I ran through the streets of Veridia City, Isabelle's fragile body cradled against my chest. Each labored breath she took sent panic coursing through me. Her skin was cold, almost translucent in the moonlight. Blood from her numerous puncture wounds had soaked through my clothes, the coppery smell filling my nostrils with every step.
"Hold on, Isabelle," I whispered. "Just hold on."
Behind me, Min-Li struggled to keep pace, carrying her friend from the extraction chambers. Kenneth Minnx hobbled at a distance, trying to escape after his confrontation with Elder Hill and the Umbral Covenant had gone sideways. I could sense his energy signature—weak but determined.
I spotted him ducking into an alley ahead. With a burst of speed, I cut him off, materializing in front of him like a vengeful ghost.
"Going somewhere?" I growled.
Kenneth's face went pale. "Liam! I was just—"
"Save it." I shifted Isabelle carefully in my arms. "You helped Isabelle escape, didn't you? Before I arrived."
