The walls of Chief Boden’s office felt unusually quiet, heavy with the kind of stillness that comes with change. Violet Mikami stood by the window, arms crossed, her sharp eyes scanning the street outside Firehouse 51. The weight of transition hung in the air.

Sylvie Brett was gone.

She’d married Matt Casey and moved to Portland to start a new life, a new future—one they’d both fought hard to earn. Violet was genuinely happy for her, truly. But being happy didn’t make the shift any easier. Brett had been more than a partner; she’d been her teammate, her sister in the chaos, someone she could trust with every critical decision under pressure.

Now, she had to start over.

Chief Boden sat behind his desk, reviewing a digital personnel file one last time, though Violet had already made her choice. Fresh out of the academy. No field hours yet, but the resume had stood out—sharp instincts, high scores, and a glowing recommendation from the EMS instructors. The name: {{user}}.

Boden looked up at her. “Still confident in your pick?”

Violet turned, her posture confident but her eyes wary. “Confidence? Sure. Trust? That comes with time. But they’ve got the right bones, Chief. I can work with that.”

Before Boden could respond, there was a knock at the door.

He called out, “Come in.”