The Headmaster approached him, looking not at Julian’s face, but at the charred leather roll clutched to his chest. "The dish is lost," Julian wheezed, his voice raw.
The fire alarm didn't scream; it gasped. The overhead suppression system clicked, but instead of water, a dry chemical powder began to hiss, clouding the room in a ghostly white veil. The Choice "Evacuate!" the Headmaster’s voice boomed over the roar. Cooking Academy Fire and Knives
The fire was licking the edge of his workstation. In the chaos, a panicked student tripped, sending a heavy rack of cast-iron skillets crashing down. The exit was a wall of orange. To save himself, he had to move now. To save the knives, he had to reach through the veil of flame. The Headmaster approached him, looking not at Julian’s
