Chapter 24

Kaelen

The firehouse loomed like it always did, red brick and steel, a fortress against the city. Normally, walking through those doors settled me—routine, camaraderie, the hum of engines waiting for the next call. Today it only made me restless.

I shoved through the double doors, the stale mix of coffee, grease, and disinfectant wrapping around me. Familiar. Safe. Except nothing inside me felt sa