No Way Out.

Aiku! She screamed, her voice trembling with terror as the ground vanished beneath her feet. "Jump now!" Aiku yelled back, his arms outstretched, his hands grasping for hers. "I will catch you" he promised. She hesitated, fear threatening to freeze her in place. Then, summoning every last ounce of courage, she launched herself off the wall into the air. Her eyes locked onto Aiku's outstretched hands as her fingers strained to reach his. Time seemed to freeze as she hung suspended, her heart racing with the hope that he would catch her.

 Mama! Karen screams in terror as she sees the scene unfolding before her eyes. Aiku stretched out his hand, leaning dangerously over the edge, his fingers straining to reach his wife's. But it seemed like fate was against them; she was just out of reach. Captain Aiku launched himself forward, his body extending over the end, aiming to grab her hands….

 A loud thud shook the ground as Aiku's chest slammed into the ground, his hand closing tightly around his wife's.

Aiku's grip on his wife's hand was vice-like, refusing to let go, no matter what. She hung precariously above the first floor, her entire weight suspended by Captain Aiku's firm grasp. Gathering all his remaining strength, Aiku pulled with all his might, his muscles straining to lift his wife up. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, she began to rise. Finally, with one last Herculean effort, he pulled his wife to safety.

As her feet touched the ground, she let out a shaky breath, relief washing over her. She had survived the unthinkable. "Wow, that was a close one," his wife whispered to him still gasping for air. Aiku nodded in agreement, his voice low and husky. "yeah, a very close one."

Mama! Karen exclaimed, rushing to her mother, tears welling up in her eyes. "Are you okay? She asked in concern. Her mother's faced creased into a warm smile. "Don't worry, sweetie, I'm fine." She reassured her as she made her way back to her feet.

"Finally, we can get out of here," he said. But his optimism was short-lived. As he turned to lead the way, his gaze fell upon a tangled mess of rubble, blocking their escape route. 

 "Huh? Not again!" Aiku exclaimed in frustration. He stood there in stunned silence, his mind racing with the realization that their escape route was blocked. Aiku's eyes dropped, as the crushing thought echoed through in his mind: "All of this, for nothing"

 His wife's frantic voice cut through his daze, "Aiku! Aiku! Aiku!" She grabbed his arm, her eyes brimming with tears, "Don't space out on me, not now!" But Aiku was at a loss for words, his gaze fixed on the rubble-strewn path ahead. The building creaked and groaned around them, threatening to bury them beneath its wreckage.

The situation had reached a critical point. Every decision he made now would be a matter of life and death. Yet, his own safety wasn't his primary concern; as a man who had dedicated his life to serving and protecting others, he had long ago accepted the risks that came with his job. His deepest worry was for Karen, his innocent 18-year-old daughter, whose entire life stretched out before her like an unwritten book waiting to be filled. The thought of her dying here, in this crumbling building, was unbearable.

 "Eighteen years isn't the perfect age to die," he thought, his mind racing with the desperate need to find a way out. "My daughter, Karen, deserves to live a full and happy life," he whispered to himself.

With a surge of adrenaline, the captain charged at the blocked passageway, pushing against the rubble with all his might. He shouted at the top of his lungs, straining every muscle to dislodge the rocks, but his efforts were futile. Undeterred, he began punching the walls, screaming in pain as his gloved hands, started to bleed. Still, he refused to give up, but his efforts were in vain. He couldn't break through even a single block or create a slight crack. Defeated, he slumped to the ground, his back against the rubble, and let out a frustrated cry: "Damn it!"

As he sat there, his wife and daughter watched in despair. "We were so close, just one more floor, and we would have been safe." He shook his head, resignation etched on his face. "Such a terrible day... and a cruel way to die." He buried his face in his hands, the weight of their predicament crushing him.

 Karen walked up to her father, her hand gently coming to rest on his head. "Dad, have you forgotten the advice you always gave me when I was in tough times?" she asked, her voice filled with a sense of calm. The captain slowly lifted his head, his defeated face revealed to his daughter. "What did I say?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

 To his surprise, Karen smiled, her eyes sparkling like beacons of hope, even as tears streamed down her face. "You always told me that we should never give up, and that every problem has a solution. Nothing is impossible," she replied, her words echoing with conviction.

Aiku felt a surge of emotion, realizing that his daughter had not given up, even in the face of such danger. Why should he, their source of hope, give up. He stood up, embracing Karen in a tight hug. "And even if it is impossible, it's better to know that you tried your best and it wasn't enough, than to not try at all," he said.

Karen smiled, hugging him back. "Thank God you're back to your normal self, Dad," Aiku smiled, holding her close. "No, I should say thanks to you. I'll never give up until I find a way out of here," he promised.

 Aiku thought to himself, "There has to be another way out. I just have to find it."

Aiku's eyes scanned the area frantically, searching for a safe escape route. But every path he considered seemed impassable, either blocked by debris or treacherous. The walls were cracked, making it impossible to break through to another room, without triggering a disastrous collapse. His family's safety was his top priority, and he knew he had to find a way out that wouldn't put them in harm's way.

As he assessed their options, his gaze fell on the massive gaping hole in the floor, a harsh reminder of the ceiling's brutal collapse. The opening revealed a glimpse of the first floor below, but the question was, how could they descend safely? The drop was too great, and a fall could result in serious injury or worse.

If Captain Aiku were alone, he could have tackled the drop with relative ease. But his daughter and wife were a different story. They didn't have the same level of training or experience he had.

 "If only I had a rope," he muttered under his breath, scanning the area, but there was none in sight.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, as an idea struck him. He turned to his wife and daughter, outlining his plan. "The hole is our only way out. We must use it to get out of here."

 "It's too high. How can we descend from that height without getting hurt?" his wife replied skeptically.

Karen chimed in, "We'll need a rope, obviously. But there isn't one around here, is there?"

Aiku shook his head, "No, there isn't. But we can improvise and make a temporary one." He quickly removed his jacket and shirt.

His wife stared at him, confused. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Undeterred, Aiku began to tie the jacket and shirt together, his hands moving swiftly and surely. "I'm making a temporary rope," he explained.

His wife and daughter watched in awe as Aiku worked on the rope. They soon joined in, removing their own clothing and adding it to the makeshift rope. Karen's priced shiny leather jacket, meant to make her birthday party unforgettable, was now being used to help save their lives.

Aiku added his singlet to the rope, his toned physique was revealed and the temporary rope grew long enough to potentially reach the floor below. He carefully approached the edge of the enormous gaping hole. 

With calculated precision, he gently threw the makeshift rope through the hole, holding his breath as it unfolded below. He waited anxiously to see if it would reach the floor, but to his disappointment, it fell just short. However, he remained optimistic, believing that it would still work.

Without hesitation, Aiku carefully pulled the rope back up and began to inspect the joining points where the clothes were tied together. He tightened each knot, making sure they were secure and wouldn't falter while they were using the rope. He double-checked every connection, his trained eyes scanning for any weaknesses. Convinced that the makeshift rope was as safe as possible, Aiku nodded resolutely, ready to put their makeshift escape plan into action.