ly

nce symbols of grandeur, now swung precariously, threatening to crash down. I was one in a sea of panicked faces, my mind

le floor. I cried out, but my voice was lost in the cacophony. Before I could even register what had happened, a stampede of terr

e din, "Carly! Where are you, Carly?" It was Blake. My heart, alrea

g her into his arms, shielding her with his body. Then, he was half-carrying, half-dragging her towards a less-cded exit, leaving me

d awkwardly beneath me, screamed in protest. I tried to push myself up, but a fresh wave of tremors rattled the building. A section of the ceil

nizing haze. I was trapped, pinned beneath the rubble, a sharp, unyielding weight pressing down on my chest. Every br

tside. Shouts. The rumble of heavy machinery. Rescue workers. A

t!" a muffled voice yell

a weak gurgle escaped my th

voice boomed. "Over here!

s time, laced with a desperate urgency. "Is s

He did care. He was looking for me. All the betrayal, all the pain, mom

sharp and demanding. "Oh my God, my baby! My little

escuer's voice s

her carrier by the stage! You have to save her! She's tin

fragile hope shatterin

ically injured. She needs immediate extraction. But there's also a small animal trapped near the stage,

ire battered body tensed, waiting. Waiting for t

ng, finally uttered. "Save Princess. Carly nee

ry existence, deemed less valuable than a pampered pet. Less valuable than Carly's comfort. The finali

y eyes, the bitter taste in my mouth more potent than any physical pain. Carly was cooing,

ed, his voice a distorted echo. "Prin

unbearable weight. The end felt near. This was it. The final act of my tragic play. I thought of Ethereal Bloom, my dream, now a nightmare. I thought of the stolen years, t