Chapter 26 · Bound to the Executioner: Leveling Up With My Enemy - Chapter 26: Aqueduct Ambush

"Keep walking, Vesp. Don't look back," Soren hissed, his hand clamping hard onto her shoulder. The grip was tight—too tight—pinning her against the damp stone wall of the aqueduct.

"I'm trying!" Vesp snapped, stumbling as her boot splashed into a pool of stagnant, oily water. "But my legs feel like they're made of lead. Maybe because I'm literally dying, remember?"

Soren didn't answer. He just shoved her forward, his eyes scanning the vaulted ceiling of the sewer. The air was thick with the smell of rot and old iron, a heavy dampness that clung to Vesp's skin like a wet shroud. Every breath felt like swallowing glass.

*Ping.*

[WARNING: Host Vitality at 14%. Soul-Bind synchronization causing secondary shock to Anchor.]

"Damn it," Vesp whispered, clutching her chest. Her vision flickered, a jagged red border creeping into the edges of her sight. "Soren, I'm flatlining. I need a second to—"

"You don't have a second," he cut her off, his voice a low, dangerous grate. He spun her around, his back to the corridor, his body acting as a living shield. He was too close.