4. Inferno

The explosion was so terrible and successive, red light dominated the sense of sight.

In an instant, only a matter of a fraction of a second, the explosion scorched dozens of people who were already on the plane. Not only that, several people who were lining up to step up the plane ladder were also hit by an explosion.

The unfortunate passengers on the plane didn't even have time to scream, their pupils were only filled with flashes of red before they were scorched and their bodies shattered into pieces by the explosion.

The people who were lining up near the stairs of the plane were also immediately thrown in various directions, on average they all got very serious burns. The severe burns all over their bodies caused most of them to die on the spot.

However, the universe seems like it doesn't want everyone to die. Camilla, a person who was a victim of a gunshot wound a few seconds ago, turned out to have been chosen to be the only survivor of this tragedy.

Technically, Camilla's position, which had collapsed onto the asphalt, was categorized as face down or prone. The current location is also far from the point of the explosion. So, once the fire and explosion hit her, Camilla could survive the effects of the explosion.

-o0O0o-

White.

It was the first light caught in Camilla's hazelnut-colored pupils as soon as she opened her eyes. She blinked until recognized the white object. It turned out to be the ceiling of the room with a slightly dim light.

At first, Camilla only opened her eyes without being able to make her brain order to make a sound or move her body. However, her hearing senses faintly began to detect a sound. Soon, she realized, that was the sound of excitement and hysteria.

“Camilla! Camilla, honey? Oh my God! Are you awake?! Doctor!!! My child, my child has woken up!”

That was the hysterical sound that Camilla caught, at the end the girl managed to recognize the voice. It’s her mother's voice.

Camilla couldn't remember the details of what happened after she woke up. She could be in the ICU of this hospital. Her mind is just blank. But what was clear is Camilla had started to be able to speak by opening her mouth and it was at that point that her brain began to be able to summarize everything.

"What happened, Mom?" asked Camilla when the girl had been examined by a doctor, injected, and went through a series of initial post-awake examinations. She was also able to sit up but had to keep leaning against the raised head of the bed.

"Camilla, honey." Kate Portman, mother of Camilla Theodore could only cry with mixed feelings, relieved, emotional, touched, and worried. It seems that the woman has had hard days because of the tragedy that befell her daughter.

Camilla could only stay silent, sitting back on the bed while trying to remember what was the last moment in her memory. However, the more she forced herself, her head hurt.

"Don't you remember, Honey? You are the only survivor,” said Mrs. Kate in a trembling voice.

Camilla's forehead wrinkled. She tried to process her mother's words but the girl did not understand.

"What do you mean, Mom?" she asked with a confused face.

"You almost died along with the rest of the crew on the plane, Camilla." Just saying it made Mrs. Kate cry again and shed tears. The woman could not imagine her daughter's situation at that time. “Three days ago, you and… and… your friends were going on vacation to Brazil.” She tried to control herself because she was obliged to tell about the tragedy that had befallen her daughter.

"Ah! I remember." Camilla immediately responded and remembered the idea. “I … I got shot!” Camilla's eyes widened and widened. In a flash, her mind is playing the replay of the incident, quickly like a trailer of a movie.

Camilla's consciousness returned to her soul. She immediately pushed aside the covers, peeking at her stomach and waist to make sure that the movie trailer-like scene inside her head was real, not some nightmare. "I am still alive."

She was really touched and grateful that she survived the shot. “What a miracle. But, what happened after? What about the mysterious man who shot me? Kairav? Have the police investigated the mysterious man?” asked Camilla in a low, half-pondering voice.

Mrs. Kate speaks in a soft voice. "Everything's under control, Honey. I will tell you everything, what is clear is that you have to be stable first. The police have taken care of everything.”

Camilla really wanted to know right now, but at least she could be relieved that the police must have dealt with the perpetrators who shot her and taken care of the chaos that was at the airport at that time.

But suddenly, Camilla gasped again because she remembered her mother's words that had sprung up earlier. “But, why did you say that I was the only survivor?”

Mr. Kate had no choice but to tell the chronology of the accident.

Camilla was stunned, speechless, pensive, and disturbed to hear the explanations from her mother. The girl was barely able to summarize all the news of the incident.

"Impossible." That was the first word that whispered from her lips.

The plane exploded. Yes, Camilla had a hard time accepting that information because it sounded so strange and impossible. All passengers died on the spot and she was the only survivor.

“Does that mean Aruna and Aldo ….” Her sentence was restrained while looking at her mother with tearful eyes. "They're safe, aren't they? Where are they both now? Please?”

Mrs. Kate could only remain silent. She just stroked Camilla's shoulders and upper arms. The woman knew her daughter would be shocked. He looked down and held back her tears. Mrs. Kate knows that soon she will see her daughter crying hysterically because of the death of her friends.

“Mom! Tell me!!!" shouted Camilla. “The two of them are fine, right?”

Mrs. Kate was holding back tears. “I'm sorry I have to say this, My Darling. Aruna and Aldo died in that tragedy."

Camilla's breath caught like something was blocking its flow. All the blood cells in her head felt like they had broken apart and gone down to her toes. Shocking and felt like dying at the same time.

“What?” Camilla's lips curled and her voice constantly hoarse, as if it had been swallowed up into her stomach.

"I'm sorry, Honey." Mrs. Kate hugged Camilla and felt very guilty that she had to convey bitter grief to her daughter.

Camilla's eyes widened, allowing her mother to hug her while her body only stiffened as if her soul had just flown out of her body.

Aruna and Aldo died, are they no longer in this world?

Camilla shook her head. Tears welled up again and fell from those reddened eyes.

Silence dominated the VIP room. until Camilla starts to open her mouth again.

“It was my fault,” she whispered apologetically, apologetic to herself.

"No, Darling. Don’t think like that.” Mrs. Kate rebutted it gently.

However, Camilla ignored her mother and even her consciousness thought that there was no one in this space, only herself.

“BUGH!! BUGH!!!”

Camilla's clenched hands immediately hit her chest. “It's all my fault!” she muttered again.

“I was the one who made them die like that.” She started loud. Her tone, which was initially low (just a whisper) is now starting to rise a few octaves and the emotional high notes. "You're cruel, Camilla! You forced them to buy those fucking discounted tickets! No! I'm the stupid one to suggest a vacation to Rio De Janeiro!"

“YOU, CAMILLA! YOU KILLED THEM!!!!” shouted Camilla shrilly while pounding her chest with increasing and brutal speed, hitting her skull hard while shouting and blaming herself.