Jay POV
The fire refused to die.
Flames still tore through the remains of the warehouse, sending thick black smoke twisting into the sky. The heat was intense even from where we stood. Every few seconds another piece of metal collapsed inside the wreckage with a horrible grinding sound.
I couldn't stop staring at it.
Somewhere in that burning pile… Hex had been standing only moments ago.
My hands were shaking.
"Jay…" Keifer's voice came from beside me.
I barely heard him.
My eyes were locked on the flames.
"He might still be in there," I whispered.
Felix stepped closer. His face was pale under the flashing emergency lights.
"…Jay."
"We need to check," I said, my voice growing desperate. "We need to search it. Maybe he got out another way. Maybe he—"
Another section of the roof collapsed inside the fire.
The sound echoed across the harbor.
Ci-N looked toward the burning wreckage and slowly shook his head.
"No one could survive that."
I turned on him immediately.
"You don't know that!"
The words came out sharper than I intended.
Felix raised both hands slightly.
"Hey… we're not saying he's gone."
But his voice didn't sound convincing.
Sirens suddenly echoed through the harbor.
Fire trucks.
Emergency vehicles.
Red and blue lights flashed across the docks as they pulled into the area.
Firefighters jumped out immediately, shouting orders and dragging hoses toward the burning building.
One of them approached us.
"You need to move back!" he shouted. "This structure isn't stable!"
I stepped toward the flames instead.
"I'm going in."
Keifer grabbed my arm before I could take another step.
"No."
"He's still inside!"
"Jay," Keifer said firmly.
"I'm not leaving him!" I shouted.
The words tore out of my chest before I could stop them.
For a second no one spoke.
Felix looked down at the ground.
Ci-N clenched his jaw.
The fire roared louder behind them.
Keifer stepped in front of me, blocking my path.
"If you go in there," he said quietly, "you'll die."
"I don't care."
The words left my mouth before I could think.
My chest felt like it was being crushed.
Keifer's expression softened slightly.
"I know," he said.
Then he glanced toward the burning building.
"We'll search."
That made me freeze.
He looked at the others.
"Check the area. Docks. Everything."
Felix nodded immediately.
"On it."
Ci-N and the others spread out across the harbor.
Flashlights appeared.
They started searching the docks, the surrounding containers, the edge of the water.
I walked slowly toward the shoreline.
The dark harbor water moved quietly below the docks.
I stared at it.
"Hex…" I whispered.
For a moment I imagined him climbing out of the water, soaked and laughing like he always did.
But the water stayed silent.
Felix returned a few minutes later.
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
Ci-N came back next.
"Nothing here either."
More firefighters pushed us farther back as the building continued collapsing.
The search continued for almost an hour.
But no one found him.
Eventually Keifer walked over to me again.
His voice was quiet.
"Jay…"
I didn't look at him.
The flames reflected in the dark water below the dock.
"He promised he'd come back," I whispered.
No one answered.