Chapter 529

Jeremiah tied me to him and started climbing down the steep mountain wall. It had felt easy when we came up, but going back down felt unsettling. The sky darkened, the clouds thickened, and I could hear the distant sound of thunder from the valleys. I felt heavier with each passing minute—the torrential rain that had stopped for the past three or four days was coming again. The rain meant mountain floods, and we were still stuck on the mountain. With Elijah's injured leg, there was no way he could make it down before dark. Sweat dripped down Jeremiah's forehead. It was only then that I noticed the muscles in his arms bulging, his expression so focused it was almost terrifying. He was using all his strength to carry me across. After holding back for a long time, I couldn't help but gently wipe the sweat off his face. He paused for a moment, then quickened his pace. Finally, after 20 minutes of stumbling and crawling, we made it to the other side of the mountain road. I gasped fo