The unknown man, armed with two sawed-off shotguns and wearing a sarape, carved his way through the hostiles with astonishing skill.

  Every movement was precise and lethal, firing and taking down anyone who dared approach.

  "Who is that man?" Mabel asked, her eyes wide.

  "I don’t know, but he arrived just in time. This is the perfect moment for us to move," Néstor replied.

  Luke could hardly believe what he was seeing.

  "Let’s take advantage and move out! Don’t stop firing, cover that man!"

  The stranger pressed forward, eliminating hostiles one by one with accurate shots and agile movements.

  "Everyone, into the building behind you! We need to get away from here and find a strategic position!" the unknown man shouted.

  The group moved quickly, following the mysterious fighter’s command. With the horde distracted, they managed to break through to a nearby building.

  Tobias blocked the entrance with a heavy piece of furniture, granting a brief but necessary pause.

  "Who the hell was that guy?" Dante asked, still stunned.

  Magnus collapsed onto the floor. "No idea, but we owe him one," he said, breathless.

  "Is everyone all right? Check for injuries," Luke ordered.

  "It escalated way too fast. I don’t know how no one got hurt," Dante admitted.

  "Let’s head upstairs and search the rest of the building," Luke added.

  A noise on the stairs put them on edge.

  Tap! Tap! Tap!

  All raised their weapons, bracing for the worst.

  But the figure that appeared was the same unknown man. "Hey, hey, easy, boys. Lower those weapons, please," he said calmly.

  "We appreciate the help. How did you get in?" Luke asked.

  The man pointed to the ceiling.

  "Through the upstairs window, but don’t worry, I secured it. I was hiding here before your little show outside."

  "I see… Who are you?" Néstor asked.

  "My name’s Andrew, pleasure to meet you," the stranger replied with a faint smile.

  Italia stepped forward to shake his hand. "Thank you so much, Andrew. We’re in your debt."

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Think nothing of it. Anything for the president’s daughters," Andrew said, bowing slightly.

  Adriano glanced at Lix. "I like this guy," he commented.

  The group introduced themselves, and Andrew offered to show them the place, suggesting they rest after the fight.

  "First, we need to check the building and make sure there aren’t more entry points for hostiles. We need to know every possible escape route," Luke instructed.

  Andrew sat in a chair, propping his boots on a table. "Don’t worry, I’ve got it all mapped out," he assured.

  "All right, boys, inspect the building according to Andrew’s directions," Luke ordered.

  The guardians dispersed, checking every corner.

  "If you plan to head out again, recharge your energy. This place gives us a breather, but we definitely have to keep moving," Andrew advised.

  "We’re far from safe, but together we stand a better chance. Why are you here? Didn’t you make it onto the evacuation train?" Luke asked.

  "Unfortunately not. I arrived just as the train left, so I decided to hole up here for a good vantage point," Andrew explained.

  Luke sat on the table. "I can see you’ve got combat experience. Were you a soldier?"

  "That’s right, but I left that life behind. I became a miner, a quieter life… Well, it was until now," Andrew replied.

  "You had excellent training, that’s why you’re here. Have you seen anyone else around?" Luke asked.

  Andrew rose from the chair. "Sadly, no. You’re the first people I’ve come across."

  The guardians regrouped with Luke and Andrew to share what they’d found.

  "All clear, entrances sealed," Néstor reported.

  "The basement has a back door leading to an alley. That could be our escape route, along with the rooftops," Lix added.

  Luke quickly assessed the situation.

  "Good. For now, it looks like we’re safe, but another wave could hit at any moment. Check your weapons and rest while we plan our way out," he ordered.

  "Go ahead, make yourselves at home," Andrew added, trying to ease the group.

  Inside the building, the survivors felt calmer. For the first time in hours, they sat down to rest. But everyone knew the peace was temporary: they had to find a way out of the city if they wanted to survive.

  ***

  Ander’s group prepared to continue their journey toward the evacuation zone, still unaware they would find nothing there.

  As they spoke, a familiar voice surprised them.

  "Hey guys, glad to see familiar faces," said Gaspar, a classmate of Ander, Alicia, and Josh.

  "Gaspar!" Josh and Alicia exclaimed.

  Ander rose from the ground. "Great to see you, friend. I see you didn’t make it to the evacuation zone either."

  "Impossible. When it started, I ran home, but didn’t even make it. I had to hide with others in another house…" Gaspar explained sadly.

  "Same here. We spent the night in a basement with these people," Alicia replied.

  "We weren’t so lucky. At night, hostiles broke in and… I was the only one who escaped. That’s when I ran into Cody and the soldiers," Gaspar recounted.

  Cody reloaded his weapon. "All right, kids, we’re moving out again. Get ready.

  Josh, stay close to me," he ordered. "We need something to defend ourselves, brother," Josh pleaded.

  "You really think I’ll give you a weapon? Mom and Dad would kill me if they found out," Cody shot back.

  Josh frowned. "Oh, come on! You don’t have to tell them." "I said no, and that’s final," Cody replied firmly.

  The two groups merged into one and began advancing toward their destination.

  "Ander, are you sure you can keep going without help?" Cody asked.

  "Yes, don’t worry. I feel better now," Ander lied, hiding his weakness.

  Calm seemed to return as they moved slowly forward.

  But on the rooftops, two soldiers spotted hostiles climbing silently up the walls.

  "Enemies! Prepare for attack!" one shouted.

  "Be ready! Protect the civilians!" the lieutenant ordered.

  The rooftop soldiers fought bravely, but the hostiles were too many. The situation turned desperate, and both were killed.

  One dropped his weapon to the ground.

  "Run! Don’t look back!" Carlo shouted, grabbing the weapon.

  "Quick, kids, everyone behind me!" Cody ordered.

  Josh tried to move Ander. "Come on, Ander… Ander?"

  He looked and saw him dizzy, staggering.

  "My head… I can’t… breathe…" Ander whispered, before collapsing to the ground.