13. Disputes and Abnormalities

At seven in the evening, looking up from Dawnshire Town, the setting sun had turned the sky red.

Outside a white brick house, countless guards came and went, forming a patrol that spread throughout the town before gathering here again.

A town guard reported to their superior:

"Sheriff! We've found Ogden's body!"

The sheriff put out the cigarette in his hand, his eyes wide:

"What did you say?"

Although this was terrible news, it was better than not knowing anything at all. He was already exhausted.

The last time a murder had occurred in this quiet town was seven years ago, and that had been an accident. The time before that had been before he took office.

Finally having concrete information, the sheriff pressed on:

"What about Mrs. Lester and her children?"

The guard's face showed difficulty:

"No news yet. We've already sealed off the scene. You need to come and see for yourself."

The guard led the sheriff to a wooded area not far from the Lester home, where signs of overturned soil could still be seen at the edge.

It seemed like a typical burial of corpses; the perpetrator didn't have much time to deal with the body. However, the sheriff found the expressions of the surrounding guards to be a bit odd.

But when he saw the body, he almost threw up his dinner.

"What kind of monster is this!"

Ogden's body had begun to decay, but what made the sheriff feel sick wasn't that.

It was the fact that his skull had been ripped open while he was still alive, and the brain inside had disappeared. There was no trace of brain matter on the surface of the bones, as if they had been licked clean by some creature.

A nearby guard said:

"The coroner said there are signs of gnawing on the body's head. This isn't the crime scene. Most importantly, his time of death far exceeds his disappearance."

The sheriff focused on the first half of the statement and asked with a pale face:

"Just like the original black bear corpse?"

"Yes."

The sheriff came to his senses and turned to the subordinate beside him:

"Where is the mayor? Find the mayor for me right away. We need to notify the city's police station immediately."

"We don't know..."

The sheriff yelled somewhat out of control:

"Then go and find him! Until he's found."

His emotional agitation was not because of the shock, but because he realized a terrible fact.

A monster that could easily kill a black bear was lurking near the town and regarded humans as prey.

Who would be the next to die? How many people would have to die before this disaster came to an end?

This was the nightmare of Dawnshire Town.

Meanwhile, in Hewitt's cabin.

Rebecca sat on a wicker chair, staring blankly at the wooden wall that was empty of content.

Jimmy sat with his arms around his knees, not saying a word, lost in thought.

Nellie started rummaging through the kitchen, trying to find some food.

"Hela, where do you usually keep the food?"

Hela calmly replied:

"Are you hungry, Nellie? But it's not time to eat yet?"

Nellie stopped her action and looked at Hela:

"A little—no, I'm not hungry. I don't know; I just feel like I have to do something. Otherwise, I don't know how to stay calm. If I break down too, what am I supposed to do?"

Hela reached out with her little hand and held Nellie's slender fingers:

"It's okay. We still have Hewitt."

Nellie couldn't help but choke a bit as she asked:

"What if Ogden is already dead? No matter how capable Hewitt is, what can he do? And why do you seem completely unafraid, as if you've always known Hewitt's secret?"

Hela and Nellie exchanged glances:

"I don't know, but I believe Hewitt will protect us."

"Why do you trust him so much? I mean, although he is indeed very capable and a good person, if you don't know him completely, how can you be sure that Hewitt can solve all problems?"

Hela looked at Nellie with a puzzled expression:

"I can't be sure, but I believe in Hewitt, don't I?"

Nellie felt a bit uncomfortable under Hela's gaze. The young girl's unique thought process was something she couldn't quite understand.

"What if Hewitt fails?"

Hela said with determination:

"He won't fail."

"He's not a god. Who is there that never fails?"

"I know. I won't let... " Hela hesitated, and her tone became a bit displeased, "He won't fail."

Nellie didn't know what this girl was, but she was definitely not Hewitt's distant niece, and certainly not a sane human being.

On closer thought, Nellie couldn't help but feel an inexplicable liking for Hela the moment she first saw her. It wasn't because of her appearance, but her demeanor, her posture, and her many subtle movements.

It wasn't just her; it seemed that everyone who met Hela would feel affectionate towards her. Her mother was the same, and so was Jimmy. Given what Nellie knew of her brother, the immature youngster might have vented his anger on Hela.

But that thought never seemed to have crossed the adolescent boy's mind, as if such a thing couldn't and shouldn't happen at all.

Even now, while talking with her, Hela still gave Nellie a sense of recognition and security. Even at this moment, she couldn't bring herself to feel even a hint of resentment or fear.

'Perhaps Hewitt gave her some magical artifact.' Nellie comforted herself, and soon this idea became an unshakable fact entrenched in her mind.

Jimmy stood up and walked in front of Nellie, his head down and face gloomy.

Nellie asked preemptively:

"What's wrong?"

Jimmy looked up and sneered:

"I figured it out. You like him, don't you? Hewitt?"

Nellie's face turned red with anger, and she rebuked:

"Jimmy, what do you mean by that?"

Jimmy took a deep breath, seemingly trying to dispel the fear deep in his heart:

"If you don't like him, why do you speak up for him? Putting your boyfriend before your own father? Our father is dead, and you still have the mood to talk about love?"

Nellie clenched her fists and gritted her teeth:

"You should take a good look at yourself. You're like a mad dog now. If you weren't my brother, I would have punched you down."

Jimmy stared at Nellie with daunting eyes.

Nellie glanced in her mother's direction; she seemed not to have noticed the children's quarrel, and still stared straight at the wall.

"Nellie doesn't like Hewitt." Hela spoke from the side.

"What?"- Jimmy tried to stare fiercely at Hela, but the moment he saw her, the boy's heart softened, and the resentment in his eyes disappeared.

Hela softly explained:

"Hewitt said that Nellie doesn't like Hewitt, so Nellie can't like Hewitt."

Jimmy fell silent upon hearing these words, but Nellie could see that he would try to find a new target for his interrupted anger.

Nellie knew she would be that target.

Thump, thump.

Someone knocked on the door.

At nine o'clock at night, darkness enveloped the entire Dawnshire Town.