Clara's POV
My body shook as I broke down, still drowning in confusion, still trying to claw my way out of the madness.
Then I smelled it—smoke.
My eyes snapped open, and horror gripped me. The garden… was on fire.
Flames licked through the flowers, spreading fast, swallowing the moonlit beauty in a storm of red and gold. My breath hitched as I staggered back, pressing myself against the wall.
"No, no, no—" My voice cracked as memories stabbed through me. The searing agony, the unbearable heat. I remembered burning before, every second etched into me like a curse. I couldn't go through it again. I couldn't.
Terror clawed at my chest, and I bolted, running to a stone pillar far from the flames. But the fire spread mercilessly, chasing me, devouring everything.
Tears spilled down my cheeks as panic consumed me. "No, no, no—" I crouched low, curling in on myself as the fire roared closer. My hands trembled, my lungs seized, and all I could do was squeeze my eyes shut—waiting.
