Round 5

The footsteps outside grow more insistent, each thud echoing through the empty church like a drumbeat counting down to trouble. Halie stands at the threshold, her grip tightening on the candlestick until her knuckles turn white—she looks ready to brain someone if necessary. Which might be exactly what's needed, given the ominous sounds coming from beyond that door.

Silra moves forward, positioning herself between Halie and the doorway with an obvious show of concern. "This is fucking insane," she says, her voice cutting through the tension. "We don't even know who or what is out there." She's always been the responsible one, the voice of reason—though lately it feels like she's trying to rein everyone in a bit too tightly.

Jeane just stands there, arms crossed over her chest, watching the drama unfold with an expression that says she's mildly annoyed but mostly amused by the whole situation. Typical. She'll let Halie and Silra hash this out between themselves while she... what? Directs from afar? Supervises? Finds a way to turn this into another opportunity for debauchery?

The sound of something heavy hitting something else with tremendous force rings out, followed by shouted questions in rough male voices. Whoever—or whatever—is out there isn't going away. We need to make a decision, and fast. But first, we need information.

"Silra's right," I say, stepping forward. "We can't just charge in blind. Halie, you take point with that candlestick. Silra, you back her up with your tech—whatever magic gadgets you've got hidden away." I turn to face Jeane. "You stay here and keep an eye on Hera and Abby. If anything happens to us..."

Jeane waves a dismissive hand. "Nothing's going to happen. This is probably just some drunks stumbling home or kids playing pranks." But even as she says it, I can see the calculation in her eyes—she's already working out how to spin this into another advantage if things go south.

"Fine," I concede. "But if we're not back in five minutes, you come looking. And bring backup." Jeane nods, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Deal. Now get going before I change my mind and decide to join you myself."

I follow Halie towards the doorway, Silra close behind. The air outside is cool against my flushed skin, a stark contrast to the heat inside the church. As we step into the pre-dawn darkness, I can't shake the feeling that we're walking into something far worse than a simple misunderstanding.