Chapter 27 · The Black Marks Hit His Heart

Gu's hands are worse than I thought.

We made it maybe fifty meters down the corridor before he stumbles. I catch his elbow and his skin's hot enough to burn through my sleeve. The black char on his fingers is spreading up past his wrists now, cracking like dried mud.

"Keep moving." His voice comes out rough. He's trying to pull away from me but his legs aren't cooperating.

"You can't even stand."

"I'll manage."

He won't. The fire poison's eating him from the inside and burning the seal took whatever time he had left. I can smell it on him, that bitter almond scent mixed with something sharper. Like metal left too long in a forge.

Behind us, the密室's gone quiet. No more screaming. No footsteps from the tunnel. Just silence, and that's worse.

I drag Gu into an alcove and shove him against the wall. His head hits stone and he blinks hard, trying to focus.

"Listen to me." I grab his face. His skin's too hot. "How long until the poison reaches your heart?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Gu Hanchuan."

"Few hours. Maybe less." He's looking past me, back toward the密室. "We need to seal that door.