Page 85 of Kings of the Campus

The realization hits me in the chest, and I look at her through the smoke and the flames and I realize something else.

I can’t let this be the end.

I’m overwhelmed by a surge of adrenaline, a fierce, burning resolve. The thought of losing Tessa here, of not being able to protect her, fuels a desperate strength within me. I grab her firmly by the arm, pulling her close. “We can do this, I promise. Follow my lead.”

I use my leg to kick out at the beam, pushing it away inch by inch. It slides across the wood floor, an awful scraping sound as it moves but finally, the beam is far enough out of the way that we can keep going. We struggle through the smoke, pushing through the debris that’s falling around us. I spot the back door through the haze, barely visible through the dense smoke. “That’s our way out,” I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “We can make it.”

With the last of my strength, I lift Tessa into my arms. Her weight is nothing compared to the fear driving me. I dodge falling pieces of the ceiling and weave through the collapsing interior. Tessa clings to me, her face buried against my shoulder.

We reach the back door, and I heave it open. The fresh air is a relief, but there’s no time to stop. I burst through the doorway and carry Tessa to the safety of the open air, away from the inferno consuming the cabin.

As we get further away, I finally let myself breathe. I set Tessa down gently on the ground and look back at the burning cabin. My chest heaves with exertion and relief. We made it. The fire roars behind us, but we’re alive. I pull Tessa into a tight embrace, overwhelmed with emotion now that we’re safe.

“We made it,” I say, wiping soot off her face. “We made it. We’re safe.” My voice is thick, tears blurring my vision. I’ve never been one to cry but I’ve already cried twice today.

Tessa leans against me, the two of us breathing in the clean air, trying to get it deep into our bodies.

But then something feels off. My chest tightens painfully, a sharp, burning sensation spreading through my lungs. My vision starts to blur, the world spinning around me. The adrenaline that fueled me moments ago begins to fade, leaving me lightheaded and disoriented.

“Tessa…” I try to call out, but my voice is a mere whisper, swallowed by the overwhelming darkness creeping into myvision. My legs feel like lead, and I stumble, struggling to stay upright.

Tessa’s voice pierces through the haze, her panic evident. “Devin! Devin, stay with me!” Her frantic shouts seem distant, her face a blur as I try to focus.

But the darkness closes in, and the last thing I remember before everything goes black is the echo of her worried cries. My body slumps to the ground and I know nothing more.

49

ALEC

“We have to try!” Jace pleads, staring at the building. “We have to at least try!”

“It’s not possible!” I argue back. “The whole thing might collapse on us if we go inside. It’s already falling apart.”

The helplessness weighs on me as I stare at the growing flames.

“The fire is starting to spread to the porch,” Jace says, holding his head in his hands. “If we don’t go now, we can’t get inside. I’m going in.”

“No!” I yell, grabbing him again. “We need to call for help. If we call, we can get help and find them!”

The inferno rages before us, a wall of flames and smoke that obscures everything. I feel like I’m suffocating, the heat from the fire pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. Every second that passes feels like a punch to the gut. I’m torn between the hopelessness clawing at me and the desperate urge to ignore it, to push through and find them.

“It’s too late,” I croak out, more to myself than to Jace. “It has to be too late.”

“No,” Jace snaps, shaking his head vehemently. “We have to try. We have to do something. We can’t just stand here.”

I know he’s right, but it feels like a futile effort. The building is already a skeleton of its former self, the porch sagging dangerously. As if to confirm my fears, the porch begins to collapse, pieces of it crashing down with a thunderous roar. My heart sinks; it’s too late.

Jace is already moving, tearing himself from my grasp, running toward a window. “I’m going in!” he shouts, determination blazing in his eyes. I reach for him, but it’s too late. He’s yanking on the window, trying to break through.

The air is filled with a deafening whistling noise, and I grab Jace, pulling him away just as a rush of flames bursts out of the window. We hit the ground, rolling away from the searing heat.

We lie there, stunned and gasping for air, staring at the now fully engulfed building. The flames lick at the sky, and it’s hard to believe that anyone could have survived inside. I feel a crushing weight of despair. If Devin and Tessa were still in there, they’re gone now. I’m consumed by guilt and helplessness.

Jace’s eyes are hollow as he turns to me, both of us recognizing the grim truth. I feel the ache of my own failure deep in my chest. I want to shut down, retreat from the crushing reality. I turn away from Jace, fighting to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.

But then, faint and weak, a cry for help pierces through the chaos. My heart leaps, and I turn to Jace. “Did you hear that?”

He nods, his face a mix of hope and exhaustion. We scramble to our feet, following the sound around the back of the cabin. The smoke is less intense here, and we push through the haze, desperation fueling our movements.

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