Step by Step

I lowered my gaze from the imposing door before me to the cold, polished floor beneath my feet, my chest rising and falling with a slow, measured breath. My pulse thrummed in my ears—a steady reminder of the anxiety tightening its grip around my ribs. I was stalling. I knew it. But an unshakable sense of foreboding gnawed at me. Whatever awaited beyond that door felt like the beginning of something I wouldn't be able to undo.

When was the last time anything good had come from being summoned at this hour?

Oh, right—never.

A sharp, commanding voice shattered the silence.
"Enter!"

The single word, barked with authority, ricocheted through the heavy wood, its weight undeniable. My spine stiffened on instinct, and I swallowed the knot of apprehension rising in my throat. I could no longer afford hesitation. Gathering every loose strand of resolve, I reached for the handle, my palm cool and damp against the brass.

It was time.

Earlier That Night...

Navigating the crowded bar with four beers in my hands was no easy feat. The sticky floor clung to my shoes with every step, and bodies pressed in from all sides, jostling me as I weaved through the chaos. But difficulty was nothing new—my entire life felt like an uphill climb.

Finally reaching our table, I found the guys locked in an animated discussion, their voices raised in a futile battle against the pounding bass, bursts of laughter, and the steady hum of conversation.

"Well, if you're not thirsty, I can keep them all for myself," I teased, arching a brow when not a single one of them acknowledged my arrival.

"You wish!"

Ben, lightning-quick as ever, snatched a glass, cradling it between his chest and forearm with exaggerated protectiveness—like a bodybuilder shielding a fragile chihuahua.

John shot him a deadpan look. "Oh man, he's losing it again."

I chuckled, taking a sip of my beer. "And then he wonders why he's still single."

Ben's eyes narrowed, the glint of a challenge sparking behind them. "Is that a bet? Let's see which one of us scores first!"

Nate, grinning from ear to ear, jumped in without hesitation. "I'm betting my round on Chris!"

Nate had been one of my closest friends since our school days. Life had pulled us in different directions, and we didn't meet up as often as we used to. That made nights like these—unfiltered, carefree, and far from the grind of duty—feel like gold.

The night flew by in a blur of laughter and friendly banter, slipping through my fingers far too quickly. It had been too long since I'd felt this free. But all good things end eventually.

***

The mood shifted the second we reached the car. The tension in my friends' faces was unmistakable.

I unlocked the doors and slid into the driver's seat.

Ben, ever the cynic, muttered, "I hope it was worth it."

The dashboard clock glared back at me. Five minutes to make a ten-minute drive.

No time to waste.

Predictably, the academy's gates were locked when we arrived—just as I feared. Worse still, we didn't have the necessary authorization to enter. The only way through was to get clearance from the head of security.

"Good evening, sirs. ID and authorization, please," Martin, the guard, requested, his eyes narrowing—then widening in recognition.

"And the authorization, sir?" he pressed, his tone firm but uneasy.