"After that conversation, I was released a few hours later and told to rest. Went home and got yelled at by my parents," Malvin said, his tone carrying an edge of exhaustion, the last part delivered with a sigh.
"Captain's parents," Jos mused, leaning back with a smirk as he closed his eyes. "I don't even know what to imagine."
"Are you going to talk about them, Captain?" Clare asked, tilting her head curiously.
Malvin shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, they're not really important."
The entire group practically gasped in disbelief.
"How can you say that, Captain?" Loreen asked, scandalized.
"Huh?" Malvin blinked, genuinely confused.
"Not important? That's just ungrateful, Captain," Tores chimed in, crossing his arms with a disapproving look.
"No, no, you're not understanding—" Malvin began, only to be cut off.
"That's just a horrible thing to say," Aeron added, shaking his head in apparent disappointment.
"Stop jumping to conclusions and just—" Malvin tried again, but Clare interrupted with a dramatic sigh.
"Even with my family situation, I would never say that. How could you, Captain?"
"Okay, listen up!" Malvin snapped, stomping his foot on the floor, his patience officially worn thin. The room fell silent instantly.
"When I said they're not important, I meant they're not important to the story! Not in general! My parents are great people, and I'm happy to have them, but they're just not relevant to what happened, alright?"
The group collectively let out an enlightened "Ohhh," followed by a series of nods.
"That makes sense," Tores said with a sheepish chuckle.
"Why didn't you just say that, Captain?" Jos added with a grin. "Makes a lot more sense now."
Malvin closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, not even bothering to dignify that with a response. The Specialists and Sergeant were all clearly conspiring to push him to the brink of a mental breakdown, and at this point, he'd come to accept it.
"So, what happened after that, Captain?" Clare asked innocently, as if she hadn't been the one to derail the conversation in the first place.
Malvin shook his head, muttering a couple choice words under his breath, before continuing. "Well, Captain Howard made good on his promise and punished us with an entire week of fucking paperwork."
---
Malvin was sure he was losing his mind. It had been nothing but five straight days of absolute, unrelenting torture. The mountain of forms seemed endless, each one demanding the same repetitive motions until his hands felt like they were moving on autopilot. He was convinced he had become an automaton, programmed only to stamp, sign, and shuffle.
"Just two more days, partner," came Silas's voice from the desk opposite, a hoarse rasp that sounded like it belonged to a man who'd long since given up hope. "Just two more days before we're free."
Malvin glanced up briefly, only to see Silas staring vacantly at the ceiling, looking like a husk of his former self. If Malvin were to look in a mirror, he was sure he'd see the exact same reflection staring back at him.
"You know, we wouldn't be here right now if you'd just brought me with you," Silas grumbled, his pen scraping against yet another form.
"If I had brought you with me, we'd both be dead right now," Malvin shot back without looking up, his tone sharp.
"Being dead is better than doing this," Silas retorted, leaning back in his chair with an exaggerated groan.
Malvin opened his mouth to argue but paused, reconsidered, then sighed. "I agree."
---
"It was that bad?" Clare asked, her expression a mix of curiosity and sympathy.
Malvin nodded solemnly. "Yes. It was that bad," he replied, shuddering at the memory. "This is why I only threaten you all with a day's worth. You don't know the horrors of a full week."
Jos, lounging on the floor, raised a hand lazily. "Didn't you just threaten us with a month of paperwork a few minutes ago? And let's not forget the times you've said longer."
Malvin turned to him with a withering glare. "And I'll give you even more if you keep pointing things out."
"Abuse of power!" Jos declared dramatically, throwing his hands in the air.
Ignoring the outburst, Malvin continued, his tone shifting. "However we didn't have to finish the full weeks worth of paperwork." He paused, his expression darkening. "But the way it ended wasn't something I'd ever be thankful for."
The room grew tense as the mood shifted, everyone straightening slightly.
"What happened, Captain?" Loreen asked carefully.
Malvin's gaze sharpened, his voice dropping to a grim tone. "The killings began."
---
The monotonous scratching of pens on paper was broken as Malvin and Silas were nearly finished with the day's workload. Suddenly, the door burst open, slamming against the wall. A female officer stood there, her face pale and her breath coming in short, rapid gasps.
"Officer Malvin, Officer Silas—please come with me!" she said, her voice shaking with urgency.
Malvin immediately stood, his instincts kicking in. "What happened?" he asked as Silas quickly rose beside him.
"I—I..." She faltered, clearly rattled, before continuing, "Please just come with me. You need to see for yourselves."
Malvin and Silas exchanged a tense glance before nodding. Without hesitation, they followed her out of the room, her hurried steps echoing through the near-empty station.
It was late, the usual bustling corridors now eerily quiet save for a few officers working the graveyard shift. Their hurried footsteps echoed through the dimly lit hallways as the female officer led them toward the entrance.
At the front of the station, a small group of officers—seven or eight at most—stood huddled together in a tight circle, murmuring in hushed, anxious tones. The air was thick with unease, tension palpable even from a distance.
"What's going on?" Silas asked as they approached, his voice breaking the tense silence.
Several officers turned at the sound, parting slightly to reveal what they were gathered around. Both Malvin and Silas froze, their breaths catching in their throats as their eyes fell on the horrific sight.
There, at the center of the group, lying grotesquely on the ground, was the severed head of an Ironguard officer.