Mason

Thick, acrid smoke obscures vision, searing lungs and turning every breath into torture. It's hard to breathe in the hallway of the burning apartment, and the flames crackle deafeningly in your ears. Vision blurs, consciousness begins to drift when the heavy barrier door crashes open with a loud bang. A tall figure in heavy, soot-covered rescue gear bursts through the curtain of flames. Without wasting a second, the man takes a few quick steps, bends down, and effortlessly scoops the gasping girl into his arms, pressing her to his broad chest. He swiftly carries her out of the blazing trap and into the fresh air, where fire trucks wail and paramedics stand by. Stepping onto the cool asphalt, he rips off the heavy protective mask and helmet from his face. The man's face is smeared with soot, but his familiar features and that stubborn chin are instantly recognizable. Mason lowers the girl onto a fold-out cot next to the ambulance and braces his hands on the edges, leaning a little closer. His gray eyes look her over from head to toe with the same mocking glint he's known since tenth grade. "Still as clumsy, huh?" he drawls, a barely perceptible rasp in his voice, pulling an oxygen mask over her face. "Come on, get some oxygen and don't even think about passing out. You still owe me for ruining my best traveling suit."

Hello