Lilia is dying.
At least, that's what it feels like.
Her lungs burn with every breath as she coughs violently, clutching her head. The world spins, unfamiliar and wrong.
She stares blearily at her surroundings.
A wide, empty bungalow—
…on fire.
Her eyes widen.
"Wait… fire?!"
She scrambles to her feet in a hurry.
"Ahh—damn it!"
She jerks her hand back, clutching it to her chest. Whatever she touched burned like hell.
Smoke fills the air, thick and suffocating.
Panic crashes into her all at once as she coughs uncontrollably.
What is going on? How did I get here?
Her heartbeat pounds loudly in her ears.
Am I seriously about to be burned alive?
She shakes her head hard.
"No… no, I can't…" she mutters, her voice trembling. "I can't die here."
Not like this.
"I just need to find a way out… I have to."
She stumbles forward, then breaks into a run, scanning wildly. Doors—locked. Windows—blocked. Fire—everywhere.
Her breathing turns uneven.
Then she sees it.
The kitchen.Flames creep toward it, slow but certain, and something about it makes her stomach drop. She doesn't need to think twice—
If the fire reaches there…
This place is going to explode.
"Oh God…" she whispers, her voice cracking.
The small hope she had shatters as panic takes over.
In the middle of her spiraling thoughts, her head suddenly snaps toward the corner of the room.
She freezes.
There's… someone there.
She hadn't even noticed before.
Without thinking, she rushes over, dodging falling debris and bursts of flame. Dropping beside him, she squints through the smoke.
A man.
Completely still.
For a second, her heart sinks—
Then she sees it.
The faint rise and fall of his chest.
He's alive.
Relief flickers across her face… then fades just as quickly.
We're going to die anyway.
Her gaze shifts to the fire creeping closer—closer to both of them, and the kitchen. The heat presses against her skin like it's trying to swallow her whole.
Suddenly—
She pauses.
Something feels… off.
Slowly, she turns, eyes narrowing at the curtain brushing against her back.
A faint breeze.
Cool air.
Hope.
Quickly, she yanks the curtain aside.
A door. Old—but usable.
She doesn't hesitate.
She slams into it once.
Twice.
Again—
CRACK!
It bursts open, falling off its hinges as fresh air rushes in.
She stumbles outside, dragging in a sharp breath, a shaky laugh escaping her lips.
"I… I made it…"
Her body trembles with relief.
She's alive.
Her steps slow—then stop.
Something pulls at her.
Slowly… she turns back.
Her eyes land on the man.
Hesitation flickers across her face.
Why should I care?
She doesn't know him.
She barely made it out herself.
"…This isn't my problem."
She turns away—
Then stops.A memory flashes through her mind. Her chest tightens.
"…Tch. Whatever."Before she can think twice, she runs back in.
She grabs his arm, drapes it over her shoulder, and pulls him up.
"Heavy—seriously?!"
Her legs tremble under his weight. Her lungs burn. Every breath feels like inhaling knives.
But she moves.
One step.
Then another.
Out the door.
She runs.
She doesn't stop.
Doesn't look back.
Doesn't think.
She just runs.Eventually, she stumbles into an unfinished building far from the flames. Safe.
At least… for now.
Her legs finally give out. She collapses to the ground, arms wrapping around herself as everything she held back crashes in all at once—pain, heat, exhaustion.
Her body trembles violently.
Her vision fades.
For a second…
She feels like the man is looking at her.
But maybe that's just her imagination.
Her eyes close.
And then—
BOOM!!!