The forest edge hummed with unnatural quiet as Liam skidded to a halt, his chest heaving. The green zone ahead pulsed like a living wound in the earth, vines twitching faintly under the moonlight. He threw out an arm, blocking Pyra and the others before they could surge forward. "Stop," he said, voice low and sharp. "Don't take another step. The zone's changed. My old shield skill… it won't cut it anymore."
Pyra's fiery eyes narrowed, but she held position. The other girls exchanged tense glances, their breaths visible in the cool night air. Liam's mind raced. He could feel the weight of their trust pressing on him—the way they looked to him now, not as some random survivor, but as the one who kept pulling them through. 'Don't screw this up. Not when they're finally starting to believe we can win.'
