'An Explosion'

The screech of metal, the splintering of wood—chaos exploded all around them. The carriage rocked violently as panicked horses reared, their frantic neighs cutting through the thick smoke that had begun to seep into the air. Hooves pounded against the dirt in a frenzied rhythm, their terror matching the rising shouts of knights and servants outside.

Another explosion rumbled in the distance, sending a fresh shockwave through the earth.

The acrid scent of burning filled Florian's lungs.

His pulse roared in his ears as he struggled to sit up, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His heart pounded against his ribs—too fast, too erratic. The nightmare—no, the memory—had barely left him, and yet now, reality itself had twisted into something just as terrifying.

Cashew, wide-eyed and deathly pale, clung to the seat for balance, his entire body trembling. "Y-Your Highness—! S-Stay inside! I-I'll go check—"

"Wait, Cashew—!"