Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 411

With a deafening boom that shattered the silence of the night, a ball of flame burst forth, illuminating the entire apartment block as if it were broad daylight, only to disappear as quickly as it had appeared. Instinctively, I ducked and covered my head, and even though I was standing at a distance, debris rained down around me.

Hannah yanked me to the side, shielding me with her body, as the sound of heavy objects crashing to the ground echoed in my ears, landing in the street below us.

When I finally managed to lift my head again, still shaken, I saw smoke rising from the epicenter of the explosion. It was clear-the door had blown up!

At that moment, Hannah turned to me and shouted, "Allie, you stay right here. Don't move!" With that, she dashed into the fray.

Ignoring the pounding of my heart that felt like it would burst out of my chest, I followed her, running headlong into danger. Gasping for air, I trailed behind Hannah up four flights of stairs until the devastation of the fourth floor came into full view. The door had been blasted into a gaping black hole, its metal bars hurled down to the ground below amid a sea of shattered glass.

The blast had fractured windows on the third, fourth, and fifth floors to varying degrees.

The aftermath of the blast sent the residents of the building into a frenzy, scrambling out into the hallways to unravel the chaos. It was a spectacle - children crying, parents shouting-quite the commotion. Everyone was at a loss, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure of what had caused the blast.

The lanky figure burst from the neighboring apartment, sprinting toward the remains of the door.

I quickened my pace to keep up with Hannah, who was anxiously calling out, "Larkin! Larkin!"

She was running so fast I could barely keep up. I paused at the stairwell to catch my breath and looked toward the demolished entrance.

The spot was still smoking, the door and adjacent window completely blown out.

The more I looked, the more terrifying it became. If the officer who had been checking the lock had reacted any slower, he might have been blown away with the door.

The officers nearby would have been caught in the disaster too.

The undercover officers on the ground shook their heads to dislodge the glass fragments, struggling to their feet while cupping their ears, clearly pained by the blast's pressure wave.

I scanned the area and didn't see Logan or Larkin, so I hurried forward, calling out anxiously, "Larkin... Logan!" As I passed others, I asked, "Is anyone hurt?"

Everyone quickly gathered near the blasted door to check.

Just then, I saw Logan, carrying someone in his arms, followed by Larkin and Dalton.

I was struck dumb with shock. On closer inspection, I realized Logan was holding Catherine in his arms.

"Catherine..." My voice broke with emotion as I called out to her and lunged forward, but she was unresponsive. My heart plummeted, and I froze in place, staring at the figure in Logan's arms. A crowd had gathered around us.

Logan shouted, "Make way, we need to get her to the hospital... now! Clear a path!"

I quickly stepped aside to let them through, as Logan rushed past with Catherine in his arms.

"Right... the hospital! Call an ambulance!"

Dalton responded, "I've already called one. Get her on the stretcher and follow them!"

Several officers cleared a path for Logan. I followed closely behind Logan, my mind in turmoil. Then I heard Hannah's cry, "Larkin, are you hurt?"

I hesitated for a moment, glancing back to see Larkin, sounding breathless, "I'm fine. I just slipped on some glass. Hurry, we need to get DragonLord to the hospital!"

A brief glance allowed me to see the blood flowing from Larkin's arm. But with Hannah there to tend to Larkin, I could not afford to hesitate. I rushed after Logan again!

Police were dispersing the crowd below as Logan hurried out with Catherine. People offered to help, but he dodged them, refusing to let go as he sprinted away.

He was escorted by officers, and I figured we were heading toward where we had first arrived-the only place a vehicle could get close.

I chased after them down the slope, panting heavily, until I had to stop, unable to run any further.

Bent over, clutching my chest, I gasped for air. Just as I was about to stand and continue, someone called out to me, "Aaliyah!" Instinctively, I responded, "Yes!"

As the voice fell, a shadow lunged at me. In the dim light, I caught the glint of metal-the person wielded a knife...