Leila’s breaths came in short gasps as she descended into the tunnel, her fingers gripping the cold metal rungs of the ladder. The darkness pressed in on her from all sides, making it hard to breathe, to think. Above her, she could hear the faint echoes of chaos—the unmistakable sound of gunfire, a crash of furniture, and then nothing.
The silence that followed was deafening. Ethan.
Her heart pounded as she reached the bottom of the tunnel, her feet hitting the damp, uneven ground. She looked up at Daniel, who was already standing in the shadows, his face set in a grim expression. Lily landed beside her a moment later, shaking uncontrollably, her eyes wide with fear.
Leila couldn’t help but glance back up the ladder, her mind swirling with thoughts of Ethan. He was up there, alone, faci
