If we measured distance in light-seconds instead of meters,
the constant c would be 1, and the metric distance element would simply become
$Δs^2 = Δx^2 + Δy^2 + Δz^2 - Δt^2$, or
$Δs^2 = Δt^2 - Δx^2 - Δy^2 - Δz^2$
(both forms are equivalent, because multiplying the vector by -1 does not change its squared length)
This metric distance element follows out of Maxwell's equations, which can be written in 4-space as one single equation (I reuse here c for the sake of clarity):
$((1/c^2) (∂^2/∂t^2 ) - (∂^2/∂x^2) - (∂^2/∂y^2) - (∂^2/∂z^2) )A= μ_0 J$
wherein $A=(φ/c,(A_x,A_y,A_z ))$ is the 4-potential composed of scalar and vector potential
and $J=(ρc,(J_x,J_y,J_z ))$ is the 4-current density composed of charge and current
This equation is also called the Fundamental Equation of Electrodynamics, and is the 4-space equivalent of Poisson's equation in 3D space:
$ ((∂^2/∂x^2) + (∂^2/∂y^2) + (∂^2/∂z^2))φ = -ρ $
wherein φ is a potential and ρ a source density (or charge).
These equations follow from the general Stokes conservation (or accounting) law:
$ ∫_Vdω = ∫_{dV} ω $
stating that the change of inventory of a quantity dω inside a volume or hypervolume V equals the flow of said quantity ω through the surface or hypersurface dV of said volume.
In its differential form, it yields the law of Gauss:
$ div (ω(x)) = ρ(x) $
wherein ω is the flowing quantity, and ρ the source density.
Expressing the flow ω as a gradient of a potential φ, one obtains:
$ ω(x)= -grad(φ(x)) $
This yields then Poisson's equation:
$ ∆(φ(x)) = div(grad(φ(x))) = -ρ(x)$
Poisson's equation is a flow-conservation equation in 3-dimensional space of metric signature (+,+,+). The metric distance element therein is
$Δs^2 = Δx^2 + Δy^2 + Δz^2 $
The Fundamental Equation of Electrodynamics is a flow-conservation equation in 4-space of metric signature (+,-,-,-). The metric distance element therein is
$Δs^2 = Δt^2 - Δx^2 - Δy^2 - Δz^2$
Special Relativity is just about flow in 4-space, as is Electrodynamics.