She looks around once more, her mind racing to find an immediate solution. "We need something to slow the bleeding..." she mutters, her eyes scanning the area for anything that could help. The sound of a familiar voice cuts through the tension, causing Ellidy and me to stop in our tracks. I look around, trying to identify the source of the voice. My heart sinks as I realize it's Michael's voice. "He's following us," I gasp, panic beginning to creep into my voice. Ellidy's expression hardens, a flare of anger in her eyes. "We need to lose him," she mutters, her voice firm. "We can't let him catch up to us."

I try to stand up. "I can walk, don't worry." Ellidy looks at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and concern. "You can barely even stand," she counters, her voice filled with worry. "You're hurt and bleeding; we can't risk it."

I roll my eyes. "Well, we can't just sit here doing nothing." Ellidy knows that I'm right. "You're stubborn, you know that?" she mutters, her expression resigned. "Fine, we'll keep moving. But we stay together, understood?"

I nod, my determination to continue overshadowing the pain for now. "I'm not going to slow you down," I assure her, my voice strained but defiant. Ellidy shoots me a stern look, her worry for me clear. "You better not," she says, her tone serious. "And if you feel like you're gonna fall, you tell me. Got it?"

I nod again, understanding the importance of keeping each other safe. "Got it," I reply, my voice strained but resolute. With a final worried glance, Ellidy turns and continues moving, keeping a steady pace that I can match despite my injury and exhaustion.

My heart sinks as we round the corner and spot a group of guards, their presence yet another obstacle in our path. "Just what we need," I mutter, my voice laced with sarcasm. She scans the guards, assessing the threat they pose. Her expression hardens as her mind gears into problem-solving mode. "Alright," she mutters under her breath, her eyes still fixed on the guards. "We'll have to go through them. But we can't take them on head-on, not in our current state."

I laugh sarcastically. "Then what are we gonna do, disappear into thin air?" Ellidy shoots me an annoyed glance, clearly not appreciating my sarcasm. "We need a diversion," she mutters, her mind racing to find a plan. "Over there," she mutters, spotting something a few feet away. She gestures discreetly towards a closet. I follow her gaze, spotting the closet she's talking about.

"What's the plan?" I whisper, my voice strained but determined. "We need something to make a big noise," she replies, her mind already formulating a plan. "And that closet is our best bet." I take a closer look at the closet, realizing what she's intending. "Won't they come to investigate the noise?" I ask, unsure about the plan.

"That's the point," Ellidy explains, her voice low. "We'll make them think there's a commotion in the opposite direction. While they're distracted, we'll slip past unnoticed." "And what if they don't fall for it?" I question, voicing my doubts. "What if they realize it's a trap?" "We'll just have to make sure they don't," she replies, her expression firm. "It's our best shot. We don't have a lot of choices right now."

I look around. "Let's see, there's a mop, a broom, fireworks, more brooms." I look at the items in the closet, realization dawning on me. "Fireworks?" I whisper, a spark of hope igniting in my eyes. "Oh yeah, fireworks," Ellidy replies, her voice filled with sarcasm. "And how exactly are we supposed to set these fireworks off?"

I sigh. "Who here can control fire?" I point to myself. Ellidy's eyes widen as she catches on to my plan, worry flashing in her gaze. "You better know what you're doing," she mutters, her tone apprehensive. I give her a nod, pushing past the pain and exhaustion to focus on the task at hand. "I've done this before, trust me," I assure her, my voice wavering slightly.

Ellidy looks at me, not believing me. "Really?" I look at her and shake my head. "NO." Ellidy rolls her eyes. "If we die, I'm going to kill you." I brush it off. "I'll be careful." Ellidy studies me, her expression a mix of concern and skepticism. But she knows we don't have many options at this moment. "Alright, just be careful," she cautions, her voice worried.

With a deep breath, I step forward and reach into the closet, grabbing the fireworks. I look at the guards briefly, gauging their positions. They're still unaware of our presence for now, focused on their own activities. I close my eyes for a moment, taking a steadying breath. Then I focus, summoning the spark of fire that resides within me. The energy surges through my body, and a small flame ignites in the palm of my hand. With a concentrated effort, I touch the flame to the fuses of the fireworks.

The sound of the first firework going off jolts me briefly, but I grit my teeth and continue, lighting the fuses of the rest of the fireworks in quick succession. The guards' attention immediately snaps towards the direction of the noise, their confusion clear on their faces. We run as fast as we can, our feet slapping against the ground. The pain and exhaustion from the fight seem to fade into the background as adrenaline takes over. We round corners and weave through different paths, trying to put as much distance as possible between us and the guards. I glance over my shoulder, my heart hammering in my chest. The guards are still visible, but they seem disoriented and confused, their attention drawn towards the ongoing pyrotechnics. We haven't been spotted yet.

We keep running, our breaths coming in ragged gasps, but we don't stop. My wound aches with each step, a constant reminder of our dangerous situation. But we press on, driven by the need to reach safety. I come to a halt, nearly colliding with a nearby wall. As I lean against it for support, the exhaustion hits me like a wave. My lungs burn and my legs feel like jelly, the pain in my side flaring up. I wince, leaning against the wall for support.

"I can't... keep going..." I gasp, my voice strained. I look at Ellidy, who stops a few feet ahead, her own breathing ragged but she is much less affected than I am. Her gaze falls on me, concern etched on her face. She takes a few steps back to where I'm leaned against the wall, her expression worried. "How bad is it?" she asks, gesturing to my side.

"1 out of 10 pain," I chuckle weakly, my voice raspy. "Probably at a 100 right now," I manage to say, my hand still clutching my side. Ellidy's expression worsens as she takes in the extent of my injury. "We need to rest," she states, her voice firm. "You can't keep pushing yourself like this."

Despite the pain and exhaustion, I shake my head, pushing myself off the wall. "We... we can't stop. We need to keep moving," I mutter, my voice filled with determination and stubbornness. Ellidy scowls at my stubbornness. "You're in no condition to continue like this," she argues, her tone firm. "You're hurt and exhausted. You need to rest before you make it worse."

"I can handle it," I insist, my voice strained. Though internally, my body is screaming to rest, to take a break, I refuse to give in to the pain. "We can't afford to stop." I nearly stop breathing when it hits me. "Oh no," I whisper. "This is real bad." I clutch my side tighter, gasping as another wave of pain shoots through me. "What do you mean?" Ellidy asks, her voice strained.

I nearly feel like I'm about to cry but I can't. "I don't know how to open a portal." Ellidy's eyes widen in realization, understanding the gravity of the situation. She looks at me, a mix of helplessness and fear in her eyes. "You mean... we're trapped?"