My leg burned with every step, and my body felt like it was about to give out, but Alex wasn't slowing down. If anything, he was half-dragging, half-carrying me as we made our way through the ruined streets. The explosions hadn't stopped—if anything, they were getting closer. Every blast sent shockwaves through my chest, and the air was thick with smoke and ash.
The world felt like it was crumbling around us, and for all I knew, it actually was.
"Can we stop?" I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper.
Alex didn't even look at me. "No."
"Just for a second," I pleaded, nearly tripping over a piece of rubble.
"You wanna rest? Fine," he said, finally pausing and turning to me. "But we do it there." He pointed to a half-collapsed building a few yards ahead. It didn't look much safer than the street, but I didn't have the energy to argue.
