Chapter 20 – The Cliffside Dawn
The first light of morning crept slowly over the horizon, painting the forest in shades of silver and gold. Erica stumbled through the trees, her clothes damp, her hands scraped, her heart still pounding. The night's chill had settled deep in her bones, but she didn't stop until she saw it — the clearing ahead where the woods opened to a vast drop overlooking the ocean.
The cliffs.
Wind swept through her hair as she stepped out into the open. The sound of waves crashing below was distant, rhythmic — a reminder that life moved on even when everything else fell apart.
She scanned the clearing. No movement. No sign of Dylan.
A hollow ache spread through her chest. She forced herself to breathe. "He said he'd meet me here," she whispered, as if saying it aloud might make it true.
She walked toward the edge, the air sharp with salt and mist. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something half-buried beneath a flat stone near a cluster of wildflowers.
A folded piece of paper.
Her hands trembled as she picked it up. Inside was a single handwritten note, the edges smudged with dirt and rain.
If you found this, you made it. Don't look for me yet.
The truth isn't on that drive — it's in the safe house beyond the ridge.
Follow the old power lines until you see a rusted windmill. Go inside. You'll know what to do.
And remember — they only win if you stop moving.
– D.
Her knees weakened as she read his initials. He had been here. Recently.
She pressed the note to her chest, letting the tears come this time. Relief. Fear. Hope. They all mixed together until she couldn't tell which was which.
The sky brightened, the wind shifting gently across her face. She looked out over the ocean, thinking of everything that had happened — of Dylan's voice, his calm under pressure, the warmth in his eyes when he told her to trust him.
She didn't know if he was safe. But she knew he believed in her.
And for the first time since it all began, that belief gave her strength.
Erica stood up, slipping the note into her pocket. Then she started walking along the ridge, her steps steady despite the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.
With each step, the horizon opened wider, the light growing stronger. The world felt uncertain, but alive — as if it was holding its breath for what she would find next.
And she promised herself one thing:
she wouldn't stop until she uncovered everything — about the project, her father, and the man who risked everything to protect her.
To be continued...