The moment their boots touched down outside the school perimeter, a sigh of relief swept through the group. The air still reeked faintly of smoke and metal, but at least they were alive.
"We did it! We actually got out!" Hana exclaimed, bouncing a little with Yuki cradled safely in her arms. Her voice cracked with relief, the tension finally loosening from her shoulders.
Zei let out a tired laugh as he stumbled slightly, leaning against Qui Yue. "I never wanna do that again," he muttered, wiping the blood from under his nose. "Freezing that many people at once... damn near killed me."
"But you were awesome," Qui Yue said, gripping his arm. "You saved all of us."
Zei gave a faint smile before his knees gave out, his powers finally depleting. Muchen caught him just in time, dragging him behind a broken wall for cover. "Rest. You've done more than enough."
Just as they began to move again, a sharp shout rang out. The crack of gunfire split the air.
