Suddenly, a sharp pain ignited in his leg as a bullet grazed him, and he let out a pained shout. The pain intensified his panic. With every instinct screaming for self-preservation, he pushed the throttle harder, but the throbbing in his leg began to cloud his focus.
Then it happened—a deafening bang as a bullet struck his rear tire. The motorcycle began to wobble, and before he could react, he lost control, the bike flying off the road.
With a desperate gasp, he rode toward the nearby bridge leading into the woods, knowing he needed to escape. He felt the world tilt, the motorcycle soaring off the bridge's edge. Time slowed as he flew through the air, his mind racing with thoughts of survival.
And then, impact. The motorcycle crashed into the trees, wood splintering and branches snapping as Ethan was thrown off, the world spinning into darkness around him.
When Ethan regained consciousness, he lay against the cold ground, the moonlight filtering through the branches like shards of glass, illuminating the gnarly roots and the wild underbrush. Pain radiated through his body, but he forced himself to sit up, blinking against the confusion. He grappled with his surroundings, the night alive with distant sounds of pursuit.
His thoughts whipped through the chaos that had led him here, the relentless thugs, the gunshots, the stolen watch. What do they want from me?
Gritting his teeth, he scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding in his chest. Ethan knew he couldn't stay here; he needed to find a way to escape and uncover the truth behind the pocket watch before it was too late.