The world blurred. One moment, Rafael was beside me — his voice a steady anchor in the chaos — and the next, everything shattered. The gunshot ripped through the air, echoing louder than thunder. My scream tore out before I could stop it, raw and broken, as Rafael's body jerked and fell against me.
For a moment, everything froze.
My mind refused to understand what I was seeing — the blood spreading across his shirt, the weight of his body collapsing into my arms. The noise around us disappeared. There was no gunfire, no shouting, no footsteps — just the thundering silence between heartbeats.
"Rafael?" My voice cracked. "Rafael, stay with me."
He didn't answer. His eyes fluttered once, then rolled back. My hands shook as I pressed them over his wound, warm blood seeping through my fingers. "No, no, no…" I whispered, my breath coming fast and uneven.
