AfterMath

Nightfall blanketed Ridgecliff in a calm veil, but peace was a thin illusion. The town still breathed, still moved— but those returning from Lagooncrest Isle brought something different in their silence: weight. Burden.

The vessel slid into Ridgecliff's hidden port just past midnight, cloaked by a dense fog that hung like a ghost's shroud over the sea. Its engines purred low, barely audible over the rhythmic crash of waves. Onboard, shadows moved— battered, bloodied, but breathing.

Jason was the first to step out, his eyes darting nervously at the unfamiliar silhouettes waiting on the dock. Judith followed, helping support Chief Tyson, who clutched his left arm awkwardly against his side. His jacket was torn, the shoulder swollen grotesquely.

Behind them, Robert lay on a stretcher. Unconscious. Pale. Still bleeding.

The Ridgecliff medical response team was already in position, thanks to Judith's brief contact from a secure satellite phone minutes before their departure from Lagooncrest.

"Over here!" one of the medics called, rushing forward with another stretcher.

Jason hovered close to Robert, visibly trembling. Judith kept one arm gently on his back.

"His vitals are dropping," a paramedic muttered. "We need to move!"

"He's been like that since we left the labs," Tyson said through gritted teeth. His face was pallid, and sweat clung to his forehead. "Get him stabilized, fast."

As the team wheeled Robert away, one of the paramedics turned to Tyson. "You need immediate attention too, Chief. That shoulder's dislocated."

"I know," Tyson grunted. "But I walk on my legs, not my damn shoulder. Prioritize Robert."

"You'll be next," the medic shot back. "You push it further, and you'll tear something."

The scene was organized chaos— sirens flared, orders were shouted, and just like that, the heroes of Ridgecliff were taken into the town they fought to protect. But their wounds were more than physical.

---

Ridgecliff Regional Hospital – Dawn

Outside the Ridgecliff hospital, the rain had started. A gentle drizzle kissed the windows as Chief Tyson sat beside a cracked coffee machine, his left arm now strapped in a tight sling. The doctor had popped the shoulder back in and prescribed rest— something Tyson had no time for.

Upstairs, Robert lay unconscious in a monitored ICU room. Machines beeped in quiet rhythm, doing the work his body couldn't yet do for itself.

Sofie Lee arrived shortly after sunrise, her eyes swollen and tired, but sharply focused. Ridgecliff PD's tech expert and Robert's closest colleague had rushed to the hospital the moment she got the alert. The badge on her hoodie was crooked, barely hanging on.

Right beside her was an older woman— Robert's mother, her graying auburn hair tied in a loose bun, face pale and anxious. She looked like she hadn't slept a moment all night.

Chief Tyson met them both in the hallway outside the ICU, his left arm bound tightly in a sling. He looked worn out— his eyes sunken, his posture stiff, each breath like a silent apology.

"Sofie," Tyson greeted hoarsely, nodding at her.

She stepped forward. "Where is he?"

Tyson turned slightly, gesturing toward the ICU. "In there. He's alive. Stable, for now."

Robert's mother moved past him quickly, hands trembling as she peered through the small window in the ICU door. The sight of her son— hooked to machines, pale and motionless—made her knees buckle. Sofie quickly caught her.

"Oh God… my boy…" his mother whispered, her voice cracking.

"He's holding on," Tyson said softly. "The medics said he's strong. Just needs time."

Robert's mother pressed her hand against the glass, lips trembling with words she couldn't form.

Sofie turned toward Tyson, her voice laced with restrained fury. "Why was he even on that island, Chief? What happened?"

Tyson met her gaze without flinching. "Because he wanted to help. We needed him. And he saved lives too."

"You should've pulled him out," she said. "You're the Chief. You were supposed to keep them safe!"

"I tried," Tyson said, voice low. "But we lost control of the situation. It went beyond us."

"And Brendon?" Sofie asked suddenly, her tone changing. "Where is he?"

Tyson looked away for a moment, exhaling. "We couldn't get him out."

Robert's mother slowly turned her head toward them. "You left him?"

"The French forces came in fast," Tyson said. "Brendon held the line so we could get out. We didn't have a choice."

Sofie's eyes filled with tears— not just for Robert, but for Brendon who now stood alone in enemy hands.

The three stood in silence outside the ICU. Beyond the glass, the soft beep of Robert's monitor was the only answer.

---

A Floor Below – Recovery Ward

In another wing, Jason sat upright on a hospital cot, eyes hollow and rimmed red. Judith sat beside him, bruised and scraped but otherwise stable. She held a damp cloth against his forehead.

"It's over," she said softly. "We made it back."

"Did we?" Jason asked. "He didn't."

Judith had no answer.

They had barely spoken since leaving Lagooncrest. Jason hadn't said a word on the boat. Now, his hands shook.

"You know," he said, voice cracking, "Back there. I thought I would die. A very disgusting death. Huh.... but you saved me. If it weren't you and Chief I would be a dead meat. So thank you, Ms. Kay."

"Welcome, you scardy cat." Judith replied with a laugh.

They both looked away.

---

Chief Tyson's Office – Afternoon

Ridgecliff's skies had turned a flat grey, casting long shadows over the municipal district. In her office, Devina leaned back in her chair and watched the muted news channel replay the same loop of grainy footage taken from Lagooncrest.

An anthro wolf. Shackled. Dragged into a transport cage.

The footage had gone viral within hours.

"…Unconfirmed reports suggest that the captured anthro wolf may be connected to a growing drug cartel in the European archipelagos, where anthro-led syndicates have—"

She turned it off with a sigh.

Devina knew it was a lie.

The footage was from a distance— blurry and distorted— but she recognized the way he moved. Even with wounds covering him, there was no mistaking Brendon. The rest of the world didn't know his name. They didn't want to.

The knock came sharp. Tyson stepped in, still wearing his sling, fatigue etched into his face.

"He's stable," he said, referring to Robert. "But it's gonna be a long road."

"I'm glad," she said, nodding. "Jason and Judith?"

"Resting. Mostly quiet."

He stepped toward her desk, his voice lowering.

"You saw the news?"

"I did," she answered.

Tyson rubbed his eyes with his good hand. "What am I going to tell Mayor Guerio about? It will be ugly."

"Yeah," Devina said. "It will."

"I'm not even sure who authorized the operation. It wasn't British command. Not directly. France must've acted on intelligence from someone. Someone who knew about that mad scientist Dr. Grimm. Maybe even someone inside."

Devina quietly said, "We need to be careful now. For Ridgecliff's sake, we must keep our distance from this. No more files. No more questions. If the world thinks this was about drugs or weapons… let them."

Tyson scoffed. "That's not justice."

"It's survival," she said. "You want the government knocking down every door in Ridgecliff looking for accomplices? Looking at your squad, your people? We stay silent."

Tyson took a breath, nodded once, and turned to leave.

At the door, he paused. "If Brendon ever makes it out… he'll hate us for leaving him."

Devina's voice was low. "Then we'll carry that weight."

He left, the door shutting softly behind him.

Devina sat still for a moment.

Then she reached for her desk drawer, pulled out a locked cell, and dialed a number. Her fingers trembled slightly as it rang.

A voice answered on the third ring.

"Camelia?"

"Devina…" came the reply. Breathy. Tired.

"Have you managed to escape?"

A pause.

"Yes," Camelia said. "But it wasn't clean. I don't know how long I can stay hidden."

Devina's ears twitched. "Just stay low. Do not contact Ridgecliff unless it's an emergency. And Camelia… Brendon's been taken."

Another pause. "Shit! It seems like he is going to serve another sentence for no reason."

The line went dead.

Devina set the phone down and stared out the window.

The rain hadn't stopped.