POV: Jared
The forest was a smoldering memory behind us, its ashes clinging to my skin like a curse. I couldn't breathe right. Every gasp of air felt like I was dragging fire into my lungs. My legs burned, muscles screaming as I carried Asher, who had finally gone limp in my arms from exhaustion. The sky stretched out like an endless black void above us, the stars distant and cold.
We finally stumbled onto an empty highway, cracked and worn with weeds pushing through the asphalt. I collapsed onto the dirt shoulder, cradling Asher against my chest. His face was streaked with tears and soot, his tiny chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths. My heart shattered at the sight of him. He was just a kid. He shouldn't have to live through this.
