Tears blurred my vision as I gasped for air, my chest tightening with grief. My mother and Chloe were gone. I had watched them die—I had watched the fire consume them, leaving nothing but smoke and twisted metal.
The scent of burning rubber and gasoline clogged my throat, making it hard to breathe. The heat from the explosion was still scorching, flames reaching the sky. My legs trembled, barely able to hold me upright.
And then—
"Astrid!!"
The sound cut through the chaos, slicing into me like a knife.
I turned so fast my head almost snapped.
And there, on the other side of the flames, stood my mother and Chloe.
My heart nearly stopped.
They were alive. Alive!
And unharmed.
I stumbled forward, barely able to process it. My body moved before my mind could catch up. They
