~Enforcer Station- Hackett Town, Tekisu District~
"So, please explain this to me again, Maggie. You're saying that one of those monsters tried to attack you and your son, and Chief Enforcer Stinson drew them away from you, falling to it in the process? Then the monster fled back into the trees, leaving you and Caleb alone?" Deputy Franz's voice is steady, but there's a hint of skepticism that he struggles to hide as he looks across the desk at Maggie.
"Yes, that's correct, Deputy Franz," Maggie replies, her tone measured and calm, despite the storm raging within her. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. Rodney died trying to protect us. He gave his life for ours, and I don't know if I could ever be more grateful."
The deputy's expression softens slightly, relief evident despite his lingering doubts. He's known Maggie for years and trusts her to be an honest woman, so there's no reason to disbelieve her. "Rodney was a hero then."
For the first time since entering the station, Caleb, who had been silent and withdrawn, feels his anger boiling over. He can't hold it in any longer. "No! He wasn't! He was—"
"Caleb!" Maggie's voice snaps like a whip, her stern glare silencing her son instantly. The look in her eyes tells him all he needs to know—this is not the time or place for the truth. "Rodney was a hero, and so, we must revere him as such. I know you had a scary experience but be gracious."
"I'm sorry, Mom," Caleb mumbles, his voice thick with suppressed emotion. He doesn't look at her, instead fixing his gaze on the floor, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he fights back the tears that threaten to spill.
Deputy Franz nods solemnly, unaware of the tension brewing beneath the surface. "Well, Rodney always put others before himself, so it's not very surprising, but it's still hard to see him go. He was an asset to our small town and will be missed. However, as the interim Chief, I will ensure he gets the recognition he deserves, and we'll have a memorial for him tonight, to do just that before Margaret finalizes the funeral details." His voice takes on a somber tone, reflecting the gravity of the loss.
"Oh, that would be wonderful," Maggie responds, her voice steady even as her heart aches with the weight of her own deception. "Speaking of Margaret, how are she and the girls?"
"They're as to be expected. Margaret is pretty distraught, and I didn't speak directly with Dina and Rachel. But I imagine they're pretty broken up too, especially as we couldn't find his body. I felt it'd be best to leave them be for the night so that they may grieve together."
"I see," Maggie says, nodding slowly. "Well, I know how difficult it is to lose your partner. You lose a bit of yourself too. Regardless of the fact that they were going through rough times, I know their love was genuine to some degree. So, I can imagine how much pain she's in. Those poor girls too. Bless them all."
Caleb suddenly stands up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor as he pushes it back. The tension he's been holding in finally erupts. "This is bullshit!"
"Caleb!" Maggie's voice rises, sharp with authority, but he's already storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The deputy watches him leave; his eyebrows raised in surprise.
Maggie sighs, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the lie she's been forced to tell. "I'm so sorry, Kyle. He's just been through so much. He blames himself for not being strong enough to protect us and for leading Rodney into that situation. He's worried about Noah too."
"I understand," Deputy Franz replies, his voice kind, though concern flickers in his eyes. "It's to be expected. No need to apologize. But what do you mean he's worried about Noah? Has something happened? Come to think of it, you were asking about him before."
Maggie hesitates, choosing her words carefully. "Well, he left the house early this morning and hasn't returned yet, so we're both a bit concerned. We're optimistic that he's safe, but with those monsters running around out there, we can't know for sure. I plan to go search myself right after we're done here. I'll find my baby. He and Caleb are all I have left, so I couldn't bear to lose either one. I'm sure you understand."
The deputy's expression shifts to one of genuine alarm. "I didn't realize it was that kind of situation, Maggie. I'm sorry. That explains what Rod was doing in the woods then. I'll have the enforcers all head out at once to search for Noah. If he's in this town, we'll find him in no time, I assure you. I don't want you to be in any additional danger, so please, go home for now. Be with your older boy and wait in case Noah returns first."
Maggie forces herself to nod, knowing full well that the search will be fruitless. But she has to keep up the act. "Okay, I'll do that, but please, find my baby, Kyle. I'm counting on you." She allows a few tears to slip down her cheeks, adding weight to her plea.
Kyle reaches out to comfort her, his hand gentle on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Maggie. I promise. Let me walk you out of the station."
She nods again and allows him to guide her along. Outside, Caleb waits, looking upset but more subdued now. His eyes are red-rimmed, and his hands tremble slightly at his sides. "Thank you, Deputy Franz. Keep in touch," Maggie says as they part ways.
Kyle nods and watches them leave before heading back inside. Maggie walks down the path toward home, her pace slow and deliberate, saying nothing to Caleb, though he knows she expects him to follow. The walk is short, but the silence between them is heavy with unspoken words. Once they're inside, the dam breaks, and Caleb's frustrations explode like a bomb.
"How could you say such lies, Mom?! You made him out to be a hero and martyr when really, he's the selfish son of a bitch who killed Dad! He was going to kill me too, like it was nothing! He was going on about how he'd take care of you after I was gone, but in the most disgusting way possible. He even threatened to kill Noah! He was scum, Mom. The real monster who got what he deserved. I just wish I could have killed him with my own hands!"
The sound of Maggie's hand striking Caleb's cheek is sharp and echoes through the small house. Caleb's hand flies to his stinging face, his eyes wide with shock as he looks at his mother. The anger in her expression is raw, but what hurts more are the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You don't think I feel the same way?!" Maggie's voice trembles with a mix of fury and grief. "You don't think that I wanted to kill him myself, maybe even more than you? He took the love of my life, my soulmate, and the father of my precious child from me. Of course, I wanted to kill him, Caleb! Even now, my heart wants to rejoice in his death, but I cannot slander his name despite this! I can't tarnish his name or reputation because your father would never forgive me."
Caleb calms down a bit now. "He was the most righteous man I've ever known. He'd always say, 'it's in ill manners to talk badly of a dead man or curse his name.' He would've seen his death as justice enough for his crimes. He'd see no justice in defaming him after death. Besides, he committed the worst of sins, but he's also done good for the community. In the end, only God can judge, and he must answer for his actions. All we can do now is let him rest in peace and try to move on with our lives. Do you understand me, Caleb? You must let go now. Hating that man will do nothing but make you bitter. It won't bring your father back. Okay, baby?"
Caleb's anger dissolves into despair, his legs giving out beneath him as he collapses to the floor, tears pouring down his face. "I want Dad back, Mom. I want him back!" His sobs are heart-wrenching, filled with the pain of loss and the helplessness of a child who has lost too much.
Maggie's own tears fall freely as she drops to her knees beside him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I know, baby, I know. I miss him too, so much. I want him back. I want Noah back. I want our family to be whole again. It's my greatest dream. So, let's dream together now, just for a little while." They cry together, clinging to each other as if the force of their grief might tear them apart. They mourn for the family they've lost and the uncertainty of what remains.
The sun begins to set, casting the sky in a deep, blood-red hue, an ominous reminder of the darkness still to come. They cry not just for the past, but for the future that now seems so perilous. As the light fades, Caleb pulls back slightly, his face streaked with tears but his resolve hardening. "I'm going to find Noah and bring him home." His voice is quiet but determined, the fire of his earlier rage now directed toward a new purpose. Maggie doesn't try to stop him. She simply nods in agreement, her eyes reflecting a mother's fierce hope and love.
But before either of them can move, the piercing wail of sirens fills the air, cutting through the quiet evening like a knife.
"What's happening?" Maggie's voice is filled with dread as she and Caleb rush to the window.
The sight that greets them turns their blood to ice. "Are those…?" Maggie's voice trails off, unable to finish the thought.
Caleb's voice is barely more than a whisper, thick with fear. "Those are them, Mom. They're actually real. The Junsui Demons."
Outside, a horde of dog-like creatures with glowing eyes and monstrous forms swarms through the streets, their howls filling the air as they tear through the town. The nightmare has become a reality, and the horror that has been lurking in the shadows has finally come to light.
As the creatures move closer, Caleb and Maggie realize with dawning horror that they are not just fighting for their family anymore—they are fighting for their very survival.