By morning, Mari’s recording had acquired three different captions and none of them used her name.
One called Eli a secret high-rank hunter. Another said the beam had been held by Kellan’s construction brace. A third zoomed in on Eli’s hand and drew a bright circle around the empty space above his palm.
Eli watched the clip once at the clinic. He saw himself point to the damaged joint, then raise his hand while Tessa and Deren moved Malik through the doorway. The video ended when the beam fell and dust filled the entrance. It did not show Iri guiding Faye out or the rope team clearing the stair.
Mari had given the original to the response coordinator. Her brother had removed his post, but the copied version continued to spread. One account slowed the frames until Eli’s movement looked deliberate and mysterious. Another played them at full speed and insisted the beam had simply caught on the brace.
Leah turned the phone face down. “The people asking for help are at the door.”
Outside, shelter residents waited for transport to West Commons and temporary rooms elsewhere. A woman needed her medication collected from a pharmacy; a man wanted to know whether the response team had found his coat. Tessa checked the medical referrals while Leah coordinated the list of belongings. Eli carried a crate of blankets to the waiting area.
