His voice was so broken, it felt as if it might shatter into pieces, and the sound of it sent a sharp ache through Alessia’s chest.

    Was she really that important to him?

    She wanted to open her eyes, to see who was speaking, but her eyelids felt impossibly heavy. No matter how much she tried, she simply couldn’t

    lift them.

    Her world was swallowed by darkness, yet the chaos around her refused to fade away.

    The boy’s sobs circled her like a persistent melody. Alessia didn’t feel annoyed–in fact, she found herself wishing she could get up andfort him. But her body wouldn’t move.

    Odd, she thought. Ordinarily, the crying should have irritated her.

    Maybe this boy really does mean a lot to me.

    The thought drifted through her foggy mind, her consciousness moving in and out of a shapeless void.

    Perhaps her urge tofort him was so strong that, miraculously, she managed ito /itwitch her finger.

    It was the smallest movement, but Cole noticed it instantly.

    “Lessie…” His eyes lit up with sudden hope.

    The edges of his eyes were red, and he looked for all the world like a loyal dog finally reunited with its owner after being abandoned for too long–overwhelmed by relief and joy.

    But no matter how many times Cole called her name, Alessia didn’t stir again.

    Her world remained cloaked in darkness, every muscle drained and powerless. She had the faint sense that someone was calling out to her…

    12:20 mi

    Everything went quiet. The chaos faded away, and she could hear nothing at all, though in the real world, everything had erupted into panic.

    “Miss Lessie… Miss Lessie…” Susannah Holt sobbed so hard she could barely catch her breath.

    Her eyes were still covered, but when the blindfold was first lifted, she’d managed to see Alessia–arms wrapped protectively around her, creating a narrow but safe haven amid the rubble. Blood covered Alessia’s face,

    her shoulders, and her arms.

    Susannah didn’t know where her beloved teacher was hurt ior /iwhy there were so many streaks of blood staining her clothes. She only knew that, if not for Alessia, she wouldn’t have made it out unscathed.

    After all, it was Alessia–her not–so–broad shoulders shielding her from every falling stone and splinter.

    “Sweetheart, are you hurt anywhere?”

    “No, but please–please save my teacher! Save my teacher…”

    Susannah’s voice broke as she cried. Years of malnutrition and hours spent trapped in a suffocating space had left her weak; she gasped for air and then fainted on the spot.

    “Doctor, she’s passed out!”

    !

    A paramedic gentlyid the girl onto a stretcher. As a nurse hurried over, the rescue team dove straight into another round of emergency care.

    Chaos reigned all around. Cole and Max stood silently at Alessia’s side, watching as the doctor cleaned her wounds, but the situation was grim.

    “She’s lost a lot of blood. Honestly, it’s a miracle she’s still alive. If we don’t start a transfusion soon…”

    “She’s O–negative–universal donor, but very rare!” Both men spoke at

    once.

    “She keeps a supply on hand for emergencies,” Cole began, but the doctor cut him off.

    12:20

    “There’s no time to wait for that. We need to get her to a hospital and start a transfusion right away. But the road down the mountain’s still blocked—there’s no way to get an ambnce up here…” The doctor nced at the two men and could tell by their appearance that they

    weren’t locals.

    “A helicopter can only reach halfway up the mountain. If we carry her down to thending site, will that work?” Cole forced himself to stay calm, brow furrowed as he searched for a better solution.

    “The path is rough, and she can’t take much more jostling,” the doctor

    cautioned.

    “Exactly. If any of her organs have shifted, it could get much worse. We’re working with the bare minimum here–just keeping her stable. If we can’t get her a transfusion during this critical window, she might not make it.”

    bChapter /b472