But Xavier moved with certainty. Like he could see perfectly.
“Three steps forward. Stop here.”
Utterly calm. Guiding me.
I moved where he directed, trusting completely even though I couldn’t see my own fingers in front of my face.
My shoulder brushed something solid. A wall.
“Turn left. Duck low.”
Gentle pressure guiding me down. We were moving fast. I could feel corridor walls on either side, cool air flowing past suggesting open space ahead.
“How can you see?” I whispered.
Grip tightened briefly on my fingers. Reassuring. “Just keep moving. You’re doing great.”
The trust required was absolute. I was blind, sedated, stumbling through unknown territory while guards hunted us somewhere in the dark.
But Xavier’s tone stayed calm. Never let go.
Every step he told me to take, I took. Every direction he gave, I followed.
“Step up here. Door ahead... wait.”
I stopped. Heard metal sliding. Felt air pressure change as something opened.
“Okay. Through.”
Cool air hit my cheeks. Different temperature. Different smell. Fresher, less sterile.
We were moving deeper into the facility, away from the observation room, and I had no idea where we were going.
“Almost there.”
Quiet.
The deafening sound cut off abruptly. Ears rang in the sudden silence.
Light shifted. Not much, but enough to register. Gray instead of absolute black. Vision began adjusting as we moved, shapes slowly resolving from the void.
Then fresh air. Cold. Sharp.
We were outside.
Nighttime. The darkness here was more natural. Stars overhead. The faint glow of distant streetlights reflecting off lowclouds. After the facility’s manufactured blackness, it felt like daylight.
I could see Xavier’s profile now. The line of his jaw. Still gripping my fingers.
“Got them. Move.”
Hellhound’s bark cut through the darkness.
Engine running. Vehicle nearby. I could make out the shape of an SUV, exhaust steaming in the cold air.
“Here.” Someone pressed thermal gear into my palms. Hellhound, features visible now in the ambient light. “Put this on.”
I fumbled with it; fingers numb and clumsy.
