Chapter 169 Nightmare

• When I awoke, the world came rushing back in pieces. A sharp splash of cold water hit my face, jolting me awake. Disoriented, I blinked, the edges of my vision swimming as I struggled to make sense of my surroundings. A voice called to me, muffled at first, then sharper as reality clawed its way back.
• “Mom? Mom?” I gasped, my voice breaking as I looked around. My house, once so familiar and safe, was now a chaotic mess of strangers. Faces blurred around me—neighbors, paramedics, curious onlookers—all swarming like bees around a broken hive.
• Then came the sirens.