Isabella's POV
The forest was deathly quiet as we ran, the only sounds the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the distant echoes of gunfire. My lungs burned, each breath feeling like fire in my chest, but Derek’s relentless pace left no room for weakness.
“Derek, slow down!” I whispered harshly, barely keeping up. “We’re going to get lost in the dark!”
“We need to get as far away from that shack as possible,” he snapped, not breaking stride. “If they find us, it’s over.”
My heart twisted as I thought of Alex. He had stayed behind to buy us time. Was he still alive? Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, but Derek’s grip on my wrist anchored me to the present.
After what felt like an eternity, Derek pulled us into a thicket of bushes, crouching low. “We’ll rest here for a minu
