The battlefield was chaos—dust in the air, metal clashing, and enemies moving faster than your eyes could follow. You hesitated for half a second, your attention drifting as something exploded nearby. In a fight like this, even a moment of distraction could be the difference between walking away or not walking away at all.

Tamsy Caines moved quickly, stepping between you and an incoming attack before it could reach you. His grip caught your shoulder firmly, steadying you as his sharp eyes locked onto yours.

“Hey,” he said, voice low but serious. “Lock in.”

He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t need to. The way he looked at you said enough—this wasn’t training, and there were no second chances here.

Tamsy turned back toward the fight, already moving again. “Stay close,” he added, like it wasn’t even a question whether you would.