~Outside the Gremory Family Home- South Sector, Hackett Town ~
"Oh dear, are you certain?" Maggie's voice trembles as she covers her mouth in horror, her wide blue eyes locked onto Rodney's grave expression. The evening air is crisp, but a chill that has nothing to do with the weather runs down her spine as the sheriff delivers the grim news.
"Yes, unfortunately," Rodney replies, his voice heavy with the weight of what he's about to say. "There's no doubt about it—she was murdered. No, more like brutalized. It's one of the most horrific scenes I've ever come across. Not only was she beaten, but her insides were taken out as well. What's stranger, though, is that we can't find them."
Maggie's face pales, and she has to fight the urge to gag. "That's just appalling… Who would do such a thing? They took her organs?"
Rodney nods grimly, his brow furrowing. "Yes, but it's not like they took them out in a way that suggests they wanted to preserve them. In fact, it's more like they ripped them out. There were even bits and pieces left behind, along with a lot of blood. It's like an animal did it."
Maggie clutches her shawl tighter around her, trying to ward off the creeping dread that's settling in her chest. "Well, perhaps it really was an animal? What makes you believe it has to be human?"
"We examined the body closely," Rodney explains, his voice steady but laced with unease. "There were human hand marks on her shoulders and neck, likely from the attacker holding her down and suffocating her. And her body cavity was opened with fingers and hands, not teeth. There were no jagged edges, no signs of tearing that would indicate an animal attack."
Maggie's hand flies to her chest, her heart pounding in fear. "Goodness! If it's as you say, then wouldn't that mean it could only be… it can't be, can it?"
Rodney's expression darkens as he nods. "That's exactly what we think, though we're still trying to figure out how it's possible. As you know, the Junsui demons used to roam these lands. From what the historians say, though, they've been extinct for centuries. So as you can imagine, it's all quite puzzling—and worrisome. Which is why, unfortunately, I have to cancel Noah's celebration tonight. Since we don't know what we're dealing with, it may put our district's citizens in danger. I know Noah's going to be heartbroken, but it's for the best. I hope you can understand."
Maggie's heart sinks at the thought of disappointing Noah, but the fear for her children's safety is far greater. "Of course, I understand completely, and the boys will too. In fact, Noah has no idea what's going on, so it actually works out well. I wouldn't want to risk my boys' safety. We'll just make it a quiet night in."
"Thank you, Maggie. I really appreciate your cooperation. I just hope we can get to the bottom of this before anyone else gets hurt. We've been consulting closely with the historians, trying to understand what we could be dealing with."
Maggie nods, her thoughts racing. "Well, I really hope they catch whatever it is quickly. We've got a pretty safe community here in Hackett, minus a few troublemakers of course, and I'd like it to stay that way—for the safety of my boys, you know?"
Rodney's face softens with a look of determination. "I completely understand, Maggie. That's why I will do everything in my power to catch this monster."
"Thank you, Rodney. We really appreciate all the hard work you do for our community. You keep us safe," Maggie says, her voice warm with gratitude, though her eyes betray the lingering fear she can't quite shake.
Rodney blushes slightly, his rough exterior momentarily softened by her words. "Aww, shucks, Maggie, don't flatter me so much," he says, looking away briefly. After a moment of silence, he adds, "You know, I've…"
"Rodney," Maggie interrupts gently, her tone understanding but firm, "I'm flattered, really, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now. You still have things to work out with Margaret. I think we should just stay friends for now. Who knows what could happen in the future, though."
Just then, a loud crash and a panicked yell from inside the house cut her off. "Oh my goodness, Noah!" she exclaims, her heart leaping into her throat as she turns and rushes back to the house.
~Gremory Family Home- South Sector, Hackett Town ~
"Yo, what are you doing in—?" Caleb's casual inquiry dies on his lips as he steps into the kitchen, his eyes widening in shock. His younger brother, Noah, is sprawled on the ground, a look of disbelief on his face. Above him, a pot and its contents hover in mid-air, defying the laws of gravity. "What the hell?" Caleb mutters, his voice barely above a whisper, his mind struggling to process what he's seeing.
Noah, still dazed, finally finds the strength to roll out from under the floating objects. The moment he's clear, they crash to the ground with a deafening clang, sending food splattering across the floor. Noah blinks in astonishment. "Woah! I think I just did magic."
Caleb's eyes narrow, his mind racing as he tries to make sense of what he just witnessed. "Dude, that was not magic! I'm not sure exactly what it was, but that's not some magic trick. That was kind of like Steelman-type stuff right there. Or maybe more like…Noah, what if you're a—?"
"What's going on in here?!" Maggie's voice cuts through the tension as she bursts into the kitchen, her eyes immediately zeroing in on the mess. "Noah, are you hurt? You were trying to stir the pot again by yourself, weren't you? I told you to ask Caleb."
Noah opens his mouth to explain, but before he can get a word out, Caleb jumps in. "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to let things get out of hand. I should've been watching him better. I take responsibility," Caleb says quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from what really happened. If his suspicions are correct, this isn't something they should be discussing in front of Mr. Stinson. "I'll clean it up for him, okay?"
Maggie raises an eyebrow at Caleb's unusually responsible behavior but decides not to question it. "Okay, I appreciate that. I'll see Rodney out then," she says, turning to the sheriff who's standing in the doorway, his curiosity piqued. "Shall we?"
Rodney glances at Noah, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, but he lets it pass. "Good day, boys. Take care now," he says, his voice tinged with a hint of unease as he follows Maggie out of the kitchen.
As soon as they're gone, Noah turns to Caleb, his confusion evident. "Why'd you cut me off from telling Mom what happened?"
Caleb sighs, looking around to make sure they're truly alone before answering. "Because, you idiot, what do you think could happen if Mr. Stinson heard you? He might get suspicious."
"Suspicious of what? Did I really do something that strange?" Noah asks, his brow furrowing as he tries to make sense of the situation.
"Well, yeah," Caleb says, lowering his voice. "You just levitated stuff, Noah. That's not normal. I've been thinking… I think you might be a Junsui or something. But it's weird because they're supposed to be extinct."
"Junsui? Wait, is that the demon people Mom told us about once? I thought they were a myth."
Caleb hesitates, glancing toward the door where their mother had left. "That's what they want you to think. Well, I guess you wouldn't know, actually, but we learned about it in history this year. There used to be Ancient Junsui who—"
"Are you telling your brother those horror stories again? I told you not to do that, Caleb." Maggie's voice startles them both as she reenters the kitchen. Her stern look is enough to silence any further discussion. Caleb immediately understands the unspoken message in her eyes—don't tell him more. "Now, how about you clean up this mess?"
Caleb, wisely choosing not to argue, bends down to start cleaning up the scattered food and broken pieces of the pot. Noah, still puzzled and feeling like there's something everyone else knows that he doesn't, decides to help his brother clean up. It was his mess after all.
Maggie watches them for a moment, a mix of relief and fear swirling in her chest. She turns away, heading back to the stove, her mind racing with thoughts she wishes she could dismiss. I pray that no monsters find their way to our home, she thinks to herself, trying to push away the dread that lingers at the edges of her consciousness. She forces herself to focus on the task at hand, trying to forget everything that had just transpired and concentrating instead on finishing dinner.
But as she works, the feeling of unease refuses to leave her, like a shadow that clings to the corners of her mind, growing darker with each passing moment.