The atmosphere grew tense as Hutton and Bob processed Boma's casual revelation.
"The thing that's chasing you… is hot on your tail?" Bob asked, his voice rising in alarm.
Boma nodded nonchalantly, crossing his arms as if the situation was just another minor inconvenience. "Yeah. Should be here soon, I'd guess. You might want to wrap up whatever you're doing."
Hutton's face darkened, his mind racing. If someone—or worse, something—was capable of forcing Boma, a cultivator with such overwhelming power, to flee, then it wasn't something they could afford to ignore. His thoughts immediately went to Veronica, Kenneth, Jake, Everlyn, and Lily, who were still in hiding nearby.
"We need to move—now!" Hutton ordered sharply.
Without wasting another second, he and Bob turned and bolted out of the chamber, retracing their steps back through the corridors they had fought through earlier. The urgency in their movements mirrored the growing dread in their hearts.
