Chapter 1379:


    To Jarrod, Maia’s faint glow was like a tiny firefly, but in Cohen’s enhanced vision, it zed like a beacon.


    It left a vivid trail in the shadows, almost blinding in its rity.


    Bearing death itself, Cohen advanced, the distance between him and Maia steadily shrinking.


    Ten steps.


    Nine steps.


    When he was about three paces away, Cohen stopped. Slowly, he raised his shotgun, his finger hovering over the trigger.


    Meanwhile, Jarrod struggled through the darkness, far behind. The shadows hampered his movement, and he had just taken a fall.


    It seemed impossible for him to stop Cohen now… everything felt toote.


    Jarrod fought his way through the crowd, lurching ahead with desperate urgency. Stopping Cohen before a single shot could be fired became the only thing on his mind.


    Before he managed to get close enough, a sharp burst of brightness cut across the scene.


    Pattie lifted her phone and switched on the shlight, and Rnd quickly mirrored her.


    Brielle raised her phone high to add to the glow. Mnie, Marisa, Ethan, and Hurst turned on their own lights right after, each one contributing to the growing radiance.


    All around Maia, countless others copied them without a second thought, moved by a collective instinct to shield her.


    What began as a few beams turned into an overwhelming ze that washed over the space in front of Maia, breaking through the darkness like a sudden sunrise.


    The intense glow revealed Cohenpletely, and the metal of his gun threw the light back in a sharp gleam.


    “That’s a gun! He has a gun!”


    “Move!”


    “Get down!”


    The entire ce fell into a frenzy as terrified screams spiraled into frantic chaos.


    People scrambled backward in a frantic wave of retreat, with some losing their bnce while others dropped low and covered their ears as fear rattled through them.


    Cohen’s expression twisted into something darker when the flood of light overwhelmed his vision. He forced rapid blinks until the brightness stopped disorienting him enough to refocus on his target with sharp, predatory intent.


    He rolled his shoulders back for stability, strengthened his hold on his weapon, and corrected the angle of the barrel. Only a single pull separated him from ending everything.


    Right then, Maia sprang forward, driven by courage that showed no hesitation.


    The sheer suddenness of her movement startled Cohen more than he could process, and her speed shot across the space with the intensity of a lightning strike. Her heels mmed against the floor again and again, producing a fierce rhythm that matched the force of her resolve.


    The crowd sucked in their breath as she hurled herself straight into the line of fire like a razor-edged shadow cutting through the chaos.


    Cohen felt as though he had stepped into the path of something primal, and instinct warned him that this was a challenge far beyond what he expected.


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