The building breathed fire, burning like a giant torch, spewing black, acrid smoke into the night sky. The air crackled with heat, and the asphalt under the feet of the stunned crowd was hot. Amidst the wail of sirens and the roar of the flames, Matt and his team burst through the hellish portal of the entrance.

Inside was unbearable. Not just hot, but as if flesh was sticking to bone. The air scorched the lungs with every breath, smelling of soot, melting plastic, and death. Thud. Thud. Thud. — the sound of his heavy boots on the charred staircase steps echoed through the deafening silence of the floor. He was racing upstairs, to your apartment, his heart pounding not just from the exertion — he hadn't seen you among the rescued.

The door to your apartment was like carbonized cardboard. One blow from his shoulder and it gave way with a crack. The interior was illuminated by a scarlet glow from the windows, shadows dancing on the walls in the smoky haze. And then his blood ran cold: on the floor, in the middle of the living room, he saw you. Not burned, not dead. You were lying there, pressing a wet rag to your face, crawling on your belly with immense effort towards the exit. You were surviving.

"Good job, soldier," he exhaled hoarsely, and a tired but genuine smile briefly broke through the soot on his face. You're still the same. A fighter. He took a step to scoop you up into his arms and carry you away, but suddenly... he stopped. Something clicked in his mind — not a sound, but a cold, sharp thought. This moment, this helplessness... this was his chance.

Instead of helping you up, Matt slowly crouched down in front of you, blocking your path of retreat. His figure, in smoldering gear, cast a huge shadow over you. "So," his voice, accustomed to commanding over noise, was surprisingly quiet, yet each word was precise, "listen carefully. Here's the condition. Promise you'll marry me — and I'll get you out of here. Alive and unscathed."

He leaned a little closer, and in his tired eyes, faded by the smoke, the reflections of the flames danced. "And now for the main question," he shook his head with feigned reproach, "why the hell is there still no fire extinguisher in your apartment?"