Victor opened his eyes, flinching at the fiery light that flickered closer towards him. He jerked up, coughing at the ashes that filled his lungs. He tried to stand up, digging his arms into the ground beneath him, but a sharp pain coursed through his body, causing him to cry out in agony.

“Hazel!” he shouted, voice hoarse. “Hazel, are you okay!”

There was no response other than the screams that filled the stage. The awning wobbled anxiously above him as he crawled his way over to the machine’s scattered parts, searching for Hazel. After violently tearing apart the rubble, he found a part of her.

Her face was completely burned, black tissue barely keeping in blood that violently oozed out of her exposed gums. The entire lower half of her face was missing, pieces of bone spread all around her. Her body was mangled viciously, her entire chest a gaping hole while the rest of it was charred beyond recognition. Scraps of her light brown hair clung onto her virtually detached scalp, resembling a cobweb that soaked in her blood. The scent of burning people filled Victor’s nose for the first time, but he did not cry. In fact, he felt nothing as he stared at flesh and bones. What was once her flesh and bones. No sorrow, no anger, no frustration, no joy, nothing.

Victor screamed in pain again as he clutched his stomach, a large piece of shrapnel sticking straight out. He unsteadily stood and hunched over to ease the pain, wondering whose blood was coating his hands. Was it Hazel’s blood? The color reminded him of wine as it dripped down his forearms. Perhaps the wine they would have shared over a nice dinner.

Stumbling down the stage, he spotted countless people screaming and crying above bodies that stained the ground crimson and pink. The fire and smoke was now pressed up against the awning, starting to leech down and infect any of the remaining, breathing lungs. A thick, fleshy pink seemed to ooze into his vision and towards his feet. Probably just another Hazel.

He scanned the crowd for the Leith guards. Shouldn’t they have been able to control the fire by now? Guards of all Leith powers were stationed, so why weren’t they doing anything? Victor moaned as he continued to try and run from the growing fire, the burning heat beginning to sear his lungs. He choked again, grunting as his stomach shot out more blood. He squinted, noticing that some people in the panic were Leiths, and it seemed as if they were spreading the fire, their hands waving frantically as the flames grew higher and higher. He paused for a moment, eyes widening at the sight. Were the Leiths trying to kill all the attendees?

He looked for his family in the crowd.

He looked for Josephine in the crowd.

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He cursed himself for even thinking about her. So what if she was injured? She probably made it out anyway, given the security that would have been surrounding her. What did he even care about his Mom and Dad for? If they came, it was only to reap his profits.

His ears were violently ringing from the explosion as he continued to stumble through the thick yellow haze, searching for any way out. Suddenly, the pillars holding up the awning roared to life, breaking apart into large chunks as they bellowed towards the ground, one coming straight for Victor.

Unable to hear, he looked up too late and watched the massive chunk head straight for him. He covered his head with both of his arms crossed above him, fearfully bracing for the inevitable impact. His younger self would have spited him for his failure after all these years.

Victor was suddenly launched forward from beneath the awning, causing him to slam into the ground and scream in pain as his stomach dragged along the ground. The shrapnel pierced deeper into his body as blood began to quickly gush out. Shouldn’t he have been crushed? He turned around, trembling in pain as he tried to push himself onto his feet, his hands now coated in dirt and rocks.

“J…Josephine?” he choked out, bursting into a coughing fit at both the utter shock and agonizing pain.

His sister was pinned down by the debris, desperately trying to crawl out from beneath it as her bloody hands clawed the ground. For the first time in Victor's wicked life, he saw emotion in her eyes. Fear, instinct, perhaps even sorrow, swam across all of her features as she mouthed something that he could not hear, spitting out blood all over her chin and neck.

Victor raced forwards, limping and tripping as he tried to reach her with extended arms.

“Josephine!” Victor shrieked, quickly closing the gap between them. However, before he could make it, the rest of the awning crumbled on top of her, her bones snapping as Victor was thrown back from the impact.

Why?

Victor’s hearing began to return as he sat before where his sister was buried, the flames licking the back of his coat, burning his calves.

Why? Why? Why?

“Over here!” One of the traitorous Leiths shouted and signaled towards the paralyzed Victor. The flame ignited his coat, setting it ablaze.

Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

The inferno of a human stood up, removing his melting skin, and placed it on a stack of rubble in hopes that it could mimic his body. He turned around one last time and ran.

why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?

Had Josephine always been able to feel? Why did Josephine save him? Was Josephine looking for him? Why did he even care? Who were the people in the crowd? Had Josephine been able to feel? Had she? Always?

Once far enough, he collapsed, watching the fire blaze higher and higher across the skyline. He fell on his back again, staring at the eye in the sky that seemed to glare at him. Quiz him on why he hated Josephine. Why she ended up caring more than him.

whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy