It was pure chaos in the best possible way, playful, noisy, and full of life. Bette moved between the animals with a quiet grace, calming the impatient calves with gentle strokes and soft words. The cacophony of trumpets and snuffling sounds was almost melodic, a reminder of just how full of life this place was.

But as she adjusted the blanket on one particularly mischievous calf, Bette’s gaze drifted toward the gates. A van, dusty and slow, was making its way down the dirt road passed the gate, its tyres kicking up a little trail of dust behind it. The peaceful morning scene, filled with the sounds of happy elephants and laughing carers, suddenly felt a little less certain.

Bette wiped her hands on her apron and squinted into the distance. There was something about the van’s arrival that pulled at her attention. It was early and unexpected, and Bette was quite sure she did not recognise it. It didn’t fit the description of the usual delivery vans who regularly stopped at the foundation. A knot of unease began to form in her stomach, her mind quickly leaping to the worst possible scenario. She couldn’t help but wonder if this van might be a sign of something more – Chang’s looming threat, perhaps.

The thought lingered, unwelcome but persistent, as the possibility of something darker cast a shadow over the otherwise peaceful morning. Her gaze sharpened, her pulse quickening as she watched the van draw closer and finally come to a stop.

Relief flickered across Bette’s face at the sight of Wilson stepping down from the passenger side, his bright red Shuka catching the morning light like a flame. Still, the relief was quickly laced with confusion. She couldn’t remember a time when Wilson had arrived at the foundation in anything but the dignity of his own two feet. Whether alone or flanked by other elders, he had always walked, his quiet pride making any other form of transport seem almost out of character.

To see him now seemed not only strange but telling. Something had shifted. Something was serious enough to bring him by machine. Bette’s brow furrowed, her pulse steadying as she squared her shoulders. Whatever this was, it wasn’t a social call.