Chapter 26

They say that when one faces death, their life flashes before their eyes-a collage of memories, from the happiest moments to the most heart-wrenching. It's as if time condenses into a single, indescribable moment, encompassing the entirety of one's existence. But for Emily, it wasn't like that. It was- chaos. Amelia's heart-wrenching scream echoed in her ears, an agonizing reminder of the pain that coursed through her. The world around, in that surreal fraction of time, the colors and laughter, all faded into nothingness. What remained was an overpowering sense of dread. It felt as though the world had been ripped from its natural order. Her body moved without conscious thought as she dropped to the ground. The gunshot still reverberated in her ears and heart thundered in her chest, pumping her blood with frantic urgency. She knew she was wounded, but the pain hadn't fully registered yet. A sense of unreality enveloped her, an impression that this couldn't be happening, not here,