Chapter 79

"Run!"

The shout barely registered before the floor crumbled beneath us. I grabbed the edge of a steel beam, my palms scraping against the jagged metal. Above me, Mira clung to a pipe, her face pale, her grip slipping.

"Hold on!" I yelled, my voice hoarse.

Below, a jagged mess of debris loomed. Alessia was gone from sight, swallowed by the collapse. Panic clawed at my chest, but there was no time to think. I shifted my weight, trying to find footing, but the structure groaned under the strain.

"Mira!" I reached up, stretching as far as I could.

Her fingers slipped once, then again. "I can't—"

"You can!" I snapped.

Her eyes locked on mine, and she stretched her hand down. I lunged, gripping her wrist.