The world around me was a blur. My legs moved on instinct, one shaky step after another, though I could barely see through the tears streaming down my face. My chest burned, not just from exertion but from the ache clawing at my heart. Every breath felt like a knife slicing through my ribs, each inhale choked by the sobs I couldn't hold back.
I was running, but it didn't feel like running. It felt like collapsing forward, stumbling through the darkness with nothing but sheer desperation propelling me. My hands clutched the bag Alex had shoved into my arms, the weight of it a cruel reminder of the supplies I carried. Supplies meant for both of us.
But now, it was just me.
A tree root caught my foot, and I went sprawling to the ground, the bag tumbling from my hands as I hit the dirt hard. The air was knocked from my lungs, and for a moment, I just lay there, face pressed against the cold earth, my body trembling with exhaustion and grief.
