The world narrowed to the cold and unforgiving stone against Niles’s back and the terrifying emptiness at his heels. Every gust of wind was a shove, every shifting muscle a potential betrayal. Leon followed close behind, his breathing a tight, controlled hiss of pain and concentration.
They had just inched around the blind corner—revealing a blessedly short stretch of ledge leading to a rusty, wrought-iron fire escape—when it happened.
Leon’s injured left leg, stressed from the previous fight and the cold breeze, finally buckled. His foot slipped on a patch of damp moss, his balance teetering for a heart-stopping second. A sharp, choked gasp escaped him as he started to pitch backward.
Instinct, faster than thought, took over.
Niles immediately threw his weight sideways, his hand snapping out and grabbing a fistful of Leon’s blazer. The fabric strained, and for a terrifying moment, Niles felt his own grip on the wall falter, the both of them suspended over the fatal drop. He braced, his shoulder screaming in protest, and hauled with all of his strength, slamming Leon back against the wall.
They stood there, pressed against the freezing stone wall, panting in ragged, shuddering breaths. The sound of their heartbeats was louder than the wind.
“Don’t… ever do that again,” Niles managed the words through gritted teeth, his knuckles white where he still clutched Leon’s blazer.
Leon just nodded, his face ashen. No words of thanks were exchanged; the act was too raw, the fear was too immediate. It was simply a fact: one had almost fallen, the other had held on.
They slowly and finally reached the fire escape, the clang of their feet on the metal grid a jarringly loud announcement of their escape. They scrambled down, not stopping until their feet hit the solid, blessed earth of a secluded courtyard. They leaned against the wall, gulping in air, their bodies trembling with spent adrenaline.
The immediate danger was over. Professor Crawford was gone. Alice was safe. They had made it safely.
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It was then that Leon’s leg finally gave out completely. The adrenaline that had been holding him together quickly evaporated, and the deep, throbbing bruise from the fight, compounded by the strain of the ledge, flared into a white-hot agony.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbWs9j35xl
He crumpled with a sharp cry, clutching his left leg.
“Collingwood!” Niles crouched beside him.
“It’s… it’s fine... Fulgencio,” Leon gasped, but his face was beaded with sweat. He tried to stand up but crumpled again, his jaw clenched tight.
“Don't, you're definitely not at your optimal status,” Niles grabbed his left arm as he was crumpling down again.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMle8JXwa72
There was no hiding of this. He knew he had to get Leon to the infirmary. Using himself as a crutch, Niles half-carried, half-dragged Leon across the campus, trying to look as casual as two disheveled boys.
The school nurse, a stern woman named Mrs. Doyle, took one look at them and her lips were pressed into a thin line. She helped Leon onto a cot and began examining his left leg, her movements brisk and efficient.
“A severe muscle strain, not to mention deep tissue bruising,” she diagnosed efficiently, her tone implying a world of unasked questions. “Mr. Collingwood, how did this happen?”
Leon, pale and breathing heavily, met her gaze. “Early morning run,” he said, his voice tight. “I tried to take the shortcut down the embankment behind the rugby field, but I misjudged the incline. My leg just… went out from under me.” He gestured vaguely toward Niles. “Fulgencio here was just walking by and helped me up.”
It was a simple and plausible lie. Students ran that route. The embankment was notoriously uneven. It explained the mud on their shoes, their disheveled state, and the specific nature of the injury.
Mrs. Doyle stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Leon wasn't sure if she knew he was lying.
“I see...” she said finally, her voice neutral as she began wrapping his leg in a tight bandage. “A prefect like you should have knew better than to take such reckless shortcuts. You’ll need to stay off this for today. Rest here, my dear.”
As she turned away, Leon’s blue eyes found Niles’s. There was no camaraderie, not exactly, but a grim understanding. The fight was over. The alliance, forged in fear and sealed on a ledge, was now a fact. They had a secret to keep. The game had escalated, and the cost of losing was becoming terrifyingly clear.42Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeI6njONKfi
and then Add to home screen.