Chapter 2

I hung up, bit down on the pain, and pushed myself up inch by inch.

Since I made my choice, I had to see it through to the end.

I looked ahead.

Their silhouettes were completely gone.

They didn't wait for me.

They used to. They didn't now. And they never would again.

I looked away. I could only rely on myself.

I used to be terrified of the pain, terrified of falling, terrified of being a burden, terrified they would think I was needy.

Now, there was nothing left to fear.

Since I made my choice, I had to walk this path all the way.

By the time I reached the mid-mountain observation deck, rain began pouring down.

I leaned against the railing to catch my breath, pulled out my phone, and sent a text.

When does training start?

He replied instantly: Whenever you're ready.

Staring at those words, my mind flashed back to when I was sixteen, pulling the three of them from the rubble one by one...

My right leg had gone completely numb, leaving a trail of blood behind me, but I never stopped.

Back then, I fought with my life to save them.

Now, I was fighting with everything I had to save myself.

I dropped my location pin and told him where to meet me.

Once I set my mind to this, I would run somewhere so far they could never reach me again.

Dusk had already fallen by the time I finally caught up with them.

The four of them were standing near the observation deck.

Chloe was wrapped in Liam's jacket, sipping hot tea Noah handed her, while Ethan held an umbrella over her head.

Seeing me limp up, Liam frowned first.

"Why took you so long?"

Ethan checked his watch. "You're forty minutes behind us."

Noah said nothing, but his brows were knit tight with annoyance.

Chloe sighed dramatically. "Andie, this won't do. Your stamina is awful. You need discipline."

Liam nodded. "Way too slow. You need a penalty to teach you a lesson."

I stood there, drenched to the bone.

Looking at the four of them standing close together, the sight felt sickeningly foreign.

"A penalty?"

Ethan walked over, knelt down, and reached for the socket of my prosthetic.

Instinctively, I shrank back. "Don't touch it—"

With a swift click, he detached it.

My right leg was suddenly empty. A sharp gasp of pain tore from my throat.

I stood on one leg, clutching the stone pillar beside me to keep from collapsing.

Noah pulled bandages and antiseptic from his bag, kneeling down to clean the raw, bleeding skin on my stump.

His hands were gentle, even practiced, yet not an ounce of warmth reached my heart.

"The prosthetic is too much trouble," he murmured as he applied the ointment. "It keeps hurting you. You should use it less."

Liam chimed in from the side, "Yeah, Andie. If you keep depending on it, you'll never heal."

They weren't worried about my pain.

They just found me inconvenient.

Ethan handed my prosthetic leg directly to Chloe. "Here, Chloe. Use this as a hiking pole so you don't slip."

"Right, Chloe has a weak constitution," Liam added. "She can't tire herself out. Bear with it for a bit."

Chloe took my leg and leaned on it like a cane, heading toward the summit lodge.

I stood there on one leg, swaying in the wind.

Ethan looked back at me.

"Andie, this builds character. It's for your own good."

Noah zipped up the medical kit and stood up. "We believe you can do it."

Liam took off his spare jacket and held it out. "Put this on. Don't catch a cold."

The three of them stood in front of me, as if they had finally remembered I existed.

I shook my head, looking past them at the prosthetic in Chloe's hands.

"Give it back."

Ethan sighed. "Andie, your attitude is getting worse and worse."

Liam frowned. "Don't make a scene. Chloe needs it right now."

Noah tried to soothe me. "You'll get it back at the top. Don't be so stubborn."

Stubborn.

I laughed.

I was standing on one foot in the pouring rain, and they called me stubborn.

"That is my leg. I need it to walk."

Chloe looked back. "Andie, you're just not pushed hard enough. You rely on crutches too much. We're doing this for you."

Ethan nodded. "Chloe's right. You need the push."

Liam added, "If you can't even handle this, how will you live your life?"

Noah chimed in, "Catch up to us, and we'll give it back."

I had no choice but to hop up the slick stone steps on one foot, my raw palms gripping the icy railing.

Sweat and rain blurred my vision. My skin peeled against the metal.

I gritted my teeth.

On the fifth step, my good leg buckled, and I slammed onto my knees.

I lay flat against the cold stone, gasping for air for a long time.

Then, pulling myself up by the railing, I stood again.