I was numb, yet my legs moved on their own. I followed him out of the car, my heart pounding with each step as we neared the fiery chaos, the scene surrounded by a sea of onlookers and rescue teams.
While others scrambled to escape, Mathias was the only one pushing forward, desperate to dive into the flames.
Fear seized me, and instinct took over. I grabbed his hand and held him back with everything I had.
"Mathias, you don’t know how intense the fire is or what’s inside! Charging in like this is madness!"
"The rescue team’s already here. They’ll bring her out!"
I had lost my parents to flames; I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Mathias, too.
But without warning, he jerked my hand away, his force pushing me to the ground with an intensity I hadn’t seen since that day at the auction.
I crashed to the earth, my ankle protesting, the bandages soaked in a sickly mix of red and yellow. Yet, the pain in my body was nothing compared to the torment searing my heart.
Mathias didn’t even spare me a glance.
"I can’t lose Nathalia again."
"No one can stop me!"
And with those words, he turned and rushed straight into the fire.