Chapter 4: The Fire

My last day at the institute was a night shift.

Near the end, the fire alarm ripped through the building.

Then the smoke hit. Thick.

Fire.

The realization slammed into me.

The flames spread fast from the second-floor lab.

In a few breaths, the smoke had me trapped. I couldn't move.

The fire swallowed the first floor. Licked at my arms.

I don't know how long it was before I saw someone charging in with an extinguisher.

Callan.

Callan, I'm here…

Pain and terror crashed over me.

I used the last of my strength to clutch at him. Like a drowning person grasping for the last piece of driftwood.

He didn't notice.

Elara, where are you?

The last seconds before I blacked out—

I heard his ragged voice, screaming Elara's name.

I woke up in the hospital.

The burns on my neck and arm were on fire. Every tiny movement pulled at the nerves.

Hurts…

I saw Callan at my bedside. Something wrenched hard in my chest.

The helplessness of being abandoned again. The suffocating agony in the firelight. The tears fell before I could stop them.

Why didn't you see me again?

My voice came out hoarse. A thread of refusal to let go still tangled in it.

I didn't get an answer.

I got Callan. Eyes red. Throwing a water cup at my head.

What are you crying about?

Elara's hurt because of your negligence. The experiment data is gone. All those people's work—gone!

I flinched. My ears rang.

But Callan had lost every shred of reason. He roared at me.

When I charged in there, she was huddled in the corner—do you know I almost—

He cut off. His voice choked like something had snapped it.

Then he swung back at me, harder.

Why can't you do anything right? You're useless at everything! You can't even handle being a receptionist!

Why do you always have to be dead weight?

The final patrol of the night. Why didn't you go?

The fire started in Lab 02 on the second floor. That's a restricted area. Not my responsibility. Someone in the lab mishandled—

I forced the explanation out through the pain, facing the accusing stares of the other colleagues in the room.

The next second, Callan exploded.

He didn't care that I'd barely survived. He didn't care how weak I was. He grabbed my collar and yanked.

What are you saying? Are you framing Elara?

Look at her! She's your best friend!

Your mistake got her hurt. Cost her the data. And now you're making false accusations. Do you have any conscience?

Elara hung her head. Tears streamed down. She didn't speak.

I heard the other colleagues muttering.

Yeah, what's this got to do with Dr. Elara? Sage is so good at shifting blame. Night safety checks are literally her job.

I'm not framing anyone.

Callan, you'll see the evidence.

I wiped my tears away. As steady as I could.

The fire investigator will provide the full cause-of-fire report.

Nurse. I'd like these people to leave my room.

The last of my strength went into those words.

In that moment—the heart that used to ache, the heart that used to care—it finally went still. Quiet. Let go.

All those years of shared memories and feelings between the three of us.

Burned clean. Just like that fire.

Seven days later, I was discharged.

The apartment was even more of a wreck.

Almost nowhere to step.

I packed fast. Boarded my flight to Portland.

Just settled in when my phone pinged. HR had sent the internal investigation report to the institute mailing list.

I stared at the surveillance footage. My eyes went wide.

Elara. Callan. You might be saying goodbye to the institute.