The morning came, Nia and Ezra stood at attention across from Captain Dylan's desk. Ezra's jacket was still torn at the sleeve, dust and blood stains making him look like he'd walked out of the fight only minutes ago. Nia stood straighter, more composed, though the exhaustion still clung to her eyes. Aaron leaned against the far wall.
Dylan sat behind the desk, his weathered hands clasped in front of him.
"Where's Kyle?" Dylan's tone was steady, though there was a current of concern hidden beneath the calm.
Nia exchanged a quick glance with Ezra before answering. "Still unconscious, sir. His condition hasn't changed since we got back."
Dylan's brow furrowed. "Unconscious for this long…" He let the thought hang before pressing. "Tell me then, what happened out there?"
Nia took a breath and began. "We found the cause of the disappearances on Elmore Road, sir. Nakamores... too many of them gathered in one place."
Aaron pushed off the wall, his eyes narrowing. "That's unnatural."
"Exactly..." Nia said, nodding. "That's why it didn't make sense...until it appeared." Her voice tightened. "The stitched demon."
At that, Dylan leaned back slowly in his chair, fingers tapping once against the desk. "The one you mentioned in your field report?"
"Yes..." she said. "It called the Nakamores its 'puppets.' That means it was the one pulling them together... the main cause for the disappearances."
Ezra finally spoke, his tone clipped, annoyed. "S-Rank, that's the only way to classify it. The thing looked intelligent and it comprehended human speech."
Aaron straightened, his eyes sharp. "A demon that can speak out of a human's conscious? This is beyond unnatural…"
Dylan's gaze sharpened. "Were you able to take it down?"
Nia shook her head, shame flickering across her expression. "No, sir."
Aaron frowned, his voice skeptical. "So it just decided to flee and let you all walk away?"
Ezra's composure cracked. He stepped forward, his jaw tight, voice rough with irritation. "No, it didn't just decide... our idiot rookie was the one who pushed it into a corner."
Aaron straightened. "What?"
Ezra gestured sharply, his tone heated. "Kyle... he nearly killed it, single-handedly. And don't ask me how, because I still don't get it. One second he's on the ground, barely holding it together, the next…" He shook his head. "...he was moving like he'd been a Wielder for ten years."
Nia stepped in, her tone calmer, though no less serious. "He had that aura again from our first encounter with him but this time, he was in control... not the demon."
Aaron's eyes narrowed further, suspicion clear in his voice. "How is it possible… Is that guy even human?"
Nia's answer came without hesitation. "Well... I don't believe he's a demon, he's just different."
Aaron turned to Dylan. "So, Captain... what do we do with him? He's a risk we don't understand. And risks like that…"
Dylan exhaled slowly, weighing his words before speaking. "We don't know what he is or know anything about him. But locking him away or treating him like an enemy isn't the best cause of action." He leaned forward, meeting each of their gazes. "What we need to do is expose him to battles... that's the only way we'll learn the truth of what he can really do."
Aaron's eyes narrowed. "So when he wakes up... what then? You put him under my squad?"
Dylan shook his head. "No, he stays with the squad I already assigned him to, Clyck Squad."
Aaron's voice sharpened with frustration. "With all due respect, sir... that's reckless. If he loses control, Liam and Cassie won't be able to put him down."
Dylan didn't flinch. "I'm staying positive about this, Aaron." His tone grew firmer, commanding. "I believe Kyle won't go rogue. And until I'm proven otherwise, that belief stands."
Ezra muttered something under his breath, though this time he didn't argue. Nia's expression softened slightly... relief flickering in her eyes at Dylan's faith in Kyle. Aaron, however, remained clearly unconvinced as he glanced away.
Dylan let the silence settle before speaking again. "Meeting dismissed."
As the meeting wound down, Ezra muttered something under his breath and left first, irritation still hanging in the air. The heavy doors closed behind him with a dull thud.
Nia lingered, standing straighter but her voice quieter than before.
"Sir… the backup we sent back to Elmore Road—did they find any survivors?"
Captain Dylan's expression hardened. He exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
"Sorry. No."
The answer landed like a stone. Nia's lips pressed together, her shoulders tightening. Her usual sharp composure cracked just enough for sadness to show in her eyes. She gave a faint nod, then turned and walked out without another word.
For a moment, silence filled the office, heavier than the air before.
Aaron glanced at Dylan, but the Captain only murmured, "Meeting dismissed," ending it for good.
As the door closed, Dylan leaned back in his chair, the weight of command pressing harder than usual. He rubbed his face, then turned his gaze to the map of Brenford pinned to the wall behind him. Red marks, circled locations and strings of paper dotted thier city like scars.
He reached for the phone on his desk and pressed the intercom.
"Send word to all squads..." Dylan said, his voice steady despite the heaviness pressing down on him. "Prepare for potential escalation, things are changing."
The line clicked off. In the silence of his office, Captain Dylan sat alone, staring at the map as if it might answer the questions no one yet could.