Saruto rushed toward the hospital gate like a storm, his breathing heavy, his clothes stained with smoke and ash. In his arms, Star was still… her body frighteningly light, her hands completely burned. "Hurry! Star is injured!"
His voice slammed against the white corridor walls, and the place erupted into motion. Doctors and nurses rushed toward him, their eyes widening the moment they saw her condition. Without a second of hesitation, they carefully took her from him, placed her on a moving bed, then dashed inside with her.
He remained standing. Still. Staring at the door that swallowed her. His hand extended slightly… as if he wanted to stop them… as if he wanted to take her back.
But the doors closed. Slowly, his fist clenched. "Do not die… not now… not like this…"
His head drooped, and his breathing became ragged. For a brief moment, the coldness he had been hiding behind broke.
He remembered. Her scream… the fire that devoured her body… that scene… from his previous life.
He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly broke. "I… was late."
But the weakness in his eyes vanished suddenly. The coldness returned… deeper… more dangerous. He turned sharply and rushed out of the hospital. "Guards!"
They appeared before him as if they had emerged from the shadows themselves, lined up with strict discipline. "Spread out in the Forest of Seol. I want the fire contained immediately. I do not want it to spread another inch."
"At your command, sir!"
They shot forward like black arrows, and Saruto followed behind them, his steps fast, but inside his chest something was burning.
---
In the heart of the forest, the fire had turned into a raging beast.
Flames coiled around the trees, devouring them greedily, and the air itself had become heavy, suffocating, thick with the smell of burning.
The guards arrived and spread out immediately, their positions perfectly coordinated, as if they were parts of a single entity.
Saruto stepped forward. He raised his hand slowly. "Begin."
In the next moment, dark energy exploded from the bodies of the guards. Black… dense… pulsating.
They surged forward like giant snakes, coiling around the area of fire, forming a huge dome that surrounded the flames from all sides.
The fire shook inside the barrier and roared madly, like a beast forced to fight inside a cage. The temperature rose to a terrifying level. Even the air outside the barrier began to tremble.
"Second phase… now."
Without hesitation, several guards charged into the inferno.
Their feet ignited over the charred ground, and their swords gleamed within the flames. They began cutting down the damaged trees at blinding speed—precise strikes, harsh, wasting not a single movement. Smash! Collapse! Burn!
But with every tree that fell, the flames grew fiercer. Their roar rose. They spread… swelled… as if they were growing stronger.
The guards quickly exited the barrier, and one of them stepped forward, his voice tense: "Sir! The fire is getting stronger!"
Saruto did not move. He did not even blink. "Do not rush."
His eyes were fixed on the heart of the fire, with cold… terrifying focus. "Just observe."
Moments passed… heavy seconds.
Then something changed. The roar of the fire weakened. Its movement slowed… its flames gradually shrank, as if they were suffocating.
Then it began to die down. Little by little… until nothing remained but faint embers.
Then it went out. A heavy silence fell.
Saruto raised his hand calmly. "Disperse the formation."
The black dome faded slowly, like dissipating smoke, revealing a blackened land… dead… without a single flame.
The guards exchanged looks of clear astonishment. One of them stepped forward, his voice carrying real awe: "Sir Saruto… how—?"
He cut him off calmly: "We isolated the fire from the air."
He stepped forward, his eyes still cold. "Then we forced it to consume the remaining oxygen quickly… by increasing the intensity of combustion."
He paused for a moment. Then he said, "And when the oxygen ran out... the fire went out."
The guard swallowed. Then bowed, praising Saruto genius.
But Saruto did not respond. He did not care. He said in a practical tone: "Collect the resulting charcoal. Transport it to the warehouse."
Then he added, without raising his gaze: "It will be used in trade with the provinces later."
He looked at the scorched ground. "And begin planting new trees. I do not want this area to remain dead."
"At your command, sir!"
The guards moved immediately.
As for him, he remained standing. Alone. In the middle of the ashes.
He stared at the ground… but what he saw was not the fire. "If I had been faster…"
His chest tightened. That image returned. Her burned body… her weak voice… his name on her lips.
He shut his eyes tightly. Then opened them. Then turned. And headed toward the hospital. His steps were faster… heavier.
As if every step carried the weight of an unforgivable sin.
In his mind, there was no fire. No guards. No orders.
Only one thought. "If anything happens to her…"
His steps stopped for a fraction of a second. Then he continued walking. Slowly… this time. "I will not forgive myself…"