Part4
1366 Words
The sound of an explosion shook the room, slicing through the air with a wave of heat that made Allena's ears ring. Dust flew everywhere, and the dim lights flickered before finally going out, leaving them in darkness.
“Allena!”
Nathan moved swiftly, grabbing her hand and pulling her behind an overturned table. Allena's heart was still racing, her breath uneven as she tried to process the situation.
Through the dust and shadows, the sound of footsteps echoed on the cracked concrete floor. The men in dark uniforms were still there.
“We need to get out of here,” Nathan whispered urgently.
Allena swallowed hard, clutching Nathan's arm tightly. “How? They’ve surrounded us.”
Nathan turned, his eyes sharp even in the darkness. “Trust me.”
Before Allena could respond, Nathan stood up quickly and pulled something from his waist—a small folding knife. With swift precision, he threw it at the hanging lamp still lit at the far end of the room. The lamp shattered, sparking electricity and creating just enough distraction for the men in uniform.
“Now!”
Nathan pulled Allena to her feet, and they ran through the falling debris. Someone shouted behind them, followed by the echo of gunshots.
Bang! Bang!
Allena held her breath, feeling her heart nearly burst. Nathan expertly pulled her behind a pile of rotten wood before the bullets could hit her.
“Keep moving,” Nathan whispered, his voice low but firm.
Allena had no choice but to obey. They crept along the side of the room, searching for an escape. In the corner, Nathan found an old iron door almost hidden by the rubble.
“Hold this,” he said, handing Allena a metal rod.
He then began to push the door with all his strength, the muscles in his arms tightening. Allena could see sweat forming on Nathan's temple, though the tense situation did nothing to diminish his handsomeness.
“Damn, it's stuck,” Nathan hissed.
The footsteps were getting closer.
They were running out of time.
“Allena, step back,” Nathan commanded quickly.
Before Allena could ask why, Nathan kicked the door with all his might. Instantly, the hinges snapped, and the door opened with a loud creak.
“Get in!” Nathan pushed Allena through first, then followed behind her.
They found themselves in a narrow, damp, and dusty corridor. Nathan quickly pulled the door shut behind them, wedging it with a wooden beam.
“It'll only hold them off for a while,” he muttered.
Allena was still trying to catch her breath when Nathan turned to face her, his hand still gripping her wrist tightly.
“Are you okay?” His voice was softer now.
Allena looked at him, still shaken. “What do you think?” she snapped, pressing her hand to her chest, her heart still pounding.
Nathan sighed, then raised his hand to her face. “You’re bleeding.”
Allena hadn’t noticed the scratch on her temple, probably from the debris of the explosion.
Nathan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood from Allena's face. His touch wasn't rough as she had expected—it was surprisingly gentle, as if he were handling something fragile.
Nathan's fingers touched her chin, lifting it slightly to examine the wound more closely.
Allena swallowed hard. They were so close now.
Nathan's breath was warm against her face, and his sharp eyes no longer held just caution—there was something else there, something deeper.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
There was only the two of them, standing in the darkness illuminated by the faint light seeping through the cracks above.
“Allena…” Nathan's voice was lower now, as if he were considering something.
Allena looked at him, unsure whether she should step back or stay where she was.
But before anything could happen, a loud crash echoed behind them.
They had been found.
Nathan moved instantly, pulling Allena back into a run.
“No time for this,” he said, his voice serious once more.
Allena felt something inside her—a mix of fear and something else.
Something connected to Nathan.
They kept running through the darkening corridor, not knowing what awaited them ahead.
The narrow passage ended at an old wooden door. Without hesitation, Nathan pushed against it, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Allena, help me,” he said, his voice calm despite the growing danger.
Still catching her breath, Allena pressed her body against the door alongside Nathan. With one strong shove, the door finally creaked open, revealing a stone staircase leading downward.
“Allena, go down first,” Nathan ordered, glancing back over his shoulder.
Allena didn’t have time to hesitate. The sound of footsteps grew closer, and her heart raced even faster. She carefully descended the stairs, feeling the air grow colder and damper. Nathan followed closely behind, then pulled the door shut behind them.
“Where are we?” Allena whispered.
“Somewhere safer,” Nathan replied shortly.
The staircase led to a stone chamber with old, moss-covered walls. A lantern hung in the corner, casting long shadows on the stone floor.
Nathan walked to the center of the room, scanning the surroundings with a sharp gaze.
“We’re safe for now,” he finally said.
Allena exhaled heavily, her body exhausted from the chase. She leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself.
But before she could fully relax, Nathan took off his jacket and handed it to her.
“Put this on.”
Allena looked at the jacket, then at Nathan. “What?”
“You’re shivering,” Nathan answered bluntly, his expression unchanged.
Only then did Allena realize she was trembling, either from adrenaline or from the cold, damp air of the underground chamber. She hesitated before finally taking the jacket and wrapping it around herself.
The jacket was still warm, and faintly, Nathan’s scent lingered on it—masculine, a hint of wood, and something that inexplicably made her heart race.
She shouldn’t be feeling like this.
Not about someone like Nathan.
Nathan, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected. He walked to the corner of the room, pulled an old wooden chair, and sat down casually as if they weren’t being hunted by armed men.
“Allena.”
Allena snapped out of her thoughts, turning to Nathan.
“Sit. We need to rest before moving on.”
Allena swallowed, then slowly walked to another chair nearby. The room was silent, except for their breaths that hadn’t fully steadied.
“You still haven’t answered me,” Allena finally said. “Is this about you? Or about me?”
Nathan looked at her with his dark, intense eyes. “Maybe both.”
Allena bit her lip.
“This has to do with the fact that I’m your student, doesn’t it?” she asked quietly.
Nathan sighed, loosening his tie with one swift motion before leaning back in his chair. “You could say that.”
“You talk as if I’m a problem,” Allena muttered, her eyes sharp.
Nathan looked back at her, his expression unreadable. “Maybe you are.”
Allena fell silent. There was something in the way Nathan said it—not just a statement, but also a warning.
She should have felt offended.
But what she felt was something else. Something deeper.
“Allena,” Nathan’s voice was lower this time, almost a whisper.
Allena looked up. “What?”
Nathan didn’t answer right away. He just stared at her for a few more seconds before finally shaking his head slowly.
“Nothing.”
Then he stood up, his serious demeanor returning.
“We need to leave before they find another way in.”
Allena took a deep breath, trying to push away the strange feelings inside her.
They were not out of danger yet.
And one thing was becoming clearer to her—Nathan Vance was not just a mysterious professor who seemed unshakable.
He was a puzzle far more complicated than Allena had thought.
And the longer she stayed close to him, the harder it became not to want to solve that puzzle.
- Writer
