The night wind kept blowing.

Mount Clearwaters was way colder than downtown Jetstream. The chill air slapped my face, and somehow it only made my cheeks feel hotter, like they were on fire.

I wiped the blood off my face. My whole palm turned red. The wind hit, and my head hurt worse—like it was about to split open. Pain came in waves, tearing through my nerves. I forced myself to stay awake, to save my strength. I couldn’t be this useless. My plans weren’t ...