Chapter 34

"Hey, Ezra... This won't do. DeAnd... has he already gone in? Then..."

Wilkins, who had been calling several names in succession, clutched his head. Oh no, no one's available!

"If there's no one to go in with, I'll go."

Just as he was about to give up, a voice of salvation came from behind. Wilkins turned around with a brightened face but froze in shock. Greyson was looking at him with the same smiling face as before.

"Ah, no, it's fine. You have no experience..."

Wilkins had been deliberately ignoring Greyson's suspicious behavior all along. Naturally, he hurriedly turned his head away this time too. But Greyson responded nonchalantly.

"I've received enough training over the past month, so I can do it. And isn't this something I'll have to do eventually? You always say you're short on personnel for field deployment. Everyone says so."

He wasn't wrong. But sending a complete novice with an ace? The fire had spread significantly, and since they needed to enter directly inside, the risk level was high. Though he didn't want to imagine it, in an emergency, a novice wouldn't be helpful. When faced with an unfamiliar situation, the body naturally freezes up. Then Dane would...

Wilkins, who had been extending his thoughts, inwardly thought, as expected. He couldn't lose his ace in such a meaningless way.

"No, really, it's fine. There's no need to..."

Though he repeatedly declined, he couldn't drag it out for long. Finally, Dane, who had been watching him unable to reach a conclusion, adjusted his mask and moved first from behind the troubled Wilkins, as if it wasn't his concern.

"I'm going in."

"W-wait, wait a moment! Dane!"

Once again, Wilkins called out to Dane, who was about to rush into the house immediately. In such an urgent situation, there was no choice. Though he was a madman, his mind might be twisted, but perhaps he could unexpectedly do the job well. As long as they didn't encounter an emergency situation, it was just a matter of following behind Dane.

With that in mind, Wilkins now spoke to Greyson.

"Alright, if you want it that much, you go in. But don't overdo it, just follow behind Dane. If something happens, absolutely don't come out alone, make sure to take care of Dane... Understood?"

As Greyson said, it was something he would have to go through eventually. Of course, even though it was limited to one year, they were always short on manpower. Even if it was Miller, there was no reason to refuse if he could be of help.

While rationalizing to himself, Wilkins repeatedly emphasized his instructions, and Greyson consistently answered with a smiling face.

"I understand perfectly. Then I'll..."

For some reason, he hurriedly put on his mask and equipped his gear before rushing into the house. Dane had already entered with the hose.

"Don't act on your own, you must follow Dane's instructions!"

Ignoring Wilkins's anxious shout, Greyson also disappeared inside.

* * *

Unsettling sounds of burning furniture breaking and falling continued from all directions. The intense heat assaulted the skin as if it would burn it. Without the firefighting equipment, it would have been difficult even to breathe. Despite such conditions, Greyson silently followed behind Dane, who was steadily advancing while holding the hose and spraying water. But less than five minutes after entering, he was already regretting it.

Wasn't it too reckless a decision just to see Wilkins's flustered face?

Just as he was thinking this inwardly, suddenly there was a loud boom, and part of the ceiling collapsed.

"Whoa!"

Startled, Greyson exclaimed and unconsciously stepped back. That was close. After whistling briefly at the large mass that had fallen in front of him, he joked with a smile.

"Wow, I thought I'd die from burning, but I almost died from my head being crushed."

Though he even burst into a cheerful laugh, Dane didn't even look at him and just continued to advance. Greyson abruptly stopped laughing and tilted his head with a frowning face.

"Not funny."

After muttering as if to himself, he moved his feet again to follow Dane, who was already becoming blurry behind the smoke. Though he was inhaling oxygen, breathing was still not easy. The heat felt outside the firefighting suit was tremendous, and he was tense in the life-threatening flames. It was even more so because he had to maintain his breathing in the confined space of the mask. But Dane not only didn't stop, he went even deeper inside.

Doesn't that bastard feel the heat?

Greyson frowned and looked at Dane's back. Only when he felt the hose he was holding being pulled did he finally move his feet reluctantly. The interior, enveloped in thick smoke, was so filled with red flames that it was difficult even to secure visibility. Yet Dane advanced forward, spraying water without hesitation, as if he had been here many times before.

"Charlie!"

For the first time since entering the house, Dane made a sound. Even though it was just calling the dog's name, his loud, repeated calls were easily drowned out by the noise of the building collapsing here and there.

"It's useless."

Greyson shouted at Dane. For the first time, Dane turned to look at him. Greyson sneered, feeling a small sense of achievement.

"It's probably dead already, that's why there's no response."

Dane said nothing, just looked at him and kicked the door in front of him hard with one foot. As the door, weakened by the fire, flew off pathetically, Dane immediately entered the room.

"Huh."

Greyson let out a sigh in disbelief. Did that bastard just ignore me?

A vein bulged at his temple. Greyson immediately walked quickly toward the room Dane had entered. Just as he was about to go in, he encountered Dane coming out, apparently having finished searching.

Crash, a thunderous sound echoed. Something else must have collapsed. Through the smoky mask, Dane seemed to be grimacing.

"What? Move."

Without giving Greyson time to step aside first, Dane pushed him away as he spoke.

"Hey, hey! Hey!"

Though Greyson called out to him angrily, Dane paid no attention and entered the next room.

"Charlie! Charlie, where are you? Charlie!"

Again, Greyson just watched him calling out for the dog with a cynical face. Let's see when he'll give up. Now watching with a feeling close to stubbornness, but as this was repeated several times and each time ended in vain, that feeling soon withered.

"Hey, let's talk for a moment."

When Greyson finally spoke up, Dane had just taken out a crowbar and smashed a door handle.

"What is it, make it quick."

Though he said this while grabbing the dangling handle and throwing it behind him, contrary to his words, he immediately put his hand into the round hole to open the door and went inside again. Greyson, though dumbfounded, still followed and poured out what he had been holding back.

"How long are you going to continue this stupid act? The dog is dead, there's no way it could be alive in this fire. It probably died from smoke inhalation even before burning."

It was also foolish to come in and wander through the heart of the flames to try to save it. Isn't this enough? How much more are you going to do?

As he asked, hiding numerous questions behind, Dane, who had been lifting and putting down a mattress inside and opening and closing a wardrobe, came out. Without saying a word, he gave Greyson a brief glance before heading toward the second floor. Dane didn't say a single word, but it was as good as having heard an answer.

"Wait, wait! I said wait!"

Though Greyson shouted, Dane still ignored him and quickly went up the stairs. Greyson ran up the stairs as if flying and caught Dane at the landing.

"It seems like repeating meaningless actions is your preference, but I absolutely hate wasting my life on such things. So let's go back now."

At Greyson's demand, Dane stared at him with an expressionless face. The look in his eyes visible through the dust-covered mask was unexpectedly bored. Haa, Dane, who seemed to be sighing, opened his mouth.

"That's rich coming from someone who wastes their life searching for a ridiculous destined love."

"What?"