---A Tale of FireHe came home early that evening, the sun still hanging low like a reluctant witness, and something in the quietness of the house made his chest tighten. The faint smell of perfume, a scent he didn’t recognize—or maybe pretended not to—was lingering in the air, clinging to the curtains and the faint hum of the ceiling fan. His steps were careful, measured, almost ceremonial, like he knew what he might see but could not stop himself from looking anyway.The living room was dim, and in the corner, the soft amber light from the table lamp fell across