Beneath the Veil of Shadows

Chapter 38

The gunshot shattered the silence with a deafening crack. The sharp report echoed through the night air, and for a moment, everything seemed to pause, the world frozen in the wake of that single, violent sound. The bullet had found its mark.

Victor collapsed to the ground, a crimson stain blooming across his chest. His lifeless body hit the concrete with a sickening thud, and the weight of his death seemed to hang in the air, thick and suffocating.

Elias turned around, his gaze fixed on Victor, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just unfolded. He had been so focused on Sapphire, on their escape from the chaos, that he had failed to foresee the deadly turn this night would take.

Ezra, whose identity Elias knew well—though their paths had never crossed before—was standing near Victor, the gun still in his hand. He didn’t look at the body, didn’t acknowledge the death he had just caused. Instead, he turned to Elias, his voice grim but filled with urgency.

"Get in the car," Ezra ordered, his eyes flickering to Sapphire, whose fragile form Elias still held close. "She needs a hospital. Now."

Elias snapped back to reality. His heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing as the gravity of the situation set in. He glanced down at Sapphire, her face pale and drawn, her breathing shallow and erratic. She had been shot. She was bleeding because of him. Because of the choices they had made.

Without waiting for a response, he carefully adjusted his hold on Sapphire, cradling her gently as though she might break under the weight of his desperation. He climbed into the backseat of the car, his hands trembling as he laid her head in his lap.

"Sapphire," he whispered, his voice barely a breath, as he cupped her face in his hands, patting her cheeks lightly, trying desperately to rouse her from the unconscious state she had slipped into. "Sapphire, please wake up."

Her eyes remained closed. She didn’t stir. The faint pulse beneath her skin was the only sign of life, but even that felt fragile, as if it could slip away with a single breath. He swallowed hard, trying to steady himself. Her pulse, weak though it was, was enough to keep him grounded, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that time was slipping away, that every passing second could be the last.

"Drive faster!" Elias barked, his voice breaking through the haze of fear clouding his thoughts.

Ezra didn’t need another word. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, speeding through the streets as the car weaved in and out of traffic. The road blurred in Elias’s vision, his only focus on Sapphire’s pale face, her shallow breaths, the way her chest rose and fell in a rhythm so fragile it could break at any moment.

Ezra glanced in the rearview mirror, his eyes fleetingly meeting Elias's. "I am sorry, it is all my fault. If only I hadn’t agreed to go along with her plan," Ezra muttered, almost to himself, but loud enough for Elias to hear. "If I had stopped her, none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t be in this position."

"Stop," Elias snapped, his voice ragged. "This isn't the time. Don't—" He clenched his fists around Sapphire's delicate form, feeling the weight of her life resting in his hands. His voice broke, but he forced the words out. "She needs help. Just drive."

Ezra’s jaw clenched, his grip tightening on the wheel. He didn't argue. The car raced down the darkened streets, every second ticking by like an eternity.

The hospital came into view, looming in the distance like a cold, unfeeling tower of sterile walls. Elias’s heart twisted in his chest. He could already feel his nerves fraying, the storm inside him threatening to unravel completely. He wasn’t sure what would kill him first—his fear of losing her or the guilt of having brought her into this world of darkness.