Throughout the city

Priscilla Blake, a woman in her thirties with sharp eyes and an air of authority, watched Jasper intently as they made their way to the precinct. Her assistant, Vernon Rowe, had brought their car around, and the three of them got in, with Priscilla taking the lead.

As they drove, Priscilla couldn't help but study the young man. Despite his extraordinary display of power, he appeared to be barely out of his teens. His composure and the ease with which he had handled the situation spoke of experience far beyond his years.

Upon arriving at the precinct, Jasper strode purposefully towards the chief's office. Priscilla and Vernon exchanged glances, still trying to come to terms with the sudden appearance of this enigmatic new recruit.

Inside the office, Jasper introduced himself to the chief with a calm demeanor that belied the chaos they had just witnessed.

The chief, a gruff man with graying hair and a weathered face, looked skeptically at the young man before him.

"So, you're the protégé," the chief said, his tone a mixture of curiosity and doubt. "I hope you're ready for what we're dealing with here."

It seemed like Theodore had already talked to the chief, as he was aware of Jasper.

Jasper nodded curtly. "I am, sir."

The chief gestured to Vernon. "Rowe, bring him up to speed on the case."

Vernon led Jasper to their designated work area. One side of the office was occupied by three desks, with ample space for movement and collaboration. A large board dominated one wall, covered with a map of the city, photographs, and notes detailing the creature attacks.

As Vernon began his briefing, Jasper's eyes were drawn to the map. Red pins marked the locations where the creatures had appeared, each site a potential crime scene.

"We've been tracking these attacks for months now," Vernon explained. "At first, we thought they were random, but a pattern has emerged. The culprit, whoever they are, seems to be targeting areas with high foot traffic - markets, train stations, and public parks."

Jasper nodded, his eyes never leaving the map. "The attacks are clustered," he observed. "All within the city limits, and never more than a couple of miles apart."

Priscilla joined them, adding her insights. "We've theorized that the person behind this must be operating from within the city. The level of control over these creatures would require proximity, or so we thought."

Jasper's mind raced, connecting the dots between what he had observed at the attack site and the information before him. The faint magical traces he had seen, invisible to others, suggested a level of control that defied conventional magical theory.

"You're right about the culprit being in the city," Jasper said, his voice low and thoughtful. "But I suspect their method of control is something we haven't encountered before."

Priscilla raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

Jasper turned to face her and Vernon. "At the attack site, I detected magical residue unlike anything I've seen before. It suggests a form of remote control, possibly through a network of magical conduits spread throughout the city."

Vernon's eyes widened. "But that's impossible! The amount of power required to maintain such a network..."

"Would be immense," Jasper finished for him. "Which is why we need to consider that we're dealing with a magical practitioner of unprecedented skill and power."

A heavy silence fell over the group as they contemplated the implications of Jasper's words. If he was right, they were facing a threat far greater than they had initially believed.

Priscilla was the first to break the silence. "Alright, Jasper. You've clearly got insights we lack. What do you propose we do next?"

Jasper turned back to the map, his eyes tracing invisible lines between the attack sites. "We need to map out the magical residue across the city. If we can identify the pattern of these conduits, we might be able to trace them back to their source."