The world didn't end with silence. It ended with the sound of my own heartbeat, pounding against the inside of my skull.
Heat swallowed everything. Smoke burned my throat. My vision pulsed between black and white, the sound of crackling flames smothering every other thought.
I tried to move—nothing happened. My arm was pinned under something heavy. When I finally managed to pull free, pain ripped through my shoulder, sharp and electric.
"Rafael," I choked out, coughing on dust. "Rafael!"
No answer.
I forced my body up through the wreckage. The roof was half gone, fire licking through the shattered beams. Every breath hurt. My hands were covered in ash and blood, my ears ringing so loudly I couldn't tell if I was screaming or whispering.
I stumbled forward. A beam collapsed inches behind me, showering sparks.
And then—through the haze—I saw him.
