“It seems like it’s a bear, but it could be a person…” Beinice was startled and drew his gun from his waist as he cautiously approached the area.
Hearing this, Blanca glanced at the scattered animal tracks on the ground, a flicker of panic crossing her face as she struggled twice to draw her own gun. She stepped back from the path’s fork and joined Beinice in following the bear’s tracks.
Snow covered the world in a vast white blanket, with thick flakes falling onto the narrow fork in the path. A lone backpack lay abandoned there, covered by a thin layer of snow.
Enrico and Paige had tumbled down the slope together.
Throughout the fall, Paige was barely conscious but could hear Enrico grabbing at the mountainside and branches, the sound of fabric ripping and tearing filling the air.
He’s hurt…
That thought flashed through her mind.
Halfway down, a large, jagged rock jutted out from the slope, sharp like a blade buried in the snow, directly in her path. Instinctively, Paige tried to shield herself, but suddenly, Enrico pulled her into his arms, flipping them around.
The fall was too fast for either of them to control. In that brief moment of repositioning, Enrico’s body collided hard with the sharp rock.
*Bang.* The sound was loud.
“Enrico…” Paige’s eyes widened in shock. His grip loosened, and she continued sliding down, helplessly watching as he grew farther and farther away.
Paige’s body rolled over rocks, snow, and branches, finally coming to a stop at the bottom.
The world spun around her.
Everything hurt.
Paige lay on the ground, struggling to breathe, her mind completely blank. In a panic, she lifted her head, seeing Enrico still on that rock midway up the slope. From her angle, she could only see his feet, unmoving behind the boulder.
Fear gripped her.
“Enrico… Enrico…” she muttered under her breath, her voice shaking. She forced herself to stand, taking two steps forward before tripping over rocks. Her legs, weak and aching, gave out, sending her crashing back into the snow.
She got up again, only to fall once more, then again.
Over and over.
Time and again.
Eventually, Paige didn’t care anymore. She began crawling up the slope with her hands and feet, her cracked lips moving silently beneath her mask, whispering his name.
Don’t die.
Enrico, please don’t die.
The illness wasn’t cured yet, the car hadn’t been driven, and there were still so many things left unfinished. He couldn’t die…
Paige crawled desperately, but her hands slipped, and she slid back down again.
This shouldn’t be so hard! Why was it so difficult now?
Paige, for the first time, hated herself.
Frustrated, she tore off her gloves and scarf, letting the freezing air rush into her neck. The shock of the cold helped clear her hazy mind just a little.
She climbed again, step by step, exhausting every bit of strength she had.
But no matter how hard she tried, it was useless. She kept sliding back down. The short distance between them seemed impossible to cross.
Once more.
Paige fell back down, lying in the snow, her hands bright red and purple from the cold. She had no strength left.
It must be her heavy clothes weighing her down, making her unable to move properly.
Gasping for breath, Paige turned onto her side, her fingers stiffly and painfully pulling off her hat, goggles, and mask. She then reached for the zipper of her snow jacket…
“What are you trying to do?” A hoarse, low voice came from above her.
Paige froze, then quickly looked up to see Enrico slowly emerging from behind the sharp rock, clinging to the stone edge.
His movements were noticeably slower than before. He carefully extended his leg, sitting on the slope and sliding down toward her, until he finally stopped by her side.
“Enrico…” Paige’s weak voice called out. Ignoring everything else, she threw herself at him, frantically pulling at his torn collar. As the fabric came apart, she saw the mess of blood and flesh stretching from his neck to one side of his shoulder.
Enrico pushed up his goggles and yanked off his mask, his sharp gaze locking onto hers as he chuckled softly, “Relax, it didn’t hit an artery. If it had, I’d be bleeding out by now.”
Some reassurance that was.
Not hitting an artery-was that supposed to be worth celebrating?
Paige wanted to inspect his injury further, but Enrico pressed her hand down, pulling his collar back up to cover the wound. “You’re already running a fever, and now you’re trying to take off your scarf and jacket? Do you want me to hit you?”
His tone was clearly weaker now.
Before she could respond, Enrico picked up her hat, dusting it off before placing it back on her head. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
Paige shook her head.
“We couldn’t grab the backpack, but I kept some biscuits on me,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice as he pulled out a packet of compressed biscuits. He tore open the packaging and held it to her lips. “Come on, eat a few bites. Once you’re full, we’ll move on.”
Seeing that his movements were still relatively smooth, Paige felt slightly relieved. At least he hadn’t broken any bones. She shook her head. “You eat. I’m not hungry.”
He hadn’t eaten in a long time either.
“I’m not hungry,” Enrico insisted, staring at her. “Eat, or I’ll chew it up and feed you myself.”
“…”
He would definitely do something like that.
Looking at his pale face, Paige took a small bite of the biscuit.
Seeing this, Enrico’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes soft like he was feeding a small animal. “Keep eating. Finish it all. You need to be full.”
Though her throat ached, making it hard to eat, she kept taking bites under his watchful gaze, eventually finishing the entire biscuit.
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the distance.
Paige tilted her head to look up at the falling snow. The gunshot didn’t seem too far away-could it be the Folsom family nearby?
Her eyes shifted, and she reached for Enrico’s gun.
If they fired a shot now, anyone nearby would definitely come looking for them.
Enrico sat quietly, watching her fumble for the weapon, and casually asked, “How are you feeling? Can you hold out for a few more hours?”
Paige thought he was concerned for her and replied, “I just have a fever. It’s not that bad.”
“Good. Then let’s go.” With that, he stopped her from grabbing the gun.
Paige lifted her pale face, confused by his meaning. Enrico looked down at her, his gaze deep and unreadable.
She didn’t understand.
Enrico reached up, pulling her zipper closed and said, “This mountain can only be escaped by your man.”
If they got help from the Folsom family, then later on, any favors owed would be nullified. It would all lose its meaning.
Paige finally understood what he meant, her gaze softening. In a low voice, she said, “Enrico, there’s no need…”
“There is. I just like spoiling you.”
She was stubborn, refusing to reconcile with the Folsom family, even pretending to be dead by jumping off a cliff, and he was determined to indulge her whims.
Enrico said this as he wrapped her scarf around her again, then lifted her onto his back once more. Supporting her legs, he started walking along the path down the mountain.