-Sloane Pierce:
Branches clawed at my arms and face as I pushed myself deeper into the woods, my lungs burning, every breath tearing at my throat.
The cold night air tasted of damp leaves and old soil, and each time my foot struck the uneven ground it sent a jolt of pain up my legs. My heart was hammering so hard it felt like it might tear out of my chest. Behind me, their voices carried through the trees—sharp, low, insistent.
"Sloane!"
"Stop! We're not gonna hurt you!"
"Come back!"
I didn't believe her. How could I? I had just watched her pull the trigger without blinking. I could still see it—her eyes steady, her hands calm, the way the man had dropped to the ground like his body had simply been cut from its strings. No hesitation. No mercy. Not a single trace of shock on her face. She had done it before. I was sure of it.
