Chapter 124: Finally Over
I felt his arms tighten around me, his body tensing as something heavy struck his back. His grunt of pain was muffled against my hair as dust and chunks of debris rained down on us.
“Leo!” I gasped, trying to look up at him. His face was twisted in a grimace, sweat beading on his forehead. Blood trickled from a gash near his temple where a piece of concrete had struck him.
“I’m fine,” he growled, though his breathing was ragged. “Just stay down.”
The building continued to shake violently around us. Cracks spread across the walls like lightning bolts, and the floor beneath us tilted at an alarming angle. The automated voice continued its countdown.
Leo lifted his head slightly, quickly assessing our situation. “We need to move. Now.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet, his grip surprisingly gentle despite the urgency. We stumbled into the hallway, which was barely recognizable now. It was filled with debris, exposed wiring, and thick dust that made it hard to breathe.
“This way,” Leo urged, tugging me along.
He navigated the crumbling corridors with impressive speed and precision, pulling me close whenever a new tremor shook the building. The emergency lights flickered, casting eerie red shadows across his face.
“How much farther?” I coughed, my lungs burning from the dust.
“Two more floors down,” he replied tersely. “There’s a side exit there that goes down from outside the building. It will be safer than staying inside.”
We rounded a corner and came face to face with a massive gap where part of the floor had given way. Leo didn’t hesitate. He scooped me up and leapt across the chasm, landing with perfect balance on the other side.