Chapter 1 - The Fire That Took Everything

ELISHA POV

“Mom! Dad!”

I screamed their names over and over, my voice breaking with every cry. I wanted to run inside the burning house, but several people were holding me back.

“Let me go!” I shouted, struggling against their grip.

“Ma’am, the fire is too strong. You can’t go inside. You’ll get hurt too,” one of them said desperately.

“They’re still inside! My parents are in there! Please, save them!” My voice was already hoarse from screaming.

The flames roared like they were swallowing everything whole.

I could only watch.

Minutes felt like hours. Every second stretched painfully as the firefighters continued trying to put the fire out.

When one of them finally stepped away from the scene, I immediately ran toward her.

“How are my parents? Did you see them? Are they safe?” I asked, trembling.

She lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

My chest tightened. “W-what? What do you mean sorry?”

Before she could answer, I noticed several firefighters gathering near the entrance. Their expressions were tense.

Something was wrong.

I ran toward them.

“Mommy… Daddy…”

My voice came out weak.

Then I saw it.

I don’t remember screaming, but suddenly my whole body gave out. The pain was too much.

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital room.

My aunt was sitting beside me. “Aunt…” I called weakly.

Her face immediately brightened with relief “Thank goodness you’re awake, iha.”

“W-what happened?”

“You fainted. The doctor said your body couldn’t handle the shock.”

As soon as she said that, everything came rushing back.

The fire.

The screams.

The smoke.

My parents.

I quickly looked at her.

“Where are Mommy and Daddy?”

She avoided my gaze.

My heart began to race.

“Aunt?”

“You should rest first. You’re still weak,” she said gently.

She was avoiding the question.

“They’re safe, right? They’re alive?”

Her silence answered me before she spoke.

“Elisha…”

“Answer me!” My voice rose. “My parents are safe, right?”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“Iha…”

“Hmmm?”

“They’re gone.”

I stared at her.

No.

She was wrong.

She had to be wrong.

I shook my head repeatedly.

“You’re joking, right? N-no… that can’t be. They wouldn’t leave me.”

I immediately pulled the IV from my hand.

“Elisha! What are you doing?” my aunt cried out.

“I need to see them!” I stood up despite my weak body. “I don’t believe you. They can’t leave me. Not like this!”

I ran out of the room, ignoring my aunt calling after me.

My feet carried me down the hallway until I reached the room where they were.

My hands trembled as I touched the door.

Slowly, I pushed it open.

Two bodies lay inside, covered with white sheets.

I covered my mouth.

My knees weakened.

“N-no… this can’t be.”

With shaking hands, I pulled the sheet back.

And there they were.

The two people I had been searching for.

The two people who had always been my home.

Burn marks covered parts of their faces.

I stepped back.

“Iha…” my aunt called softly behind me. I hadn’t noticed she had followed me.

I looked at her with tears streaming down my face.

“Tell me this isn’t happening,” I whispered. “Tell me this is just a dream. A nightmare.”

“Elisha, calm down—”

“No!” I cried. “Tell me it’s not true! Tell me they’re still alive! They promised they would never leave me!”

My voice turned into sobs.

The room spun around me.

I heard my aunt shouting for help.

Footsteps rushed in.

A doctor entered.

Then everything went black.

When I woke up again, all I could do was cry.

I didn’t know how to accept that the two most important people in my life were gone.

The memories kept replaying in my mind.

The last time we ate together.

The last time Mommy smiled at me.

The last time Daddy told me he was proud of me.

If I had known it would be the last time, I would have stayed longer.

I would have listened more carefully.

I would have hugged them tighter.

How was I supposed to live without seeing them?

How was I supposed to wake up every morning without hearing Mommy’s voice?

How was I supposed to continue without Daddy telling me how proud he was of me?

We had so many plans.

I had so many dreams I wanted to achieve with them by my side.

But what now?

What now that they were gone?

Who would I tell my worries to?

Who would I share my achievements with?

I didn’t know anymore.

Why?

Why did it have to be them?

Out of all the bad people in the world, why were my parents the ones taken from me?

They were my life.

My everything.

And in a single moment, I lost both of them.

SOMEONE POV

“We’ve finished what you asked us to do, Sir.”

A smile slowly formed on my lips.

“I’ll transfer the remaining balance to your bank account,” I replied. “Make sure no one knows about this.”

I ended the call.

Then I picked up a photograph of the Gonzales family.

For a moment, I stared at it.

Then I held it over a flame.

The edges curled.

The faces darkened.

And slowly, the photograph turned to ash.

“If only you had accepted my offer,” I murmured. “None of this would have happened.”

I watched the ashes fall.

“You were never supposed to die.” Then I smiled again. “But since it already happened… I’ll make sure no one discovers the truth.”

“No one will ever know this wasn’t an accident.”