𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 through the shadowed corridors, his flashlight cutting a narrow beam through the dust-laden air. Every creak and distant sound sets his nerves on edge. ‟Jo!‟he shouts again, his voice rough, edged with a fear he tries to suppress. He strains to hear, and then—a faint clatter reaches his ears. His heart leaps. That had to be her. He swivels toward it, instincts kicking into overdrive. He quickens his pace, following the direction of the noise, his boots crunching over broken glass and debris.
Turning a corner, his flashlight falls upon a familiar figure slumped against the wall, barely clinging to consciousness. ‟ Jo, ‟ he breathes, relief floods him, but it's tainted with fear. He rushes to her side, dropping to one knee, gently lifting her chin. ‟ Hey, I've got you, ‟ he says softly, eyes scanning her for injuries. Seeing her like this twists something deep inside him—a fierce rage at whoever hurt her, and a gnawing guilt that he wasn't there to prevent it.
Just as he reaches to lift her, an iron grip clamps onto his shoulder from behind. He's jerked backward before he can react, stumbling as he tries to regain his balance. Instinct kicks in; he whirls around, weapon drawn, eyes locking onto a shadowy figure emerging from the darkness. ‟ Great, ‟ he mutters under his breath, steeling himself for the fight. ‟ Couldn't be easy, could it ? ‟