A Glimmer Of Hope

The world around Selene continued to crumble. The building groaned like an old man struggling against the weight of time; its structure was shaking with every tremor. Dust filled the air, thick and suffocating, but it was enough for Selene to be used to it. She didn't care about the collapsing walls or the growing heat anymore. All she cared about and prayed for was for Axel to be alive till they made it out. 'Come on, Axel," Selene whispered, her voice shaky but filled with determination. She pulled him closer to her, using every ounce of strength she had left to drag him through the debris. Her heart pounded as she looked around, trying to find a way out, but every path seemed blocked. The narrow hallways were filled with rubble, and the exits were all sealed shut. Selena's mind was filled with different thoughts that she wouldn't imagine on a normal day. 'Please… stay with me." Axel's breath was shallow, barely audible, but Selene heard it. She glanced down at him, her heart aching as she saw the blood on his shirt and the pallor of his skin. The sound of footsteps in the distance brought her back to reality. Selene couldn't afford to panic and couldn't afford to be slow either, she just had to keep moving. 'We're almost there, Axel. Hold on." She whispered again, though she knew he couldn't hear her. The sound of the footsteps was growing louder, and her pulse quickened in response. The men from earlier–Lucian and the others were coming and were getting closer than she thought. They were supposed to be down from the collapse earlier but no, it's like they were bulletproofed. She turned down a narrow corridor, her breath labored, but she pushed herself harder. She could feel the heat on her skin, the pressure of the building collapsing all around her but she couldn't stop, not when Axel's life was in her hands. Another explosion rang out in the distance, shaking the floor beneath her. Selene flinched, but she didn't stop. The hallway stretched ahead of them, and Selene's eyes scanned it frantically. There, at the end of the hallway, she saw a faint light—an exit. The door wasn't completely closed, and through the gaps, she could see the faint glow of the outside world. Freedom. 'Just a little further." She pulled Axel again, her heart in her throat and she could see the light getting closer, and with every step, hope began to rise in her chest. But as she reached the door, she felt a cold hand grip her shoulder and she froze, her entire body tensing as she looked over her shoulder. There, standing in the doorway, was a man cloaked in darkness, his face hidden in shadow, but the aura around him was unmistakable. It was the same feeling of dread she had experienced when she first encountered the others, the man wasn't alone. The footsteps behind her were now a chorus of sounds, their voices low and harsh, but she couldn't focus on them as the figure in the doorway held her attention completely. 'Where do you think you're going?" The man's voice was deep, his words were cold as ice. He stepped closer with an overwhelming presence. Selene's breath caught in her throat. She didn't know who he was, but she knew the only reason he was here was to stop her. 'Move, or I'll make you." Selene's voice came out low and threatening, but she didn't have the strength to back it up. The man in front of her stepped closer, his eyes glowing with an unnatural light. There was something otherworldly about him, something that made her body freeze in fear. 'You don't understand, do you?" The man said softly, almost as if he were pitying her. 'For how long do you intend to be running?" Selene's mind raced but she couldn't focus on the question; she had to focus on getting Axel out of there and deliberating whether to kick the man out of the way or run through him. With one hand, she shoved Axel behind her, using her body as a shield, she wasn't ready to die, not like this. The man smiled, but there was no warmth in it, it was cold, calculating, and made her blood run cold. 'This ends here." But Selena interrupted, 'I have been hearing those same words since I entered this same building which is two seconds away from collapsing." As he moved closer, she felt her pulse racing. She needed a plan but there was nothing left, no weapons, no allies, just her, Axel, and the endless approaching danger. 'Get out of the way." Selene's voice was hoarse, but there was a sense of finality in her words, she wasn't going to let him stop them, no matter what it took. But the man didn't move. Instead, he reached out, his hand extending toward her, moving with an unnatural fluidity. Selene's instincts screamed at her to move, but her legs were heavy, and she could feel herself locking in place, like her body wasn't responding and in that instant, the world seemed to blur. The figure's hand was inches from her, but before he could touch her, a sudden flash of light filled the room. It was blinding, the kind of light that burned into your retinas, making it impossible to see. Selene's heart skipped a beat, and the intense heat from the light was almost too much to bear. And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the light vanished. When Selene opened her eyes again, the figure in the doorway was gone. The men who had been approaching were no longer there. Everything was still. She blinked, still dazed from the flash, trying to make sense of what had just happened but there was no time to wonder. Axel was slipping again, his body limping against hers, and she needed to get him out before whatever had happened was over. She pushed him forward, the door now wide open, and they stumbled into the unknown but just as they reached the edge of the doorway, a voice echoed in the distance. 'You think you're free?" At that moment, Selene realized that their escape was far from over.