Liberty tugged her hoodie tighter as wind whipped around her. The clouds above were dark and moody—rain was definitely coming. But she had ten minutes to make it across campus and no time for detours.

Rocky had told her not to take the back path through the maintenance alley. “It’s not technically dangerous,” he’d said, “but if something collapses on you, I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ while I’m digging you out.”

So obviously, Liberty took the back path.

She jogged past the "Do Not Enter" sign, ducked under a leaning scaffold, and smiled.

“Perfectly fine,” she muttered. “Bit sketchy. A little tetanus-y. But totally safe.”

Then the skies opened up.

Liberty shrieked as the rain came down like a waterfall. She sprinted for cover beneath an awning and stood there, soaked, shivering, and very aware her shortcut hadn’t saved her any time at all.