Jeremy Greenwood cut through the untouched snow like a knife through silk, his movements effortless, precise. The biting wind whipped against his face, and for the first time in a long time, he felt something close to freedom. Out here, away from boardrooms and suffocating expectations, there was only the mountain and the rush of adrenaline in his veins.
Then, the sound.
A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the valley, a sound so primal it sent a shiver down his spine. He barely had time to turn his head before he saw it—an avalanche, an immense white beast tearing down the slope above him, swallowing everything in its path.
“Shit.”
Instinct kicked in. He pushed forward, skiing faster, weaving through the trees, but it was too fast—a rolling wall of ice and fury, hungry and unstoppable. His heart slammed against his ribs as he realized there was no outrunning it. He was about to be buried alive—
Then— A streak of motion. A blur of dark clothing and golden hair.
Before he could react, someone collided with him at full force, knocking the air from his lungs as they both tumbled into the snow. The last thing he saw before the avalanche consumed them was a pair of fierce, determined eyes.
Then—darkness.
Buried
The world was silent. Heavy.
Jeremy’s head was spinning. Snow pressed in on all sides, but there was space—just barely enough to breathe. He gasped, shuddering at the cold, and then—he wasn’t alone.
Someone was on top of him, their body shielding his, keeping the crushing weight of the snow from completely entombing them. He could hear her breathing, ragged but steady.
“You alive?” a voice asked, muffled but sharp with urgency.
Jeremy coughed, wincing. “I think so.”
“Good.” A pause. “Next time, maybe don’t ski straight into an avalanche.”
Despite the situation, a smirk tugged at his lips. “Noted.”
He could barely make her out in the dim, snow-filtered light.