The security guard stood upright, tension in his jaw. "It's real, ma'am. There's a woman on the rooftop."
Suddenly, the lobby burst into motion. Staff who overheard began to panic. One called the hotel manager. Another rushed to the elevator. Someone else rang the housekeeping team stationed on the 14th and 15th floors.
"Emergency on the rooftop! Someone's about to jump! Stop them now!" one of the staff yelled into the phone.
Meanwhile, Alaric continued his climb. He knew time was slipping away. Every second was critical. Every step could decide whether a life was saved or lost.
Now he was at the tenth floor. Then the eleventh. Then the twelfth. His breath remained steady, but the tension in his mind was far heavier than the burn in his legs.
"Hang on. Just hold on. Wait for me."
