Prologue - Ashes to Embers

John twirled the bronze firefighter trophy in his hand, a wide grin splitting his face. "Who's the hero now, boys?" he crowed, dodging a playful swat from a passing colleague.

Captain Davies leaned against the engine, arms crossed with a smirk. "Don't get too cocky, Rookie of the Year," he chuckled. "That trophy doesn't give you free rein over the coffee machine."

"But it should, right?" John winked, earning a chorus of laughter from the crew. "After all, a hero needs his fuel."

The firehouse buzzed with post-shift energy, the air thick with the comforting smell of stale coffee and sweat-soaked gear. John paused at his locker, fingers tracing the familiar grooves worn into the chipped paint by countless hands reaching for gear, snacks, or a shared laugh.

But then his gaze snagged on a faded photograph – two beaming faces, youthful and vibrant, flanking a gap-toothed grin.

A warmth spread through him, then a flicker, a phantom pain shooting through the burn mark on his shoulder.

His throat tightened, a cold dread seeping in. It wasn't the smoke from countless fires; it was a memory, sharp and searing.

For a fleeting moment, he was a child again. His family's house was engulfed in flames, thick smoke billowing into the sky. John, barely eight years old, stood outside, tears streaming down his face as he watched in horror. His small hands reached for the doorknob that was too hot to touch.

"Mom! Dad!" he screamed, his voice raw with fear. He tried to run inside, but strong hands grabbed him, pulling him back. A firefighter held him tight, preventing him from rushing into the burning house. "Let me go! I have to save them!" he cried, his small body struggling against the firefighter's grip.

"Kid, you can't go in there," the firefighter said, his voice firm but gentle. "It's too dangerous. We'll get them out, I promise."

John's screams were swallowed by the roar of the flames, the memory searing itself into his mind. The firefighter's grip was a lifeline, a painful reminder of what he couldn't save.

He blinked, the firehouse coming back into focus. The photo was still there, the smiles frozen in time. But now, they seemed a cruel mockery, a reminder of what he couldn't save. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing the phantom screams to fade.

"Station 12, possible school fire at Maplewood Elementary," crackled the voice of the dispatcher, sharp and urgent.

Adrenaline surged through John, a familiar electric current igniting his every nerve. Muscle memory took over as he grabbed his gear. Around him, the room buzzed with similar frantic energy.

The scene at Maplewood was a nightmare.

Sirens wailed, tires screeched. Maplewood Elementary wasn't just on fire; it was a raging inferno. Black smoke choked the sky, painting the perfect afternoon into a scene from hell.

It ignited a memory: a child's terror, a deafening roar, loved ones lost in flames. Not again, he thought, his gut twisting.

But a woman's scream cut through the past: "Sarah! My Sarah!" she shrieked, her voice cracking with terror.

John snapped back to the present. This wasn't his past. These weren't his parents. This was someone else's nightmare.

He plunged into the inferno with his team, a human shield against the flames.

"Alright, people, time to find those kids!" Captain Davies barked over the roar of the flames. "Two-man teams! Every room, every corner. Move!"

The hallway was a furnace. Visibility was near zero, the only guiding light the wavering beam of his flashlight and the faint glow of the emergency exits. John's heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline a constant drumbeat.

"Jared, you take the west wing with Parker. Reed, you're with me," Davies commanded. "John, you're with McBride. Let's go!"

John and McBride moved as one, their steps synchronized by years of training. "Stay close, John. We don't have time for heroics," McBridge muttered, his voice barely audible over the roar of the fire.

"Got it," John replied, his voice steady but tense. They reached a darkened classroom, eyes wide with terror.

"Mommy!" a child's voice pierced the smoky air. There was no time for comforting words, just action.

John grabbed a boy's hand, his grip firm but reassuring. "Stay close!" he yelled over the roar of the fire. They moved as one, John's flashlight beam cutting through the haze, leading them toward the exit signs. "You're doing great, buddy. Just a bit further," John encouraged, trying to keep his voice calm.

Coughs and cries echoed through the corridors, guiding them to more frightened children. A girl with pigtails, tears streaking her soot-covered face, clung to his leg. John scooped her up, cradling her close as he forged ahead.

"Faster!" John urged, his voice hoarse. Each child rescued fueled his determination, but the fire grew bolder, hungrier.

Finally, they reached the entrance. The firefighters gathered near the doorway, counting heads and catching their breath. Captain Davies approached, his face lined with soot and sweat. "Everyone accounted for?" he asked, his voice strained.

"All kids are out," Jared confirmed, looking relieved. "But the fire's still spreading. We're barely keeping it contained."

Just then, the radio crackled to life. A voice, laced with urgency, pierced the static. "Station 12, this is dispatch. We have reports of one student unaccounted for. Fifth grade, possibly trapped on the top floor."

Davies and John exchanged a look. No words were needed. Ignoring the searing heat, they plunged back into the inferno, determination etched on their faces.

They crawled through the smoke, every room a blurry copy of the last. John's heart pounded like a drum, each thump a countdown.

Just when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm them, John heard it – a faint, choked sob.

Following the sound, they stumbled upon a restroom. The door creaked open to reveal a small figure huddled in the corner of a stall, unconscious. Relief flooded John, so intense it almost masked the growing inferno around them. Time was running out.

"I got him, Cap!" John yelled, adrenaline masking the smoke filling his lungs. He scooped the child up, securing him onto Davies' back.

Davies didn't waste words. He just nodded, eyes glinting like steel. "Go!" But as they turned, a wall of flame roared down the hallway, blocking their escape route.

The heat was so intense, John could feel his eyebrows singeing through his helmet. They were trapped.

But John saw a glimmer of hope. He noticed a thin crack snaking its way across a nearby plaster wall.

"Captain! Look!" John yelled, pointing. Davies followed his gaze and a flicker of understanding crossed his features.

"We can break through there!" Davies barked, already grabbing a metal pipe from his belt.

With a series of powerful swings, he chipped away at the plaster, dust raining down on them. John joined in, the adrenaline masking the growing exhaustion in his limbs.

Finally, with a satisfying crunch, a hole large enough for a man to crawl through gaped in the wall.

"You go first, Cap," John said, grabbing the safety rope from his harness. He secured one end to a sturdy pipe protruding from the wall. "Get the kid out of here. I'll follow right behind."

Davies nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the unspoken risk. He strapped the unconscious child onto his back and, with a grunt, squeezed through the hole. John watched as the captain disappeared down the side of the wall, the safety rope tightening in his grip.

Seconds stretched into an eternity. John felt a tug on the rope, then a muffled thump from the other side.

Relief flooded him as he realized Davies and the child were safe. He started to follow, already inching towards the hole, when a monstrous roar reverberated through the building.

The floor beneath him lurched, sending John sprawling. A deafening explosion ripped through the air, a wave of searing heat engulfing him. He cried out, the sound lost in the cacophony.

The force of the blast tore his fire suit open, exposing his skin to the inferno. Smoke filled his lungs, stealing his breath.

Then the world went dark. A deafening silence pressed down on him, broken only by a ringing in his ears.

But as the ringing faded, something else emerged—a distant, almost imperceptible tug, a gentle pulling at his very soul. A fleeting sensation, like a half-remembered dream, whispered of warmth and comfort.

Then, a different sound cut through the haze—thin, insistent, and impossibly close. A baby's cry.

His consciousness flickered back like a faulty lightbulb. He tried to open his eyes, but his body was sluggish and uncooperative. Instead of the gritty texture of his fire gloves, he felt something soft and yielding beneath his fingers.

His vision focused slightly, revealing a blurry image of a woman's face, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and… something else.

John didn't know what it was yet, but it felt warm, unfamiliar, and strangely comforting. He reached out a tiny, wrinkled hand, his fingers flexing and unfurling for the first time.

His cry turned into a weak gurgle, a sound that was both alien and strangely familiar.

This wasn't the school. This wasn't his life. He wasn't John anymore.

***

A/N:

Hey there, readers! Hope you enjoyed this fiery start to The Infernal Monarch. Your comments and reviews are like oxygen to my creative fire, so please let me know what you think! Any power stones you throw my way are a huge encouragement and help me keep the flames burning bright. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more twists and turns!