Aiku explained his plan to his family. " Given the temporary rope's length, you need to go first," he told his wife. " Your height will help you reach the ground quickly, and once you're down, you'll be able to help Karen reach safer ground when it's her turn."
His wife agreed, knowing this wasn't the time to argue. "This was the time to believe," she thought to herself. "And if she had to put her life in someone's hands, her husband was the only person she trusted completely."
Aiku secured the rope, holding it tightly and instructing his wife to grip it with both hands and wrap one leg around it. "Okay, now lower yourself down," he said gently. But she hesitated, her eyes wide with fear as she looked down the hole, her fear of heights evident in the way her hands trembled while gripping the rope.
"Don't you trust me?"
"I do trust you," she replied, "but I just can't..."
Aiku's voice remained calm and steady. "If you trust me, close your eyes, take a deep breath and let go. I promise you; I've got you. I won't let you fall."
After a moment's hesitation, she closed her eyes. Aiku began the countdown, "3... 2... 1..." and with a deep breath, she lowered herself down the rope. The sudden jolt pulled Aiku towards the hole, but he held tight, digging his heel into the ground to steady himself.
"Are you close to the ground?" he called out.
She opened her eyes, focusing on the ground below, and replied, "Almost... just a bit further."
Aiku carefully edged closer to the hole, and she yelled out, "Perfect!" Bending her knees for impact, she jumped safely to the ground, uninjured. She pulled on the rope, and Aiku pulled it back up. The plan had worked flawlessly.
Now it was their daughter's turn, but she resisted. "I won't leave you here alone," she said, her voice trembling with fear. "Who will hold the rope for you?"
Aiku reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll find a way out. When you get down safely, remember to run to the exit door and don't look back. I'll be right behind you. Keep running until you're far away from the building."
But she shook her head, repeatedly saying "I won't leave you."
Aiku's voice was calm and soothing, "Everything will be okay. I promise I'll be right behind you. We'll all make it out alive." He continued to reassure her until she finally agreed to go next.
Aiku instructed her on how to hold the rope and descend, while also doing his part by firmly gripping the makeshift rope. Her mother was already waiting anxiously on the first floor, ready to receive her daughter. According to plan, their daughter began her descent, but due to her height and the short length of the temporary rope, she wouldn't be able to reach the ground.
That's where her mother came in. She had stacked rocks, enabling her to reach her daughter's height to help her get to safer grounds.
Meanwhile, Aiku still on the second floor realized the cracks in the walls were getting bigger and bigger, and the ground was cracking violently than before. He yelled to his wife and daughter, "Run, now!"
Aiku braced himself to ran towards the hole, his only escape route at the moment. He had to jump through it to get to the floor below. But just when he was about to take off, the ground beneath him started to crumble. He lost his balance, but he didn't give up. He regained it and sprinted forward, managing to jump through the hole. He bent his knees and rolled upon hitting the ground to absorb the impact.
At that moment, Karen and her mother were almost out of the building, nearing the exit when they recalled Aiku's instructions. They ran as fast as they could, not looking back, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the crumbling building. But were they far enough away? They didn't know, all they could do was keep running.
Suddenly, a loud Boom! shook the ground behind them. The moment they turned to see what had happened, the pressure from the collapsed building blew them off their feet, sending them tumbling to the ground. The force of the building's collapse separated both mother and daughter leaving Karen's mother dazed and disoriented.
Karen's mother struggled to open her eyes, her vision blurry and her body wracked with pain. With a tremendous struggle, she slowly rose to her feet and frantically searched for her daughter. Relief washed over her when she finally found her daughter.
She swept her into her arms desperate to find a spot where they could be seen by rescuers. But her strength waned, and she stumbled. She lay there with her daughter by her side, tears filling her eyes wondering if her husband had survived.
On the brink of consciousness, the sound of voices filled the air. The fellow officers and medic team arrived, rushing to their side. "Miss Sakura!" one of the officers exclaimed.
Her last words before she passed out were a desperate plea: "Save my husband... he's still in there."