The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1209

How could this happen!

Neera was completely shocked, desperately trying to steady herself.

But the tremors were growing stronger, shaking Neera to her core as if all her internal organs were shifting.

Meanwhile, it felt as if something was descending upon them from above.

In her haste, she lifted her gaze, her pupils suddenly constricting.

The mountain!

A large section of the mountain had collapsed!

Countless chunks of the mountain crumbled like snowflakes, hurtling towards them!

Neera's mind was buzzing with activity. She knew that her immediate priority was to escape, to quickly find a place to hide.

For the first time, she was faced with such extreme danger. However, her body couldn't keep up with the pace. It was as if her feet had become rooted to the spot, rendering her unable to move.

At this critical moment, it was Darcel who held her tightly, intending to take her behind a pile of rocks.

However, their current location was perilous, with the terrifying cliff right behind them.

The mountain shook more and more violently due to the collapsing rubble. The two people couldn't even stand steady, let alone move to escape.

Just as the fragments streamed towards them, about to crash into them, Darcel took a risk. He held her and rolled out of the way!

In the next moment, both of them tumbled off the cliff, falling downward under the force of gravity.

The sudden sensation of weightlessness startled Neera so much that her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

At that moment, Darcel's voice suddenly echoed in her ears.

“Don't be afraid.” These few words, without a trace of panic or fear, carried a profound sense of determination and comfort.

Neera was momentarily stunned, then felt someone protecting her.

She felt a strong arm supporting her back and the back of her head.

And there before her was that warm and dependable chest.

For reasons unknown, her heart, once filled with unease, was miraculously soothed by these simple words.

As if by magic, she felt that everything would be alright...

Throughout, Darcel was constantly trying to steady himself, trying to stay rational and calm even as he tumbled.

Fortunately, the edge of the cliff was covered with vines, providing some obstacles on their descent.

Also, at the bottom, there were thorny bushes serving as a cushion.

Although the sight of those thorns was shocking, it was still much better than falling directly to the bottom of the cliff.

Even with some cushioning, the impact of falling from a cliff was not to be underestimated. So, when the two of them finally came to a stop, they were battered and bruised, knocked unconscious. Before they could even register the pain, they had already passed out...

When they woke up again, several hours had already passed.

Darcel regained consciousness before Neera did.

Before he came to a stop, his only conscious thought was to protect the woman in his arms. He made sure to land on his back, holding the woman securely against his chest.

At this moment, he was still holding Neera, his arms scratched and scarred by the thorny bushes, yet he didn't loosen his grip in the slightest.

The moment he regained consciousness, pain swept through his entire body. Every limb ached as if it had been run over by a car.

He gently touched the woman's shoulder, moved her slightly, and couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

At this moment, Neera slowly regained consciousness.

She lifted her eyelashes, and upon seeing the chest before her, she was momentarily taken aback.

The events that occurred before she fell unconscious quickly flooded her mind. Instinctively, she lifted her head, accidentally bumping into the man's chin.

A muffled grunt sounded above her head. The man's voice was deep and slightly hoarse when he said, “Don't move yet.”

Suddenly, Neera dared not move.

“I'm sorry... I didn't mean to. Are you okay?”

Leaning against the man's chest, she was too worried to be embarrassed or flustered.

“I'm fine,” the man responded softly.

Then, she felt the man start to move and quickly stopped him. “Don't move. This place is full of thorns—you'll get hurt!”

The man continued his actions without pause, his voice sounding somewhat suppressed. He held his breath as his body tensed with intensity.

“Even if we don't move, we'd still be lying here. The most pressing matter now is to find a safe place.”

Having said that, he endured the piercing pain throughout his body and sat up.

Neera was just about to look at him when he changed the way he was holding her.

In the next moment, the man finally stood up with her in his arms.

At this moment, Neera finally saw his face.

Thankfully, his face was unharmed, just a bit dirty.

Soon, Darcel carried her out of the thorny bushes and arrived at a clearing, where he gently set her down.

Almost at the very moment when Neera wished to set foot on the ground, he seemed overwhelmed, his legs devoid of strength, and he collapsed entirely.

“Darcel!” Neera was startled and quickly squatted down to help him.

Darcel was too heavy for her to move, so all she could do was help him lie down on the open ground.

“I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just a bit tired. A little rest will do me good.”

Darcel looked at the clear worry on her face, soothing her in a low voice.