The world around Elio came to a screeching halt as his eyes met his mother's. For a heartbeat, he believed he was hallucinating, that guilt and exhaustion had conjured this impossible vision.
"They're alive," Elio whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. "They're all alive."
Elio advanced with faltering steps towards his family, adrenaline rapidly abandoning his body. Zara supported him with every step, her presence a steadying anchor in the storm of his emotions.
His legs trembled, threatening to give way beneath him. If not for Zara's arm around his waist, he would have fallen to his knees. His breathing became ragged, struggling to process this impossible truth.
As he drew closer, he could see the tears streaming down his mother's face and hear the excited cries of his younger siblings.