The scorching midday sun beat down on the heart of North City's shopping district. Suddenly, like a disturbed beehive, people poured out of a store, their bodies colliding in a suffocating panic. Hysterical screams pierced the increasingly oppressive air, mingling with the faint smell of burning.
Faces filled with fear turned back toward the gray smoke billowing from within the building. "Fire...!" a woman's voice shrieked, followed by other panicked cries. "Fire! Get out quickly!"
Amidst the chaos, a young man in a worn-out shirt and disheveled hair pushed through the crowd. His eyes scanned every face with anxiety. "Samson! Samson!" he shouted, his voice choked among the sobs and screams of others.
It was Ferdy, Samson's friend, breathing heavily as if he had just run a marathon. Samson, who was enjoying his lunch at a small restaurant a few blocks away from the store where he worked, was startled to hear his name being called out in a panicked tone.
He put down the last bite of his food. "Hey, Ferdy! What's wrong with you? Shouting like you're being chased by demons?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.
Ferdy gripped Samson's arm tightly, his breathing still irregular. "Sam... it's bad, Samson! The store... our workplace..." He trailed off, struggling to catch his breath.
Samson grabbed a glass of water from the table and handed it to Ferdy. "Take a breath, Ferdy. Slowly. What's going on with the store?"
After gulping down half the glass of water, Ferdy was finally able to speak more clearly, although his voice still trembled. "Fire, Samson! Our store... it's engulfed in flames!"
Samson's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! You're... you're not kidding, are you, Ferdy?" His expression turned tense.
Ferdy shook his head emphatically. "No, Samson! I'm serious! Hurry! The fire is already licking the third floor!" he exclaimed in a desperate tone.
Samson stood up abruptly, shocked enough to leave his half-eaten lunch behind. While reaching into his pocket to pay, he asked urgently, "The fire department... have they been called?"
"Yes! But... but it'll probably take an hour to get here. It's rush hour," Ferdy replied quickly, his expression showing deep fear.
"Damn!" Samson muttered softly. "Let's go! We have to get there!" Without waiting any longer, he sprinted across the road as fast as he could, followed by Ferdy who tried to keep up.
Upon arriving in front of the shopping district, the scene that greeted them was a sea of panicked people. Some were running around with buckets of water, attempting futile efforts against the growing flames that were devouring the building. Samson's coworkers were visible among the crowd, their faces pale. They were trying to move some cars that were still parked in front of the store to prevent them from catching fire.
Samson approached the crowd of his coworkers, his eyes fixed on a silver BMW that was still parked near the entrance. "Whose car is this? Why hasn't it been moved?" he asked with a worried tone.
"That's... a girl's car," a store clerk stammered, her voice choked. "She... she was still on the third floor just now."
"Oh my god! Sarah!" a girl in a pink dress shrieked hysterically from the middle of the crowd. Tears already streamed down her cheeks. "Help! My friend... Sarah... she's still up there! Oh God..." Her breath hitched between sobs; she was clearly devastated and terrified. Mona, as the girl was named, thought Sarah had already left with her.
Samson immediately approached Mona, who seemed highly distraught. "Miss, calm down. Are you sure your friend is still inside?" he asked, his tone gentle but urgent.
Mona nodded weakly, tears still flowing. "Yes... yes, sir. Sarah... the key... her car key is with her. Just now... just now I saw her go up to the third floor, looking for... looking for something."
Without a second thought, ignoring the increasingly fierce flames and billowing black smoke, Samson ran towards the store's entrance. Determination was clear in his eyes. He seemed oblivious to the lurking danger. He leaped, dodging small debris that had begun to fall from above. Samson unleashed his hidden abilities as a war knight. His friends had the same abilities, but they didn't dare to break through the growing inferno.
"Samson! Are you crazy?!" Ferdy yelled, seeing his friend recklessly rush inside. His voice was full of disbelief and fear.
Zack, Tom, and Hendri, Samson's other colleagues, also tried to stop him, pulling at his arms. "Sam! Don't! It's dangerous!"
However, Samson's mind was made up. He broke free from their grip and ran toward the emergency stairs on the side of the building. He ignored his friends' warning shouts. Swiftly, he climbed the stairs, which were already starting to feel hot from the licking flames.
The third floor was already filled with thick, suffocating smoke. Samson squinted, trying to find the girl who hadn't made it out yet. He searched every visible corner of the room, avoiding the licking flames and falling debris. Finally, near a partially burned clothing rack, he saw a body lying on the floor.
Samson quickly approached the girl. With trembling hands, he checked for breath at her nose. "Just fainted..." he murmured in relief, though his heart was still filled with anxiety.
Carefully, Samson lifted Sarah's limp body onto his shoulder. The cracking and rumbling of crumbling debris grew more terrifying. He descended the emergency stairs cautiously, occasionally slipping on the slick footing, but he continuously tried to maintain his balance to avoid falling and endangering Sarah. The intense heat continued to prickle his skin, and the smoke increasingly choked his lungs. With his remaining strength, he kept moving toward the exit. Visibility was almost zero due to the thick smoke, but luckily Sarah's body wasn't too heavy, allowing him to move relatively fast.
Finally, stumbling, Samson managed to escape the flames and reach the parking lot filled with panicked people. He gently laid Sarah's body on the asphalt.
Mona, seeing her friend being carried out by Samson, immediately ran over and tightly hugged Sarah's unconscious body. "Sarah! Wake up, Sarah!" she sobbed, gently shaking her friend.
Samson, seeing the scene, immediately knelt down and tried to administer first aid. He carefully opened Sarah's mouth and began pressing firmly on her chest. After several attempts, Sarah finally coughed and slowly opened her eyes. Her entire face and body were covered in black soot from the smoke. Mona immediately embraced Sarah, who had regained consciousness.
Sarah looked weakly at Mona, then shifted her gaze to the young man standing beside them. "Who... are you?" she asked in a weak, hoarse voice. "Did... did you save me?"
* Before Samson could answer, the wail of an ambulance siren blared closer, followed by the roar of fire trucks also arriving at the scene. Several medics immediately approached with stretchers to evacuate the injured, including Sarah. Thankfully, there were no fatalities in the fire, only a few people who sustained minor burns and shortness of breath from the smoke.
Sarah was stretchered into the ambulance, accompanied by Mona, who kept holding her hand. Before the ambulance door closed, Sarah looked at Sam one last time, her gaze full of gratitude.
"You're absolutely reckless, Samson!" Ferdy grumbled, patting Samson's shoulder as he still watched the ambulance carrying Sarah drive away.
Samson's other colleagues approached, their expressions a mixture of relief, worry, and admiration.
Zack shook his head, clucking his tongue. "You're looking for trouble, you know that?!" he scolded in a sharp tone, though concern was implied.
Samson merely gave a faint smile, feeling a little embarrassed but also relieved. Tom and Hendri commented in the same tone, deeming Samson's actions too dangerous but also showing respect for his bravery. They all knew that Samson was a reckless person with a good heart.
Samson and his four colleagues were the store's security guards. Now, the store where they worked was nothing but smoking ruins. Yet, it had always been bustling with visitors and was one of North City's shopping icons. Upon hearing news of the fire, Mr. Sebastian, the store owner, slumped onto the sofa in his luxurious study. He remained silent for a long time, his gaze empty and teary.
Shortly after, all his employees had gathered at Mr. Sebastian's magnificent residence. In a heavy voice, Mr. Sebastian asked, "How... how could all this have happened?"
All the employees, including the store manager, could only bow their heads and shake them, indicating their ignorance and sadness.
After a moment of silence, the store manager ventured to speak cautiously. "We apologize, sir. We truly don't know. We only heard a small explosion from the back of the building, and suddenly the fire spread rapidly."
"That's right, sir," another employee chimed in softly. "We also heard an explosion, but we don't know where it came from."
The store manager fell silent again, then added, "We've already contacted the police, sir. They will conduct an investigation soon to find out the cause of this fire."
Suddenly, Mr. Sebastian slammed the table in front of him, making everyone present jump in surprise.