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"Healer?" One siren raises a hand. "Go."

"Dragon anomaly north." A Rider says.

"How many dragons?"

"One."

"Not enough for escalation."

"She refuses route."

"Observe neighboring dragons. Don't chase." Good.

Western breach expands. Three students look toward me. "What do we do?" I almost say hold. No. We don't have enough people. Think.

"Give ground."

They stare. "What?"

"Fall back to secondary corridor."

"But—"

"Primary isn't defensible with our numbers." Dax's eyes lift from his clipboard. I ignore him. "Fall back."

They move.

East ward stabilizes. Good. Then evaluator shouts "Chief incapacitated."

I almost laugh. "There is no Chief."

"Exactly." Asshole.

Another casualty. One of the fae. Ward drops. Shit.

I have three problems. Not enough people. Choose.

"Abandon east outer."

Someone stares. "That opens the courtyard."

"I know."

"We'll lose it."

"I know."

"Then—"

"Let them have the fucking courtyard." Silence. "Protect the inner structure." They move.

Something in me settles. Not because I know I'm right. I don't. Because there is no time to know. Decision. Move. Adjust.

Dragon report. Second dragon now agitated. There.

"Anomaly escalation." I call. "Bring exposed teams inside. Increase ward readings. North patrol returns."

Western team loses another person. I shift two from east. Too late. One simulated death. Fuck. I mark it mentally. Keep moving.