One moment, I was in the taxi. The next, I was sinking into the couch. My body finally gave out, and I collapsed, drained of every last shred of strength.
Then came the darkness. And in that darkness, I dreamed.
Roaring flames devoured everything, searing heat, suffocating smoke, my parents’ agonized screams cutting through the chaos. The fire swallowed them whole, turning everything to ash.
Amidst the destruction, only one thing remained.
Mathias. His hand reached through the blaze, pulling me away from the inferno. From that moment on, he was all I had left in this world.
When I woke, I was no longer on the couch.
Mathias had carried me to the bed, his touch gentle yet laced with guilt. He tucked me in with quiet care, his fingers brushing against my sweat-dampened skin as he fed me medicine, his every movement heavy with unspoken remorse.
"Irene, I’m sorry. My phone died, so I never got your calls."
"Please don’t be mad at me, okay?"
He must have stayed up all night taking care of me.
The same dress shirt from the auction clung to him, slightly wrinkled, and a faint shadow of stubble darkened his jaw.
Fever-induced aches pulsed through my body, leaving my mind briefly clouded.