Confinement

Light and shadow shifted, and Lynch reappeared in the underground cavern of Thorn Flower. He immediately removed the ring, reverting to human form.

Meanwhile, Maya was screaming as she scrambled out of the bedding, slapping furiously at her body as if she were on fire. After slapping herself for a moment, she gradually slowed to a halt, staring blankly at Lynch. Her lips trembled, yet she could not utter a word.

Frowning, Lynch asked softly, “Awake?”

“I think I just had that strange nightmare again. I dreamed you turned into a burning man, and then a ball of fire suddenly lunged at me, setting me ablaze too. That scared me awake.”

Lynch sighed. “Have you been having that dream often these past few days?”

“Not often, but I did have that nightmare the day before yesterday.” The female reporter curled into a ball, holding her head as she murmured, “Is there something wrong with my dreams? I keep feeling like something isn’t right.”

“Why do you think that?”

“The night before yesterday, I had that exact dream, and I also dreamed of the vagrants who were in the same carriage as me. At the time, I thought it was just because I saw them before going to sleep, but just now I dreamed of you, and you happened to be with me too. I can’t shake the feeling that this is bizarre.”

As expected of a journalist—her intuition was sharp enough to spot the issue at a glance. Lynch did not explain right away, instead pressing further, “What about yesterday? Did you dream then?”

“The dream from the day before yesterday terrified me, so I didn't dare sleep yesterday. I wandered around the station entrance for a long time and checked the message board several times.”

“I see. And did the people you dreamed of do anything?”

“I don't know. I just saw them in the dream, and after that, I went to the temple just like in the first dream. I don't know what they did afterward.”

Listening to Maya’s elaboration, Lynch gradually pieced together the general outline of the incident.

It seemed that ever since that dream in the cave, she had been targeted by Mordiggian. Even though she had escaped in time, the connection had already been established. Fleeing farther made no difference; she had still begun her gradual transformation into a ghoul. Furthermore, starting from the day before yesterday, whenever she fell asleep, she could pull people in her vicinity into her dreams.

At this moment, the female reporter was nervously clutching her blanket, her fingers unconsciously tearing at the fabric. Watching her blood-red eyes flicker uncertainly under the lamplight, Lynch was suddenly reminded of his own panicked, helpless feelings from a few days ago. His heart softened.

“Actually, I shouldn't tell you the truth. I now understand what Officer Natalie was worried about back then. But I'll need your cooperation for what comes next. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it's better to make things clear.”

The female reporter’s breathing grew hurried, and she tore at the fabric with greater force, quietly waiting for Lynch to pronounce her fate.

Lynch shook his head and told her most of what he knew about Maya, Donnie, and the ghouls. To Lynch’s surprise, the female reporter did not overreact. She merely listened blankly, and only after Lynch finished speaking did she let out a faint sigh:

“So... it's not just a matter of me turning into a monster. I'm a walking source of disaster now? And I've already caused the deaths of twelve people?”

“We can't be certain yet; that's just my deduction. Besides, you didn't kill them. In theory, you're merely a medium.”

The female reporter wiped the corners of her eyes and gave a self-deprecating laugh. “So you're not disputing the description of me being a 'source of disaster,' right? Heh, even I feel like I'm extremely dangerous. Right now, the safest method would probably be to shoot me dead on the spot.”

“Things aren't that simple in the occult world. No one knows how the state of your body might change after death—you might even become far more dangerous. If that happens, it'll be impossible to fix.”

The female reporter nodded with a bitter smile. “So what do you want me to cooperate with?”

“Stay here and don't run around outside. Aside from using the washroom, try not to go upstairs,” Lynch explained. “The range of your influence while asleep is uncertain, but the gatekeeper upstairs wasn't pulled into the dream, which means the radius of effect is less than the depth of this underground cave. Staying here will prevent you from causing a greater disaster. It's best for you and everyone else.”

“How long do I have to keep myself confined?”

“I'm not sure either, but I'll take this opportunity to hurry and investigate what happened to you, to help you return to a normal life. You don't need to wonder why I'm helping you. First, I took on a commission, and through you, I can teach Mordiggian a harsh lesson. Second, I heard Mordiggian usurped the Divine Authority of Death, and I happen to need an experiment, so helping you is helping myself. Third, people might need countless reasons to reject someone, but helping someone often requires just one.”

“Huh?”

“Because I feel like it.”

“Heh...” A surprisingly human smile surfaced on her monstrous mouth. The female reporter relaxed considerably, gave a soft nod, and wrapped her arms around her knees as she stared at Lynch. “All right, I'll cooperate. But how do you plan to investigate?”

“Actually, I've already found a breakthrough, but it will take time. So please be patient.”

“I understand. Then I'll wait for your good news. Thank you, sir.” The female reporter fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. “Actually, there are two things I kept hidden.”

“Oh?”

“On my last night in the cave, after I drank the hillmen's wine, I wasn't just sleeping. My consciousness seemed to wander around, going deeper and deeper. After a long time, I reached a massive cave entrance, just like the one in my dreams. Then, something—I don't know what it was—burrowed into my body from the cave entrance.”

It seemed his honesty had earned her complete trust. Things would be much easier from here on. Lynch breathed a sigh of relief and pressed, “And the other thing?”

“I also heard what Grant and those vagrant monsters were discussing. They plotted that Grant would help the vagrants achieve their goals, while the vagrants would provide him with unpaid laborers. Their cooperation must have started a long time ago; they seemed very familiar with each other.”

Lynch felt his fists clench, but getting angry now was just helpless rage. He notched another strike against Grant in his heart, then stood up.

“Officer Natalie and I will deliver food to you every day, but to be safe, we won't come down. If you have any requests, write them on a note and place it in the elevator. We'll do our best to accommodate you.”

“Okay. If there's anything I can do, let me know anytime. Though aside from writing news reports, I'm not good for much else. By the way, why did you bring Martha to see me?”

Lynch’s eyes suddenly lit up, and a sinister grin spread across his face, prompting Maya to scoot back and shrink into a terrified ball.

“No, no, no, don't be nervous. Do you want to use this time to break a massive piece of news? It involves a conflict between royal agencies and the city council, hundreds of deaths, a major factory owner disregarding workers' lives, factory executives suffering the consequences and dying horribly on the workshop floor, Chairman Grant cutting off his own tail to clear his name...”

Before he could even finish speaking, the ferocious ghoul had already pounced in front of him, gripping his shoulders tightly with both hands, her red eyes gleaming with fierce excitement.

“Quick, tell me the details!” Maya's fighting spirit was practically materializing on the surface of her body. “Go fetch me all the newspapers from the past five days! I smell a sensational scoop! And pass a message to Martha for me: tell her to mobilize all her people. I'll write letters every day telling them what to investigate. Work hard, everyone—no slacking off allowed!”

Lynch took a step back and rubbed his arm, feeling as if he had just unleashed a terrifying, ferocious beast.