Chapter 84: A Dim Dawn
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: PlumSauce
The long-distance bus arrived at its terminus in the early hours of the morning. Some passengers chose to head to the town’s all-night bars for a drink, while others made their way to the homes of parents or grandparents with practiced familiarity.
Coraci continued onward through the darkness, following his map. The trees were dense here, and he had to rely on a flashlight to navigate the route.
Deep in the forest, beasts rustled in the underbrush, horned owls hooted, and wings brushed against branches. Over the past three years, Coraci had walked countless paths alone in remote places, much like he had with Zoltán and Mira in the Hungarian woods long ago.
After recalling everything that had happened, he seemed to have lost any fear of the dark. Even the night wind stirred a quiet thrill in him — everything around him reminded him that he was living a human life, free, and with a reason to survive.
Several times he stopped, holding the flashlight between his head and shoulder while consulting his compass and map. His destination was remote; it didn’t even appear on any phone mapping software. He hoped to reach John’s house before daylight, knowing that knocking during the day might find no one home.
He wondered a little about John’s family: a mother of ordinary working-class background, a father — or rather, stepfather — turned bloodkin, and a young adopted bloodkin sister. Coraci couldn’t help but think that if John’s parents’ encounter had happened in modern times, it would read like a vampire romance novel: a normal human woman meets a man with a mysterious allure; he pulls her out of an ordinary life into an incredible world, they fall in love, yet he is a vampire, struggling between love and instinct. Eventually, the woman accepts him fully, joining him as a creature of the night, dancing together under the moonlight… A quintessential story. Only one detail broke tradition: the woman had been widowed young and had a son — she was not a teenage girl.
Meanwhile, in West Bay City, a secret hunt was underway.
Human hunters scouted cautiously while bloodkin scanned between buildings of varying heights. Some ethereal creatures who had good relations with the Association also joined the effort, including Wu Jiu and Hai Jiu. They had just returned, and Liz briefed them on Coraci’s situation. In truth, they didn’t understand Umbrals at all, and most of the Association couldn’t comprehend their speech. Only Coraci could, but no one knew where he was, and they preferred it that way.
Upon learning that a Stone Man and a Gorgon were being hunted, Mariana pounded her chest in frustration. “If only I were still a Lizardman! Then I could actually help!” As a Cave Lizardman, she had been fully blind, relying on other senses to navigate. Now human, even with her eyes closed, she no longer had those advantages.
Every hunter was tense. They could only search, not attack, relying on objects-wielding specters to restrain the Gorgon while exorcists cast spells from a distance.
For Stone Men, there was another method — gilomorphs. Gilomorphs could be considered natural enemies of Stone Men, or more accurately, gilomorphs were natural enemies of anything that could be enveloped and digested. Unfortunately, West Bay City’s gilomorph lady with the largest appetite was confined in the Bunker prison. Only two timid gilomorphs residing in the city were available, promising to do their best to engulf the Stone Man’s feet.
The city was vast, and the Association couldn’t immediately know whether anyone had been harmed in the last few hours. They contacted Master Joseph, who deployed the cats to patrol. They didn’t hunt monsters; they were only to identify possible victims.
Before dawn, hunters received the first eyewitness report: a Stone Man and a Gorgon had possibly appeared in a certain district. Soon after, news from Master Joseph was grim: three human teenagers had been killed, petrified with expressions of terror.
The hunters feared more tragedies could occur. Beyond doing their best to continue the search, they had no faster solution.
“I want to know, how was that ‘Medusa’ captured?” Carl asked as he patrolled with John.
John only knew roughly. “She had been active in New Kirk City as an assassin for a human gang leader. Heaven knows how the humans knew her. Strictly speaking, she was involved in gang conflicts, but as a Gorgon, it’s different. Local hunters chased her; she fled to West Bay City. Someone realized she was a disguised monster, slipped a sedative into her takeout, and knocked her out. Then that person called the Association.”
“So Medusa even ordered takeout…”
“Gorgons need to eat too.”
Time ticked on, and the sky gradually lightened. The bloodkin staff would soon have to end the search.
A little after 5 a.m., John received a call from Liz. She sounded frantic, urging John and Carl to summon nearby specters and hurry to the Iris Hotel.
“Because Sai and Emma are there!” Liz explained. “I asked Instructor Jere to notify the nearby specters, and I’ll head there too. It’s too dangerous — they could be in immediate danger…”
John rarely saw her so panicked. “Wait, Liz… Who are Sai and Emma?”
“My other older brother, and his wife. They’ve been abroad and just returned a few days ago. It’s our mother’s birthday soon.”
“They’re in danger?”
“Yes,” Liz said, glancing at Carolyn, who was driving recklessly as usual but hadn’t been stopped. “Sai just called me. He saw Peggy — that Gorgon — in the hotel lobby. She’s searching for them! This is because…they were the couple who sedated her and alerted the Association after discovering her identity.”
“Isn’t Sai a businessman?”
“Yes, but he’s also a child of the Blackmoon family. He knows a little about such matters and carries some protective magical potions. Peggy, the Gorgon, was wearing a headscarf and a long robe. Sai said he happened to catch a glimpse of the skin on her wrist and recognized what she might be. When he realized Peggy had returned to the Iris Hotel, he and Emma had already left their room. They said Peggy was searching for them floor by floor… Now they have to leave the hotel as quickly as possible without running into her.”
John nodded. “I’ve heard that Gorgons are vindictive creatures. They bear grudges against anyone who so much as slightly offends them. Liz, you must not walk into that hotel without a plan.”
“I know,” Liz said. “I’ll get there first and wait for the right moment to help. You be careful, too.”
“Wait, Liz,” John asked, “did your older brother see only the Gorgon?”
“Yes, only her. I specifically asked about the Stone Man, but Sai said he hadn’t seen anyone suspicious.”
They both thought the same thing — perhaps the Stone Man was not with “Medusa”. Perhaps he had already taken human form.
By 5:30 a.m., West Bay City’s exorcists and hunters had nearly surrounded the Iris Hotel. Some crept cautiously inside, while others lay in wait from the shadows, watching.
Liz and Carolyn slipped into the hotel’s surveillance room, where the security guard on duty had been forced into temporary unconsciousness. Carolyn guided Sai’s movements over the phone, helping him avoid the Gorgon, while Liz tried to reach Lucian. The lab’s phone went unanswered, and Lucian’s cell was switched off.
She should have been used to Lucian’s habit of keeping his phone off — he was always like that, and usually one just had to wait for him to reach out first. But today, Liz couldn’t keep calm.
She called Charlotte. Charlotte’s voice sounded a little tired but concerned. “What’s happened?”
Liz quickly explained the situation. Charlotte was silent for a moment before saying, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but I might not be able to help. You know Lucian’s life is very…old-fashioned. At this time of day, neither of us can get in touch with him.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I’m just a little rattled,” Liz said. “Honestly, even if I could reach him, it wouldn’t matter — he couldn’t come here to help. It’s just…Sai might be in danger, and I thought I should let him know. Charlotte, I’m really sorry for disturbing your personal time.”
“It’s fine — really,” Charlotte said. “By the way, I’d advise Mr. Sai not to hang up and redial, and not to speak at all. Just listen. Gorgons have an extremely keen sense of hearing. Talking or a phone ringing could lead her right to him.”
“Yes, I know. We already told him that.”
After they hung up, Charlotte stood atop a low hill, gazing at the lights beyond the trees. Several dark figures spoke softly behind her before slipping silently into the dense forest.
Charlotte dialed another number — the name on the screen read Emma Singer. Emma had never used the Blackmoon family surname.
By nearly six o’clock, on the edge of a remote stretch of woodland outside the city, Coraci caught sight of an old house with its lights still on.
He stepped out of the undergrowth, following a narrow path along the fence until he reached the small, slightly cramped single-family home.
Inside, someone was playing the piano — haltingly, without much skill. The music stopped completely as he set foot on the wooden steps leading to the front porch.
He smiled, imagining John’s parents standing behind the door, wary of strangers.
He knocked lightly.
“Who is it?” came a deep male voice from just inside. The sound was close — he hadn’t walked over from deeper in the house; he was standing right behind the door.
“I’m Devlin,” Coraci replied. “A friend of John Lockland. He should have mentioned me.”
The homeowner opened the door just a crack. In the moonlight, Coraci could see his pale face and blood-red eyes.
The bloodkin stepped back, signaling for Coraci to enter.
“I’m Roy,” he said, extending a hand. “John’s father. He did mention you were coming.”
Roy looked like a man in his thirties: tall but thin, his shirt hanging loosely on his frame. His blond hair fell to his shoulders, and a faint stubble lined his cheeks. His presence carried a timeless quality, almost as if he didn’t belong to the current era.
When Coraci shook his hand, a flicker of surprise crossed Roy’s eyes, quickly softening into a genial smile.
A woman in a floral long dress cautiously stepped out from the interior. She must be John’s mother — or rather, his mother in her human form. She appeared older than Roy, at least forty-five, though as a bloodkin her true age was closer to John’s.
“This is Zola, my wife,” Roy introduced.
Zola didn’t step forward to shake hands; she clasped her hands together shyly and nodded. She still carried the gentle modesty of a woman from an older era.
Roy led Coraci into the living room. The girl who had been playing the piano, barely ten years old, jumped down from the bench and excitedly stood before Coraci, scrutinizing him until Roy reminded her it was impolite.
“Sorry, Dad. I just think it’s unbelievable — I’m really meeting an exorcist!” she exclaimed, calling Roy “Dad” instead of “Father,” which Coraci remembered was how John addressed him.
“Strictly speaking, I’m not an exorcist,” Coraci said. “Like John, I’m a mediator, though I occasionally act as a hunter to help out.”
“What’s the scariest monster you’ve ever killed?” the girl asked.
Roy shot her a sharp look. “Jane! Stop that…”
“Uh, it’s fine,” Coraci smiled at Roy. “Honestly, we usually have to pretend to be insurance agents, corporate trainers, salespeople and such… It’s nice to be able to speak openly like this.”
Returning to her question, he added, “I haven’t really killed any terrifying monsters myself, but John has defeated demons multiple times.”
“Demons!” Jane exclaimed, eyes wide. She grabbed Coraci and pulled him onto the sofa. “John never tells me the details, but I’ve always known he does something really cool! I mean, because of him, our home even got internet installed!”
“What kind of logic is that…”
“Exactly! Ever since he started working at your company, it seems he handled some permits, and suddenly we have internet! Such a magical job…”
By around 6:05 a.m., slanting morning light had begun to cover the trees.
Zola went to prepare a guest room, while Roy tried to call Jane to rest. As he passed the window, he abruptly stepped back, eyes darting toward the outside, retreating into the darker corner of the room.
“Sir, did you come alone?” he asked.
Coraci nodded. The bloodkin’s alertness made him tense.
“Someone is following you. Or perhaps, looking for you.”
Six people emerged from different directions in the woods — four men and two women. No longer hidden, they stepped into the morning sunlight, closing in on Roy’s house.
Coraci approached the window. The sun had fully risen, light streaming through the gaps in the curtains, brushing his face.
He stepped back and warned Roy in a low voice, “Six werewolves.”
Zola hugged Jane tightly. Roy looked at Coraci in shock, then toward the front door.
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