Axel's POV
The forest was quiet. Too quiet. I could feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up as we crept through the underbrush. King and Mia were right behind me, their eyes darting around nervously.
"I don't like this," I muttered, more to myself than anyone else.
King sidled up next to me, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe we should turn back, Axel. Something feels off."
I shook my head, trying to push down the gnawing feeling in my gut. "We can't. Those pups are counting on us."
Suddenly, a twig snapped somewhere to our left. We all froze, hearts pounding.
"What was that?" Mia whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
Before I could answer, all hell broke loose.
They came at us from all sides, moving with an eerie, mechanical precision. Purifier soldiers, but... differ
