The family called before the morning copies had finished traveling.
Tessa was at the clinic door when the shelter worker reached her. Someone had left a message where the injured woman’s brother could see it, accusing him of inventing a casualty to help dungeon agents. Another person had asked loudly which bed belonged to the family. No one had forced entry. The distinction did not make the room feel safe enough to sleep in.
“He wants the statement gone,” the worker said.
Tessa handed her supply list to a colleague and went with her. Eli followed only as far as the outer hall before Tessa asked him to wait. The family had requested care and correction, not an audience for their fear.
Their published account had done what they intended in one respect. Verified names of omitted casualties, with family permission and the unresolved cases kept separate, had forced the official office to open an inquiry into the response count. The duplicate resolved between clinics was explained. Protected records were offered through confidential examination. The public statement acknowledged the Aegis medic who had helped the injured woman. None of that had prevented readers from treating it as an attack on every hunter in the city.
