Smoke crawled up the cracked walls, licking the rafters like dark fingers. The fire spread quick—too quick—catching on rotted beams and dusty cloth seats. Heat rolled in waves, the air thick, sharp with ash.
Carla cursed under her breath, coughing as her eyes watered. "s**t, they’re torching us out."
Elias scrambled closer to Kael, his face pale and slick with sweat. "We—we can’t fight in this! We’ll suffocate before we even get cut down. We’ve gotta run—"
"Shut your mouth," Kael snapped, eyes locked on the hunters pressing at the edges of the firelight. His blade glinted in the flicker, steady as his voice. "You don’t run from wolves. You tear their throats out."
"But—" Elias tried again, voice cracking.
Kael cut him a look that shut him up fast.
Lyra wasn’t listening to either of t
