Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Into the Breach

The forest was a silent sentinel, its dense canopy blotting out what little light remained as Sophia and her team moved cautiously through the underbrush. Every step was calculated, every rustle of leaves a potential threat. The tension was palpable, a constant reminder that they were deep in enemy territory with little margin for error.

Sophia signaled a halt with a raised fist, and the team immediately stopped, dropping into defensive positions. She crouched low, scanning the area ahead with her rifle raised, the sights fixed on the faintest hint of movement. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, the quiet almost oppressive.

"Hold," she whispered into her comms, her voice barely more than a breath. The forest was too quiet, too still. The enemy was out there—she could feel it.