Placing a hand over her chest, Luna hesitated. "You'll catch me, but we could both get hurt. You'd definitely fall back from the impact—I'm not exactly light, and that height…"
Emrys exhaled sharply, pressing his fingers against his forehead.
Tch. Explaining would be pointless and a waste of time. There are no that words will make her feel any better.
Sweat beaded on Luna's face as her heartbeat raced. She had never felt this scared before.
Without another word, Emrys ran to her bed, grabbing the four pillows and duvet. "Here, hold onto these and follow me."
Moving swiftly, he reached the door and peered outside, scanning the hall in both directions. Seeing that the coast was clear, he signaled to Luna, and together they sprinted down the left corridor—toward the staircase and elevator.
"Shit, wait!" Emrys skidded to a stop just before the elevator.
"W-What is it?" Luna halted behind him, breathless.
"We can't take the elevator. There's a higher chance we'll run into them that way. The stairs are safer."
Without another word, they turned and rushed toward the stairwell, Emrys leading with Luna close behind.
The winding staircase spiraled downward, the rhythmic pounding of their footsteps echoing through the shaft. They reached the third floor in moments.
Without hesitation, they took the left hallway leading to the storeroom. Sprinting down the long corridor, they finally reached the window just before the elevator.
The sharp crash of breaking glass erupted from the first floor, followed by an authoritative, irritated voice:
"What the hell is wrong with you idiots?! Put out the flames already! Or do you want to sleep outside?! And why haven't you reached the last floor yet?!"
Emrys' eyes widened as he gritted his teeth. He rushed to the railing, looking down into the chaos below. His grip tightened, his knuckles whitening.
"Is that the boss? The one behind all this?" His hands clenched the rail in seething frustration.
"Emrys, we have to go," Luna pleaded, her voice shaking with a worried expression.
After a few seconds, Emrys snapped back to reality and hurried to the window. With three forceful strikes from the katana's hilt, the glass shattered, revealing a drop that extended down to a nearby rooftop below.
He quickly assessed the distance.
Beside him, Luna paled. "It's too high. I—I don't think I can jump th—" Her voice cracked, her body trembling.
Emrys cut her off. "Do you want to take the elevator and walk straight into their arms? Or wait here until they find us?" His tone was firm as he stood in front of the open window.
Luna bit her lower lip, unable to answer. Panic had completely taken hold.
Emrys sighed, then stepped forward. He placed the pillows and duvet on the ground before pulling her into a soft embrace.
She stiffened at first, but gradually, her heartbeat slowed. The warmth of his body and the steadiness of his arms grounded her, and she took a deep, shaky breath.
"Better?" Emrys murmured.
"Mm," she whispered, nodding.
"Please… trust me."
"Mm."
"Alright. I'd throw the pillows and duvet so I can use them to soften the landing for you and I. I won't let you get hurt—I promise."
Pulling away, Emrys looked her in the eyes. She nodded again as he took the pillows and duvet from her.
Immediately he was done flinging them, he flung their backpacks, the polyester bag, the katana, and the rectangular box onto the rooftop below.
Stepping away from the window, he took a deep breath. "Here I go."
With a powerful sprint, he launched himself forward.
Luna gasped as she watched him soar through the air.
"THUMP!" Emrys landed, rolling smoothly to disperse the impact before coming to a stop. After a brief moment of recovery, he dusted himself off and arranged the bedding in front of him.
"Okay, your turn now!"
Luna hesitated. "Just… give me a minute."
"Come on, Luna, we don't have much time left!"
"Okayokayokayokay" She inhaled and exhaled, preparing herself.
"Move back to get a running start. It'll help you jump farther. You can do this!" Emrys encouraged her.
Just as Luna moved into position, a voice boomed from the elevator at the end of the hallway.
"Hey! What are you doing there?! Don't move!"
The sound of hurried footsteps followed.
Emrys' eyes widened. "JUMP! NOW!"
In that instant, Luna ran and flung herself forward, every fiber of her body screaming in terror. Her arms and legs flailed wildly as she sailed through the air, the full moon illuminating her silhouette.
Emrys gritted his teeth and steadied himself, bracing for impact.
Something was wrong. She was descending at the wrong angle—too far from the rooftop.
Reacting in an instant, Emrys kicked the bundled-up duvet forward, stepping on it on the very edge of the roof.
"BAM!" The sound of the duvet absorbing some of the impact resonated as his arms wrapped around her just in time.
Luna gasped, eyes wide, completely unhurt.
Emrys, however, was trembling from the strain. His muscles screamed in protest, but he held firm.
Breathing heavily, Luna looked up at him. "Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine. Let's move," he lied, his voice tight. Slowly, he set her down.
Without wasting another second, they grabbed their belongings and climbed down from the rooftop.
Moving in silence, they tiptoed through the garden, slipping into the small woods where Aeron and the others were waiting.
When they arrived, they found not just their friends, but dozens of other kids—refugees from the raid—huddled together in fear.
Emrys tossed a log into the bonfire they had built, then sat down, massaging the back of his neck.
Luna, who had been tending to the younger children, walked over and sat beside him.
"How are they?" Emrys asked, his voice low.
"Tired from the hike, but they're okay. They're not too scared since they have each other," Luna replied, stretching her hands toward the fire.
"That's good."
She glanced sideways at him. "You're really strong, you know. You caught me without falling backward."
"Told you I would," Emrys smirked, lying back onto the ground.
"Are you really okay? You look exhausted." Luna leaned closer, studying his face.
"Gosh, I'm fine. I just need a little rest," Emrys mumbled, draping an arm over his forehead.
Luna hesitated, then smiled softly. "By the way… I saw the clock. I saw you carry them back. I saw everything."
Emrys cracked one eye open. "Huh?"
She covered her cheeks in embarrassment. "I just wanted to prank you."
Emrys blinked, then let out a short laugh as he closed his eyes, exhaustion finally taking over.
As the fire crackled and the stars shimmered above them, Luna sat beside him, watching the flames, the quiet smile on her face quickly faded as their current situation came to her mind.