Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 418

Even in Darkness. She Chose to Rise

Chapter 418 The City–Wide Marathon

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Finished

Once the two children found out, they both insisted on going to cheer for their mommy.

Tammy was also intensely interested. Coupled with her desire to protect Tatiana, she signed up as well. Lucas, as her doctor, knew that if anything happened to her on his watch, he wouldn’t live to see the sunrise, so he joined the roster too.

The rest of the subordinates clamored to sign up, but Tatiana shut them down immediately.

“If all of you participate, it won’t be fair to the other runners. Don’t cause trouble.”

These former pirates possessed terrifying physical stamina; for them to compete in a race for ordinary civilians would be a “dimensional strike“-they wouldn’t leave a path for anyone else to survive.

Ultimately, only the three of them participated. Tatiana had prepared thoroughly, feeling a rare spark of anticipation.

The day the city–wide marathon opened, the streets were a sea of people. There were over three thousand participants, drawn by the generous prize money: five hundred thousand for first place, three hundred thousand for second, and one hundred thousand for third. Furthermore, anyone who finished the entire course would receive a thousand–dollar incentive. It was a massive draw.

Tatiana, Tammy, and Lucas collected their bibs and pinned them to their chests.

Tammy let out a low whistle. “So many foreigners.”

Lucas shot her a look and offered a dry reminder. “You’re the foreigner here.”

Many people in the crowd were staring at Tammy; a beautiful woman with such exotic flair and a stunning physique was hard to miss. Tatiana, by contrast, kept a low profile. She wore a mask and a cap, dressed in unremarkable athletic gear, and stood silently.

Lucas frowned and whispered, “Is the pain starting?”

“Yes.”

“Hang in there. Dr. Xander said no medicine.”

That was Cayden’s only hard requirement: while completing these tasks, she couldn’t take a single painkiller. She was allowed them at other times, but during the “missions,” she had to endure. Tatiana was tired of living on pills and decided to follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. Now that her chronic pain was flaring up, she could only grit her teeth.

Lucas couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes.

Soon, the race began. A dark mass of people surged forward. Because of the grueling distance, few people sprinted at the start, choosing instead to conserve their energy.

Tatiana hovered in the middle of the pack, keeping a steady, moderate pace. Tammy, having far more energy and curiosity than the rest, said, “I’m going to head up front to scout the path for you.”

Tatiana didn’t stop her, and Tammy vanished into the crowd moments later. Lucas remained behind

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18:38 Thu, Jan 8

Chapter 418 The City–Wide Marathon

Tatiana, keeping a close watch on her condition.

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Finished

Tatiana’s stamina was actually quite good. Living on the island for years among the tribes had toughened her up, and her survival skills were top–tier. For the first ten kilometers, her breathing remained steady and she maintained a consistent speed. Slowly, she began to overtake others, moving into the lead group.

Most of the participants who had entered for fun had already given up; those remaining were the ones with actual experience.

As they hit the fifteen–kilometer mark, her physical reserves began to dwindle. Her breathing became ragged, and she found it difficult to catch her breath through the mask, so she finally pulled it off.

“Are you… alright?” Lucas asked, sounding winded.

Tatiana glanced at him. Seeing his pale face, she offered a dry remark: “Worry about yourself first.”

Lucas didn’t have the strength to respond. He had overestimated himself. He had stayed up late the night before and had been drinking; he thought he could power through today, but his body was failing him.

By twenty kilometers, most of the runners had fallen far behind, creating a vacuum in the middle of the course. Tatiana was still hanging onto the tail end of the lead pack.

Her head felt like it was going to explode. Her vision blurred for a split second, and she stumbled.

“Careful!”

Instead of hitting the pavement, she fell into a firm pair of arms.

She began to apologize instinctively. “I’m sorry, I—”

The words died in her throat. Her exhausted body suddenly flared with a burst of adrenaline. She shoved the man away with everything she had and kept running, her face turning cold and unapproachable.

Jasper let out a helpless sigh, following her from a short distance.

Yes, he was participating too–though not entirely by choice. He had received a mysterious text containing only four words: Join the marathon.

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