Chapter 40 Cave

(Jasper)

My heart pounded as Iris and I sprinted through the dense forest, branches whipping against our faces. I tried to ask questions, but Iris’s urgent grip on my arm silenced my protests. Her breath was ragged, matching the rhythm of our hurried steps over uneven ground.

“What are you doing?” I finally managed to tell over the cacophony of our flight.

“Shut up! Just run! He wants you dead!” Iris shot back, her voice strained with fear.

We pushed on until the trees thinned, revealing the yawning mouth of a cave hidden beneath an overhang of rocks. Without hesitation, Iris pulled me inside, her urgency echoing in her grip and eyes.

Inside, the cave exuded a musty, earthy scent that mingled with the dampness of the walls. The faint glow of twilight filtered through the entrance, casting long shadows that danced eerily across the uneven floor. Small, delicate stalactites hung from the ceiling like teeth waiting to bite.

“We can’t stay here for long. They will catch up to