Chapter 18 - The Ultimate SacrificeAlexander’s fingers slipped on the ice. With a final, echoing scream of despair, the ghost of the Vance family plunged into the dark, misty abyss of the Swiss Alps, swallowed forever by the snow.
The castle structure behind Julian groaned loudly—the main support pillars were failing.
"JULIAN! TAKE MY HAND!" Maria’s voice screamed over the roaring collapse.
She was leaning out from a remaining stone doorway, reaching across a five-foot gap of crumbling, falling floor.
Julian turned and leaped across the gap just as the stone ledge he had been standing on broke away and plunged into the ravine.
Maria caught his wrists, her boots slipping on the slick floor, but she dug her heels in with incredible strength, pulling Julian’s massive frame onto the stable interior corridor.
They tumbled onto the concrete floor together, panting for air, as the entire east wing of the castle slid off the mountain cliff, collapsing into a massive fireball far below.
Alarm sirens wailed softly in the distance. The blizzard continued to rage, but inside the remaining corridor, a quiet stillness returned.
Julian lay on his back, looking up at the stone ceiling, his chest heaving. Maria lay beside him, her hand still tightly gripped around his.
Julian turned his head to look at her. Her face was smudged with soot and snow, her tactical uniform torn, but her eyes were shining with undeniable relief.
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"Is it over?" Maria whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
Julian squeezed her hand tight. "It’s over."
