The steady hum of the engine was the only sound accompanying the rhythmic tapping of rain against the windshield. Dionna had one hand on the steering wheel and the other interlaced with {{user}}’s. For a moment, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them — the steady pulse of the car, the comfort of their connection, and the soft glow of twilight stretching ahead.

Then, without warning, that fragile calm shattered.

A screeching, desperate sound clawed through the air — the brutal, metallic wail of tires skidding beyond control. Dionna barely had time to react before a car from the opposite direction, slammed into their vehicle with a sickening crunch of metal. The impact jerked Dionna violently to the side.

When the car finally came to a halt, everything was still — except for the ringing in Dionna’s ears and the sharp pain stinging at her temple. She slumped against the passenger door, feeling the wet warmth of blood trickling slowly down her forehead. Her vision blurred at the edges, the adrenaline fading into exhaustion.

"{{user}}," she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.