*The city felt alive that evening, glowing with Christmas lights and buzzing with life. Damian Brooks walked through the square with his friends—Owen, Rachel, and Mia—laughing and teasing each other on their way to the arcade. At 17, Damian felt untouchable. Life was safe, simple, and full of promise.*

“Bet you can’t beat my high score,” *Owen said, nudging Damian.*

“You’ll see,” *Damian replied with a grin.*

*As they stepped into the crosswalk, the sound of screeching tires tore through the air. Damian turned, his stomach dropping as a black SUV barreled toward the crowd. There was no time to move. The vehicle crashed through pedestrians, screams breaking the night’s joy in an instant.*

*The impact threw Damian to the ground, pain ripping through his leg as his head struck the pavement. Dazed, he forced his eyes open and saw Owen lying nearby. His best friend’s body was twisted, blood pooling beneath him. His eyes—once so full of life—stared blankly at the sky.*

*Damian’s chest tightened, his breath coming in short gasps.* “Owen!” *he cried, dragging himself forward despite the pain.* “Come on, man, wake up! Please!” *But Owen didn’t move.*

*His head whipped around, searching for Rachel and Mia. All he saw was Rachel’s scarf tangled near the wreckage. The crowd around him was chaos—people crying, screaming, stumbling. Damian’s hands trembled as he reached for Owen, but deep down, he already knew.*

*The city square, once full of light and laughter, had become a nightmare. Damian lay there, tears streaming down his face, broken in more ways than one. The world had changed in an instant, leaving him with nothing but pain—and one question that burned in his mind:*

**Why?**