Chapter 78 - Heading Deeper
Theo didn’t waste much time after leaving the university.
Despite the exhaustion, he knew there was no point heading for his apartment first.
’’If I lay down now, I’ll just fall asleep,’’ he muttered, glancing up at the sky.
A small smile appeared on his face. ’’And who knows when I’ll wake up from that again.’’
So instead, he stopped by a small cafeteria near New York’s outer districts.
There, Theo grabbed a simple meal, sat down by the window, and ate quickly in silence.
But his mind wasn’t on the food at all.
’I wonder what those strange transformations are,’ he thought, taking another bite. ’There doesn’t seem to be any pattern in how the victims are chosen...’
He swallowed, frowning slightly.
Nothing made sense yet.
’It’s quite a horrifying situation,’ he thought. ’The victims don’t even know what’s happening... before it’s too late.’
He sat there for a moment, completely silent.
Finally, he glanced at his phone.
’It’s time,’ he thought, narrowing his eyes. ’Maybe I’ll learn something there.’
He stood up, threw the empty packaging away, and stepped outside.
Night had fully fallen by then.
The city’s streetlights had all lit up, lighting the streets in a bright glow.
Theo pulled out his phone, checked the location Ethan had sent him earlier, and started walking.
It didn’t take long before he spotted him.
Ethan stood beneath a streetlight near the edge of a quieter road, one hand in his pocket and a small shoulder bag hanging from his side.
He looked up as Theo approached and nodded.
’’You came.’’
Theo stopped a few steps away, tilting his head slightly.
’’Of course... this was the mission after all.’’
A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face as he pushed himself off the lantern pole.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Ethan extended his hand.
"Guess we should introduce ourselves properly before we do anything dangerous," he said. "Ethan Williams.’’
He paused for a moment, smiling. ’’I’m a Bronze Core hunter with a normal light affinity."
Theo’s eyes lingered on him for a brief moment.
A faint thud hit the back of his mind, which could only mean one thing.
’He’s lying,’ he thought. ’At least about that last part.’
Theo’s facial expression didn’t change.
He extended his hand too, smiling politely.
’’Theo Lane,’’ he said. ’’I’m also a Bronze Core, but I have a lightning affinity.’’
Ethan’s expression lit up for a moment as he nodded.
’’A lightning affinity, huh,’’ he said. ’’That’s quite a rare one...’’
Theo smiled politely, scratching the back of his head.
’’I got lucky when I awakened it.’’
Ethan let out a short hum, clearly interested, but didn’t push further.
’’Alright then,’’ he said, turning slightly. ’’Let’s not waste too much time. We’ve only got a few hours before things start dying down again.’’
Theo nodded once, falling into step beside him.
The two of them moved through the quieter parts of the city, the noise of traffic fading the further they went.
After a minute, Ethan spoke again.
’’I’ve been looking into the reports,’’ he said, adjusting the strap of his bag slightly. ’’At first glance, the victims seem random... but there is one clue.’’
Theo glanced at him, narrowing his eyes slightly.
’’Over half of the victims were homeless,’’ he said. ’’Another quarter worked jobs that kept them outside at night.’’
A look of realization flashed through Theo’s eyes.
’’That narrows it down a little,’’ he said.
’’Yes,’’ Ethan nodded. ’’Whatever is causing this goes around outside at night too.’’
Theo nodded slowly, his gaze drifting toward the darker parts of the street ahead.
’’That would also explain why no one’s been able to see this creature yet,’’ he said. ’’If it’s moving around in the dark, it’s nearly impossible.’’
Ethan hummed in agreement.
’’Exactly.’’
For a moment, the two of them walked in silence again.
The occasional car still passed by in the distance, but the further they moved from the main roads, the more noises seemed to fade.
’’We’re reaching the problem areas now,’’ Ethan said, raising his guard. ’’Stay sharp.’’
Theo’s grip on his spear tightened slightly.
’’Also...’’ he continued slowly. ’’If we find one, try not to kill it immediately. I want to observe it for a bit first.’’
Theo’s head snapped to him, hesitating for a moment.
’’I’ll try my best.’’
Ethan gave a small nod, seemingly satisfied with that answer.
A few minutes later, the atmosphere changed slightly.
The street ahead was partially blocked off with metal barriers, faint blue lights flashing across the pavement.
Several figures stood near the entrance, each carrying a weapon.
Most of them leaned casually against the barriers or stood in small groups, talking amongst themselves.
’What is this?’
Theo thought, squinting his eyes. ’Hunters from the government?’ Ethan didn’t seem to be fazed, continuing on toward the barrier at a normal pace.
Just then, one of the hunters noticed them.
’’You two lost?’’ he asked, stepping forward.
Ethan stopped, glancing up at the broad and muscular man.
’’We’re here for the investigation,’’ he said.
The man raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
’’Investigation?’’
His gaze shifted between them again, a wide smirk forming on his face.
’’Bit young for that, don’t you think?’’
A couple of the others let out quiet chuckles behind him.
Theo let out a sigh beside Ethan.
’Even though most hunters have been nice so far,’ he thought, glancing up at the man, ’there’s bound to be some assholes here and there.’
Ethan simply reached into his bag and pulled out a small badge, holding it up without a word.
The man glanced at it briefly before letting out a short scoff.
’’Yeah, sure,’’ he said, stepping aside anyway. ’’Just make sure you stay out of our way.’’
Theo didn’t respond as he walked past him, almost unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
Ethan followed right behind him, also not saying a single word.
As they moved deeper into the area, the silence only grew worse.
Theo’s eyes scanned the dark streets ahead, spotting several homeless people sleeping under cardboard boxes and simple tents.
’It’s almost like nothing’s going on,’ he thought.
And that was what made him feel weird.
His gaze lingered on one of the figures for a moment longer.
Something about it bothered him.
But he couldn’t tell what.
’’Let’s go deeper,’’ Ethan said, snapping him out of his thoughts. ’’We’ll head straight to the most concentrated area.’’
Theo nodded once.
Without another word, the two of them continued forward, disappearing into the dark streets.