That morning, Zero Castle wasn't immediately stormed. Yet, everyone had stood rigid at their posts since the first light of dawn. A biting chill crept through the cracks of the stone walls, carrying the scent of damp earth and the lingering stench of death from previous battles.
Ever since Dola's warning two days ago, sleep had become an impossible luxury. Kancil was caught checking his Desert Eagle three times before the sun even peeked over the horizon—stripping the barrel, wiping away imaginary dust, and reassembling it with a mechanical click. Loy and Riri stood side-by-side in the backyard. Riri's fingers trembled occasionally, but she gripped her weapon tighter every time Loy glanced her way. Lunethra could only serve dry bread and water. Gulp. Dayat swallowed a piece of bread that tasted like sand in his throat. No one had any appetite.
