Chapter 11

His face was covered in a mixture of dust and sweat, his hair drenched and clinging to his forehead in strands.

Yet his eyes shone with urgency and determination as he shouted at me, "What are you standing there for? Run!"

Without time to ask questions, I quickly followed him as we ran towards the cave exit.

Garrison held my hand as we sprinted, only stopping once we had covered a safe distance outside.

I panted heavily, looking at him with a mix of confusion and complex emotions.

"You... how did you end up here?"

Garrison bent over, hands on his knees, equally out of breath. It took him a while to straighten up, his gaze somewhat evasive.

"I... I couldn't stop worrying about you. When I found out you were following Dean Everhart to this dangerous place, I quietly trailed along."

My heart skipped a beat, leaving me momentarily speechless.

His rescue, despite the danger, left me unsure how to react.

Originally, he had saved me once, and I had saved him once, so we were even.