The room was a smoldering ruin. Dust and the acrid smell of smoke filled the air, punctuated by the groans of the wounded and the shifting of collapsed stone. Heikal, his clothes torn and face smudged with soot, helped Valeria shift a heavy pillar to free a trapped soldier. The aura of relaxed authority was gone, replaced by a grim rage.
Rei, clutching a bleeding gash on her arm, stumbled towards him, her expression a mixture of pain and unwavering loyalty. "Leader Heikal... what are your orders?"
Heikal straightened up, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of steel as he surveyed the devastation. "First, we secure the survivors and stabilize the wounded. Then, you will reach out. Calm the remaining forces. We must re-establish a perimeter and project control. Panic is our enemy now."
From a pile of rubble nearby, Finn winced as Gab carefully cleaned a cut on the boy's forehead. His tired, youthful voice held a stark clarity that cut through Heikal's commands.
