The door was gone.
The dust had settled.
But no one moved.
The spot where Kunter had stood felt heavier than the broken wood around it.
Tema's voice finally cut the silence.
"Everyone. Inside. Now."
No one argued. Even the usual troublemakers followed her in without a word.
Chitki brought up the radar data on a floating screen.
She zoomed in, tracing the path Kunter took when he left.
"He didn't retreat randomly," she said. "He left the moment he got the call."
Poppy's expression hardened.
"So someone was watching the attack in real time."
Water Beauty's confidence wavered.
"Meaning… we were part of someone's plan."
Mr. Monkey actually stopped playing for once.
"…A plan that didn't involve killing us. Yet."
Tema folded her arms, floating slightly above the ground.
"This was no assault. It was an evaluation."
The room stiffened.
Chiki not being a troublemaker for once.
"So they just came to… look at us?"
"No." Tema's tone darkened.
"He must have come to see how fast we break."
The TV flickered on automatically.
"Continent-Level Hunter Kunter Appears at Hero Home."
"Unknown caller halts attack."
"Hero rankings under review."
Tuka's fists tightened.
"Do they really think we're that weak?"
Bear didn't respond. He simply stared at the screen, eyes unreadable, as if trying to understand the reason for the attack.
Chitki switched the TV off.
"There's more," she said. "Kunter's escape route was intentionally messy. He wanted to be seen."
"Meaning?" Peppy asked quietly stuffing a hamburger.
Tema answered:
"He wanted the world to know he can come and go. Anytime."
A cold silence followed.
Chitki inspected the doorway with her mech lens.
"His footprints… his scent… everything says he came to slaughter us..."
Poppy nodded.
"Now it's even more problematic that he knows where we live."
Bandri wrapped her arms around a shaking Bandy.
Muka stared at the ceiling, unusually awake.
Even Clementess looked unsettled, clutching her notebook like a lifeline.
Tema raised her voice.
"Listen. Starting tomorrow, we shift to lockdown training. No one leaves without escort. No solo missions. No wandering. No exceptions."
Everyone nodded immediately.
The room followed.
This wasn't a suggestion.
It was survival.
Far away
Kunter landed silently on a tree branch, far from the lights of the hero home.
He pulled out his cracked phone.
This time, he answered before it rang.
"I backed off," he muttered. "Now what?"
A distorted voice replied calmly:
"Step Two begins soon."
Kunter grinned, baring sharp teeth.
"Good.
Because next time…
Don't expect me to stop."
He hung up and disappeared deeper into the forest.
Inside Tema Headquarters
The heroes slowly dispersed to their rooms.
Tema remained alone in the hall, staring at the broken entrance.
She whispered to herself:
"They're targeting the trio.
And they're not done."
Behind her, Bear paused halfway up the stairs, hearing her words.
For a moment, he began thinking something.
Then he turned away.