Selena didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt as if her body weighed a ton, with clothes clinging damply to her skin. Her forehead and arms throbbed with pain. As her mind cleared, she noticed the smell of damp earth and the sound of rain dripping onto the ground. Has it started raining outside? When did this happen? She let out a soft moan and instinctively called out, "Mariana…"

The moment the words left her lips, she jolted awake. Remembering the chase by those people, Selena scrambled to her feet in a panic. As she rose, she felt a sharp pain in her hand, realizing she had...