Smoke burned my lungs, every breath a reminder that I was running out of time. The alarms screamed overhead, red lights flashing across the steel corridors, casting jagged shadows that moved like ghosts. My boots pounded against the grated floor, every step echoing like a countdown to my own death.
Elias was right behind me, bleeding, staggering—but he never slowed. His sharp, silver eyes burned with a determination that almost made me believe we could make it out. Almost.
“Left,” he rasped, shoving me forward. “Stairwell—hurry!”
The door was just ahead. Freedom was beyond it. And yet, I hesitated. My instincts screamed at me—something was wrong.
Elias turned back, lifting his gun toward the security panel, but before he could fire, the metal barrier behind us slammed shut. The sound w
