Darkness did not simply fall over the warehouse—it swallowed everything whole. The lights died without warning, cutting off depth, direction, and certainty in a single breath, and the first wave of gunfire followed immediately, sharp and controlled, slicing through the air in deliberate bursts that made it clear this was never chaos.
It was execution.
Sebastian reacted on instinct. The moment visibility vanished, he pulled Vivian down with him, shielding her body as bullets tore through the space above them.
The metallic echoes bounced off concrete and steel, turning the entire warehouse into a chamber of confusion where sound became the only guide and even that could not be trusted.
"Stay with me," he said, his voice low and firm, steady in a way that cut through the panic.
