The reality of what had happened finally caught up with Kelly. She backed away from Brian's lifeless body, her hands trembling violently as she tried to wipe away blood that wasn't staining her skin, only her mind. Her breathing became shallow and uneven, teetering on the edge of hyperventilation.
Father Khatri was the first to kneel beside her.
"Take a deep breath, Kelly. Look at me. Focus on my voice."
Marielle hurried over almost immediately, resting her hands on the young woman's shoulders with the calm steadiness of someone who had calmed countless patients in crisis.
"That's it. Breathe in through your nose. Slowly... with me."
Taking charge as the situation demanded, Boyd shifted his attention to the rest of the group.
"We need to get them both out of here. Daniel, help me improvise two stretchers. Use thick branches, vines... whatever we can tie together."
Daniel answered with nothing more than a nod before drawing his knife and heading toward the trees.
Desperately searching for anything to focus on besides the scene and Kelly's panic attack, Kenny followed after him.
While the two of them worked among the trees, the young woman's crying gradually subsided into subdued sobs thanks to the combined efforts of Khatri, Marielle, and Kristi.
Realizing Kelly was beginning to regain control of her breathing, the priest stepped away, allowing her to feel more at ease with only the two medical professionals by her side.
"What do you think all this is?" Boyd murmured, keeping his gaze fixed on the dark cave entrance behind the stone slab.
"An altar," Khatri answered with unsettling gravity. "Everything here points to some kind of sacrificial ritual. Blood spilled on ancient stone... it's almost universal symbolism for terrible things."
Boyd continued staring at the opening for a few more seconds.
"When we get back, no one goes anywhere near this place. Not until we know something."
A few minutes later, Daniel and Kenny returned carrying two improvised stretchers. They were simple, sturdy frames made from interwoven branches.
Kenny rubbed his hands, now covered in scratches from the rough bark.
...
The trip back became a true test of endurance.
Near the edge of the forest, only a few yards from town, the group had to stop for the third time.
Daniel and Kenny carried Brick's stretcher, the young man still deeply sedated, while Boyd and Father Khatri bore Brian's lifeless body.
The moment Kenny set his end of the stretcher down, he doubled over, bracing his hands against his trembling knees.
Sweat poured down his face as though he'd just run a marathon beneath the midday sun, and every breath felt like fire burning through his lungs.
When he finally lifted his head, his eyes landed on Daniel, then shifted to Julie walking beside him.
Neither of them had a bead of sweat on their foreheads. They were moving with the same calm, steady rhythm they had when they first entered the forest.
"Man..." Kenny panted, struggling to catch his breath. "How are you two... not even breathing hard?"
Daniel leaned against the trunk of a tree.
"Maybe you should add some cardio to your morning patrol."
[Excellent. Convince the exhausted deputy that a few morning runs can overcome the biological differences imposed by a divine system. Science thanks you.] the System remarked in its usual tone.
Julie shook her head.
"He's got freakish genetics, Kenny. Don't try to figure it out."
The deputy sheriff briefly glanced at her.
So you two are both freaks...
A few yards behind them, Boyd lowered his end of the stretcher to the ground with a muffled groan.
The sheriff had reached his limit. His left hand, hidden for most of the journey, was trembling more violently than ever because of his degenerative condition and the relentless strain.
Almost instinctively, he pressed it against the seam of his pants in an attempt to hide the spasm, but Kristi caught the movement and gave a subtle frown.
...
Before entering town, the group split up. Boyd, Father Khatri, and Kelly stayed behind with Brian's body, waiting for the sheet Kristi had promised to send from the clinic. The rest headed there directly with Brick.
Along the streets, the townspeople stopped whatever they were doing to watch them pass. Some exchanged hushed whispers, while others simply stood in silence.
No one needed to ask what had happened. The exhausted expressions on the group's faces told the whole story.
Inside the clinic, they settled Brick onto one of the beds in the back, the springs creaking beneath his weight.
Kristi began another assessment of his vital signs while checking the compression bandages. Beside her, Marielle organized the medical instruments and supplies with practiced ease.
The moment he was finally allowed to stop, Kenny practically collapsed into the first chair he found. He threw his head back, closed his eyes, and let his body sink into the backrest. His legs felt like they were made of concrete.
Kristi opened one of the cabinets, took out a clean sheet, and crossed the reception area, where Daniel was waiting near the exit with Julie.
"Could you take this to Boyd, please?" she asked, holding out the neatly folded sheet.
Daniel accepted it and tucked it beneath his arm.
"Of course." He held the exhausted doctor's gaze briefly before adding, "I hope we don't keep running into each other only under gory circumstances, Doctor."
Kristi exhaled softly, her professional composure cracking for just a moment.
"So do I, Daniel. I really do."
On the other side of the room, the sound of the conversation made Kenny open his eyes. It didn't take him long to understand what was happening.
Daniel and Julie were leaving. He'd be alone. Just him, Kristi, and Marielle. The woman he had developed deep feelings for... and the fiancée who had just reappeared to put an end, once and for all, to whatever hope he still had.
Undoubtedly, it was the last place in the world he wanted to be.
Without a second thought, he pushed himself out of the chair, ignoring the protests of his exhausted muscles.
"Wait! I'm coming with you."
Kristi turned, surprised by his sudden reaction.
"You don't have to go. You can get some rest."
"No, no... I'm fine. I need to help the sheriff. See you later."
Before anyone could reply, he was already hurrying out the front door, nearly tripping over his own feet in his rushed escape.
Kristi remained standing in the middle of the reception area, watching the wooden door sway until it finally came to a stop.
An almost imperceptible sigh escaped her lips.
Having witnessed the entire exchange, Marielle crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the hospital bed.
"All right... what's the story?"
Kristi hesitated. "What story?"
"Kristi." Marielle's voice remained calm, but it carried the quiet firmness of someone who knew her better than anyone else. "The guy just bolted out of here like the place was on fire. And you're looking at him like he's a puppy that just lost its owner. What's going on between you two?"
"He's been a great friend," Kristi answered, lowering her gaze to the clinic's worn floorboards. "He was one of the people who kept me from losing my mind during all these months. But... I think he ended up expecting something I could never give him. Because I never stopped waiting for you."
Marielle absorbed the confession quietly. She ran a hand through her messy hair, a restrained grimace of frustration tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"You have to make that clear to him."
Kristi looked up, and this time there wasn't the slightest hesitation in her voice.
"I already did. You don't have to worry."
Marielle's expression softened, if only a little. The frustration didn't disappear completely, but it gave way to quiet relief.
She closed the distance between them, gently cupped Kristi's face in her hands, and rested her forehead against hers.
...
Outside, the cool breeze did little to ease Kenny's embarrassment. He walked with stiff strides, keeping his eyes fixed on the cracks in the pavement to avoid looking at anyone.
Sensing the dark cloud hanging over him, Daniel slowed his pace until they were walking side by side and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
"You'll get over it, Junior Sheriff."
Kenny looked up, his expression a mix of exhaustion and annoyance.
"Knock it off, Daniel."
"I'm serious." Daniel answered casually. "The world's full of women. I mean, the options around here have shrunk dramatically, but the principle still stands. Sooner or later, you'll find someone who isn't already taken."
[Outstanding emotional insight. He must feel completely refreshed now that you've dissected his romantic failure out loud. Congratulations, Dr. Love.]
Julie, walking on the other side, lightly jabbed her elbow into her boyfriend's ribs.
"Shut up, Dan."
Then she gave Kenny an awkward smile.
"Don't mind him. His emotional sensitivity is about the same as a door's."
"An armored steel door, thank you very much," Daniel corrected while rubbing his side. "But I'm still right. Spending all this time suffering over someone who's already made their choice is just that. A waste of energy."
Kenny let out a long sigh and picked up his pace, leaving the couple a few yards behind. As irritating as Daniel could be, there was an uncomfortable truth buried in those words.
A short while later, the three of them reached the edge of the forest, where Boyd and Father Khatri were still waiting beside Brian's body, only partially covered.
Kelly remained seated on the grass, hugging her knees, her eyes lost in the darkness between the trees.
Daniel unfolded the sheet and covered Brian completely. The simple gesture restored one last shred of dignity to such a brutal death.
After that, they carried the body in silence through the streets to the small church, where Father Khatri would prepare him for burial.
They had barely crossed the entrance when a thin man, around twenty-five years old, came hurrying down the street and stopped in front of the church.
"Excuse me... Donna asked me to let everyone know. Everything's ready at Colony House. They're going to try contacting someone over the radio in an hour."
The news brought with it an almost tangible sense of hope, but it collided head-on with the reality of the sheet still stained with Brian's blood, bringing the heavy mood crashing back over the group.
As weary eyes slowly filled with expectation, Daniel and Julie remained completely impassive. Only the two of them knew that this attempt would not end the way everyone expected.
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