Chapter 39: Breaking Point
Panic clawed at Leo's chest as he stared at the image.
Ashley's terrified face burned in his mind.
He couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. The walls of the school felt like they were closing in, the hallway spinning as his pulse raced.
The message flashed on the screen again.
> Still feeling brave?
He didn't waste another second.
He bolted out of the classroom, ignoring the teachers' calls, his feet slamming against the tiles like a drumbeat in his ears. The hallway blurred around him. He wasn't thinking, wasn't calculating. He was reacting, a raw wave of adrenaline pushing him forward.
The music hall was on the other side of the campus—far, but close enough. He could make it.
Just make it.
His hands shook as he reached the back door, eyes scanning for any sign of Ashley—or whoever had taken her.
There.
A figure in the shadows, barely visible against the dim light. Then he saw her—Ashley, slumped against the wall, tied to a chair, a gag in her mouth.
"Ashley!" Leo shouted, running to her, but the figure in the shadows stepped forward.
Rael.
A slow, deliberate smile crept across his face.
"Well, well, if it isn't the hero. What's the plan, Leo? You think you can save her?" Rael's voice dripped with mockery, a jagged edge that made Leo's stomach twist.
"Let her go, Rael," Leo growled, every inch of him screaming to charge forward. "This is between you and me. Leave her out of this."
Rael tilted his head, his smile widening. "It's always about you, isn't it? But this... this is a lesson. Your precious Kieran can't protect you from everything, can he?"
Leo's fists clenched. He wanted to punch that smirk off Rael's face, but he knew he needed to be smarter. He took a slow step forward.
"Let her go. You have a problem with me, so fight me."
Rael's eyes flashed—like he was seeing something new. Something interesting. Then he nodded.
"Fine," he said, the amusement fading from his voice. "But let's see how far you'll go to prove you're worthy of saving anyone."