Chapter Twenty-Four
Author: Yeshua Yin
last update2025-03-19 23:51:08

He dragged himself from the warehouse with a leg that beat helplessly into the muck and grime as though it were none of his business. His body felt heavy and moving through this thick mud was like trying to trudge through molasses. The cold night air smacked against his face like the touch of cold knives, shooting sharp thorns into the split of his lip. Stopping could mean death.

Iris dragged herself by the back of his jacket, and her small arms clung tightly from the frigid rush of air. She breathed loudly enough that it could well have sounded like tiny, sharp gasps. The knowledge of her panic made him even more frantic with fear.

"They're coming right behind us, Oliver," she whispered, voice small and shaking. "What are we gonna do?"

But Oliver didn't have any answers. He couldn't. All he had the strength for was keeping Iris safe from them. He couldn't let them catch her. Couldn't let them take her away.

They splashed through puddles at the end of the narrow alley, water soaking c
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