With Elias and Gideon and Lucas fighting alongside them the balance shifted fast. The barriers Cole and Elara had built earlier now worked in reverse. They narrowed every aisle and cut off every side path so the attackers could not slip around or regroup. What began as a standoff turned steadily into a forced retreat.
“Keep moving them toward the front,” Elias called out over the noise. “Do not let them bunch up and do not give them time to reset.”
They advanced step by step. Cole stayed near the center where he knew the layout best. Elara moved a little ahead on one side reading every stance and motion exactly like someone who had once been sent on these same kinds of jobs. She called out warnings before each new move even the small ones that looked like accidents or mistakes.
“Right s
