath coming in shorter gasps. The firefight raged on. The Encve was adapting, avoiding the obvious traps. More boots thundered up the stairwell. They were gaining ground. Then, one of them ran right into the spike trap near the hallway entrance. Hugo barely had time to register it before another Encve member swung around the corner, gun aimed. He dove to the side as bullets shredded the air where he had been standing, rolling behind a knocked-over filing cabinet. Frank, despite the pain, didn’t miss. His rifle barked, and the man dropped, a hole between his eyes. “Five left,” Frank rasped, reloading with shaking fingers. Then the leader stepped forward, his presence like a dark storm overtaking the battlefield. His burned face twisted in a snarl, his eyes wild with fury. He moved with purpose, unshaken by the carnage around him. “Enough of this,” he growled, locking onto Hugo. “You think your little tricks make you untouchable?” Hugo’s breath came fast and ragged. He could feel the weight of the moment settling over him. This was it. The leader raised his handgun, firing two quick shots. Hugo barely dodged, the bullets whizzing past his ear. He couldn’t rely on tricks anymore. This was a fight. With a surge of adrenaline, Hugo charged, axe raised. The leader sidestepped at the st moment, smming the butt of his gun into Hugo’s ribs. Pain exploded through his side, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered but didn’t fall. He twisted, bringing the axe around in a wide arc. The leader ducked under it, stepping inside Hugo’s guard and driving a knee into his stomach. Hugo choked, barely managing to stay upright. The leader grabbed his wrist, twisting hard. The axe slipped from Hugo’s grip, cttering onto the floor. In the same motion, the leader smmed him into the nearest wall, pinning him. “You’ve been a real pain in my ass,” he growled, pressing his forearm against Hugo’s throat. “Time to end this.” Hugo struggled, his fingers cwing at the leader’s grip, his vision blurring from the pressure. Then— A gunshot. The leader jerked back, a snarl of pain ripping from his lips as he clutched his arm. Blood dripped from between his fingers. Frank, rifle still raised, his hands shaking, spat onto the floor. “Go to hell.” Hugo didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, driving his knee into the leader’s gut. As the man stumbled, Hugo snatched the fallen firefighter’s axe and swung with everything he had. The bde bit deep into the leader’s leg. He roared in pain, dropping to one knee. His gun cttered to the floor. Hugo stood over him, breathing hard. This was it. This was the moment. Then, more movement outside. Reinforcements. Hugo’s stomach clenched. They were out of time. Before he could react, a sharp, searing pain shot through his leg. He staggered, looking down to see blood spreading across his pant leg—he had been shot. His vision swam, his breath catching as he fell back against the wall. The axe slipped from his grip, his fingers trembling from the pain. “Hugo!” Frank shouted, but he was struggling himself, barely holding his rifle steady. He fired another shot, but he was slowing down, his injury weakening him. The Encve pressed forward. Another shot rang out. Frank choked, his rifle slipping from his grasp as he crumpled to the floor. Hugo’s heart smmed against his ribs. “Frank—” Frank’s lips moved, but no words came out. His body shuddered, his breathing ragged, before his eyes lost their focus. He was gone. Hugo’s world blurred with rage and grief. His fingers found the axe once more, his grip tightening. He was outnumbered, wounded, with no escape. The Encve leader, still bleeding, still on one knee, let out a ragged chuckle. “Looks like it’s just you now.” Hugo bared his teeth, raising the axe once more. But it didn’t matter. Hands grabbed him from behind. He struggled, kicking, swinging wildly, but there were too many. They wrestled him down, forcing him onto the blood-soaked floor. The leader stood, wobbling, gun in hand. “You fought hard,” he admitted, leveling the barrel at Hugo’s head. “But this ends now.” The st thing Hugo saw was the fsh of the muzzle. And then— Nothing. Hugo jolted awake, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his fingers gripping the firefighter’s axe like a lifeline. His heart pounded in his chest, the ghost of pain still lingering in his leg from the st fight. He was back. The fire station was exactly as it had been when he first woke up before the battle. Frank was downstairs, still setting the st of the traps. Salem y curled up near the barricaded doorway, flicking his tail in irritation at Hugo’s sudden movement. He swallowed hard, running a hand over his face. This time. This time, he would win. He wasted no time. He rushed to Frank, going through their pn once again, just like before. He didn’t change anything except his movements—he was more precise, more deliberate. He knew what was coming. And when the Encve finally arrived, Hugo was ready. The fire raged below, casting flickering shadows against the walls as the station shook from the explosion. Screams echoed through the stairwell, and the first Encve soldier stumbled up through the thick smoke, weapon raised. Hugo didn’t hesitate. He swung the axe low, catching the man at the knee. The force sent him crashing down onto his back, a sharp cry of pain bursting from his lips. Before he could recover, Hugo drove the axe into his skull, the impact sending a jolt up his arms. Then—he saw it. A pistol, strapped to the man’s belt. He ripped it free, fingers fumbling with the unfamiliar weight. The cold metal felt alien in his hands, but he knew he needed it. The fight ahead was going to be worse, and this time, he wasn’t walking into it empty-handed. He turned as another Encve member charged through the smoke. Hugo raised the gun and pulled the trigger. A deafening crack split the air. The bullet went wide, punching a hole into the far wall. Damn it! The man lunged. Hugo panicked, firing again—another miss. The Encve soldier tackled him, smming him hard against a broken table. The pistol nearly slipped from his grasp as rough hands grabbed at him. Hugo gritted his teeth and swung the gun like a hammer, cracking it against the side of the man’s skull. The attacker reeled, dazed, and Hugo seized the opening, lifting the axe with his free hand and burying it into the man’s shoulder. He tore it free just as another Encve member stormed in. Hugo raised the gun, hands shaking, and fired again. Miss. The Encve soldier grinned, leveling his rifle— A sharp crack. The man jerked backward as a bullet smmed into his chest. Frank. Hugo let out a breath of relief as Frank kept firing, cutting down another enemy trying to fnk them. “Kid, if you’re gonna use that thing, aim before you shoot!” Frank barked between shots. “I’m trying!” Hugo snapped back, frustration bubbling. Another Encve member rounded the stairs, and Hugo raised the pistol, steadying himself this time. He squeezed the trigger. The bullet clipped the man’s arm. Not a kill shot, but enough to send him stumbling. Hugo rushed forward, finishing the job with the axe before the man could recover. His pulse roared in his ears. The pistol felt like dead weight in his hands, but it was still better than nothing. The firefight raged on, bullets smming into the walls, splinters flying through the air as the Encve members pushed forward. The smoke thickened, mixing with the acrid scent of burning flesh, but Hugo didn’t let it slow him down. He ducked behind a broken desk, gripping the pistol tighter. His hands trembled from adrenaline and exhaustion, but he forced himself to focus. He needed to get better—fast. Frank took down another Encve member with a clean shot to the head, his rifle steady despite the chaos. “Three left!” Frank called out, his voice hoarse from the smoke. Hugo peeked out from cover. Two of them were crouched behind an overturned table near the entrance, exchanging gunfire with Frank. The st one was moving along the side, trying to fnk them. I see you. Hugo turned, raised the pistol, and fired—this time aiming before pulling the trigger. The bullet struck the man in the chest. He gasped, staggering backward, clutching at the wound. But he wasn’t dead. Hugo rushed forward before the man could react, swinging the axe one-handed. The bde sank into his colrbone, cutting deep, and the Encve soldier let out a gurgled scream before colpsing. Two left. Frank was still exchanging fire with the st two. Hugo turned his attention toward them, raising the pistol. He lined up his shot, steadying his breath— BANG! A sudden, sharp pain ripped through his thigh. Hugo’s body seized as he dropped to one knee, his leg burning like fire. He looked down, heart pounding. He’d been shot. The pain came in waves, nearly knocking the wind out of him. “Kid!” Frank shouted, but Hugo barely heard him. His vision blurred, the room spinning as blood seeped through his pants. Move! You have to move! Gritting his teeth, he forced himself up. His leg screamed in protest, but he ignored it. He had to finish this. Frank took out one of the st two with a clean headshot, the man’s body slumping lifelessly against the wall. That left only one. But then—Frank staggered. A wet gasp escaped his lips. Hugo turned, his heart stopping. Frank clutched his stomach, blood soaking through his shirt. His rifle dropped from his hands as he fell backward, hitting the floor with a sickening thud. “No—no, no, no!” Hugo limped toward him, ignoring the pain in his leg. Frank coughed, a grimace twisting his face. “Damn… got careless.” Hugo dropped to his knees beside him, pressing his hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. “You’re gonna be fine. Just—just hold on.” Frank exhaled sharply, shaking his head. His hand gripped Hugo’s forearm, firm despite the weakness creeping into his fingers. “Nah, kid…” he rasped. “Ain’t makin’ it outta this one.” Hugo shook his head violently. “Don’t say that! We—we had a pn! We can still—” Frank gave a weak chuckle, his grip tightening for just a moment. “Listen to me, Hugo. You get outta here. You don’t let these bastards win.” Tears burned behind Hugo’s eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Frank gritted his teeth, lifting his head slightly. “One left. Finish it.” His hand slipped from Hugo’s arm. His body stilled. And just like that—Frank was gone. Hugo’s breathing turned ragged. His fingers curled into fists, blood dripping onto the floor from where he’d pressed his hands against Frank’s wound. A slow, deliberate set of footsteps echoed through the smoke. Hugo turned, rage boiling in his veins. The leader. The man’s burned face twisted into a cruel smirk as he stepped over the bodies of his fallen men. His pistol hung loosely in his grip, his confidence unshaken despite the carnage around them. “Looks like your old man didn’t make it,” he said mockingly, tilting his head. “Shame. He was a damn good shot.” Hugo’s grip on the axe tightened. His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. He wanted to rip him apart. The leader took another step closer, raising his pistol. “You gave us more trouble than you were worth. But now? It’s over.” Hugo lunged. He swung the axe with everything he had, but the leader was faster. He sidestepped the attack and smmed the butt of his gun into Hugo’s injured leg. Pain exploded through his body. Hugo colpsed to the ground, barely catching himself before his head smacked the floor. His vision blurred, the edges darkening. Move! Get up! He rolled onto his side just as the leader fired. The bullet missed by inches, hitting the floor where his head had been. Hugo gritted his teeth, pushing through the agony. His fingers fumbled for something—anything. Then his hand closed around Frank’s fallen rifle. He whipped it up, finger tightening on the trigger— CLICK. Empty. The leader ughed. “Nice try.” He kicked the rifle out of Hugo’s hands, sending it skidding across the floor. Hugo barely had time to react before a boot smmed into his ribs. He choked, rolling onto his back as the leader loomed over him, pistol aimed square at his head. “It’s over,” the leader said coldly. Hugo stared up at him, breathing hard. He had to win this time. But he was out of time. The leader’s finger tightened on the trigger. And the world went dark.