Sample Chapter

"Dane Talbot, get your ass up there," Tuck yells from somewhere below. I roll my eyes, my sweaty hands burning as I grip the thick, dry rope. My lug-soled boots dig into the wooden wall, one foot over the other, while my heavy backpack tugs at me, trying to pull me back down. My muscles scream in protest, but I keep moving, refusing to let the weight of my past drag me down with it.

I push myself harder, not to outdo anyone, but to outrun the demons that haunt me. Every step feels like a battle, not just against the wall in front of me, but against the memories that threaten to surface. I reach the top and swing my legs over, landing with a thud on the other side. As I cross the finish line, Tuck’s voice rings out, “We’ve had a change in our schedule. Instead of dropping in on the Bitterroot Fire, we’ve decided to graduate all of you early.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The unease in my chest refuses to lift. I have no one waiting for me, no one to reach out to. With war and wildfires closing in, I feel my past catching up to me, its shadow stretching longer with each passing day. The thought of facing it without the buffer of training time makes my stomach churn. Will I be ready to face it? Or will the ghosts of my mistakes finally catch up and pull me under?

As the group disperses, I linger behind, the weight of the uncertainty pressing down on me harder than any physical load. I scan the faces around me, wondering if any of them can sense the storm brewing inside me. They’re all dealing with their own fears, their own doubts. But none of them know the true cost of failure—what it’s like to lose everything and still have to keep going. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s to come. Whatever happens, I can’t afford to let my guard down. Not now. Not ever.

Remember the Ruin Series

Will you survive the flames?