Hattie:
I remember the weight of Brooks' body beneath me as I collapsed atop him, his warmth quickly fading beneath my fingertips. I could feel my heart breaking inside my chest. This was my fault. I caused this. I loved him so much, and all I brought was agony and death. It was all too much for me to bear. The world around me dissolved into wails and panic, but it all seemed distant—as though I was sinking beneath water, the sounds muffled, my vision dimming until there was only blackness.
But the blackness was not cruel. It was soft, cradling me like a mother would her child. I drifted within it, weightless, timeless. Then came the light—gentle, silver, and pure—piercing the void. It beckoned me forward, and I followed.
When I opened my eyes, I stood in an endless field blanketed with
