The journey to the hospital was a slow, agonizing crawl through a city that had grown teeth in the dark. With their remaining jeep crippled from Shihab’s diversion and Karam clutching his broken ribs with every jolt, the direct route was impossible. They were forced into the city's skeletal underbelly, a labyrinth of narrow service roads and crumbling alleys that reeked of decay and danger.
“Take the next left,” Ayham had whispered, his voice hoarse from the river water and tension. He was navigating from the back seat, where he supported a semi-conscious Jalal. “The main avenue is a river of them. I can hear it.”
They had taken the left, only to find the alley blocked by a collapsed fire escape. The sound of the crash echoed, and within moments, shadowy figures began to pour into the al
