Elizabeth bursts through the police station doors with an air of urgency. Her eyes are laser-focused on a singular goal—the keys to Edmund's cell. With swift, practiced motions, she retrieves them from their usual resting place and heads straight to his confinement, ignoring Hugo, who is dazed by her behavior. The mayor unlocks the door and steps inside.
Edmund sits up on his bed and looks up at her with a mixture of fear and confusion, still trying to process the sudden invasion of his personal space.
"I just checked up on Jules," Elizabeth begins abruptly, her voice steady. "He will live."
At these words, Edmund's shoulders slump in a tentative sigh of relief, though his unease remains visible as he takes in the cell's oppressive air.
"But there was something else he mentioned—something peculiar," she continues, her tone sharpening with intrigue. "'Being paid back for what we have done'?... You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"
Edmund places his hands on his head, a gesture of sudden realization etching itself onto his features as though an invisible weight had just settled upon him. His eyes dart around the cell as if searching for an escape route or a way to hide from the mayor's piercing gaze.
Elizabeth's patience wears thin; she sees through his attempts at concealment, and her frustration boils over in a moment of unbridled anger. She grabs Edmund by the collar of his shirt, pulling him harshly against the wall. Her eyes bore into his with an intensity that leaves no room for denial or deceit.
"Damn it, Edmund!" Elizabeth's voice is fierce, tinged with desperation and resolve. "Four of your friends are DEAD! If you don't tell me everything RIGHT NOW, I will leave you to meet the same fate as them!"
Edmund snaps back defensively; his voice strained with fear. "I couldn't stop them! When I got there, it was already too late."
Elizabeth's grip tightens. "Stop what?!" she demands, a mix of confusion and urgency in her tone.
Silence falls between them; Edmund's eyes widen with terror, the weight of unspoken horrors lingering heavy on his conscience. But Elizabeth is relentless. She presses him harder against the wall until the boy can bear no more.
With a defeated exhale, he murmurs the dreaded words. "Anne's humiliation..."
Elizabeth releases Edmund abruptly, her mind racing to comprehend what she's just heard. The mention of her daughter's name catches her off guard—she had never considered Anne entangled in this nightmare. Her heart tightens at the thought as she struggles to maintain composure.
"What happened!?" Elizabeth demands, her voice barely above a whisper but tinged with steel.
Edmund quietly replies. "Anne tried to reign in on the delinquents. Especially Wil and Pete. The two got very pissed and decided to humiliate her in front of everyone."
Though Elizabeth subconsciously understands the gravity of Edmund's words, her mind struggles against the incomprehensible reality unfolding before her. "What did they do?" she insists sharply.
Edmund remains silent; his eyes locked with hers—a plea for mercy amidst the unspoken horror that has passed between them.
In a moment of fury fueled by confusion and rage, Elizabeth slams her hand against the wall next to Edmund's head, making him jump in fear. The impact echoes within the confines of their grim surroundings, punctuating her demand. "What did they do!?" she roars, her voice echoing against cold stone walls.
As Edmund's face contorts with shame—a reflection of his own helplessness—Elizabeth's mind pieces together the unbearable truth: Her daughter had been raped. Her heart plummets into an abyss of despair as the weight of this truth settles over her like a suffocating shroud.
In the oppressive silence that follows, Edmund notices the mayor's hand clenching into a fist, fingers tightening until blood begins to seep between her knuckles. Fear grips him as he gazes up at her now ghastly pale face—a visage consumed by fear and rage.
Without warning, Elizabeth bolts from the cell as though haunted by a harrowing specter. She rushes past Hugo and sprints out of the building and into the night streets with a single-minded focus: the need to reach home, to find her daughter, to ensure she is safe amidst this chaos that now engulfs her heart.
— — —
As Elizabeth exits the police station with hurried steps, Hugo quietly walks up to Edmund's cell and locks it. Though he has gleaned the essence of their conversation, words fail to ease the gravity of the boy's situation. Understanding that comfort is elusive in such dire circumstances, Officer Bleier retreats silently down the corridor.
Inside his cell, Edmund finds himself huddled against a cold stone wall, enveloped by an overwhelming sense of despair. Guilt gnaws at him for not sharing what happened to Anne with Elizabeth sooner. Yet, paradoxically, he also feels remorseful for being the one to bring the truth to light. His mind whirls with these conflicting emotions until Lleuad's voice across the wall pierces through his dark reverie.
"I only saw Anne twice," the Storyteller says with a thoughtful tone. "Didn't get to talk with her much either time but she left a strong impression on me. Spitting image of her mother, she exuded the same strength and confidence."
Attempting to distract himself from the dark thoughts swirling in his mind, Edmund responds. "You got that right. She is the most hardworking person in the town. Despite being the youngest child in the Granger family—where all her siblings are exceptional—she didn't fall behind any of them but instead is surpassing them."
Lleuad's interest is evident as he replies with admiration, "Wow! Sounds like she is quite talented."
Edmund's expression turns wistful; his voice filled with a deep admiration. "You got that right! Anne is soon to become the youngest person from our town to enroll into college, joining at only 17 years of age. On top of that, she is earnest, dedicated, focused — everything that I cannot be. She's always straightforward, not afraid to speak her mind to others. Yet she's extremely caring, even gentle… in her own way."
Lleuad's gaze narrows slightly as he listens intently, his tone taking on a hint of curiosity when he asks, "You seem to know quite a bit about her. Are you close?"
Edmund's cheeks flush a deep crimson, his voice barely above a whisper. "Eh... Em... We were childhood friends. I spent a lot of time at her house. Our families are close and both of us were the youngest children in our families."
"So you have quite a history, eh?" Lleuad teases gently.
Edmund shakes his head with a small, wistful smile. "N-Not like I could ever be close with someone as perfect as her. After all... I'm just a prankster... Causing trouble for everyone and always taking the blame for others... It's the best I can do... "
Edmund pauses, his voice barely above a whisper, laden with regret and wishful thinking, "Yet… I wish I was more than what I am. Maybe then I'd have been able to protect her and prevent all of this..."
A dreadful thought seizes him as he considers the implications of their situation. His voice breaks with urgency, "You said you were a Huntsman, right? Can you really stop the monster?"
Lleuad's response is firm and steady, imbued with determination. "Yes."
"Is it possible that Anne is the monster?" Edmund asks, his voice trembling.
A tense silence hangs in the air.
"If that is the case," Edmund presses on, his heart racing with fear, "would you have to kill her?"
The question seems to linger between them for a moment longer than necessary. Then Lleuad's voice carries a conviction that cuts through Edmund's despair like a beacon of hope. "I will do everything in my power to save her."
Edmund feels a flicker of reassurance ignite within him, bolstered by the steadfast confidence in Lleuad's words. He lies back on his bed, gazing out through the barred window as he processes this promise—a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark reality.