The sudden, ear-splitting detonation of a heavy mortar shell shattered the remaining support pillars of the collapsed commercial atrium, showering the central floor with a thick cascade of concrete dust and jagged glass shards. The open space, which once acted as a civilian transit hub between the outer slums and the deeper rebel networks, had instantly transformed into a lethal, three-way engagement zone. Acrid smoke rolled heavily through the air, reeking of burned insulation, spent gunpowder, and the distinct metallic smell of overheating plasma cells. Overhead, the persistent rain poured down through the ruined skylight, turning the thick blankets of ash on the ground into dark, slippery mud.
Delon dragged his trembling body forward, his palms scraping painfully against the rough de
