“s**t! This is driving me crazy!” Max groaned softly, stopping in his tracks.
Every joint in Max's body screamed in protest as he forced himself to get up. The piercing morning came too quickly, bringing with it sharp memories of yesterday's humiliation on the training ground.
Purple and blue bruises adorned his arms, silent testimony to Targu's brutality and Mehwa's forced trials. However, the physical pain was only a faint echo of the despair that gnawed at his soul. He had no time to lament his fate. Every second wasted was a second that took Anna and the others further out of reach.
Ignoring the stinging pain, Max moved with rigid purpose. He found a fairly flat piece of wood near a pile of firewood, its surface rough but usable. With a sharp flake of stone, he set to work. His worl
