>>Seraphina
Without a second thought, we raced towards the inferno, the heat of the flames licking at our skin as we drew closer. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, choking me with its suffocating presence as we navigated the chaos that surrounded us. Many people had come out of the building but there was no sign of Eris, which further indicated that she was still inside.
As we reached the building, the magnitude of the devastation became painfully clear but rather than the flames, there was more smoke. The fire seemed to only be in our apartment but the smoke had traveled everywhere.
Amidst the chaos, a glimmer of hope flickered in the darkness—a faint cry for help, barely audible above the roar of the fire. I couldn't make out what was being said, but I heard the muffled sound.
"Eris!" I shouted, my voice raw with desperation as I pushed forward, driven by determination.
When we reached the door of the apartment, the weight of the moment settled upon me. The fate of my sister hung in the balance, and I refused to succumb to despair, clinging to the hope that somehow, against all odds, I could go in and we would emerge from the flames unscathed, together once more.
I gulped and was ready to jump into the room that was black with smoke and heat. I couldn't see anything in there even though the door was open. A neighbor might have opened it trying to help but I see no one could bring themself to jump in. And although that thought devastated me, it was also understandable.
I stepped towards the door in a hurry when Azed grabbed my arm and pulled me back
"Wait," He commanded, his voice steady despite the chaos that raged around us. "It's too dangerous for you to go in there."
"But Eris—" I began, my voice catching in my throat as the flames illuminated the terror etched across my face. The smoke was making my eyes water but nothing else mattered to me, I had to save my sister. I had to save the only family I had left.
Azef's gaze grew more determined "I'll go," He pushed me back.
"What?" I stumbled backwards, trying to make sure I didn't fall, "Why?! Why would you go! I need to go! That's my sister." I tried to move towards him again but he raised his hand to stop me
"Trust me," He said, his voice laced with conviction. "I'll bring her out safely." He stepped towards the entrance, the heat of the situation making us both sweat.
"B-but," I was confused. Why would he choose to go? He has absolutely no reason to help us.
"Leave!" He yelled at me, making me flinch, "There's no time. You go and wait down with the others!! See if anyone called the fire brigade."
"Sir!" He gave me no time to think about it and simply ran into the apartment, disappearing immediately into the burning building, his figure swallowed by the swirling smoke and flames
!!!??
OH GOD!!
Torn between fear and hope, I bit my lower lip and turned around to go down. My heart was heavy with the weight of uncertainty. "Please," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the roar of the fire. "Bring her back to me." Mixed emotions swirled within me as I wrestled with the weight of his actions. Guilt gnawed at my conscience, knowing I should have been the one to go in, not let him risk his life for the sake of my sister
I went down where the people had gathered, all of their eyes stuck on the apartment on fire.
"Did anyone call the fire brigade??!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, making a few people look at me, "Hello!!! Did anyone call the-"
"I did!" Another woman came running over, "I called them the moment I saw the smoke." She came and stood in front of me, taking my hands in her, "That's your apartment, right?"
My heart sank, "Yes," And we both looked up at the burning place, "That's my place..."
Anxiety gnawed at my insides, Every crackle of the flames seemed to echo the pounding of my heart. Tears welled in my eyes as I struggled to push back the overwhelming sense of dread while the flames reflected in my pupils.
Again, It's happening again. Nothing seems to go right in my life. Right at the moment I thought I'd have some peace, I was proven wrong by destiny itself.
My heart ached at the thoughts.
'Please,' I closed my eyes tightly as I prayed to God. 'Please, let them both be okay,' I clung to the flicker of hope that burned within me. I clasped my hands together, praying for their safe return with every fiber of my being. But with each passing second, doubt crept in.
Please God, Please. I know nothing is in my favor but please. Do not abandon us.
Time seemed so slow it felt like it was flowing, it felt like I would pass out before I got any news.
"Look!" The woman next to me pointed at the stairs and I shot my eyes open, "Someone's coming down."
Amidst the chaos, a figure emerged from the smoke, cradling my sister in his arms.
OH!!
Relief flooded through me like a tidal wave as Azef came jogging over, Eris safe and unharmed in his embrace. Tears of gratitude blurred my vision as I rushed forward to meet them, my heart swelling with an overwhelming sense of relief and joy.
OH! Thank God!!
Seeing them both emerge unharmed from the fiery wreckage filled me with an indescribable sense of elation. My sister's tear-streaked face lit up with a radiant smile as she reached out to me, her arms outstretched in a silent plea for comfort and reassurance.
"Eris!!" I saw that both of them were covered in soot and perhaps had minor injuries too but at the moment, that didn't matter. All that mattered was that they were safe.
We stopped as we reached each other, "She's okay," Azef said as he handed Eris over to me.
Tears welled in my eyes as I reached out to take Eris from his arms, gratitude swelling within me for the man who had risked everything to save my sister.
"Thank you," I hugged my sister tight who wrapped herself around me, "Thank you so much."
The sound of sirens blaring in the distance made everyone ease up more but while everyone turned to look at the fire truck, I didn't, I couldn't take my eyes off Azef.
There was a subtle expression of surprise on his face, followed by a subtle smile which tingled at the roots of my heart. A gentle breeze blew past us and I saw his eyes gently droop down as a soft expression took over his face before he looked up at me again,
"It's quite alright,"
***
"Thankfully, these are very minor burns, caused by heat. They'll heal fast." The doctor said while the nurse did some bandages for Eris.
"Really?" I felt myself relax, "There's nothing to worry about, right?" I stood by the bed in the general ward where I talked with the doctor.
"She's going to be fine," The doctor gave me a professional smile, "You can bring her in again after a week, so we can follow up."
"Thank you so much!!"
"It's no problem, it's my job." He then walked over to look at the other patients in the ward. I let out a breath of relief and then looked at Eris.
"So, it seems the cause of the fire was simple recklessness." The police officer who stood by the nurse said. He had made an attempt to question Eris and it took him a lot of time to get just this out of her, "I guess that's enough for the statement."
She was going to heat up food and ended up putting the plate that was still wrapped with aluminum foil. It ignited the fire, causing the microwave to burst and spread the flames everywhere.
She had no idea what to do as the fire spread, so she ran and locked her in the bathroom. And I'm really glad she did that.
"You know this can mean trouble for you, young miss." The officer said to me, "The kid can be taken away from you."
My heart dropped and I looked down in shame, "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." I knew I shouldn't fight or argue with an officer. That would only land me in more trouble and under no circumstances did I want to lose Eris.
"Well, I'll let it go with a warning this time." He turned to leave, "Make sure to never let anything like that happen again."
"Yes," I answered and he walked away. Only after he was gone did I raise my head and looked at my sister who was watching the entire scene.
"How are you doing?" I sat on the bed beside her as I spoke softly, "Does it hurt?"
She looked at me with those cute big eyes of hers and nodded.
"Aww," I pulled her into a hug as the nurse finished her job, "It's going to be okay."
"It's itchy too," She sniffled, trying to hold back her tears.
"Oh, it's okay," I wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "It'll be all better soon." She nodded, trying her best to be behave, "You can cry if you want to,"
She nodded at my words but chose not to cry. I patted her head. Her hair were a mess, I'll wash them once we get back-
Wait,
Get back where? The apartment burned down. It's a miracle the neighboring apartments got away with minimum damage. But what do we do now?
We don't have a place to go back to