FORBIDDEN LOYALTY

er surged around Elena, pulling her deeper into its cold embrace. She fought against the current, panic tightening its grip around her throat as she gasped for air. Just as darkness t

e gang members growing louder as they followed their trail. Suddenly, Elena stumbled, her foot catching on a root. She fell hard to the ground, pain shooting through her ankle as she twisted to catch herself. "Elena!" Marco shouted, rushing back to her side. "I'm fine, just go!" she urged, pushing herself back up. But Luca had already knelt beside her, concern etched on his features. "We can't stop," he insisted, looking into her eyes. "I won't leave you." "Get her moving!" Marco urged, glancing over his shoulder. "We don't have time!" With Luca's help, Elena pushed herself to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain. The adrenaline coursing through her made her feel more alive but also acutely aware of the danger closing in. They had to keep moving. "Which way?" she asked, her voice strained. "Follow me!" Luca ordered, leading the way as they cut through the trees, the underbrush snapping underfoot. The sound of the gang's pursuit echoed behind them, growing closer with every passing moment. Just as they rounded a thick cluster of trees, a sudden flash of light illuminated the forest, blinding them momentarily. "Stop! We know you're out there!" a gang member shouted. "Get down!" Luca yelled, pulling Elena and Marco down behind a fallen log. They huddled together, hearts pounding in their chests as they listened to the approaching footsteps. "Where did they go?" one of the gang members asked, his voice laced with frustration. "They couldn't have gotten far." "Spread out! They can't be too far away!" another growled. Elena's breath quickened as fear clawed at her insides. They were so close to being caught. She glanced at Luca, whose eyes were fixed on the darkness beyond the fallen log, calculating their next move. "We need to get out of here," Marco whispered urgently, his eyes darting around the forest. "What if they find us?" Luca nodded, determination etched on his face. "On three, we make a run for it. There's a small clearing up ahead. We can hide there." "Okay," Elena replied, her heart racing. "One... two... three!" They burst from behind the log, sprinting through the trees. The sound of footsteps echoed behind them as they raced toward the clearing. Just as they reached the edge of the trees, a deafening crack rang out, and Elena felt a searing pain in her side. "ELENA!" Luca shouted, his voice filled with horror as she stumbled, collapsing to the ground. "Keep going!" she gasped, clutching her side as a warm liquid seeped through her fingers. "You have to-" "No! I'm not leaving you!" Luca yelled, turning back to her as Marco hesitated, torn between staying with her and fleeing into the night. "Luca, go!" Elena pleaded, her vision blurring at the edges. "You have to save yourself!" But before Luca could respond, mo