Darkness Ethereal | K.TH

More Dead Than Alive

"No, you freaking idiot—"

Yoongi's shrill yell is the last thing I hear in Biology class before the entire building trembles. Jimin drops his pen as he stands to his feet, eyes wide when the entire building trembles again.

Earthquake?

Then I feel the burst of heat, and the fire alarms come to life as Jimin points toward the exit.

"Move! Right now!"

Not an earthquake.

Fire.

Fear twists my features as the students file out of the classroom, most of them screaming wildly with terror. I'd get stomped to pieces if I tried to get out now.

"Tzuyu, what are you doing?"

Jimin's frantic voice echoes from my right, and I feel his hands pushing me forward as the students eventually thin out.

"Wait— what about V?" I yelp when he pulls me out of the classroom and pushes me towards the emergency stairwell. "Jungkook? And Yoongi— he was in the chemistry—"

"I'll get them!" He quickly says, cursing when he sees the smoke. The sprinklers are going wild above, but I can hear the roar of fire getting closer.

"Get yourself out first— follow the students!" He orders, pulling off his glasses and shoving them deep into his pocket. "V is going to rip me apart if you die here!"

My expression still is uncertain as I look over his shoulder, but I nod. Seeming satisfied with my answer, Jimin disappears down the burning corridor.

Will he be alright?

Swallowing, I make my way down to the bottommost stairwell when I instantly freeze. Horror blinds my vision as I run my hands over my empty neck.

Heavens.

No.

It must've gotten undone when Jimin had pulled me out of the classroom. It'd literally been a day since we'd bought it together— and like an idiot, I'd already lost it.

Dammit.

A soft curse on my tongue, I spin on my heel and run back upstairs. The fire hadn't been that bad earlier— if I hurried, then I could probably—

The entire second floor is up in flames.

I clamp my lips shut as I rush to make my way to Jimin's classroom, trying not to rub my tearing eyes through the smoke. Heart racing, I look for a silver gleam on the fire-lit ground.

Oh my gosh.

If I really lost that...

Then I see it.

A breath of relief escapes me as I lunge for the sparkling necklace, my hands closing around the still-cool sterling.

Then the relief turns to absolute terror as half of the ceiling gives out.

A scream bursts from my throat as I shiver, watching the destroyed rightmost part of the classroom crumble into ashes in the fire.

The floor I'm standing on could give out any moment.

The necklace is slick with my sweat as I close my fist tighter around it, trying to find where the door is through the blaze. My eyes are watery as I clap a hand over my lips.

Then a firm hand closes around my upper arm.

"What in the hells are you doing here, Tzuyu?!" V's rough voice, strangled from the smoke, rings out next to mine. When I look over, his face is ashen.