Chapter 52: Unexpected Events

With the rising smoke between us, the light led to the hallway.

After readjusting the slightly stuffy mask, I lowered my body as much as possible and walked quickly.

Of course, it would be better to duckwalk to avoid inhaling the smoke, but right now, shortening the time was much more important.

After walking down the hallway for a while, the light was shining at the stairs.

It was upstairs.

‘Thank goodness.’

If it had been directed to the first floor, which was in full blaze, I wouldn’t have even dared to approach it.

Besides, in that case, even if Yoon Sejeong was okay, the survival of the other two would have been uncertain.

‘No matter how amazing the ability is, it can’t bring back the dead….’

If they were already dead, that was it.

“Ugh.”

…I felt a little nauseous.

It was because I had inadvertently imagined the day I died.

I don’t have time for that.

I speed up my slightly slowed pace and climb the stairs.

Then, I felt the smoke coming from below becoming a little thinner.

…However, this time, I was surrounded by smoke coming down from above.

‘Could it be that the floor above this one is on fire?’

This is the third floor, so the floor above is the fourth floor or higher.

For the fire to have naturally spread from the first floor, only smoke was visible on the second floor, and no fire.

…Something artificial was felt.

‘It’s possible that the fire accidentally spread to the upper floor….’

It was not logically understandable that such an unnatural fire would occur in a situation where Aria Academy’s expensive facilities were penetrated, and even more so, considering the characteristics of the library, fire-related precautions were more thorough.

‘…Someone deliberately committed arson….’

Is it a leap?

But, if not, I couldn’t explain this situation.

There were many suspicious points.

However…for now, there was no way to solve it.

‘I’ll think about it after I save the three of them.’

The light was still shining, showing the way, and my legs were just running towards it.

…How many minutes had passed.

The light, which had moved away as I approached, finally stopped at one place.

There was a wide-open door.

When I looked inside, I could see that I, who had followed the light, had not made the wrong decision.

“Yoon Sejeong!”

I ran and hugged her as she was about to fall to the floor.

“….”

Just in case, I put my hand close to her nose, and fortunately, I felt a warm breath.

It seemed that she had simply fainted.

“…Hey, Jin Sohee.”

After Sejeong fainted, Sohee and Jia were lying limp.

On the surface, it looked similar to Yoon Sejeong’s situation.

But….

“Han Jia.”

I called their names.

However, the two showed no reaction.

“Wake up, both of you!”

“”…….””

However, they were deeply asleep.

‘…Did they take sleeping pills?’

It was so strange that I had to think so.

“Who the hell, how….”

How could they be given sleeping pills in the library?

‘Even Kim Hayeon in the original work didn’t go this recklessly.’

Sleeping pills.

And a sudden fire.

If the clues are gathered to this extent, it was obvious what caused this situation.

Not an accident, but intentional murder.

The reason why the three of them were unable to escape even though the other students had all evacuated was here.

“…Haa.”

I had a mountain of questions I wanted to ask, but when I thought about it, another mountain of questions piled up, so to speak.

…To be precise, I needed confirmation.

The answer to who did this.

In fact, I had a suspicion about the person who would do such a thing.

However, without evidence, it was just a suspicion.

‘I can’t make the same mistake as in middle school.’

-Oh, smart. Smart.

…So, what the hell is this voice?

I can hear what it’s saying, but when I try to remember what kind of voice it is, I fall into a strange sensation as if there’s noise.

‘…Well, I’m a being that shouldn’t exist in the first place.’

There could be a voice like this too.

‘That’s for later.’

For now, the priority was to get the three of them out.

‘It’s…difficult to take out more than two people.’

If they were conscious, I could carry two people, but now all three of them were unconscious.

In this situation, it was difficult to even carry one body that was about to collapse, so I had no choice but to move them alternately three times.

‘I hope nothing happens in the meantime.’

Repeating three times to the second-floor terrace was easy.

However, this was a fire scene.

Even now, hot smoke is filling the hallway above, and I didn’t know when the situation would suddenly change.

For example, what if the fire suddenly spreads to the area connected to the terrace?

In this situation where I couldn’t go to the rooftop, I had to start by finding an escape route, and in the meantime, my life could really be in danger.

I didn’t know how long this mask I was wearing would keep out the smoke… and most importantly, these three weren’t wearing masks.

‘Ah, I should have gotten more masks.’

There was only one that the teacher had, and I almost snatched it, so there were no other masks.

In the end, what was important was a quick decision.

If that’s decided, there’s only one thing left.

Who to evacuate first.

Rationally, I knew.

Who should be evacuated first in this situation so that there is at least a chance of survival if the worst happens.

Yoon Sejeong.

If she, who has healing abilities, is trapped here, she will somehow survive.

I understood.

However…when I tried to choose it with my own hands, it was also true that I hesitated.

It was the same as me putting Yoon Sejeong in a dangerous situation with my own hands.

-Hmm, is that not it? You’ve become foolish again.

“….”

“…Ha, yeon-ah.”

It was then that I was enraged by the voice’s words.

At the cracked voice, I turned my head, and Yoon Sejeong was opening her cloudy eyes.

“Before me…the two of them first….”

Even though she’s speaking in a voice that anyone can hear is difficult, she’s worried about others.

There was a limit to being kind.

“I’m sorry, Sejeong-ah.”

With full of sorry, I stroked her dusty black hair.

“I’ll definitely take responsibility…just wait a little bit?”

“…Yes.”

The corners of her mouth slightly raised.

It was a simple touch, but I could feel Yoon Sejeong’s atmosphere becoming noticeably more comfortable.

“Just a moment.”

I spread out two handkerchiefs I had and poured water from the water bottle placed in the meeting room.

‘It’s a good thing I packed them every day when Siyeon told me to.’

There is a time when these are useful.

“Here, cover your mouth with this.”

Nod.

Yoon Sejeong nodded slightly and covered her mouth as I said.

It seemed that she had already inhaled some smoke, but it would be better to do this even now.

‘Well, then.’

I have to do what I can.

I lifted Sohee up first.

And, I covered Sohee’s mouth and nose with the other handkerchief.

Not so much that she couldn’t breathe at all, but moderately.

Then, I moved as quickly as possible, retracing the path I had come.

Fortunately, the fire hadn’t spread to the terrace yet, so only a little smoke was thick, and the hallway leading to the terrace was fine.

The door leading to the terrace was open from the beginning, so I succeeded in placing Sohee smoothly without having to struggle to open the door.

There was no problem leaving her for a while.

Smoke was coming out to the terrace, but the wind was blowing in the other direction, so there was little smoke going out to the terrace.

And, I repeated it again.

Moving Jia to the terrace and going to Sejeong proceeded smoothly without any problems.

“Okay, Sejeong-ah. Let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Her voice was a little better than before.

She must be unconsciously healing herself.

I’m sure all three of them took sleeping pills, but the fact that she woke up first means that the healing power also worked on that.

‘I don’t know what the principle is.’

Good things are good.

I lifted her light body and moved to the terrace, just like when I moved the two of them.

From the third floor to the second floor.

I also went down all the stairs.

Then, now, just past the hallway—.

Creak…thud!

“Hayeon…ah!”

Yoon Sejeong’s voice screaming with all her might, and a creepy sound combine.

And the sensation that takes over my body is a floating sensation.

As if I was in free fall, when I came to my senses, my body was already sinking to the ground.

What I see is the first floor that has become a scene of hell.

In the scene where the flickering fire fills my eyes, the one word that comes to my mind is.

‘Why?’

Just move Yoon Sejeong, then, it would have been fine.

Why, at this last moment.

The floor.

Why?

Yoon Sejeong.

First, I have to turn my body—.

Thud!

The impact that I’ve never felt before hits my back.

And, the intense heat that burns my flesh.

“…!”

I couldn’t even make a sound, and I lost consciousness.