There was no hesitation.
He lifted her like she weighed nothing, shielding her from smoke and heat, carrying her out as if she were priceless—
While I lay choking on the floor, darkness closing in.
Time fractured.
Minutes—or longer—passed in a haze.
After ensuring she was safe, he tore through the estate, barking orders, shouting my name, searching every wing.
But I was already gone.
I don’t know how I escaped.
Fire roared in my ears, smoke shredding my throat, dizziness crashing over me in brutal waves. But something raw took control—instinct stripped bare.
I crawled.
Dragged myself forward inch by inch.
My fingers brushed against my bag. I grabbed it with shaking hands and clutched it to my chest like it was the last thing anchoring me to life.
A window nearby had cracked from the heat.
I hurled myself through it.
Glass ripped into my skin as I hit the lawn outside, rolling hard, gasping. My legs collapsed. My chest burned like it was on fire.
But I was alive.
I didn’t look back.
Some service corridor must’ve been untouched—or the fire simply hadn’t reached it yet. I barely remember. Just stumbling through darkness free of smoke, barely upright, until I found the rear exit.