As you push through the crumbling doorway, the heat hits you like a physical blow, the air so thick with smoke and ash that breathing feels like swallowing fire. The structure groans under the wrath of the unrelenting flames, warning you of the impending collapse.

Your heart hammers against your ribs, not just from the exertion, but from the fear of what you might find.

Then you finally see him: Rudy is sprawled on the floor, blood dripping from his head and his eyes half lidded and dazed.

“Rudy!” Relief crashes into you as you drop to your knees beside him, the heat of the flames scorching at your back.

“You came,” he gasps, the words punctuated by a cough that rattles worryingly through his chest.

“Of course, I came. Let’s get you out of here.” You assess the beam pinning him down; it's heavy but not impossible to move. With a deep breath, you brace your shoulders against the wood, feeling the burn of the fires and the blistering heat.

And it hurts. You are terrified for a moment. What if you can't free him?