A BAD DREAM

The night was still and quiet, with only the soft rustling of flowers in the breeze breaking the silence. Sofia lay on her back in the open field, surrounded by the vibrant blossoms that blanketed the ground. Above her, the stars twinkled faintly, but her mind was far from peaceful.

In her dream, she found herself standing in the ruins of her childhood home, the walls charred and crumbling, the air thick with the acrid smell of smoke. She could hear the distant screams, the terrifying roars of monsters—beasts that had torn her life apart in an instant. Her parents, their faces pale with fear, calling out to her before they vanished into the smoke, leaving her all alone. A suffocating darkness descended, and she felt the weight of her loss crushing her, just as it had all those years ago.

Her heart raced, and just as the dream reached its peak, the moment when she felt completely and utterly alone, Sofia jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat.