I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, the breeze slipping through the open window beside the bed, sending a chill down my spine. To my left, Leo and James sat on a worn-out couch, eyes glued to their phones. Behind them hung a painting of a nurse holding her finger to her lips in a clichéd "ssh," accompanied by the same ad I'd seen before: "Everything can happen in West Antapolis. Why not get health insurance for your family?"

With a yawn, I shifted into a sitting position. At the sound, both Leo and James quickly put their phones away and rushed to my side, concern etched on their faces.

“You alright?” James asked, eyebrows furrowed. “Heard you got banged up pretty good.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, giving a slight nod. “How about you, Leo?”

“Just some scratches,” he replied, pointing at his face where a few small scars marked his skin. “Fucking Noble Americans.”

“The bloodstains we found,” I started, recalling the chaos. “They’re probably gone, blown to pieces in that mess, huh?”

Leo let out a sigh, wincing as he settled back into the couch. “Yeah, pretty much. But we still sent the forensics team there. Maybe they'll turn up something we missed.”

James shook his head, muttering, “Don’t hold your breath. What a disaster.”

The first rays of morning light poured in through the window, reminding me how long I’d been out. My thoughts drifted to my mom; she’d heard the chaos over the phone. I needed to call her, let her know I was okay.

I turned my head toward the small table and saw my phone lying there, its screen cracked from the explosion. Thankfully, it still seemed to be functioning. I reached over and tried to dial, but the shattered touchscreen wasn’t responding. James, catching on, pulled his own phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to me.

“Here,” he said with a nod.

“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the phone.

As I dialed my mom’s number, I rolled my injured shoulder in slow circles. The pain had dulled, which was a relief. When she picked up, I could hear the worry in her voice even before she spoke.

“Hey, Mom,” I began, only for her to interrupt.

“Oh, thank God, you’re okay!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with relief. “I wanted to come see you, but Jane wouldn’t let me.”

“She was right, you need to rest,” I said, my tone dull as ever. “I’m fine, really. Where are you now?”

“At home, with Jane,” she replied, her voice calming slightly.

“Good, good. I’ll come by tomorrow, okay? Did you get your medicine?”

“Forget the medicine,” she said, her tone growing stern. “What happened out there? Who attacked you?”

“Noble Americans,” I answered, keeping my voice steady. “But it’s all under control now.”

“Thank God,” she whispered. “He must be watching over you.”

“Yeah,” I said, brushing off the thought. “Do you need anything?”

“No, just take care of yourself,” she insisted. “Please don’t do anything reckless.”

“I won’t, I promise,” I said. “I’ll see you soon, Mom. Take your meds, okay?”

After saying our goodbyes, I hung up and handed James back his phone. Leo’s eyes met mine, a hint of curiosity behind them.

“C,” he said, leaning forward, his voice a bit more serious now. “We found one of the attackers near where you were. His head was... well, it was detached from his body. You know anything about that?”

I hesitated, trying to recall the moments before I blacked out. “I—I don’t really remember,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. “The last thing I recall is shielding myself on the ground while that guy was pummeling me. After that, it’s just... nothing.”

James frowned, his arms crossed as he mulled it over. “No cameras in the area either,” he muttered. “We’ve got no way of knowing what really happened. Just our luck.”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Helion cracked the door open and peeked inside, as if double-checking that he had the right room. Satisfied, he stepped in, closing it quietly behind him. Leo and James gave him a nod of acknowledgment, while I remained still, my eyes fixed on him, waiting for whatever he had to say. Helion and I had always been on decent terms, so it wasn’t unusual for him to drop by.

He took a few steps toward us, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, well, well, C,” he began, his tone somewhere between concern and curiosity. “This case—it’s becoming quite a mess, isn’t it?”

“Sure is, Cap,” I replied, my voice even.

“I heard some weird stuff went down—a man was found near you, with his head clean off,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head slightly. “I don’t remember any of that. Must’ve blacked out.”

He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “Damn. Well, at least you’re still in one piece,” he said. “You really should’ve listened to me and taken the day off.”

“Yeah, I probably should’ve,” I muttered, rubbing my shoulder. “Any word from the forensics team? Did they find anything at that RV hotel?”

“Nah,” Helion said, shaking his head with a frustrated look. “That grenade tore the place apart. The last room Alisha stayed in is now just debris.”

“So we’re out of leads,” Leo grumbled, throwing his hands up. “Great, just great.”

“We’ve still got the receptionist,” Helion reminded us. “He’s cooling his heels at the Kiruha station, waiting for a chat with you guys.”

Leo perked up a bit at that. “Good. We need to press him for any info he might be holding back.”

“I’ll handle the interview with Leo,” James said, rising from his seat. “C, you take it easy for a bit longer like Captain says.”

I gave a small nod, sitting up straighter on the edge of the bed. “Keep me in the loop if you find anything.”

“Actually—” Helion said. “All of you deserved a little break. Go home, everyone. Take a little rest. Come to the station after eight, okay?”

“Thanks, Cap.” Leo replied. “Man, I need to bathe.”

Helion clapped his hands together, like he’d just decided on something. “Come on, C,” he said, tilting his head toward the door. “I’ll drop you off at your mom’s place. She called me, you know. That’s how I found out you were in here.”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle. “Sounds just like her,” I muttered, shaking my head slightly.

—

I knocked on the door and waited, glancing over at Helion, who was standing beside me holding a box of donuts. I’d told him it wasn’t necessary to bring anything, but he insisted. Since my mom had just been released from the hospital, he felt it’d be rude to show up empty-handed.

The door creaked open, revealing my mom leaning on her cane. Despite being 65, she could easily pass for someone in her mid-fifties. Her eyes, once sharp and full of life, were now unseeing—a cruel consequence of an incident she rarely spoke about. During a mission years ago, trying to bring down a dangerous wraith gang, she and a colleague were captured. She never shared the full details with me, just that it led to her blindness. I later found out from her colleague that they’d poured bleach into her eyes.

"Hello?" she said, her head tilting slightly as if trying to place us by sound alone. "Cratehalaña, is that you?"

"Yeah, Mom," I replied, wrapping her in a gentle hug. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing well, my dear," she said, smiling warmly. "And you? Jane, come here a moment."

“Yes, Ms. Vann?” Jane responded, appearing at the door still, wearing her apron. She gave me a sympathetic nod. “Oh, hey, C.”

"How does he look?" my mom asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Jane’s eyes flicked over my battered appearance—my face still marked by the fight, bandages covering my shoulder, and clothes looking worse for wear. "He’s fine, Ms. Vann," Jane said, forcing a smile. "Just a scratch on his shoulder."

"Don’t lie to me, Jane. Tell me the truth," my mom insisted.

“He really is doing fine, Ms. Vann,” Helion chimed in with a reassuring grin. “Healthy as a horse, I promise.”

"Oh, Helion, you’re here," my mom said, her smile returning as she turned her head slightly toward his voice. "Please, come in."

"I brought some donuts, ma’am," Helion said, handing the box to Jane. "Heard you finally got out of the hospital. That’s wonderful news!"

“Yes, it’s a good day,” my mom said, her voice softening. “But when I heard all that chaos over the phone... My heart sank.”

As we stepped inside, I closed the door behind us. The hallway was narrow, with faded wallpaper that had once been a soft floral pattern but now showed signs of wear and age. A small table sat against the wall, cluttered with framed photos and a vase of artificial flowers. To the right was the living room, the faint hum of an old television buzzing in the background, and to the left was the kitchen.

“Let’s sit in the kitchen,” Jane suggested, gesturing toward the hallway. “Captain, I can take your coat.”

“Thanks, Jane,” Helion replied, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to her.

Once Jane had hung up Helion’s coat, I linked my arm with my mom’s to guide her as we made our way into the kitchen. It was a cozy, well-used space with cabinets that had seen better days, their paint chipped and handles slightly rusted. The countertops were cluttered but organized, with a mix of old appliances and cooking utensils. A small round table stood in the center, draped with a checkered tablecloth, and a couple of chairs were pulled up to it. Sunlight filtered through the window above the sink, casting a soft glow on the room's faded yellow tiles.

“What a day,” Helion said, letting out a breath as he pulled out a chair.

“How’s Leo?” my mom asked as she settled into a chair, her hands feeling the edge of the table. “Jane mentioned he was with you, too. Is he alright?”

“Leo’s good, don’t worry,” Helion said, waving off her concern with a reassuring smile. “Managed to handle himself just fine, even fended off his attacker.”

“Did you catch the ones responsible?” Mom pressed, her brow furrowing slightly.

Helion hesitated for a moment, his eyes shifting ever so slightly. “Well, one of them got away,” he said, his tone more serious now. “And, uh, the other one... let’s just say he’s not a problem anymore.”

"Well," my mom said, taking a deep breath as if trying to steady her nerves. "At least you’re both safe. That’s all that matters."

After about ten minutes of talking, Helion and Jane excused themselves and left the house. And—I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow and slept soundly.