I glanced around. More sleeping bags had been rolled out, and a small fire crackled in a tin pan near the wall. Marco's people were already settling in, doing what they could to make this place feel like home.
"They're staying?" I asked Nicole quietly.
"They're not fighters," she replied. "But they've been through hell. Logan cleared them for now. We'll tighten the watch shifts just in case."
I nodded. "Good. We rest tonight, hit the first floor again in the morning."
She gave a quick nod, then turned to check on the others. I left her to it and made my way to our corner, where my team had regrouped.
Amber had dropped her pack by the wall and collapsed onto it like a dead fish. Sol followed suit, though with more control. Liam eased down onto a sleeping bag with a grunt, one hand pressed against his side.
"Someone get Liam a drink before he bleeds sarcasm all over the floor," I muttered, tossing my bag down nearby.
Across the room, Marco sat alone, quietly staring at a photo of his daughter and Karen stood nearby, eyes locked on him, saying nothing.
Liam winced as he peeled off his long-sleeve shirt to check the damage. Bruises had bloomed across his ribs, deep and ugly already.
"Strip down more often and I'll start charging," Amber said dryly, tossing him a water bottle.
He gave her a pained look, then chuckled. "Laugh it up."
I crouched beside our pile of loot and pulled out the gear we'd taken off the hobgoblin. The cleaver still had blood on the hilt—dark, tacky stuff that hadn't quite dried. The chestplate was dented, but intact.
"Here," I said, holding them out to Liam. "You took the worst of it. They're yours."
He blinked. "Seriously?"
"You need the armor. And that cleaver's your style ugly, heavy, and probably dangerous to both sides."
He grinned as he took them. "Thanks, but you didn't have to call me ugly."
I laughed as he began strapping on the chest plate, Amber leaned over and pointed at the bone ring still sitting in my hand. It pulsed faintly with a dull red glow.
"Can I take that?" she asked. "Extra constitution sounds nice. I'm usually the one up front."
I glanced at her, then at Sol. He shook his head. "I'm good. I'm not tanking anything anytime soon and I got the pendent."
Fair enough. Amber fights close, fast, and recklessly, darting in and out like a wasp. A little bonus regen might be the difference between standing and bleeding out.
I tossed her the ring. "Don't lose a finger."
She slid it on and flexed her hand. "Fits like it was made for me."
"Good," I said. "Make it count."
She nodded and leaned back, letting the quiet settle in. The fire crackled softly. A low hum of conversation drifted through the store. We wiped down our weapons and checked our gear, ensuring everything was ready for anything.
Once everyone had a moment to breathe, I crouched near the pile of gear, letting the warmth of the fire lick at my boots as I pulled off my gloves. The quiet didn't last long.
"We're not staying still," I said, loud enough for my team to hear but not for anyone else to butt in. "Tomorrow we'll hit the first floor again. But starting tonight, I want scouting done on floors three through five. We need eyes up there. Supplies, survivors, goblins, whatever's still alive up there, we need to know about it."
Liam glanced over, still adjusting the straps on his new chestplate. "You want me to go?"
"You're the only one who can go solo," I said. "If you're up for it."
He gave me a nod, with determination and quiet readiness in his eyes. "I'll rest a bit, then tiptoe away. Probably start with the third floor."
"Good, I will be working on the fourth floor and make sure to be back by midnight." I turned to Amber, Sol, and Karen. "You three will not be doing any solo runs. If you scout, it's with Liam or me. No exceptions."
Amber leaned back against the wall raising a brow. "We're really heading upstairs again? What for?"
"We are going so we can have a better understanding of what's happening up there and to get more kills," I said. "We're here to survive and that means leveling up. I believe the upper floors are safer than the first. So this will be a side project for us.
Sol's eyes narrowed, his voice tight. "Why can't I go alone?"
I met his gaze. He wasn't whining, but angry and a little disappointed.
"After all the training," he added, "I can handle myself."
I held his stare for a moment, then shook my head. "You're good, Sol. Damn good. But this isn't sparring in the backyard. This is different."
He looked away, jaw clenched.
"If I see that you can handle yourself out there," I said, softer now, "really handle it then maybe I'll consider it. But until then, you go with a partner. No exceptions."
He didn't say anything, just nodded once, stiffly. But I saw it, that spark of pride and frustration mixed together. He wasn't happy, but he'd listen for now anyway.
I shifted my attention to Karen who hadn't said a word. She just stared across the room again, eyes locked on Marco, who was still holding that photo like it was the only thing keeping him together.
"Karen," I said, drawing her attention. "You with us?"
She flinched, eyes snapping back to me. "We should be out there looking for them."
I narrowed my gaze. "Who?"
"Marco's daughter," she said, voice tight. "She's missing. Just like my sister. And we're sitting here while they're out there, maybe dying."
I watched her clench her jaw, that kind of anger bubbling up, the useless kind. All heat, no direction. The kind that got people killed.
"You think I don't want to go?" I asked, keeping my voice low but firm. "You think I don't care?"
Karen looked away.
"Let me remind you of something," I continued. "Amber almost died fighting that hobgoblin. Liam was taken out at the start. Sol held his own, but we were one mistake away from losing someone. If you run out there without the strength to back it up, you're not saving anyone. You're just another corpse waiting to happen."
Karen's hands balled into fists, her face tight with frustration.
"I get it," I said. "You want to help. You want to find her. But want doesn't mean shit in a fight. What matters is strength. Discipline. Control. You want to find your sister? Then level up. Contribute. Make sure when the time comes, you're someone they can count on and not someone they have to bury. That goes for everyone."
For a moment, no one spoke. The fire cracked behind us, and distant murmurs from the rest of the camp filled the air like static.
Karen finally gave a small, reluctant nod.
"Good," I said, softer now. "We move together. No one left behind, no one running ahead. Not until we're ready."