It was a typical morning in Adventure Bay—sunlight spilling over the rooftops, the ocean calm enough to look like glass, and the Lookout quiet except for the soft hum of Ryder's monitors.

Then his pup pad rang.

Ryder blinked awake, hair still damp from sleep, and reached for it without thinking too hard. "Ryder here," he said, voice rough as he accepted the call.

"Hi, Ryder," Mayor Goodway said, sounding apologetic. "I'm sorry to wake you so early."

"It's okay, Mayor. I was just getting up," Ryder replied, already sitting straighter. "What's going on?"

"There isn't an emergency," she said, and that alone made Ryder uneasy because Mayor Goodway didn't call this early unless it mattered. "But I do need to speak with you. Could you come to my office as soon as you're able?"

Ryder hesitated for only a second. "Yeah," he answered quickly. "I'll be there."

"Oh, thank you, Ryder," the Mayor said softly, and the call ended.

Ryder stood there for a moment with the pup pad still in his hand, staring at nothing. Something about the Mayor's voice—too careful, too gentle—made his stomach tighten.

He pushed the feeling away, because he always did.

A shower helped. Routine helped. He got dressed, made himself breakfast, and then turned to the part of the morning he actually liked.

Feeding the pups.

He poured kibble into six bowls, one after another, and the moment the last bowl hit the floor, paws thumped into the kitchen like a stampede.

"Morning, Ryder sir!" Chase said first, bright and alert as always.

"Morning, pups," Ryder replied, and for a second, he meant it enough to feel normal.

The pups ate, tails wagging, chatter filling the room in a way Ryder had never known he needed until he had it.

When they finished, Ryder wiped his hands on a towel and leaned against the counter. "Alright—listen up. I need to go into town for a bit. You guys can play here, or if you decide to go somewhere, just let me know." His gaze landed on Chase. "Chase is in charge."

A chorus of "Okay, Ryder!" answered him, and Ryder grabbed his helmet.

Skye was the first to bounce forward once he turned away. "Chase! Can we go to the pup park... or the beach?"

Chase didn't even pretend to think about it. "Sure. Let's go."

As Ryder stepped outside and swung onto his ATV, Chase called, "We're going to the park, Ryder sir!"

Ryder nodded, already starting the engine. "Okay. Be safe."

Then he sped off, the Lookout shrinking behind him, the air cool against his face, and that unease still sitting stubbornly in his chest.

City Hall looked exactly the same as always—small, tidy, friendly.

Ryder felt none of those things as he walked inside.

Mayor Goodway looked up the moment he entered, and Ryder knew instantly that whatever she called him for was not going to be something he could fix with tools or planning.

Her smile tried to form, but it didn't hold.

"Ah, Ryder," she said softly, stepping out from behind her desk. Her eyes were already damp. "I... I don't know how to be the one to tell you this."

Ryder's throat went tight. "Tell me what?" he asked, even though his body already knew.

Mayor Goodway swallowed. "I just found out... your mother was in an accident." Her voice cracked, and she forced the rest out like it hurt. "She didn't survive."

For a moment, Ryder didn't move at all.

He didn't breathe.

He didn't blink.

It was like the sentence didn't fit inside his head, like his brain refused to accept it because accepting it meant something would break—and Ryder couldn't afford to break.

Mayor Goodway stepped closer, her voice gentle. "Ryder... I'm so sorry. There's a lawyer who contacted me. He'll be stopping by the Lookout this afternoon."

Ryder heard himself answer, but it didn't feel like his voice.

"Okay."

Mayor Goodway's expression tightened with sympathy. "Ryder—"

But Ryder had already turned, already walked out, because if he stayed even one more second, he wasn't sure what would happen.

Outside, his ATV waited, parked exactly where he left it. Normal. Steady. Like the world hadn't just tilted.

Ryder stood beside it, staring down at the handlebars with no real idea of what he was seeing.

He hadn't heard from his mother in months. He'd trained himself not to expect updates, not to check his email every hour like a starving kid hoping for crumbs. He'd swallowed the ache and kept moving because moving was what Ryder did.

Now he couldn't even decide if he wanted to cry.

He didn't know if he was angry.

He didn't know if he was numb.

He just knew the word gone had never sounded so final.

"Ryder?"

Katie's voice cut through the fog.

Ryder looked up and saw her standing a few feet away, worry written across her face.

She walked closer. "Are you okay?"

And that was it.

The moment the question landed, the last bit of control Ryder had left slipped out of his hands.

His chest seized, his eyes burned, and the tears came hard and fast, like they'd been waiting behind a wall he'd kept built for years.

Katie didn't ask again. She just stepped in and hugged him, arms tight and steady.

Ryder tried to speak.

Nothing came.

He shook, breathing ragged, and Katie held on like she could anchor him.

After what felt like forever, Ryder finally managed to force out the words.

"My mom..." His voice broke. "She died."

Katie's face crumpled. She tightened her arms around him. "Oh, Ryder. I'm so sorry."

Ryder leaned into her shoulder, and for a long moment he let himself cry like a kid who hadn't been allowed to cry when he was one.

Meanwhile, the pups were having the time of their lives.

Skye darted through the park like a golden streak. "You can't catch me, Chase!"

Chase chased anyway, determined. "Watch me!"

Rubble got tagged right before Chase almost caught Skye, and Marshall's laugh echoed across the grass as Zuma tried to unfreeze everyone at once.

Freeze tag turned into chaos, and for once, it was the good kind.

By the time the pups headed back to the Lookout for lunch, they were panting, happy, and a little surprised they hadn't been called out on a mission yet.

They arrived just as Ryder's ATV pulled in.

Chase noticed it first.

Not the ATV—the way Ryder moved.

The way his shoulders were tight, the way his face looked like it had been scrubbed clean of expression but not of pain.

Chase's ears lowered instantly.

Zuma spoke first, voice soft. "Ryder... you look sad. Are you okay?"

Ryder didn't answer. He didn't even try. He walked straight into the Lookout and went upstairs, closing himself away.

The pups stared after him, confused and unsettled.

Marshall looked at Chase. "Chase... what's wrong with Ryder?"

Chase swallowed, eyes fixed on the stairs. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "He never cries." His voice dipped. "Ryder is the strongest kid I know."

Rubble whimpered, tail low, and the sound alone made the room feel heavier.

They went upstairs and tried Ryder's door.

Locked.

Rocky tilted his head. "Should I pick it?"

Chase's gaze flicked to him, firm. "No. Let him be. If he wants us, he'll come out."

Time crawled.

Then, finally, Ryder's door opened.

Ryder stepped out, eyes red, face tired in a way that made him look older than he should. He stopped when he saw all six pups lying in a pile outside his door like they'd been keeping watch.

Something in Ryder's expression softened immediately.

He exhaled like the tension in his chest finally had somewhere to go.

"Line up, pups," Ryder said, voice quieter than normal.

Six pups snapped into formation like muscle memory.

Chase stepped forward automatically. "Ready for action, Ryder sir."

Ryder managed a small, sad smile. "No mission, Chase."

Then Ryder sat down on the floor in front of them, and the formation broke instantly as all six pups piled into him—pressing close, warm bodies and wagging tails and gentle nudges like they were trying to physically hold him together.

Ryder hugged them back, burying his face in fur for a second.

He looked up at Zuma first. "And... Zuma, I'm sorry I ignored you earlier. I just needed space."

Zuma's smile was soft. "It's okay, Ryder."

Skye's voice came carefully. "What's wrong?"

Ryder swallowed, and even saying it out loud felt like stepping into cold water.

"Mayor Goodway told me this morning..." Ryder's voice cracked. "My mother was in an accident." He blinked hard. "She didn't survive."

The pups reacted all at once—gasps, whimpers, stunned silence.

Rubble pressed closer, shaking a little.

Chase wrapped himself around Ryder like a shield. "I'm sorry, Ryder sir," he whispered.

Ryder didn't even know what to say back.

Then Rocky's ears perked. "Someone's coming up the driveway."

All six pups ran toward the elevator, alert again, protective in a way that made Ryder's chest ache.

Ryder stood slowly, wiping his face with his sleeve. The lawyer, he thought. This must be the lawyer.

The doorbell rang.

Chase was first to the door, stance solid. "Who are you?"

A man in a neat coat smiled politely, but his eyes were serious. "I'm looking for Zachary Ryder Junior. I'm an attorney. I'm here regarding his mother."

Ryder stepped forward. "I'm Ryder."

The attorney's expression softened. "I'm sorry about your mother, young man. I never like delivering these things." He held out an envelope and a file. "This is a letter and her will. They were left to you."

Ryder took them with both hands, the weight of paper suddenly feeling like the weight of a life.

"Again," the lawyer said quietly, "I'm very sorry for your loss."

Then he turned, got back into his car, and drove away.

The pups watched Ryder closely, like they could sense the moment mattered.

Marshall leaned forward, curious, but one look from Chase made him stop. Not now, that look said. Give him space.

Ryder sat at the table and opened the will first.

His eyes moved across the legal language, and the words slowly assembled into something he didn't expect.

He was now officially in Mayor Goodway's care.

And he had inherited everything.

All of Marissa's assets. Her savings. Her patents. Her work.

The number at the bottom made Ryder's breath catch.

Millions.

He stared, unblinking, like if he blinked the number would rearrange itself into something smaller and safer to understand.

Then he unfolded the letter.

My dearest Ryder,

I am so sorry I wasn't closer to you. If you're reading this, it means I have passed.

I want you to know I always loved you, and I will always be with you.

Your father is still out there, so please be careful. Mayor Goodway is a close friend and she will take care of you.

All of the inventions and money are now in your name. You'll be able to access everything as soon as you receive my will.

I know the pups will take care of you, and I know you'll continue being the amazing hero you are.

Please don't be sad for me. I'm watching over you always.

If you ever need anything, ask Mayor Goodway.

I love you, Ryder. And please... give Chase a hug for me.

Love always,
Mom

Ryder's vision blurred again.

He didn't wipe his eyes this time.

He looked up slowly at Chase.

Chase, who had lived through the worst parts with him. Chase, who had never stopped being loyal even when the world gave them reasons to stop believing in it.

Ryder opened his arms without a word.

Chase went to him immediately.

And Ryder held him tight.

Not because it fixed anything.

But because, for the first time that day, he didn't feel completely alone with it.