And we ran.
Through twisting tunnels, down crumbling stone stairways, the cold weight of the dagger steady in my hand. Hope flared in my chest with every step, but a deeper, gnawing fear clung to me.
"Hurry the hell up!" Eric shouted, half-dragging Batista with him. Mara was on the other side, supporting Batista's other arm, both of them panting, blood staining their clothes.
I bolted through the mouth of the tunnel, the cold night air slapping my face as I broke into the woods. Branches tore at my skin, the darkness pressing in from every side
The others burst out behind me, breath ragged, eyes wild.
And then… we ran.
I was running so fast my lungs burned like fire. Branches clawed at my face, the night air thick and cold in my throat. Somewhere behind me, Garrik's voice rang out, raw and desperate.
"Hurry up, Eric!"
I didn't look back. I didn't need to. I could hear them — the uneven steps, the ragged breathing.
