Chapter 1 — Blazing Flames
Flames licked the night sky.
A crimson glow reflected across the windows of the old apartment building, while thick black smoke rose high into the air like a cloud of death. People gathered outside the building—some shouting in panic, others simply staring with pale faces.
The sirens of the fire trucks had not yet arrived.
Among the crowd stood a tall man dressed in neat office attire.
His name was Rogers.
Around thirty years old, single, with a firm and dignified aura that naturally made others respect him. Many people knew him as a calm and dependable man.
Yet behind his ordinary office life, Rogers was an avid fan of movies and video games—especially the universe of Warhammer 40,000.
His favorite character was Captain Titus.
A warrior who never retreated.
A hero who stood on the front lines while others fled.
But tonight, Rogers was not playing a game.
He had only been walking home like usual—
Until he saw the apartment building burning.
His steps stopped.
His eyes swept across the crowd until they landed on a woman he knew very well.
Jennie.
A housewife who often greeted him every morning as he left for work. Usually, Jennie would be sweeping the front yard of the apartment while keeping an eye on her young child playing nearby.
Her son.
Tommy.
A cheerful little boy who often ran up to Rogers.
"Rogers! Let's play!"
Rogers would always smile faintly whenever he remembered it.
But now—
Jennie stood in front of the burning building, screaming hysterically.
"TOMMY!!"
She tried to rush into the building, but several people held her back.
"No! It's too dangerous!"
"The fire has already spread!"
Jennie cried out in desperation.
"My son is still inside!!"
Rogers' heart pounded.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
His mind immediately understood the situation.
Tommy was trapped inside.
The boy's small face appeared in his mind.
An innocent smile.
Bright laughter.
Rogers frowned slightly.
"Tommy…" he murmured.
A few seconds passed.
But for Rogers, it felt like a decision that determined life and death.
He walked toward Jennie.
"Jennie."
The woman turned, her eyes filled with tears.
"Rogers!"
Before Jennie could say anything else, Rogers asked in a firm voice,
"Tommy is still inside?"
Jennie sobbed.
"Yes… he's in his room…"
Rogers immediately asked again.
"What floor? Which room?"
"Fifth floor… room twenty-four…"
Before Jennie could finish speaking, Rogers was already moving.
He ran toward the apartment entrance.
"HEY!!"
"Wait!"
"You'll die!"
People shouted at him.
But Rogers didn't stop.
He rushed into the burning building.
The moment he entered, a wave of heat slammed into him.
The air was thick with smoke that stung his eyes.
Flames crawled along the walls like hungry monsters.
Rogers quickly removed his suit jacket.
He rolled it up and covered his nose and mouth.
"Stay calm…"
His eyes moved quickly, searching for the stairs.
And he found them.
Without hesitation, Rogers sprinted up the stairs to the second floor.
But when he arrived—
He heard a weak voice.
"H… help…"
Rogers stopped.
The voice came from Room 9, right beside the staircase.
He hesitated for a moment.
Tommy was on the fifth floor.
But if he ignored this voice—
That person would certainly die.
Rogers let out a heavy breath.
"Damn it…"
He turned toward the door of Room 9.
The door was slightly open.
Rogers pushed it and stepped inside.
Inside the room, he saw a man around forty years old trapped beneath a collapsed section of the ceiling.
The man could barely move.
Without saying a word, Rogers immediately approached him.
He grabbed the fallen debris.
The muscles in his arms tensed.
With a powerful push—
CRACK!
He lifted the rubble.
The man was finally able to move.
Rogers pulled him to his feet.
The man grabbed Rogers' hand, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you… thank you…"
But Rogers only said briefly,
"If you can still walk, get out now."
The man nodded shakily.
But just as Rogers was about to leave—
A violent explosion echoed from the upper floor.
BOOOOM!!
The ceiling trembled.
The fire spread even further.
And Rogers knew—
The time to save Tommy was running out.