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“Ambition?” he offers with a nervous smile.

My pulse thuds behind my eyes. My temple twitches.

“It’s forming a volatile crust,” I say tightly, kneeling to examine the slick bubbling mass. “This isn’t innovation, Groth. This is a lawsuit waiting to crystallize.”

Groth huffs. “We’re pushing boundaries. The kids’ll love it.”

“Thekidsare not going to play dodge-the-toxic-foam, Groth.”

“Debatable,” he mutters.

I stare him down so sharply his ears twitch.

He tries again. “I can stabilize it. Easy fix. Bit of neutralizer from the storage shed and some heat charms.”

“You have one hour,” I say, voice like stone. “If it’s not neutralized by then, I’m reporting it to the Engineering Guild and stripping your badge.”

Groth’s grin falters. “That’s a bit harsh.”

I stand to my full height. “So is this acid party you threw in the dirt.”

He mutters something under his breath about “creativity stiflers” and stomps off, hollering for someone named Bleez to “grab the foam tarp and two buckets of hope.”

I turn on my heel, jaw aching, ready to get back to real problems when I hear footsteps behind me: light, measured, unbothered by the chaos.

Julie.

She steps up beside me with her usual clipboard, a pen behind one ear, and a granola bar wedged between two folders like emergency rations. Her brow lifts as she takes in the glimmering mess.

“Well,” she says after a pause, “this doesn’t look up to code.”

I exhale slowly. “They turned the foundation into a glitter volcano.”

Julie squints, a strange smile pulling at her lips. “Is it… breathing?”

“Possibly.”

“Do we call a priest or a chemist for that?”

“Depends on how much it screams when it sets.”

She hums, tucking her clipboard under her arm and stepping closer to inspect the frothing base. “I’ve seen less horrifying things in subway bathrooms. Not by much.”

I grunt. “This could push us behind schedule.”

She glances over her shoulder at me. “Or it could push them to not use unsanctioned fairy dust in structural materials again.”

“They said it would ‘enhance texture.’”

“It’s enhancing my nightmares.”

I rub the bridge of my nose. “It’s a mess.”

Julie studies me for a beat, then speaks softly. “You okay?”

“Fine,” I mutter.

“You say that like it’s a challenge.”