Before I could catch myself, gravity pulled me forward. My breath hitched, panic spiking in my chest.
Then, impact.
I crashed against a large tree, the force sending pain ricocheting through my spine. A deep bruise bloomed across my lower back, but worse than that, my ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.
A sharp cry tore from my lips.
The freezing night pressed in from all sides. My trembling hands clutched the bark for support, but the pain only deepened, sinking its claws into my bones.
I had no choice.
With shaking fingers, I removed my heels and took a step forward.
Agony.
Each step on the gravel was like walking on shattered glass, every sharp stone a blade cutting into my bare skin.
The farther I went, the more unbearable it became. Finally, a sob broke free. And once it did, I couldn’t stop.
By the time I reached the bottom of the mountain, my face was streaked with tears; my makeup was smudged beyond recognition.
Even the taxi driver hesitated before unlocking the door, his wary gaze flickering over me as if he had seen a ghost in the dead of night.
And still, Mathias hadn’t returned a single call. I barely remembered the ride home.
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.