บท 89: The Fight for Survival
I barely registered the sharp pain before I felt Dante's arms around me, steadying me as I staggered backward. Blood pooled quickly against my side, but my mind was still focused on the one thing that mattered: surviving.
"Stay with me, Elizabeth," Dante's voice was urgent as he pressed his hand against my wound, his touch warm despite the tension in the air. His eyes were filled with raw fear, but I could see the fury bubbling just beneath the surface.
Viktor's laughter echoed through the room, a dark, guttural sound. "So this is the great escape you were planning?" he taunted. "Did you think you could slip away from me? That I wouldn't find you?"
I gritted my teeth, trying to force the pain out of my mind. I couldn't let Viktor see my weakness, not now. I forced my gaze toward him, locking eyes with the man who had been the source of so much destruction in my life. He was standing in the doorway, a smug expression on his face, flanked by his men.
Alina, still bound to the chair, looked between us and Viktor, her expression unreadable. She wasn't going to be much help—if she could even help at all.
"What do you want, Viktor?" I managed to say, my voice strained, but defiant. I couldn't let him take control, not now.
His lips twisted into a cruel smile as he took a step forward. "What do I want? I want you dead, Elizabeth. That's what I've wanted from the beginning. You've been a thorn in my side for too long. And now, you're about to pay for it."
Before I could react, his men surged forward, weapons drawn. But Dante was quicker, moving between me and them with deadly precision. The gunshots rang out, deafening, and I felt a rush of adrenaline flood my system, making the pain fade into the background for a brief moment.
"Stay down!" Dante shouted, his voice commanding as he fired back at Viktor's men. His focus was razor-sharp, and I could see the years of training in the way he moved—calculated, swift, unstoppable.
I pressed my hand to the wound again, trying to keep the bleeding at bay. My thoughts were disjointed, but I knew I couldn't let Viktor take us. Not now. Not after everything we'd fought for.
With a glance, I saw Alina struggling against her restraints. She was desperate, but I could see that the fight was fading from her eyes. She wasn't the warrior she once was. She was a broken woman, a shadow of the person who had once been so full of rage and ambition.
The room seemed to be closing in on me, my vision swimming. But I refused to give up. I wouldn't let this be the end.
Dante's voice broke through my haze. "Get to the back. I'll cover you."
His words registered just as I heard another round of gunfire. Viktor's men were closing in. But there was no time to think. I stumbled backward toward the small hallway, my legs unsteady beneath me. Dante was right behind me, his body a shield as he fired at Viktor's men.
"Go!" he ordered again, and I didn't hesitate.
I ran, or at least tried to. The pain in my side was too much, and my vision blurred as I pushed myself forward. I heard Dante behind me, his steps steady as he protected me, but I knew he was struggling too. We couldn't keep this up forever.
Alina's voice cracked, cutting through the chaos. "Dante! Elizabeth! You can't outrun this. Viktor will find you."
Her words stung, but I pushed them aside. Viktor may have been a threat, but we had survived worse. We had come too far to let him win now.
The hallway stretched in front of me, dark and narrow. At the end, I could see a small door—an exit, maybe. It wasn't much, but it was something. And it was my only chance.
As I reached the door, Dante's voice shouted from behind me. "Elizabeth, wait!"
I paused, the world slowing as I turned back to look at him. His face was pale, his eyes dark with concern. "You're bleeding," he said, his voice a mix of fury and desperation. "We need to get you out of here now."
"I'm fine," I lied, forcing myself to take another step forward. "We have to move."
But even as I said the words, I could feel my strength fading. The room around me seemed to spin, the door in front of me blurring.
"Elizabeth!" Dante's voice was sharp, but it felt like it was coming from a distance. I couldn't focus anymore.
And then, before I could take another step, my legs gave out from under me. The last thing I saw before the world went black was Dante's face, twisted in fear, his arms reaching for me.
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