Chapter 2 — The Fifth Floor
A violent explosion from the upper floors shook the entire building.
BOOOOM!
Dust and wooden fragments rained down from the ceiling of Room 9. The flames in the corridor outside had grown even larger, licking at the walls and doors like starving creatures.
The man Rogers had just saved looked pale.
"W-we need to get out of here now!" he stammered, his voice trembling.
But Rogers didn't move.
His eyes were fixed on the staircase leading upward.
The third floor.
Three more floors above that—and Tommy was there.
Rogers let out a heavy breath before patting the man on the shoulder.
"Get out through the stairs. Stay close to the wall and don't panic."
The man stared at him in confusion.
"W-what about you?"
Rogers didn't answer.
He was already running out of the room.
The second-floor corridor was filled with thick smoke. Flames crawled across several doors while the sound of burning wood echoed like cries of agony.
CRACK… CRACK…
Every step Rogers took felt heavier than the last.
The heat was like a giant oven.
Sweat ran down his face, and his breathing grew shorter even though his nose and mouth were covered by his jacket.
But he kept running.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Finally, he reached the staircase leading to the third floor.
Part of the staircase was already burning.
The blackened wood cracked, releasing small sparks of fire.
Rogers stared at it for a few seconds.
If the staircase collapsed—
he wouldn't be able to come back down.
But then the image of Tommy's small face appeared in his mind again.
The boy laughing as he ran across the courtyard.
"Rogers! Catch me!"
Rogers gritted his teeth.
"Just do it."
He immediately climbed the burning staircase.
Each step produced an ominous cracking sound.
CRACK.
CRACK.
But he made it to the third floor… then the fourth…
And finally—
the fifth floor.
The situation there was far worse.
Flames had spread across nearly the entire corridor.
The smoke was so thick that visibility was reduced to only a few meters.
Rogers lowered his body closer to the floor, where the air was slightly cleaner.
He looked at the room numbers on the wall.
Room 21.
Room 22.
Flames roared from one of the doors.
Rogers kept moving.
Room 23.
His heart beat faster and faster.
And finally—
Room 24.
The door to Room 24.
But it was tightly shut.
And the top of the door had already begun to burn.
"Tommy!"
Rogers tried to open the door.
Locked.
He stepped back immediately—
then kicked it with all his strength.
BANG!
The door didn't open.
The flames in the corridor continued spreading.
Rogers didn't have time.
He stepped back again—
then kicked even harder.
BAM!
The door finally burst open.
Black smoke poured out from the room like a dark wave.
Rogers rushed inside while pressing his jacket tighter over his mouth.
"Tommy!"
He shouted.
No response.
But then—
a small voice came from the corner of the room.
"…Rogers?"
The voice was weak.
But Rogers recognized it instantly.
He hurried toward the sound.
Behind an overturned desk, a small boy was curled up, crying.
His face was smeared with soot.
His eyes were red from the smoke.
But the moment he saw Rogers, his eyes widened.
"Rogers!"
The boy immediately hugged him tightly.
"I was scared…"
Rogers quickly lifted him.
"Hey, it's okay."
Though his voice sounded calm, his chest felt heavy from the smoke.
"We're getting out of here."
Tommy nodded, clutching Rogers' neck tightly.
But when Rogers turned toward the door—
he saw something that made his heart stop for a moment.
The corridor outside was completely engulfed in flames.
The staircase he had used earlier was burning far worse now.
The fire formed a wall blocking the escape route.
Rogers gritted his teeth.
"Damn it…"
He looked around the room.
A window.
There was a single window facing the outside of the building.
Rogers walked toward it while carrying Tommy.
He kicked it.
KRAASH!
Glass shattered everywhere.
Cold night air rushed into the room.
Rogers looked down.
Five floors.
People were still gathered below.
Some of them were pointing at the window.
"There's a kid up there!"
"Oh my God…"
But Rogers knew one thing.
If he jumped while holding Tommy—
they would most likely both die.
He glanced at the side of the wall.
A large pipe ran all the way down.
But it looked old.
Rogers let out a slow breath.
A bad choice…
or death.
Those were the only options.
He looked at Tommy.
The boy was still holding him tightly.
"Tommy."
"Yes?"
"Do you trust me?"
The boy nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
Rogers smiled faintly.
"Good."
He removed his jacket and wrapped Tommy in it to shield him from the heat.
Then he sat on the window ledge while gripping the pipe with one hand.
The fire inside the room was growing larger.
The ceiling was beginning to crack.
Time was running out.
Rogers began climbing down slowly.
His hands gripped the pipe tightly.
One meter.
Two meters.
The pipe creaked.
KREEEEK…
Rogers could feel the metal starting to loosen.
But he kept descending.
The people below began shouting.
"Just a little more!"
"Slowly!"
But just as they were almost there—
the pipe suddenly snapped.
KRAAAK!
Rogers' body dropped instantly.
But in the final second—
he twisted his body in midair.
Shielding Tommy with his own body.
THUD!
His body slammed into the hard ground.
An unbearable pain spread throughout his body.
But Rogers didn't care.
He immediately looked at Tommy.
The boy was still alive.
Just shocked.
People rushed toward them.
"The kid is alive!"
"CALL AN AMBULANCE!"
Jennie ran toward them, crying.
"Tommy!"
She hugged her son tightly.
Tommy pointed at Rogers with tear-filled eyes.
"Rogers saved me…"
Jennie turned.
And that was when she saw—
Rogers lying on the ground.
Blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
His vision began to blur.
But when he saw Tommy was safe—
he smiled faintly.
"Good…"
The night sky seemed to grow darker.
The voices of the people slowly faded.
His consciousness began to sink.
And before everything turned black—
one final thought appeared in his mind.
Captain Titus would never retreat in battle.
Rogers smiled weakly.
"Not bad…"
Darkness finally swallowed him.
But Rogers did not know—
that his sacrifice had just drawn the attention of something far greater.
Something from beyond this world.