The cold of the mask lingered on Evie’s fingertips even after it dissolved, like rain clinging where there was no storm. The moment the mist thickened and the stone shifted, her chest tightened, a memory she hadn’t invited clawing its way forward.

She was back in that office. The stale coffee smell. The stack of manila folders. The officer’s mouth moving before the words truly landed.

"His body was never recovered. Landslide buried the site before we could finish retrieval. We… we’re listing him MIA. Presumed KIA."

She’d sat there, jaw locked, fingernails biting into her palm until the skin broke. Words buzzed like flies against glass. Never recovered. Presumed dead.

The sound of Roscoe’s whine cut through it, sharp and real, grounding her for half a second. But the whispering reflections in the water twisted Marcus’s face into every ripple—accusing, fading, gone.

Evie swallowed hard, knees buckling under the weight until one touched the water. Her free hand clutched the grip of her bat so tight the old tape cut into her skin.

[color=#697DFF]“No…”[/color] she rasped, shaking her head, eyes burning but dry. [color=#697DFF]“Not again. You don’t get to take him from me twice.”[/color]

Her gaze locked on the mage through the haze, jaw tight, breathing ragged but steadying with every word.

Roscoe pressed closer, shoulder to her side, mismatched eyes blazing as he let out a guttural growl. The weight of him, warm and solid, steadied her.

Evie pushed herself upright, shoulders squared against the pull of the thickened water. She forced a breath past the stone in her throat, lifted her bat, and planted her boots.

[color=#697DFF]“I know what sorrow feels like. I live with it. But it doesn’t own me. And it damn sure won’t stop me here.”[/color]

She flicked her eyes toward Yumi, and Locke, catching his visor’s faint reflection in the mist.[color=#697DFF] "Deep breaths guys. Don't get caught up in the mire." [/Color]
Then she looked back to the mage, muscles taut, bat steady at her side.

[color=#697DFF]"Listen! We aren't here to splash in your kiddy pool. Where's your boss?"[/color]