Chapter 12: Escape - I
Ruel landed lightly on the ground floor, his earlier amusement replaced by a sharp, decisive urgency.
His eyes, no longer playful, scanned the terrified faces of the group.
The deafening roar from outside was a palpable presence, vibrating through the very foundations of the building.
"Listen to me!" Ruel's voice cut through the cacophony, surprisingly loud and commanding.
His gaze swept over their horrified expressions.
"This isn't just a few stragglers banging on the door. Skinny's right. That's a goddamn horde out there!"
He gestured towards the shuddering barricade, his eyes wide with a grim certainty.
"This... this flimsy pile of junk isn't going to hold them for long. They'll stampede right through it!"
Boss Chen, his face pale and his usual bluster gone, stared at the door with a dawning horror.
"Stampede...?" His voice was barely a whisper, laced with disbelief. "You mean... they'll just... break it down?"
Nina's eyes were wide with a primal fear, her hand clamped over her mouth as if to stifle a scream.