~Gremory Family Home- South Sector, Hackett Town~
"Caleb! Caleb!" Maggie's voice is shrill with panic as she shakes her son, trying to rouse him from sleep. "Wake up, Caleb!"
Caleb groans, squinting against the early morning light that filters through the window. "Mom, why are you yelling? It's so early," he mutters, half-asleep as he sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes.
Maggie's hands are trembling as she clutches Caleb's shoulders, her face pale with fear. "Where's Noah? I woke up and saw his shoes were missing. I came to check, and he was gone."
Caleb blinks, the fog of sleep quickly lifting as his mother's words sink in. "Maybe he just went for a walk or something," he suggests, trying to keep his voice calm. "Or maybe he went to visit Rachel. He's done that before."
"No, I already called Margaret to see. He's not there, and the girls are still asleep," Maggie replies, her voice tight with anxiety. "Rodney's coming here now."
Caleb frowns, still trying to process the situation. "I don't think it's that big of a deal, Mom. I mean, it's Noah. He's the last person who'd cause any trouble."
"That's not what I'm worried about!" Maggie snaps, her voice rising in frustration. But then she sees the startled look on Caleb's face and takes a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She sits on the edge of his bed, taking his hands in hers. "I'm sorry, Caleb. I didn't mean to startle you. It's just…" She hesitates, unsure whether to burden him with the truth, but then decides that he's old enough to understand. "You see, the thing Rodney wanted to speak to me about yesterday was about one of the girls here in the district. She lived with her grandmother in their cabin on the far end of the village, so not too many people knew her since they generally kept to themselves. You mustn't repeat what I'm about to tell you to anyone, but… she was murdered."
Caleb's eyes widen in shock. "Murdered?" The word feels foreign, unreal. He's heard about murders in the news, learned about them in school, but never imagined it could happen in Wakaba, much less in Hackett Town. "What happened to her?"
Maggie's voice trembles as she continues. "It appears she was brutally assaulted, but what's most troubling isn't just the crime itself—it's what may have done it. According to the investigators, it seems the murderer may be an Ancient Junsui. They're still trying to confirm…"
"No way!" Caleb exclaims, his voice a mix of disbelief and fear. "Those are supposed to be extinct, aren't they? Are they sure it's not a rogue academy Kusaru or a hunter?"
"No, it's not," Maggie replies, shaking her head. "They've found several pieces of evidence to prove it's not a Modern Junsui demon. Besides, no Kusaru has ever gotten loose before, as the academy weeds them out before they have the chance to turn. The hunters would never do things like this either—they're instructed to never use their demon forms unless absolutely necessary. Finally, Modern Junsui are only pseudo-demons due to their powers, not true demons like the Ancients, who became fully transformed demons and were immortal. It can only be an Ancient."
As they process the gravity of her words, a knock at the door startles them both. Maggie jumps up, rushing to answer it. "Oh, Rodney, thank you for coming so quickly," she says, her voice tinged with desperation. "You didn't see him at all yet, did you?" She looks up at him, hope and fear mingling in her eyes.
Rodney shakes his head, his expression grim. "No, I'm afraid I haven't seen him yet. I took a quick look around all the district borders, just before the forest, but found nothing. I'm in the process of forming a team of my deputy enforcers and any other men who're willing to volunteer. I promise you, we will find him, though. I swear on my life."
Tears begin to well up in Maggie's eyes, though she tries her best to hold them back. Caleb watches his mother's fear and pain and feels a knot of dread tightening in his own stomach. He knows he has to do something. "I'll go too," he says suddenly, his voice firm.
Both adults turn to him in surprise. Maggie immediately shakes her head. "No, you can't."
"I want to go, Mom," Caleb insists. "I want to look for Noah, and I can probably navigate the woods much faster than the others since I'm younger. No offense, Mr. Stinson. Please, let me go. I promise I'll be safe."
Maggie opens her mouth to argue, but Rodney cuts in before she can. "I know you're worried about his safety, Maggie, but to be honest, he's right. We could use a young guy like him out there, and he probably knows Noah better than any of us do. It's times like this that brothers are supposed to help each other, right?"
Although she's still hesitant, Maggie realizes that Rodney is right. She pulls Caleb into a tight hug, her voice choked with emotion. "You better come back; you hear me? Both of you." Caleb nods, returning her hug before quickly putting on his shoes and leaving with Rodney.
The two walk side by side towards the woods, neither saying a word. Rodney glances over at him a few times, clearly wanting to speak, but reconsidering at the last moment. He begins to nervously fiddle with his watch, which gets Caleb's attention at last, prompting him to speak.
"That's a nice watch, my dad had one just like it." He smiles. "It was a gift from my mother."
"Oh, is that so?" He speaks with little interest. "Well, your mother has an eye for the finer things, so it's not much of a surprise. I think it'd do her well to consider what's reliable as well though."
"As in what?" He glances at him with judgment. "Are you saying that her getting the watch as a gift for my father was somehow misguided? I mean, it was a good watch in quality as well Sir."
"Oh, I have no doubt it was a good quality watch. I just meant that she could try looking at the world through practical eyes, instead of always picking the shiny, new thing. Just be average."
Caleb stops in his tracks and glares at Rodney with a frown. "Nothing about my father or mother is average and that's precisely what makes them so great. You, however, are the epitome of average and that's exactly why she'll never look your way. No matter how you beg her to do so."
Rodney freezes as well, scowling at the young teen. "Now listen here boy, don't talk down to me like I'm one of your friends. My relations with your mother is not any of your business, got it?
"Got it Sir, loud and clear." He's sarcastic. "Anyway, I think it's about time we split up." He turns to the left woods. "I'll start on this side; you take the other and we'll meet in the middle."