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2026-01-07 | ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Collateral ๐Ÿชฆ Damage ๐Ÿ“บ๐Ÿ“ฐ๐Ÿ“š

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๐Ÿค–๐Ÿฒ AI Fiction

๐Ÿ™๏ธ The alley was a narrow throat of ๐Ÿš๏ธ rot and shadows. ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Elara stood her ground, her ๐Ÿ’“ heart drumming a frantic, ugly rhythm against her ribs.

๐Ÿ‘ฆ Behind her, the boy huddled in the ๐ŸŒ‘ dark - a scrap of human grit in the โš™๏ธ stateโ€™s gears. The ๐Ÿ•ด๏ธ agents moved in with the bored grace of ๐Ÿ”ช butchers. One drew a long, ๐Ÿ—ก๏ธ grey blade, the steel whispering as it cleared the scabbard. He swung in a casual arc, aiming for the boyโ€™s neck.

๐Ÿคบ Elara moved. Her โš”๏ธ sword met his with a jarring, bone-deep ๐Ÿ’ฅ clang.

๐Ÿฆท The vibration rattled her teeth, but she ๐Ÿงฑ didnโ€™t give an inch. She leaned into the bind, shoved the manโ€™s weight back, and found the ๐Ÿ”“ opening. She saw the ๐Ÿ‘๏ธ fear flicker in his stone-flat eyes. She had him. One ๐Ÿ•’ quick turn of the wrist and sheโ€™d be clear, the boy safe, the day won. She felt a โšก jolt of heat in her marrow - a wild, soaring ๐Ÿ† triumph.

โ„๏ธ Then the cold ๐Ÿ—ก๏ธ bit through her back.

๐Ÿ—ก๏ธ It wasnโ€™t a roar or a flash; just a foot of sharp, indifferent steel ๐Ÿฉธ punching through her ribs from behind. A ๐Ÿ‘ค second agent had stepped in, silent as a ๐ŸŒ‘ shadow.

๐Ÿ› Elaraโ€™s knees hit the ๐Ÿคฎ filth. The ๐ŸŒ€ world tilted, her victory turning to a sudden, ๐ŸงŠ biting ice. She watched the ๐Ÿ‘ข boyโ€™s boots vanish into the gloom - a frantic, fading beat of ๐Ÿƒ footsteps.

๐Ÿ  I shouldโ€™ve stayed home, she ๐Ÿ’ญ thought, her ๐ŸŒซ๏ธ vision narrowing to a grey pinprick. Her ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ‘งโ€๐Ÿ‘ฆ childrenโ€™s faces flickered in the dark, and a sudden, ๐Ÿ’” bitter pang twisted what was left of her heart.

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