PHP Fatal Error: Failed opening required file ‘../models/user.class.php’ – Path issue [duplicate]

I’m getting a fatal error when trying to include user.class.php in my Laravel-like project running on XAMPP. The error occurs in auth_api.php (line 4) when it tries to require ../models/user.class.php, but the file exists in the correct location.

PHP Fatal Error: Failed opening required file ‘../models/user.class.php’

<?php

require_once '../configs/db_config.php';
require_once '../models/user.class.php';

class AuthApi {
    function login($data) {
        global $db;
        global $tx;

        if (isset($data["signin"])) {
            $username = trim($data["username"]);
            $password = trim($data["password"]);

            if (empty($username) || empty($password)) {
                echo json_encode(["success" => 0, "message" => "Username and password are required."]);
                return;
            }

            $stmt = $db->prepare("SELECT id, username, role_id, email, password FROM {$tx}users WHERE username = ?");
            $stmt->bind_param("s", $username);
            $stmt->execute();
            $result = $stmt->get_result();
            $u = $result->fetch_object();

            if ($u != null && password_verify($password, $u->password)) {
                $jwt = new JWT();
                $payload = [
                    "id" => $u->id,
                    "username" => $u->username,
                    "role_id" => $u->role_id,
                    "email" => $u->email,
                    "ip" => $this->get_ip(),
                    "iss" => "jwt.server",
                    "aud" => "intels.co"
                ];

                $token = $jwt->generate($payload);

                echo json_encode(["success" => 1, "token" => $token]);
            } else {
                echo json_encode(["success" => 0, "message" => "Invalid username or password."]);
            }
        }
    }
}