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"Dad? Mommy?" My voice came out weak, barely audible over the ringing in my ears. I nudged Mom, but she didn't move. My head was pounding, the seatbelt digging painfully into my chest as I struggled to focus. Everything was upside down-the world had flipped over in a blur of screeching tires and broken glass. I didn't remember how it happened, just the sound of Dad shouting, the blinding headlights, and the sickening crunch of metal as we crashed.

I tried to move, but my body felt like lead. I turned to look at Chloé-my heart dropping into my stomach. She was still in her car seat, but she wasn't moving. Her seatbelt was twisted and jammed into the wreckage, trapping her. Blood trickled down her forehead from a small cut, and her face was pale, motionless.

"Chloé?" I croaked, panic starting to rise in my chest. She didn't respond. I reached out, but my seatbelt held me back, the tightness around my torso making it hard to breathe. "Chloé!" I called out louder, my voice cracking.

No answer.

Fear coursed through me as I twisted in my seat, desperately trying to unbuckle the seatbelt. It was stuck, the metal latch crushed by the impact. My hands fumbled, shaking as I tugged at it. Nothing. My heart pounded louder in my ears, the world around me starting to blur. I couldn't leave her like that. I couldn't lose her.

I looked over at Mom and Dad again, praying they'd wake up. Mom's head was slumped against the window, her hair covering her face, blood seeping through the strands. Dad's hands were still gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles white even in unconsciousness. They weren't moving either. Everything was too still.

I choked back a sob, my breath coming out in shallow gasps. I couldn't panic. Not now. I had to get to Chloé. I had to help her.

"Chloé, wake up!" I shouted, tears blurring my vision. "Please, wake up."

She remained silent, her tiny chest barely rising and falling. The sight made my heart twist painfully. I couldn't reach her, not with my seatbelt trapping me. My hands clawed at the belt again, pulling with all the strength I had left, but it wouldn't give. I was stuck.

I glanced out the shattered window, rain drizzling down in a steady stream, blurring the world outside. The smell of gasoline filled the car, strong and suffocating. I had to get us out. The sound of sirens pierced through the chaos, distant but growing louder. Help was coming, but I didn't know how much time we had. The fear of something worse happening gripped me.

I looked at Chloé again, my heart pounding harder with each second she remained still.

"Hold on, Chloé," I whispered, even though she couldn't hear me. "Hold on, help is coming."

"Hey. Nico? Nico?! Everything is okay," a gentle voice broke through the fog, warm lips pressing against my forehead. I startled awake, my breath shallow and quick, the sound of screeching tires still echoing in my ears. My heart raced as the memories clung to me like a vice, the weight of fear still pressing on my chest.

I blinked, disoriented, my hand still trembling as I tried to ground myself in the present. Slowly, the room came into focus-the familiar soft lighting, the scent of lavender in the air, and the reassuring presence next to me. It wasn't the wrecked car. It wasn't the smell of gasoline or broken glass.

It was her.

"Shhh," she whispered, her fingers gently brushing my hair back from my damp forehead. "You're safe, Nico. You're here, with me."

I swallowed hard, trying to shake off the lingering dread. "I-" my voice cracked, still trapped in the nightmare. "It was Chloé... she was still in the car... I couldn't... I couldn't reach her." The words came out in a rush, as if saying them might relieve the pressure of that suffocating memory.