Page 113 of The Hunter's Empire

When we finally reach the edge, the view stretches endlessly in every direction. The ocean glows beneath the fading light, impossibly vast, while the jungle behind us seems almost peaceful from this distance.

I pull the flare gun from my belt and check it one final time.

Zora steps beside me. "This is the point where you tell me everything is going to be fine."

"I'd rather not lie."

She lets out a slow breath. "I figured."

I look toward the horizon one last time before raising the flare gun.

"If someone sees it, they'll come. But if they don't?"

I don't answer.

The flare erupts with a deafening crack, streaking high into the sky before bursting above the island in a brilliant bloom ofcrimson. For an instant, the red light washes over the cliffs, the jungle, and the endless ocean, turning the entire landscape the color of fresh blood.

The silence lasts only a heartbeat.

Voices suddenly echo through the jungle below, followed by the sharp crack of branches and shouted orders as patrols react to the signal. Within seconds, the island is alive with movement. They saw it.

I don't waste another second. My hand closes around Zora's, and I pull her after me.

"Run."

The flare has barely finished burning out when the island erupts into chaos.

Voices echo through the jungle from every direction, sharp commands cutting through the evening air as branches snap beneath hurried footsteps. Somewhere below us, someone shouts an order, followed almost immediately by the unmistakable crack of gunfire. The sound ricochets off the cliffs, making it impossible to tell where it's coming from.

I don't hesitate. "Move."

We sprint into the tree line, the jungle swallowing us almost instantly. Thick branches lash against my arms as I pull Zora behind me, forcing a path through the dense undergrowth. The shouting behind us grows louder with every passing second, joined by the unmistakable sound of boots crashing through the forest floor.

"They're coming from the east!"

"Cut them off!"

"They can't have gone far!"

The voices close in rapidly.

I glance over my shoulder before grabbing Zora's wrist tighter and yanking her behind a cluster of rocks just as another burst of gunfire tears through the trees we'd occupied seconds earlier. Bark explodes from the trunk beside us, showering splinters across the ground.

"They're herding us." Zora says between breaths.

"I know."

My eyes sweep the terrain ahead, searching for another route. There isn't one.

A second patrol pushes through the trees directly in front of us, moving to intercept.

"Damn it."

Zora follows my gaze.

For one brief moment, neither of us moves. Then I make the only decision left.

"We split."