The sun was high and sharp that afternoon, baking the asphalt outside the training tower until the air itself shimmered. Sweat rolled down her spine beneath her T-shirt, her muscles already aching from hauling the hose up three flights of steel stairs. The tower stood like a beast waiting to be conquered, its charred interior used for every drill, every timed test, every brutal reminder that fire demanded everything.
“Faster,” he barked from below. “You’re too soft on the line.”
She clenched her jaw, refusing to look down. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was smirking. He loved doing this. Pushing her. Prodding at every weak spot until she either snapped or fought back harder. She dragged the thick hose another few feet, her boots clanging against the grated steps, her breath h
