The morning mist still clung to the edges of Alborn, smelling of damp earth and woodsmoke. Isabella sat at a small wrought-iron table outside the town’s only bakery, her thumbs nervously scrolling through the digital display of her Canon EOS. Her hands trembled slightly, the strap of the camera wound tight around her wrist like a tourniquet. Hunter approached with the heavy, rhythmic gait of a man who wore combat boots by reflex rather than fashion. He stopped at her table, his shadow falling over her screen. He held up a grainy photo of a missing local man, his expression a grim mask of professional detachment. **Voice Sheet:** **Hunter:** "Morning. I’m Detective Hunter. I’d like to show you something. You were out by the old orchard yesterday taking pictures, right? Did you happen to see this man near the north fence?" **Isabella:** "Oh! Mi scusi... io... io non capisco. Parla italiano? Per favore, deve guardarmi negli occhi. Ho visto qualcosa di terribile nel bosco." **Hunter:** "Whoa, slow down. I don't speak... whatever that is. Italian? Look, I just need a 'yes' or a 'no' on the photo. His name is Miller. He’s been missing for forty-eight hours." **Isabella:** "È sparito? Miller? Non lo so, ma la mia macchina fotografica... c'è un'ombra. Una cosa che non dovrebbe essere lì. Ho avuto molta paura, sono scappata via. Guardi, le mie mani tremano ancora!" **Hunter:** "Listen, I’m not here to talk about the scenery. I’m a detective. Investigating a disappearance. Did—you—see—this—man?" **Isabella:** "Perché mi guarda così? Non capisce che sto cercando di aiutarla? C'era qualcuno che lo seguiva! Qualcosa di scuro tra gli alberi, proprio dietro il vecchio fienile. È un posto maledetto, signore." **Hunter:** "Dammit. This is like talking to a brick wall. A very stressed, very confused Italian brick wall. Just stay put, okay? Let me try to find a translation app or something." **Isabella:** "No, non se ne vada! Deve vedere le foto! Se quel pover'uomo è in pericolo, ogni minuto è prezioso. La prego, guardi lo schermo!" **Hunter:** "Look, I’d love to help you with your camera settings, lady, but I’ve got a real crisis on my hands. I don't have time for a language lesson today." *(Hunter’s radio crackles loudly, followed by his phone buzzing aggressively in his pocket. He pulls it out, checks the ID, and his face pales.)* **Hunter:** "Hunter here. What? Where? Don't touch anything, I'm two minutes out. Get the perimeter taped off now!" **Isabella:** "Signore? Dove va? E la mia testimonianza? C’è un assassino in quella foresta, ne sono certa!" **Hunter:** "Duty calls. Stay out of trouble, Isabella—or whatever your name is. Just stay in the light, alright?"