Penelope couldn't quite explain her actions. She knew Landon despised her, a hatred rivaling the misunderstanding he once held against Amber. Without using Amber as leverage, she knew she stood no chance of survival tonight.
She could have ignited the fire and fled, waiting for Ethan on the dinghy or hiding to witness Landon and Amber's tragic end. But she didn't. She chose to come in, knock Amber unconscious, and wait for Landon.
Unbeknownst to her, she awaited a reunion that logic couldn't explain. Perhaps she craved the warmth of his rescue, however fleeting.
She revealed to Landon, "Amber has been poisoned. I alone have the antidote. If you don't save me, she'll succumb within three hours. Even if you get her out, it's futile!"
Hearing this, Landon, already at the door, halted.
Amber lay unconscious, not just from smoke inhalation, but... poisoned?
Damn it... he was too late, unable to safeguard her...
Guilt and sorrow flooded him. Through gritted teeth, he decided, "Fine, I'll save you."
He laid Amber down and, begrudgingly, hoisted Penelope onto his back, heading out.
Each step grew heavier.
While the fire outside was being contained, the interior smoke intensified, causing Landon to stumble and fall, taking Penelope down with him.
Struggling to rise, he coughed uncontrollably, his mind hazy.
Penelope, also gasping for air, waited for Landon to lift her again.
But the footsteps faded, leaving her to rasp out her final words:
"Landon..."
Then, silence.
Landon returned on the brink of collapse, unprepared for the dense smoke outside. He should struggle to save himself, let alone escaping with Penelope
Returning for Amber was a futile dream. Instead, he chose to spend his last breath racing back to die alongside her.
He sheltered Amber in the bathroom, wetting her down as the fire hadn't reached there yet. She lay motionless, silent as death.
Closing the door, Landon found the air cleaner inside, allowing him to breathe.
Faced with death, nothing mattered anymore.
He sat beside Amber, exhaling deeply.
"I'm sorry, Amber. I failed to keep my promise."
"My negligence endangered you. You gave me a second chance, and I still let you down."
"I am useless. I can't save you. It seems we'll both perish here today."
Drawing Amber into an embrace, he continued, "Perhaps it's for the best. In life, we had too many barriers. Dying together, we can be eternal lovers, united in death."
He smiled bitterly, tears tracing a salty path into his mouth.
To hold Amber like this before death, he was content.
As Landon tightened his embrace, preparing to close his eyes, Amber suddenly coughed.
