The Chase (16)

Erik's heart raced as he got far from the remains of the abandoned building, his breath heavy and his fatigue high. He had a meager amount of mana at that point and was now only using Nathaniel's power to run away from that place, sure that the collapsed building wasn't enough to kill the thugs. He was barely fast enough not to get caught.

His eyes darted around, scanning the streets of the eastern district, searching for a way to get as far away as possible. The moonlight cast eerie shadows that danced on the crumbling walls and broken pavement destroyed by the thaids during the attack on the city, heightening the sense of desperation that gripped him.

Erik got 200 meters from the building, and Simone and the other thugs emerged from its rubbles moments later.

Their eyes, especially Simone's, gleamed with determination. From a distance, he observed Erik running away from the place and watched as the others did the same in different directions.