My city on fire, and I suppose it’s my fault. But you need to understand—it wasn’t supposed to end like this. I had a plan, a way out, and it all went up in flames, literally. There’s no one left who’ll believe me, and that’s fine, I guess. There’s just me and this burning city, and maybe it’s better this way.

You’re probably thinking, “How could you? Why would you?” And believe me, I’ve asked myself those same questions a hundred times over. The answers aren’t pretty. They never are when you dig deep enough into the truth. But let me tell you how it all started, how everything spiraled out of control.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The fire wasn’t supposed to spread so quickly. We were just going to light a spark, a small one, something to distract them, to draw their attention away from the real plan. It was a simple job, really. In and out, no complications. That’s what I kept telling myself. Just one quick burn, enough to get them scrambling, and then we’d slip through the cracks while they were too busy putting it out.

But the thing about fire is, it doesn’t listen. Once it catches, it’s its own beast, and there’s no taming it. I should’ve known that. Hell, everyone should’ve known that. But I didn’t think, didn’t stop to consider that maybe the wind would turn or that the buildings were older than they looked. I didn’t think about the people. I didn’t think about any of it. I just needed out, and I needed it fast.

I remember the moment we lit it, the flicker of the lighter in my hand, the way the flame danced just before it met the dry timber. It was mesmerizing, you know? There’s something about fire that draws you in, that makes you feel powerful, like you’re holding something ancient and unstoppable in the palm of your hand. And for a moment, I was that powerful. For a moment, I was in control.

Then it all went wrong. The fire spread faster than I ever imagined. It leaped from building to building, like it had a mind of its own, like it was hungry. And God, was it hungry. It devoured everything in its path—shops, homes, lives. I could hear the screams even from where I stood, far enough away to be safe, or so I thought. But no one’s safe from a fire like that. Not when it’s got a hold of your soul.

I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. That’s the truth, if you believe me. I just wanted out. The city had become a prison, every street corner a reminder of what I was running from. I couldn’t breathe here anymore. The walls were closing in, and the only way out was through fire. At least, that’s what I told myself.

I had partners, of course. No one pulls off something like this alone. There was Gregor, the muscle. Always reliable, always ready to throw a punch if someone looked at him wrong. He was the one who found the dry timbers, who scoped out the best place to start the fire. He had a thing for destruction, and I guess that should’ve been a red flag, but I was desperate. And then there was Dani, sweet Dani with her quick smile and quicker hands. She was supposed to be the lookout, the one keeping an eye on things while we did the dirty work. But even she couldn’t have seen this coming. No one could.

When the fire jumped, when it started to engulf the buildings faster than we could blink, we all froze. Just stood there, like idiots, watching as the flames grew higher and higher, licking at the sky, turning the night into day. It was beautiful in a way, horrible and beautiful. But that beauty didn’t last long.

People were screaming, running, trying to save whatever they could—possessions, loved ones, their own skins. And here I was, the architect of their doom, standing there with a stupid grin on my face because part of me still couldn’t believe it was real. It felt like a dream, you know? Like I was outside of myself, watching someone else’s life burn down.

Gregor snapped out of it first. He grabbed me by the collar, dragged me away from the fire like he was dragging me out of a trance. “We gotta move!” he shouted, but his voice was distant, like it was coming from underwater. “Come on, we’re gonna burn alive if we don’t move!”

I followed him, because what else was I going to do? I wasn’t thinking clearly, couldn’t think clearly. The only thought in my head was that I needed to get out, needed to escape this inferno that I had unleashed. But every street we turned down was blocked by fire or rubble or panicked people. It was like the city itself was trying to keep us in, like it was punishing us for what we’d done.

Dani was behind us somewhere, I think. I lost track of her in the chaos. I lost track of a lot of things. Gregor kept pulling me along, kept shouting at me to keep moving, but my legs felt like lead. It was hot, so hot, like the air itself was on fire. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see through the smoke and the flames. And then I heard it—an explosion. Something big had gone up, maybe a gas line or a warehouse full of something flammable. It shook the ground, knocked me off my feet, sent me sprawling into the dirt and ash.

When I got up, Gregor was gone. Just… gone. I called out for him, but my voice was swallowed by the roar of the fire. Maybe he got out, maybe he didn’t. I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore. It was just me and the fire, and the fire didn’t care. It just kept coming, kept spreading, kept eating everything in its path.

I ran then, as fast as I could. Ran through streets I didn’t recognize anymore, past burning buildings and bodies and wreckage. I was running on instinct, not even sure where I was going. Just… away. Away from the fire, away from the guilt that was clawing at my insides, away from the reality that I had created this nightmare.

Somehow, I ended up back at the harbor. The water was calm, untouched by the chaos that had consumed the rest of the city. I could see the boats, some of them still moored, others already drifting away, full of people trying to escape. I thought about swimming for it, thought about diving into that cool, clear water and letting it wash everything away. But I couldn’t move. My legs wouldn’t carry me anymore.

So I just stood there, watching my city burn. The city that had been my home, my prison, my everything. The city that I had set on fire because I was too weak, too scared to face the consequences of my own actions. I stood there and watched it burn, and in that moment, I understood. I understood that the fire wasn’t just in the city. It was in me, too.

I don’t know how long I stood there, but by the time I finally moved, the fire had started to die down. There wasn’t much left for it to burn. The buildings were gone, the people were gone, and all that was left was ash. Ash and me.

I walked through the remains of the city, through the streets that were nothing but blackened rubble now. There was no one left, no one to accuse me, no one to point fingers and say, “It’s your fault.” But I didn’t need them to. I already knew.

I found Dani eventually. Or what was left of her. She was lying in the middle of the street, her body half-buried under a collapsed wall. I don’t know how long I sat there, staring at her, but it felt like hours. Days, maybe. Time didn’t mean much anymore.

She didn’t deserve this. None of them did. They were just caught up in my mess, in my desperation to escape. I should have known better. I should have been stronger. But I wasn’t, and now my city was gone, and so were they.

It’s funny, in a twisted sort of way. I set the fire to escape, but there’s nowhere to go now. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide from what I’ve done. I’m trapped here, in the ruins of my own making, and maybe that’s what I deserve. Maybe this is the price I have to pay for trying to burn my way out.

I don’t know what happens next. Maybe the fire will start up again, maybe it’ll consume me like it did everything else. Or maybe I’ll just sit here in the ashes, waiting for something that’ll never come. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The city is gone, and so am I.

I wonder if anyone will ever know what really happened here, if anyone will ever care. Maybe they’ll come looking for answers, trying to piece together the story of how this city went up in flames. But they won’t find anything. Just ashes and ghosts.

So yeah, maybe it’s my fault the city is burning. Maybe I deserve to be blamed for it, to be remembered as the one who set the world on fire. But if you’re listening, if you’re out there, just know this: I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted out.