No way, this can''t be happening. How on earth did he show up here?


    As the thick smoke filled her lungs, Amara felt her breath slipping away. Just before she cked out, she thought she saw a mirage, and then she felt something touching her skin. It wasn''t fire; it was the warmth of human skin...


    In the hospital, as she slowly regained consciousness, the sharp scent of antiseptic hit her nose.


    Amara opened her eyes and instinctively tried to move, only to be met with a wave of intense pain. She winced.


    "Amara, you''re awake," a familiar voice said, full of concern. "How are you feeling?"


    Amara''s eyes widened, and she saw Elysia''s face hovering above her, etched


    with worry.


    "I... cough, cough..."


    She managed to get a word out before a fit of coughing took over. Elysia hurriedly poured a ss of water and helped her sip it.


    After drinking, Amara''s throat felt a bit morefortable, so she said, "I''m okay. Is this a hospital?"


    "Yeah, you''re safe now," Elysia assured her. "The doctors said you were huddled a corner away from the mes, so you didn''t get any physical injuries, but you did inhale some smoke. Your lungs might feel a bit ufortable for a few days, but some meds should help. Are you in much pain?"


    "It''s not too bad. It only hurts when I take a big breath, but I can manage by breathing lightly."


    After a few exchanges, Amara was fully awake and the memories of what happened before she passed out came rushing back.


    With Elysia''s help, she managed to sit up, her brow furrowed in thought.


    The only other person in the room besides Elysia was Dorian, who was sitting on the couch, rubbing his forehead, and watching the conversation unfold. But Amara didn''t pay him much attention. Instead, she asked anxiously, "What exactly happened? You were just taking a shower, how did a fire start? The police are investigating the source, but there''s no news yet.”


    Amara sat on the hospital bed, recounting the events as she remembered them. "I had just stepped into the shower, starting to undress, when something next to me exploded. I think it was a stic container."


    "Then mes erupted all around me, and they spread so quickly. It was terrifying." "Oh, and one odd thing-the sound of that container exploding was really faint. If I hadn''t been in a silent bathroom, I wouldn''t have heard it over music."


    "No sound?" Elysia frowned. "It must have been a silencer device or something."


    "This seems really deliberate. Someone''s trying to hurt you," Elysia said, her expression darkening, eyes full of shadows.


    Amara''s face paled as she ran through a list of names in her head, her eyes growing darker.


    Suddenly, she remembered something that sent a shiver down her spine. "Thank goodness I went to shower first. If it had been you..."


    The thought of that oue made Amara break out in a cold sweat.


    Elysia had already considered that possibility. "That person genuinely wanted you dead! If I hadn''t been there with you, if I hadn''t heard themotion and yelled for help, you might not have made it out."


    Amara nodded. “Yeah, who could possibly want to harm me.”


    Dorian cleared his throat and walked over, looking serious. "Are you two done talking? Finn is still in the hospital bed, you know."


    Finnian?


    The mention of his name jolted Amara''s memory. She recalled just before passing out, she had seen a familiar figure rushing through the mes towards her, picking her up.