482: LAST STAND?

ARIEL'S POV The thud of my heartbeat echoed in my ears, drowning out all other sounds as I found myself staring down the menacing barrel of Harriet's gun. Each beat felt like a hammer striking against my ribs, threatening to burst through my chest with the force of my mounting terror. But I refused to let my fear consume me, clinging desperately to the frayed edges of my resolve. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, to flee from the imminent danger that loomed before me. But I couldn't abandon Luke, not when he stood beside me, a pillar of unwavering strength in the face of our shared peril. So I stood my ground, my hands trembling ever so slightly as I raised them in a feeble attempt to placate our assailant. The metallic gleam of the gun's barrel seemed to mock me, its cold gaze piercing through the darkness with an icy intensity that sent shivers racing down my spine. I could feel the weight of Harriet's gaze bearing down upon me, her eyes ablaze with a volatile mixtu