Chapter 4 — Campfire Tensions

Reid

The campfire crackled in the growing darkness, its warm glow casting flickering shadows on the dense forest around them. Dirt streaked Reid’s once-polished shoes, and his wrinkled button-up shirt clung awkwardly to his frame—a silent testament to how far removed he was from his orderly city life. Leaning back against a log, arms crossed, he shifted uncomfortably, the fire's heat doing little to untangle the knot of tension in his chest.