The laundromat felt colder than ever. The walls echoed with the metallic scent of blood, and the flickering emergency lights gave the room a ghostly glow. Ethan's body lay in the corner, a silent reminder of the lines that had been crossed.
Leon stood above it, chest heaving, blood splattered across his armor. His fingers trembled around the combat knife, and his eyes refused to meet anyone else's.
Ayush, supported by Kartik and Ananya, slumped against the wall. His breaths were ragged, every inhale scraping like glass inside his chest.
Riya and Sanaa stood together, still staring at Ethan's body. Their hands were locked so tightly that both had gone pale. Suraj and Shivam kept watch at the broken window, tense and restless.
Leon finally turned, dropping to his knees as if the weight of the last hour had finally crushed him. He pressed his palms to his forehead, blood smearing across his skin.
Kartik stepped forward carefully, a hand hovering near his own knife. "Leon," he said quietly. "Talk to us."
Leon looked up, his eyes red and raw. "I didn't want this," he croaked. "He was my brother... but he left me no choice."
Silence spread across the room, heavy and suffocating.
Ayush pushed himself upright with a groan, his hand clutching his ribs. "We don't have time to mourn properly," he rasped. "B.S.A. will notice Ethan's radio silence soon. Once they do, they'll send a recovery squad, and not for a rescue — for elimination."
Ananya flinched, wiping tears off her face with the back of her wrist. "How much time do we have?"
Leon shook his head, wiping his face roughly. "Hours, at best. Maybe less. His transponder was likely already pinging. Once they confirm he's unresponsive, they'll move."
Shivam glanced at Ethan's body again, his voice shaky. "They'll kill us all just to get to you, won't they?"
Ayush met Shivam's eyes, holding his gaze despite the pain. "Yes. They can't risk me — or any of you — revealing their secrets."
Kartik's jaw clenched, fury burning behind his eyes. He slammed his fist into a nearby dryer, the echo ringing like a gunshot. "Then we don't wait for them to choose the battlefield. We make them come to us on our terms."
Suraj turned, wiping sweat from his brow. "We're really doing this? We fight them head-on?"
Riya's voice quivered, but there was steel beneath. "We've run long enough."
Sanaa's eyes widened, her fingers trembling against Riya's arm. But after a long pause, she swallowed hard and nodded. "Together," she whispered.
Leon stood shakily, his fingers flexing around the hilt of his knife. His gaze fell to Ayush. "Commander... What do we do now?"
Ayush let out a slow breath, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion and determination. "We fortify. We don't run anymore. We turn this place into a trap — our trap."
Ananya supported him as he moved to a battered table, where an old city map lay unfolded. Ayush leaned over it, his trembling finger tracing routes and blind spots.
"We funnel them through the south alley. Only one vehicle fits at a time. We collapse the main entrance behind them and force them into close quarters. Shivam, Kartik — spike traps and choke points in the stairwells."
Kartik nodded sharply, his earlier rage turning into a quiet, focused fury. Shivam hesitated, his knuckles white around his spear, but after glancing at Kartik, he nodded too.
"Suraj," Ayush continued, "block all the side doors. Create fallback points on each floor — broken furniture, glass shards, anything. We slow them down room by room."
Suraj gave a determined nod. "Understood."
"Riya, Sanaa," Ayush said, turning toward them. "Molotovs. You'll need to watch the windows and stairwells. Fire will give us a psychological edge."
Riya hesitated, her lip quivering, but Sanaa took her hand and squeezed it. Riya met her gaze, then looked back at Ayush. "We'll do it," she said.
Leon stepped forward. "I'll monitor rooftop access and act as sniper if they try to enter from above. We have a few remaining rounds and a single scope — I'll make them count."
Ayush nodded, sweat sliding down his face. "Good." He paused, his voice dropping lower, almost to a whisper. "I know I can't move like before... but I'll stay here. I'll direct you, track their positions, and signal movements. If they get to me, it's over. So no matter what, keep them away from this room."
Ananya stared at him, her hand trembling as it reached for his cheek. "We won't let them take you," she said, her voice cracking.
Ayush leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know."
Leon looked around the room, his gaze falling on each of them — these young fighters, these so-called children who had become ghosts in the ruins. He lowered himself to one knee in front of Ayush.
"Commander," Leon said softly, voice shaking. "I failed once. I won't fail again. I swear it."
Ayush pressed his palm to Leon's forehead, a gesture more intimate than any salute. "You've never failed me, brother."
Kartik stepped forward next, holding his blade tight. "For all the ones we lost," he murmured.
"Until the last breath," Suraj echoed, gripping his iron rod.
Riya and Sanaa came forward together, fire in their eyes despite the tears. "Together," Riya said, her voice firm.
Ananya stood behind Ayush, her fingers interlaced with his. "We move as one."
Shivam finally stepped up, visibly shaking. He looked at them all, then took a deep breath. "I was always the scared one... but today, I'll fight."
Ayush looked around at them — this broken, beautiful family forged in betrayal and blood.
He drew in a sharp, shallow breath. "Then let them come. Let them see the ghosts they created."
Outside, the moon rose higher, pale and watchful. In the distant streets, shadows began to shift as B.S.A. tactical vehicles rolled forward, headlights like predatory eyes in the night.
Inside, the young defenders took their places, gripping weapons they had never imagined using, eyes locked on each other, on Ayush — their ghost commander.
In that moment, they were no longer survivors.
They were an army.