EVERYTHING WAS TIMED perfectly.

Exactly twelve hours later, loud footsteps began to echo down the corridors, accompanied by the clinking of the meta keys. There was even a joyful whistle that was paired along, drifting through the cracks of the door. There was a thump that resounded, originating from a short distance away from their cell. However, the footsteps continued shortly after, the whistling brought to an end.

Devora grinned. She had collected the remaining pieces of the food the guards had thrown them, all rejected wastes that were unwanted by the rest of the captives. Armed, she crept behind the door, ready to face her opponent.

The door slowly creaked open and the shadow of a man stepped in. Hand raised and ready to attack, Devora stepped slightly out of her hiding spot. Across the room, Travis's eyes widened, lips pressed in an attempt to muffle his own words of caution. In his hands were Leah and Tammy, huddled close to his chest. There was a glint in Travis's eyes that Devora had missed. Something sparked across those irises, realization shooting through as his breath got caught in his throat.

In one swift motion, Devora stepped completely out of her hiding place before swinging her arm forward as quickly as possible, launching the revolting piece of food at the man. The cookie soared through the air but before it made contact, the man had swerved, easily avoiding the projectile while still keeping his face out of view. His back was faced towards Devora but he easily steered clear of the incoming object as though eyes had grown out of the back of his head.

Groaning in annoyance, Devora proceeded to throw the rest of her ammunition, aiming for tender places. Yet, just as before, the man effortlessly sidestepped them without even breaking a sweat. From the light that shone through from the corridor, Devora thought she saw a hint of a smirk on the man's face. Unfortunately, it was gone before she could double-confirm, his lips covered up yet again by the shadows through the help of smart angling.

Out of weapons in her hands, the desperate girl rushed forward before she swung her leg up into what she thought would be a perfectly executed roundhouse kick. Still, the man was ahead of her movements as though every single one of her thoughts was attached to her forehead in bold letters. He had anticipated her actions, his long, slender fingers wrapped tightly around her ankles, holding her leg in place before it hit his face.

Alarmed, Devora tried to yank her own leg free but the man's grip was much stronger than she could ever be, keeping her in place despite how she struggled. Unnerved by her failure, Devora threw Travis a look, silently begging for assistance. Yet, instead of help, she was greeted by the sight of Leah staring off dreamily at the man that had so deftly kept Devora in check.

Thrown off guard and curious, Devora turned to find herself face to face with the man, her leg still held in an awkward position as evidence of her failure of a kick. Instead of a gruff appearance she had already long associated with her kidnappers, Devora's line of sight crashed with a young man's that wore mischief like a trending accessory. He grinned cheerfully and in amusement, brown eyes glittering with flecks of gold as he peered out from behind his fringe. Unlike those other men that Devora had come across while captive, this youngster was significantly less bulky. He was on the leaner side with light muscles adorning his arm, features still youthful and bright.

He blew a light whistle through his pink-tinted lips, a smirk gracing his features.

"That was a sloppy kick," he said. His words brought red embarrassment to Devora's cheeks, making her flush. She was still gaping at the boy as he continued to speak, stunned by the bluntness of his words. "Might want to duck down in five," he warned.

After stating that, he dropped Devora's leg. Before she could stand properly, he looped an arm around her waist, bringing his spare hand over to shield her head before he slammed both of them to the ground in a blur of movements. Using his own body to protect her, Devora barely even had time to scream before an explosion tore through the building, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.

As the room collapsed on top of them, Devora howled her throat hoarse. The stranger's body was on top of her, covering her from any possible dangers. However, that didn't make her any less afraid. If anything, not being able to see the situation clearly only made her more frantic. Without her sense of sight, her other senses were heightened. The pained yells and tormented shouts of the rest of the children in the room rang through the air, accompanied by the constant loud thuds of chunks after chunks of concrete slamming onto the ground around her.

The dust hadn't even fully settled when she felt the weight lift from her back. The boy that was shielding her had stood up, his hand holding onto her shoulder. Devora's eyes shot open in panic. Regretfully, the action only made way for a cloud of dust to make contact with her eyes, stinging her painfully as she quickly blinked the oncoming tears away.

"W-what..." She muttered under her breath, struggling to her feet with the help of the handsome stranger. His warm hands were still on her shoulders, holding her up while he barked out orders to the rest of the crowd.

"Everybody move!" He yelled, gesturing out into the open stretch of land that was newly made available to the prisoners now that the wall had been removed from the equation.

When Devora finally got rid of the dust in her eyes, she opened them just to see a stretch of open, bare desert that reached the end of the horizon. The blue sky outside was in a shade of bright azure, painted with streaks of tangerine and scarlet. If she hadn't a clue as to what time it was, she was now sure. With the position of the sun and the reddish hue of the sky, it should be sunset. There was just enough light for them to find their way out. By the time they've escaped, they'll be protected by the eyes of the night.

Chaos ensued.

Similar explosions rang from the cells next to the one Devora was in, the explosions shaking the entire structural integrity of the building. As dust spewed from the cracks of whatever walls that were still standing, screams followed suit. It took mere moments for the bodies of children to run out into the open and towards their freedom, their feet fast in carrying them away from this hell hole.

Footsteps were echoing everywhere, causing Devora to feel disoriented with her surroundings. There were too many people running, too many voices echoing in her eardrums, too many people shouting orders for the children, and too many gunshots being fired off towards god-knows-where. She could feel the breath in her windpipes clog up, her throat tightening painfully as she struggled to breathe. The commotion was too much, the level of excitement too high for her to take.

Right before she collapsed back down to the floor, the boy that had protected her from the falling debris grabbed her hand, linking their fingers together. She couldn't really hear much of what he asked her but she still felt his warm hand clasping hers, his other hand running down her back soothingly in an attempt to calm her down. When she had finally regained a proper breath pacing, his voice became clearer.

"Get to the other side of the forest," he instructed the other children that were locked in the same room as her. Gesturing to a small speck of green a distance away, he continued, "A group of men in suits will be there to meet you. Don't be afraid. Follow them and don't worry. They'll bring you back to your families."

Travis nodded once before scooping Tammy up in his arms. Leah stood beside her brother, clutching tightly on his upper arm with fear written across her eyes. The other children wore similar expressions. They were all frightened little rabbits thrown into a cage with predators. They had the choice of following a stranger's advice and risk getting themselves in danger or they could stay and definitely suffer unwanted consequences.

There was an unspoken agreement between all the children. It was better to risk it.

Dashing out of the room and into the open, the children dodged every bit of debris that came their way. They raced through the mountains of golden sand, guided by the setting sun, its time of grace limited to a few mere minutes before darkness would fall.

Once he was sure that everyone had left the room safely, the boy pulled at Devora's hand, leading her out of the room through the broken wall. They followed the footsteps left behind the escaped children, darting across heaps of sand.

"Come on," he said, tone gruff and urgent. Devora struggled to keep up with his long strides, forcing her legs to run two times faster than him just so that she wouldn't get left behind, dragged across the floor.

"They've escaped!" A voice yelled behind them, originating from the building. Devora had no doubt that it was one of the kidnappers. It took more time than Devora thought but they've finally noticed the commotion.

"Who... Who are you?!" She yelled past the noise. An explosion sounded from behind them, causing her to whip her head back while running to take a look at what happened. Another chunk of the building had collapsed, a burst of red and orange flames blooming like a deadly flower of death.

"Never look backward, Evans, always forward." The strange boy replied before sharply yanking at her hand, forcing her to tilt her head back towards the direction they were running in.

Ruby, amber, and marigold continued to burst forth from the quickly-demolishing building. Sparks flew into the open sky, sending some bits of the debris flying forward. It blocked their path and Devora had to steer herself clear of any incoming obstacles. She had just narrowly avoided colliding into one chunk of the brick wall before another landed to her right, missing her head by a few mere inches.

"Get them!" A gruff voice barked, accompanied by thunderous footsteps.

Despite what the boy had advised her, Devora still turned back to look. A group of those mercenaries were hot on their tails, guns in their hands cocked and ready to shoot. They were all significantly bulkier and scarier than the stranger was, making them seem even more intimidating.

Her fingers tightened around the strange boy's. "They're behind us!" She cried, tears almost streaming from fear. She knew for a fact that her heart was beating way faster than they were running. If that kept up, it would stop beating in no time, a bullet through.

"Geh," the boy clicked his tongue in irritation, reaching behind him for the gun that was tucked in the holster on his belt.

He quickly turned back, the black pistol catching the fleeting sunlight before two shots sounded. The bullets hit their marks, sending two of their pursuers to the ground, a red mark blossoming on their foreheads. The sight of the two dead bodies sent Devora's eyes flying wide, her jaw dropping as she watched the stranger casually aim for his third victim, claiming his life shortly after. Their enemies hadn't even grasped the chance to shoot at them and they already suffered three casualties.

"Who are you?!" She repeated her question, practically screeching this time as a round of bullets fired at them before behind just as the sandy ground beneath them blended into lush green. The smell of flowers and fresh dirt quickly took over the scent of gunpowder and blood.

They had finally reached the forest.

"Jerald," he replied. A round of bullets from behind them hit the trunk to their left, thudding against the tree but the stranger paid no mind. It was almost as if he already knew their aim would be off. "Nathan Jerald. I was given orders to lead a rescue so please do stop screaming like a madwoman! It will make my job much easier, trust me."

Just as he finished speaking, a bullet whizzed past Devora's left ear, sending the air brushing against her face. She reflexively let loose yet another scream, her throat already dry and voice scratchy. The zing of the bullet seemed to echo in her ears, sending her heart into a flurry for all the wrong reasons.

"You might want to shut your mouth soon, Evans. We're going to jump and you might catch some flies with your lips parted like that," he warned.

"We're going to what?"

A cliff loomed ahead of them, the distance between the edge and the ground below not to be belittled. A glint of determination flashed in Nathan's eyes as he scrunched his eyebrows in determination. He picked up speed, breaking into a sprint as they continued to miraculously dodge every bullet that flew their way.

"No! No no no no no no no no!" Devora yelled, Nathan's grip on her head tightening as she struggled against his strength. "No! We're going to die!"

"Just trust me, Evans!"

"I don't!"

Despite her outward protests, Nathan didn't seem to care. His fingers clenched hers so tightly that his knuckles were white, pulling her with him as he leaped from the cliff. When Devora turned her head around to briefly glance at the men that were chasing them, she could see the clear shock in her eyes. They were, however, not the only ones who were stupefied by Nathan's daring stunt. Devora was still in disbelief herself.

After all, they were airborne.

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