Chapter 26: Lexington Charter: Third Floor
I staggered backward and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. My arms ached from the struggle, my throat burned where the infected had clawed me, and I could feel warm blood trickling down from several scratches. But we were alive.
All three of us were alive.
"A...Are you okay, Elena?!" Alisha rushed to her sister’s side, her injured ankle forgotten in her desperation. Her hands moved frantically over Elena’s arms and shoulders, searching for any sign of bite marks or scratches that might spell doom.
Elena was still pressed against the desk, her chest rising and falling rapidly as the adrenaline began to fade. She looked down at herself with the same frantic energy, checking every inch of exposed skin with trembling fingers.
"I... I think I’m fine," she finally managed to say. Her school uniform was torn at the sleeves where the infected had grabbed her, and angry red welts were already forming on her arms, but there were no puncture wounds. No bites. "Nothing... nothing got through."
Only then did she look over at me, slumped against the wall beneath the shattered window frame. Glass crunched under my body as I shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position while my lungs burned with exhaustion.
Alisha immediately turned her attention to me, limping over despite her injured ankle. "A...And you, are you okay?"
I managed a weak nod, though I wasn’t sure how convincing it looked. My breath came in short, ragged gasps that seemed to echo off the classroom walls. Each inhale felt like I was breathing through a straw, and my heart was still hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape.
The truth was, even though my awakening had made me physically stronger than I’d ever been before, stamina was still an issue. My body had limits, and I was rapidly approaching them. The Time Freeze ability was particularly draining—those ten seconds of absolute power came at a steep cost, leaving me feeling like I’d just run a marathon.
Combined with the adrenaline crash that was now hitting me full force, I probably looked like I was on the verge of collapse. My entire body was drenched in sweat, and I could feel my face alternating between flushed red and pale white as my system tried to regulate itself.
Alisha’s expression grew increasingly worried as she looked at me. "You look like you’re about to have a panic attack," she said softly, crouching down beside me despite the obvious pain it caused her ankle.
"I... I’m fine," I mustered out. "Just need... some time to catch my breath."