Chapter 37

The tunnel stretched out before them, narrow and dark, the only sound their labored breathing and the faint echo of their footsteps against the damp stone floor. Erica’s heart was still racing from the battle they had barely escaped. She could feel the tension in her muscles, her body wound tight as if still expecting the next wave of attack.

Julian led the way, his flashlight cutting through the oppressive darkness. His movements were silent, his posture rigid, ever vigilant. Every once in a while, he would glance back at her, his expression unreadable, but she knew he was just as on edge as she was.

“How far does this tunnel go?” Erica whispered, her voice barely audible in the narrow space.

Julian’s voice was low, calm. “It’ll take us about a mile out into the woods, far enough that we’ll be out of their immediate reach. But we still need to move fast.”

Erica nodded, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. The weight of everything that had happened was pressing down on her—Ophelia’s