The towering building of Morveth Times stood proudly among the crowded streets of the city, its stone walls weathered by years of service yet still carrying an air of authority. Even from outside, the constant roar of machinery could be heard. The sound of countless gears turning and metal parts striking one another echoed through the structure like distant thunder, creating a rhythm that never seemed to stop.
Chris and Leo stood before the entrance for a brief moment, observing the building. Employees entered and exited through the large wooden doors while workers pushed carts loaded with stacks of freshly printed newspapers. The scent of ink lingered heavily in the air.
Chris broke the silence first.
"Let's go inside. If we're going to find anything useful, it'll be here."
Leo glanced toward the entrance before stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"But how many newspapers are we supposed to take?"
"We only need records from the last three months."
Without waiting for another response, Chris began walking toward the entrance. Leo followed shortly behind, and together they stepped into the headquarters of Morveth Times.
The noise inside was even louder than expected. Massive printing machines occupied entire sections of the building, continuously feeding paper through spinning rollers. Workers moved between stations carrying documents, replacing supplies, and inspecting freshly printed pages. Despite the chaos, everyone seemed to know exactly what they were doing.
As Chris continued forward, Leo's attention wandered toward a side corridor.
At the end of it lay a small courtyard that stood in stark contrast to the noisy interior. A neatly maintained lawn covered most of the area, and in its center sat a white wooden table accompanied by three matching chairs. Resting upon the table was a porcelain cup filled with tea.
Steam still rose from its surface.
Someone had been sitting there only moments ago.
Before Leo could think much about it, movement caught his eye.
A stout man dressed in an expensive white suit approached from the far side of the courtyard. A spotless white tie hung neatly around his neck, and a transparent monocle rested over his right eye. His appearance gave the impression of a wealthy businessman rather than the director of a newspaper company.
Walking directly behind him was Helen.
Unlike the calm expression on the man's face, Helen looked absolutely furious.
"Director, you still haven't answered my question."
Her voice carried throughout the courtyard.
The man ignored her completely.
Without so much as glancing in her direction, he calmly approached the white table and lowered himself into one of the chairs. He crossed one leg over the other and released a satisfied sigh, behaving as though he hadn't heard a single word she had said.
Helen's jaw tightened.
"Why won't you print my article?"
The director reached into his coat pocket and casually pulled out a small bottle of beer. He removed the cap and took a slow sip before looking up at the sky.
Still no answer.
The vein on Helen's forehead became visible.
"Director, people have the right to know the truth. You can't simply decide what information reaches the public and what doesn't."
Another sip.
Another complete act of indifference.
"I spent six months investigating this story," Helen continued, her voice growing louder with every word. "Six months gathering reports, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and risking my reputation. I've sacrificed countless nights for this article, and now you're refusing to publish it?"
The director remained perfectly calm.
The more Helen shouted, the less interested he appeared.
It was as though her anger meant absolutely nothing to him.
Then his eyes shifted.
For the first time since the argument began, his attention moved away from the sky.
He had noticed Chris.
The change was immediate.
The bottle vanished back into his pocket. His posture straightened, and a friendly smile appeared on his face.
Rising from his chair, he walked directly toward them.
"Captain Chris."
His voice carried genuine surprise.
"I must admit, I never expected to see the Captain of the Sixth Division here in Morveth. And certainly not inside Morveth Times."
Chris returned the smile politely.
"I need some assistance with an investigation."
The man's eyes brightened.
"Then you've come to the right place."
He spread his arms dramatically.
"I would be delighted to help."
Only then did he notice Leo standing beside him.
The monocle over his eye gleamed slightly as he studied the younger boy.
"And who might this be?"
Chris glanced toward Leo.
"He's helping me with the investigation."
Leo immediately bowed respectfully.
"My name is Leo Black."
A warm laugh escaped the director.
"Leo Black, hm? Then you must possess considerable talent. The Captain of the Sixth Division doesn't choose his companions lightly."
Chris simply nodded.
Before the conversation could continue, Helen's voice exploded across the courtyard once again.
"Director!"
Everyone turned.
Helen stood several meters away, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
"You can't keep ignoring me forever. If Morveth Times won't publish the article, then I'll take it somewhere else. I'll go to newspapers on other continents if I have to."
smile vanished from the director's face.
A cold silence settled over the courtyard.
"Miss Helen."
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"I believe you've misunderstood something."
Helen frowned.
The director adjusted his monocle before speaking again.
"As of this moment, you are dismissed from Morveth Times."
For a second, nobody spoke.
Even the distant noise of the printing machines seemed quieter.
Helen stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
"You heard me correctly."
The director folded his hands behind his back.
"Furthermore, I will personally ensure that your journalism license is revoked."
Shock spread across Helen's face.
"You can't do that."
"Oh, but I can."
The smile that appeared on his face carried no warmth whatsoever.
"You will never work for another newspaper again."
The words struck like a physical blow.
Helen stood frozen for several seconds.
Then anger replaced shock.
Grabbing her bag, she spun around and stormed toward the exit. Near the gate stood a steel trash bin, and without hesitation she hurled the bag into it before continuing toward the street.
Neither Chris nor Leo missed what had happened.
They watched the bag disappear into the bin before Helen vanished beyond the gates of Morveth Times.
The director released a long sigh.
"Such a troublesome employee."
Then, almost instantly, his cheerful personality returned.
"My apologies. Where are my manners?"
He extended his hand toward Chris.
"My name is Nathaniel Morck, Director of Morveth Times. Most people simply call me Director Nath."
Chris shook his hand.
"Pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Captain."
Nath glanced between Chris and Leo before smiling.
"Now then, how may I assist your investigation?"
After introducing himself, Nath listened carefully as Chris explained what they needed. The director remained silent until Chris finished speaking, occasionally nodding as though mentally sorting through the newspaper's archives.
"So you need records from the last three months?" Nath asked.
Chris nodded.
"Along with every newspaper published during that period."
"That's all?"
"For now."
A smile spread across Nath's face.
"Then that won't be a problem."
He suddenly raised both hands and clapped once.
The sharp sound echoed through the courtyard.
For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then Leo blinked.
A man was suddenly standing beside Nath.
One moment the space had been empty.
The next, a tall gentleman dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit stood there as though he had always been present. His green hair was neatly combed back, and his posture was so straight that he appeared almost statue-like.
The man bowed deeply.
"You called, sir?"
Nath gestured toward Chris.
"Our guests require newspaper archives and records from the last three months."
The butler inclined his head.
"Understood."
His gaze shifted toward Chris.
"Please allow me a few moments."
Before Leo could ask where he was going, the man turned and disappeared into the building with astonishing speed.
Leo stared after him.
"...Was that normal?"
Nath chuckled.
"Compared to most people? No."
The director adjusted his monocle before taking another small bottle from his pocket.
"Compared to my butler? Perfectly normal."
Leo wasn't entirely sure whether Nath was joking.
Several minutes passed while they waited in the courtyard. The distant rumble of the printing machines continued without pause, creating a steady background noise that filled the silence.
Eventually, the butler returned.
This time he carried several thick bundles of newspapers along with a collection of records tied together by string.
Without a word, he placed everything neatly upon the white table.
"There you are, sir."
Chris gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
The butler bowed once more.
Then he stepped backward and disappeared into the building.
Nath checked his pocket watch and immediately frowned.
"Oh dear."
His expression suggested he had just remembered something important.
"I'm afraid I have another engagement to attend."
Chris looked up from the documents.
"That's fine."
Nath snapped his watch shut and slipped it back into his pocket.
"I hope you find what you're looking for."
With those final words, he turned and walked away, eventually disappearing into the busy halls of Morveth Times.
The courtyard became quiet once again.
Only Chris and Leo remained at the table.
For the next hour, newspaper after newspaper was opened and examined. Page after page passed beneath their eyes as they searched for anything connected to the murders.
Reports of trade agreements.
Political disputes.
Festival announcements.
Business advertisements.
Local crimes.
Everything seemed completely normal.
Far too normal.
The deeper they searched, the more frustrated Chris became.
According to everything they had learned so far, numerous people had disappeared over the last few months. Several deaths were also believed to be connected to the mystery they were investigating.
Yet not a single line mentioned any of it.
It was as though the incidents had never happened.
Chris closed another newspaper and rubbed his forehead.
"This is useless."
Leo looked up from the stack he was reading.
"You didn't find anything?"
"Nothing."
Chris gestured toward the newspapers.
"Not a single mention of the murders. Not one report. Not one witness statement. Nothing."
Leo frowned.
Now that Chris mentioned it, he realized the same thing.
Even ordinary disappearances usually found their way into local newspapers.
Yet here there was absolutely nothing.
The silence itself felt suspicious.
Leo placed his newspaper down.
"Maybe somebody deliberately kept it out of the news."
Chris didn't answer immediately.
The possibility had already crossed his mind.
If someone truly had enough influence to suppress information across an entire city, then their investigation had just become much more complicated.
After several more minutes of searching, Chris finally pushed the newspapers aside.
"We're wasting our time."
Leo sighed.
"Then what now?"
"We keep looking somewhere else."
The answer wasn't satisfying, but it was all they had.
Gathering the documents, Chris rose from his chair. Leo followed shortly afterward, and together they headed toward the exit.
As they passed through the courtyard, Chris's eyes briefly drifted toward the steel trash bin near the gate.
The same trash bin Helen had thrown her bag into.
For a moment he slowed his pace.
Then he continued walking.
Neither he nor Leo said anything.
A few minutes later they stepped outside.
The streets of Morveth were as crowded as ever. Merchants called out to potential customers while travelers moved through the city in endless streams. Carriages rolled along the roads, and conversations blended together into a constant sea of noise.
Chris and Leo walked through the crowd in silence.
Then something caught Chris's attention.
A group of men standing near a food stall were speaking loudly enough for nearby pedestrians to hear.
"...heard he beat all of them by himself."
"No way."
"I'm serious."
"They say it happened at a bar t."
"A hunter group got involved."
"Several members ended up in the hospital."
Chris closed his eyes.
He didn't need to hear the rest.
There was only one person capable of causing that much trouble.
Ray.
A deep sigh escaped him.
"I specifically told him not to do anything."
Leo glanced sideways.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
The answer came far too quickly.
Leo immediately knew Chris was lying.
Unfortunately, Chris had already started walking again.
The two continued through the busy streets until they eventually reached the rest room where they had been staying.
The building stood exactly as they had left it earlier that day.
Chris climbed the stairs without hesitation.
Leo followed behind.
A few moments later they arrived outside their room.
Chris reached for the handle.
Then slowly pushed the door open.
The moment the door swung inward, they found Ray exactly where they had left him.
He was sitting on the bed with his back against the wall.
A book rested in his hands.
For someone who had apparently caused chaos in a bar only hours earlier, he looked remarkably relaxed.
Chris immediately knew that expression wouldn't last long.
The moment Chris stepped into the room, his eyes landed on Ray, who was sitting comfortably on the bed with his back resting against the wall. A book rested in his hands, and judging by the calm expression on his face, he looked completely unbothered by whatever chaos he had caused earlier.
Chris immediately frowned.
"I told you not to do anything."
Ray slowly lowered the book and looked toward him. "It wasn't my fault."
"Oh?" Chris replied, crossing his arms. "Then whose fault was it?"
"They insulted my mother."
The room fell silent.
For a brief moment, Chris didn't know what to say. He understood better than anyone that family was a sensitive subject. After a long sigh, he shook his head.
"Fine. Just don't start another fight."
Leo stared at both of them in disbelief.
"That's it? I thought you two were about to kill each other."
Both ignored him.
Chris pulled out a chair and sat down. "Did you find anything useful?"
Ray's expression immediately darkened.
"No."
"Same here."
The answer caught Ray's attention.
"What do you mean?"
Chris tossed several newspapers onto the table.
"We searched through three months of records. Nothing. Not a single report about the murders or disappearances."
The tension in the room instantly returned.
The next full moon was only weeks away, yet every lead they had followed had ended in failure. If they didn't find something soon, more people would die.
Then Chris suddenly remembered something.
Without a word, he raised his hand. A dark blue portal opened above his palm, swirling with dimensional energy. A second later, a bag fell out and landed neatly in his grasp.
Leo immediately recognized it.
"Wait... that's Helen's bag."
Chris nodded.
"The one she threw away."
The room grew quiet.
Slowly, Chris placed the bag on the table and opened it. Inside were several folded documents. At first glance they appeared ordinary, but something about the way they had been carefully hidden made them seem important.
Chris unfolded the first page.
Seconds passed.
Then more seconds.
His eyes moved steadily across the paper.
Suddenly his expression changed.
The confidence and calmness that normally rested on his face vanished. His brows tightened, and his eyes widened slightly as he reread the same lines.
Leo immediately noticed.
"Chris... what's wrong?"
No answer.
Instead, Chris grabbed another page and began reading faster.
Then another.
And another.
The silence inside the room became unbearable.
Finally, Chris lowered the papers.
His grip tightened around the documents.
"We found it."
Leo quickly stepped forward.
"Found what?"
Without speaking, Chris handed him the first page.
The moment Leo looked down, his entire body froze.
Rows of names covered the paper.
Dozens of them.
Beside each name were dates, locations, witness statements, and investigation notes. Some names had been crossed out in red ink.
Dead.
Others remained untouched.
Missing.
Leo felt a chill run down his spine.
"This is a victim list."
Ray immediately stood up and grabbed the documents.
As he read through them, the color slowly drained from his face.
Every page revealed another murder.
Another disappearance.
Another family left without answers.
But then Ray noticed something even worse.
Near the bottom of the final page were several names that had no markings beside them.
No status.
No notes.
Nothing.
Just names.
Waiting.
His heart skipped a beat.
"What are these?"
Chris answered immediately.
"I think they're future targets."
The room fell completely silent.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
The reality of what they had discovered settled heavily upon them.
Helen hadn't been investigating random murders.
She had uncovered a pattern.
And if she was correct, then the killer already knew who was next.
Chris slowly picked up the final report. His eyes scanned the last paragraph before stopping on a single sentence written near the bottom.
The expression on his face darkened.
"The murders were never random," he said quietly.
Ray and Leo looked at him.
Chris lowered the paper.
"According to Helen's investigation, the next hunt will begin on the night of the coming full moon."
For several seconds, nobody said a word.
Weeks.
That was all the time they had left.
And somewhere in Morveth, the killer was already preparing for the next victim.