5 The Ascent

Large, hurried strides shattered the silence of the devastated floors as the soaked shoes of the two collided with various objects. Fresh footprints marked their path wherever they moved.

Their drenched clothing clung tightly to their skin as the icy cold dampness pressed against them, driven by the occasional gusts of wind blowing in through the broken windows.

The cold that now penetrated them made them shiver, and as they rushed up the stairs, they had to suppress sneezes.

Leon still had enough strength and seemed confident that he would make it all the way to the top. But Kaiden, who had already lost too much blood and was now plagued by the cold, felt weaker by the minute.

His sweat seemed colder than ice, and his weary head swayed back and forth.

At some point, he lost his balance and began to fall. His drenched shoe sole found no grip on a smooth step, and his leg swung forward with considerable force.

His upper body followed, arching backward, and he started to fall slowly backward. Leon, running directly behind him, grabbed him from behind and pushed him forward with all his might.

In doing so, Leon also staggered slightly but managed to keep running.

Seeing the battered Kaiden at the top of the stairwell, he slapped him on the back to encourage him.

This slap triggered a chain reaction in Kaiden's body. He felt the impact from his back through his torso to his pelvis and reacted by tensing his muscles.

With clenched fists, he pounded his thighs to keep his legs awake.

They seemed to give way, unable to bear the weight of his heavy upper body. But in this extreme situation, it was an unwavering will that propelled his legs like an engine.

Kaiden lifted his left leg, placed it carefully forward, landed it, and then raised his right leg. This process repeated until it became routine.

Kaiden could finally walk again, but his right arm still caused him trouble. He could move the left one as usual, but the right one not at all.

He knew that even if they were to survive this perilous situation, his right arm would be irreparably lost.

But survival was all that mattered at the moment, and that's where he focused all his attention.

As they ran and ran, the endless flights of stairs seemed never-ending.

They ran and ran, and Kaiden felt increasingly pressed for time. While they had left most of the floors behind, the pouring rain still raged outside.

Kaiden couldn't guess how long the tsunami would take. Time seemed to work against them, and another earthquake worsened their situation.

"Damn, we need to hurry!" Kaiden shouted, giving Leon a hint to look up and avoid being hit by falling objects.

Leon understood the message and carefully watched where he stepped as he continued to ascend.

****

The two young men ran and ran, but the floor they were on seemed on the verge of collapsing. The ground shook, and cracks appeared in the ceiling.

Fortunately, Kaiden and Leon had already moved far enough away when the shelves toppled like dominoes, and stone columns and furniture plunged into the abyss.

But the disaster didn't stop at one floor; it extended to several. Their hearts raced as they saw everything collapsing behind them.

"It's only five more!" Kaiden called out. Leon replied with a gasping, "Yeah, just five more!"

Though they had overcome most of the floors, death still seemed to be hot on their heels. Only five more floors to supposed freedom.

"We can't give up!" Kaiden shouted, pushing himself and Leon forward.

Time was running out, and death seemed to be closing in. Kaiden didn't want to suffer the same fate as the motionless people they had seen under the rubble.

Only four, then three floors—yet the storm outside showed no sign of improvement.

Suddenly, another earthquake shook the building.

"Damn, we need to hurry even more!" Kaiden screamed. Rescue seemed within reach, but the earthquake didn't stop; it spread to more floors. Their hearts raced, and time was slipping away.

"Just a bit more!" Kaiden shouted.

The tension was nearly unbearable. They ran as if their lives depended on it—because they did. And then, it was only one floor.

Kaiden stretched out his uninjured arm and gripped the door handle with his weakened hand. With all his weight, he pushed against the modern black door.

The door swung open in a fraction of a second, and a loud bang filled the air.

****

Kaiden stared at the scene before him, a whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. First came joy and relief as he opened the door to supposed freedom.

The rain seemed to have stopped, and the sun shone more beautifully than ever.

A hand patted him on the shoulder, Leon pointed with the other in the rear direction.

Kaiden looked at Leon and then at his hand pointing toward the exit.

But in an instant, his joy was overshadowed by darkness. Kaiden's radiant eyes dimmed, replaced only by sadness.

A dark patch of crimson liquid slowly spread under the debris, covering the floor.

Kaiden stared at the blood, then at Leon, who lay motionless.

It seemed like an illusion, and the rain was back in place.

Panic and despair gripped Kaiden as he desperately tried to pull Leon out of the dangerous zone.

But his friend didn't move an inch. Leon said with a raspy, faint voice that he couldn't feel his legs anymore and that it was too late for him.

Kaiden couldn't believe it.

"How can you say something like that?" he asked with a trembling voice, filled with grief and desperation.

"You're our beacon of hope. I won't just let you die here!"

Leon smiled weakly, spat out blood, and could barely suppress a cough.

He cleared his throat several times and asked with a scratchy, quiet voice, "Kaiden?"

"Yes, what is it?" Kaiden replied with an even sadder voice than before.

Leon let a faint smile play on his lips as he spoke his final words:

"Promise me one thing, when you get out of here alive, please have hot cocoa just for me."

Kaiden couldn't understand how Leon could make jokes in this situation.

He stammered with a torn voice, "How can you make jokes like that right now?"

"I'm cold," he whispered and coughed again. Then he reached out his arm one last time, as if he had something more to say. But it was too late.

His head slowly tilted downward, and his flawless hazel eyes closed forever.

The Grim Reaper had taken another soul to the heavens, which now lay seemingly peaceful and clear above them.

****