A guttural cry ripped through the suffocating darkness, raw and defiant. The boy's body screamed in agony, swaying on the edge of unconsciousness, but his stubborn will refused to let him slip away.
He forced his swollen eyes open with a shaky inhale, the faintest glimmer of dim light swimming before his vision.
He coughed violently, the taste of blood and bile burning his throat.
Rolling onto his side, he groaned as sharp rocks dug into his bruised ribs. His left arm was pinned awkwardly beneath a slab of debris, numb and unresponsive.
He gritted his teeth, pain flaring as he wrenched it free. The limpness confirmed what he already suspected, it was useless for now.
The faint glow pulled at his focus.
He staggered toward it, dragging his battered body through the rubble-strewn ground.
His steps faltered, each movement sending fresh jolts of torment through him, but his gaze remained fixed on the light.
