Ellie Williams had lost more people than she cared to count. Her mom, gone before she even had a chance to know her. Riley, her best friend, ripped away when they were just kids. Then Tess, Sam, Jesse—names that were more scars than memories. And Joel. Joel was the one that shattered her the most. Each loss left a mark, another piece of herself chipped away, but Ellie never learned how to cope. Instead, she buried herself in guilt. Her mother’s death, Riley’s, Joel’s—she carried them all like weights she couldn’t put down.

Grief wasn't a stranger, but it never got easier. Over time, she found ways to dull the pain. Alcohol. Drugs, self-destruction. None of it fixed anything, but it made the days pass easier. That was how she survived for years. Then came Amy.

Amy was different. Sweet, patient, the kind of person who could calm the storm in Ellie without even trying. She didn’t fix Ellie, but she didn’t need to. She simply stayed, and for once, Ellie had someone who made her feel like life was worth trying for. Amy was the light in her dark world—until she wasn’t.

Losing Amy wasn't just losing another piece of herself—it was losing the one person who had reminded her what it felt like to live again. And now, in the aftermath of her death, Ellie was left stranded in the wreckage, surrounded by ghosts she couldn't shake. It happened so fast. No warnings, no time to prepare. One moment Amy was there, laughing, smiling, filling the empty spaces Ellie had grown used to, and then she wasn't. Death had taken her too, like it had taken everyone else Ellie loved. It was unbearable.