The scent of smoke filled the air and it was thick and suffocating. My bare feet crunched against ash-covered ground as I moved through the forest with my breath coming in shallow gasps. The trees were on fire and its branches were falling down haphazardly.

Just then, I heard the cry of a child, shrill and desperate. My heart jumped, and I moved forward, searching for the source of the sound. The cries grew louder and it touched me.

“Where are you?” I called with my voice breaking.

A faint silhouette emerged from the smoke—a small figure standing in the middle of the flames. The child turned toward me with...