Unraveled Secrets

Chapter 12: Freefall

Izzy

The world tilted as I fell, the air rushing past me in a dizzying blur. My heart pounded in my ears, and my stomach lurched. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I knew was the sheer terror of freefalling toward the rocks below.

"Damian!" I screamed, but the roar of the rushing water drowned out my voice.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact, for the crushing pain that was sure to come. I felt weightless, suspended in the air for what seemed like an eternity.

And then, the water hit.

The icy shock of it tore the breath from my lungs as I plunged into the river, the current instantly pulling me under. Everything was dark and cold, and the force of the water twisted my body, disorienting me. I fought to surface, kicking my legs, but the current was too strong.

I was going to drown.

Panic surged through me, my chest tightening as my lungs screamed for air. I flailed, desperate to find the surface, to breathe. But the river was relentless, dragging me farther down, and the weight of the water pressed in on all sides.

I was going to die.

Damian

"No!" The word tore from my throat as I watched Izzy disappear over the edge of the cliff. My heart slammed against my chest, my body moving before my mind could catch up. Without thinking, I bolted for the cliff, my feet slipping on the loose dirt as I skidded to a halt at the edge.

The sight of her falling, her body hitting the water below-it was my worst nightmare realized. I couldn't lose her. Not like this.

I didn't hesitate. I leapt.

The air rushed past me as I plummeted toward the river, the icy spray hitting my skin as I braced for impact. The cold water hit like a wall, knocking the breath out of me, but I forced myself to stay calm, kicking to propel myself to the surface.

"Izzy!" I gasped as I broke through the water, my eyes scanning the churning waves for any sign of her. My heart raced, the panic clawing at my chest as I called her name again, my voice hoarse.

Nothing. She was gone.

No. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

The current was brutal, pulling me downstream, but I didn't care. I fought against it, pushing myself to swim toward where I'd last seen her. My arms burned, my lungs screamed for air, but none of it mattered.

All that mattered was finding her.

Izzy

The current kept pulling me under, tossing me around like a rag doll. My limbs were heavy, my body numb from the cold. I couldn't tell which way was up anymore, and my vision was fading. Every time I tried to surface, the river dragged me back down, pulling me deeper into the dark.

This was it. I couldn't fight anymore. I was too tired, too weak.

But just as I was ready to give in, I felt something-strong hands wrapping around me, pulling me up, up toward the surface.

Damian

I gasped for air as my head broke through the water, coughing and sputtering as I gulped down sweet, cold air. I could hear Damian's voice, his grip tight around me as he dragged me toward the shore.

"Hold on, Izzy," he rasped, his voice strained. "I've got you."

I wanted to respond, to tell him I was okay, but my body wouldn't cooperate. My limbs felt like lead, my chest burning from the effort of staying alive. I could only cling to him as he pulled us both toward the riverbank.

When I finally managed to drag Izzy onto the riverbank, I collapsed beside her, gasping for breath. My chest heaved as I lay on the cold, wet ground, my entire body screaming with exhaustion and pain. But I didn't care. She was safe. She was alive.

"Izzy," I whispered, rolling onto my side to check her. "Are you okay?"

She was coughing, water sputtering from her lips as she tried to sit up, her body trembling from the cold. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to share my warmth, even though I was just as frozen.

"I thought... I thought I lost you," I said, my voice thick with emotion.

Her eyes met mine, wide and filled with a mixture of fear and relief. "I thought... I thought I was going to drown."

I held her tighter, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I would've found you. No matter what."

For a moment, we just sat there, shivering and clinging to each other, both of us too shaken to move. The danger was still out there, but for now, all that mattered was that we were together, alive.

"We can't stay here," I finally said, pulling back slightly to look at her. "We need to keep moving."

Izzy nodded, her face pale but determined. "Where do we go?"

I glanced around, my mind racing. We had no idea where Luca's men were, but we couldn't risk staying by the river. They'd find us eventually. We needed to get back to the city, to regroup and figure out our next move.

"There's a road about a mile from here," I said, helping her to her feet. "If we can make it there, we might be able to hitch a ride back to the city."

Izzy nodded again, though I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. She was drained, physically and emotionally, but she didn't complain. She just took my hand and squeezed it, her fingers cold but steady.

"Let's go."