Chaos gripped the mall.
As screams echoed and people ran in circles, slamming into the invisible barrier that sealed every exit. Making the panic spread like wildfire.
"We're trapped!" someone yelled, voice cracking with terror.
"I don't want to die!" another sobbed, collapsing to their knees.
In the midst of the mayhem, a small girl clung to her mother's coat, her voice trembling.
"Mom… those men are scary…"
The woman knelt down, wrapping her arms tightly around her daughter, shielding her from the nightmare unfolding.
"Shhh, it's okay, sweetie," she whispered softly, voice forced but steady. "The Takers will be here soon… They'll defeat the bad people."
A few people around them heard her. And slowly, hope began to flicker again.
"Yes… yes, that's right," a man said, nodding quickly. "They'll come."
"The Federation won't abandon us. They never have," another chimed in, clutching her husband's arm.
