Bea’s phone vibrated insistently in her hand. She answered quickly, tension already coiling in her chest. “Hello? Who is this?” Her voice was sharp, clipped, a reflex born from worry and suspicion.
“I… I’m a friend of Kafziel,” the voice on the other end replied, strained and hurried. “He… he got into an accident. Can you… can you come see him?”
Bea froze, a sharp gasp catching in her throat. “What!!” The words escaped before she could stop them, a mixture of shock and disbelief. Her mind raced, images flashing across her memory of Kafziel moments before the accident, the chaos, the panic.
The voice hesitated on the line, almost unsure. “It’s urgent… please.”
Bea’s grip on the phone tightened, knuckles whitening. Why wasn’t I there? Why didn’t anyone call me sooner? Her chest tightened
