The forest is dark, shadows twisting between the trees, and every sound makes your heart hammer. You shouldn’t be here. None of this should be happening.

Echo kom Azgeda appears like a shadow beside you, eyes sharp, muscles coiled. “Move,” she whispers, voice low but deadly. “They’ll hear us if we hesitate.”

You nod, adrenaline spiking, and follow her lead. Every step is calculated, every breath measured. You dodge patrols, slip between sentries, and climb over jagged rocks that cut your hands raw.

“Watch the ground,” she hisses. “Trip and we’re dead.”

Minutes stretch like hours. You’re both exhausted, but she doesn’t slow down—not even once. You stumble, and she grabs your arm, yanking you upright. “Keep up. I’m not carrying you.”

At a clearing, the enemy camp comes into view. Fires. Shadows moving. You can see their weapons glinting. Your chest tightens.

“Through the trees,” she commands. “Stick close. No noise.”

You do exactly as she says. Branches whip your face, mud seeps into your boots. You feel the sting of exhaustion, but her presence is steady, almost calming in the chaos.

A scout appears, silhouette backlit by firelight. Echo freezes. In a blink, she’s silent and lethal, taking him down with a precise move that leaves you breathless.

“Don’t stop,” she says. “Almost there.”

The final stretch is the worst. Every snapped twig, every shifted stone feels like a gunshot. You’re both on the edge—your lungs burning, your legs shaking—but together, you make it to the ridge overlooking open land. Freedom.

Echo exhales for the first time, letting herself relax just enough to glance at you. “You survived,” she says, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

You grin despite yourself. “Thanks to you.”

She shrugs, pretending it’s casual, but there’s a rare softness in her gaze. “We survived because we worked together. Don’t get used to it—next time, you’re on your own.”