Chapter 1

The public channel went dead silent in an instant.

Then came the anxious response from the command center. "Cedric Simmons! Report your situation! Hang in there!"

Leah Sawyer's voice immediately cut through the private channel, sharp and furious.

"Cedric! What are you thinking? You're causing trouble over an oxygen bottle? You're disrupting the public channel! Are you trying to get everyone killed? It's just one oxygen bottle, and you're blowing this up to the point of accusing someone of murder?"

Each breath I took felt like I was swallowing burning coal. The pain in my lungs was unbearable.

"This isn't a joke. This is murder."

Behind me, Roderick Wyndham let out a scared sob.

Then I heard the hiss of oxygen being intentionally emptied from the oxygen mask. What a waste.

"Ced, sorry. I got nervous and slipped."

His voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, tinged with a hint of smugness.

"The captain's just looking out for me. It's my first time. What if I die in this fire?"

I gripped the steel rebar so tightly my nails cracked, but I didn't even feel it.

The heat was searing every inch of my skin, and the exposed areas were already blistering.

I stared at the figure in the distance, the one Leah was shielding with her body.

Roderick was holding the oxygen bottle that should've been mine like it was some kind of treasure.

He looked at me through the flickering flames with no remorse in his eyes but only smugness and mockery.

Leah's voice rang out again, this time with a cold, commanding tone.

"Command center, the fire on the third floor of District D is too intense. The structure is unstable, and a second collapse could happen at any moment."

She continued, "For the safety of the other team members, I order the abandonment of the rescue on the third floor of District D! As a senior member of the team, Cedric should be ready to sacrifice for the team!"

She was clearly handing out my death sentence.

The other team members' voices burst into the channel, loud and chaotic.

"The captain's right. It's too dangerous to go in there now."

"Cedric, think of a way to break through and get out by yourself!"

"Yeah, you're usually so tough in training, so what's going on with you now? Don't drag the team down over something small."

Not one of my teammates, the ones I fought alongside and trusted, spoke up for me.

Their words hurt me more than the flames around me. Driven by survival instincts, I reached for the signal gun at my waist, hoping to help someone locate me faster.

But just as I touched it, I felt a foot slam down on my hand.