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I clenched my fists, forcing down the doubt. “What about the guards? There’s no way we can fight them all if they see us.”

Kael lifted his hood again, shadowing his face. “We won’t fight unless we have to. I still have some trust here. If anyone stops us, I’ll handle it.”

Without another word, he handed me his coat. I quickly put it on, covering most of my head and face in the hood. Again, it might buy us just a minute or so, but it was another precious minute we desperately needed.

“Okay,” I said, my voice steadier than I felt. “Let’s do it.”

Kael nodded once, his sharp eyes meeting mine. “Stay close. Don’t make a sound unless I say so. And if I tell you to run—”

“I won’t leave you behind,” I snapped, cutting him off.

His expression darkened, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he moved to the door, pressing his ear to the wood. After a tense moment, he glanced back at me.

“Ready?”

I took a breath, steadying the wild beat of my heart. “Ready.”

He eased the door open, just enough to peer out. Then he gestured for me to follow. I slipped through the gap, the cold air of the corridor prickling my skin.

The hallway stretched out ahead of us, dark and narrow, the torchlight casting jagged shadows along the walls. My pulse pounded as we crept forward, each step slow and deliberate.

Kael led the way, his movements sure and silent. I kept close, my body tense, every creak of the floor and distant shout making my breath hitch.

Lucas, please be okay.

We reached the storage area without incident. Kael pressed himself against the wall, peeking around the corner before waving me forward.

“There,” he whispered, pointing toward the far end of the room, where crates were stacked high. A door stood partially open beyond them, leading out into the camp.

I swallowed hard, my nerves fraying as I stepped closer. This was it. The point of no return.

Kael glanced at me one last time. “Stay quiet. And stay sharp.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

We slipped through the door and into the night. The cold air hit me like a slap, but I didn’t stop. The camp sprawled ahead of us, alive with movement and noise. Shadows danced across the firelit paths, and figures moved in clusters, their voices sharp and urgent.

Kael tugged me down behind a stack of barrels, his breath warm against my ear. “We’ll stick to the edges. Keep low.”

I barely managed a nod. My heart hammered so loud I was sure someone would hear it.

We crept forward, the sound of chaos echoing all around us. Every shadow felt like a threat. Every step felt like it could be our last.

But I kept moving.

Then, Kael tugged me into the shadows as we crept along the edge of the camp, the shouts and clash of weapons echoing behind us. My legs ached, and my pulse thundered, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

Lucas was close. I felt it.

Kael suddenly froze, his arm snapping out to stop me. I nearly slammed into him, my breath catching as he peered around the corner of a tent.

I followed his gaze and saw them.

Lucas and Callum.

They were crouched behind a stack of crates near the camp’s perimeter, their figures half-hidden by the flickering firelight. Lucas’s dark cloak was streaked with dirt and blood, but it was him. My chest clenched so hard it hurt.

“Stay here,” Kael hissed. He darted forward, moving so fast I barely saw him slip through the shadows toward them.