Chapter 84: Morning Gone

“Alright, men, we’re finally here.”

The taxi driver informed the three passengers seated in the back of the yellow cab—Jamie, Kasa, and Sandra. The two couldn’t stand being next to each other, so Jamie sat between them, a silent mediator of sorts.

They had just arrived in Birdman City, the place where the newspaper reported the suspicious kidnapping of children.

The three stepped out of the car. Kasa made the payment, and the taxi driver drove away, leaving them in front of the City Hotel.

At first glance, it might seem like a strange place to start an investigation into a serious crime—but in fact, hotels were perfect. From staff eager to do their jobs well to elderly locals who loved talking about their city, this was often where the best information surfaced.

“I don’t want to come off as judgey,but why is she coming with us?” Kasa muttered.

“Because I wanted to come, bozo.”

Sandra fired back instantly. Jamie had removed the barrier that restricted their her movement so she became energetic with freedom.

They argued like siblings—loud, unfiltered, and completely unconcerned with how others might view two adults bickering over something so simple. Thankfully, the face-sealing magic concealed their true forms. Without it, long elf ears and a horn on someone’s head would have made the situation far stranger.

“Did it cross your mind that having you around will make the cost of living more expensive?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll pay for myself.”

That shut him down immediately, leaving him stuttering as he searched for another argument but couldn’t find one.

“Are you done? Because if you’re not, I’m willing to leave both of you behind.”

Jamie said flatly from between them.

“How did you switch from a lone wolf to a team player just like that? You trusted her awfully fast.” Kasa added.

He had a point. Jamie’s behavior was a little out of character.

Come to think of it… there might only be one explanation.

He must be in love with her.

Maybe Ella had been right all along.

Kasa pondered the thought like a scientist trying to construct a theory.

“I’m going inside,” Jamie said.

Within minutes they had checked into the hotel, renting three separate rooms.

After settling in, Kasa and Sandra went downstairs while Jamie remained in his room and collapsed onto the bed.

The poor guy hadn’t slept since Kasa had shown up uninvited at his house—more than two days without rest.

So when he chose sleep, they respected it and left him alone.

.…..

The second floor was far more lively than the first, which was occupied mostly by the reception lounge. Up here things were different—lottery machines, bars, small discos. Everything someone might want within reach.

While Kasa tried to mine information from a group of men who looked like longtime city residents—joining their gambling table so he wouldn’t appear suspicious—Sandra found her lead elsewhere.

One of the old women from a knitting circle leaned closer and whispered:

“You see that waitress over there? Her son was taken by the beast.”

She pointed toward a young woman cleaning empty beer bottles.

The waitress wore a black-and-white uniform. One look at her face revealed the exhaustion beneath it—the hollow expression of someone missing a piece of herself.

A space only her daughter could fill.

Sandra decided to take the chance and approached the counter.

“A bottle of water, please.”

The waitress glanced at Sandra briefly, then reached into the freezer and pulled out a chilled bottle. She poured the water into a large glass—the sort usually used for beer—and set it down in front of her.

“How long have you been working here?” Sandra asked, easing into conversation.

The waitress wiped a glass tumbler with a clean cloth before answering.

“About three years now, give or take,what about you? What do you do for a living?” she said, her voice carrying a soft English lilt.

Perfect. The conversation had shifted exactly where Sandra wanted it.

“I’m a supernatural researcher… and a detective.”

The waitress froze.

Her eyes widened slightly, a spark of hope lighting up in them—something that clearly hadn’t been there for a long time.

Standing in front of her was the sort of person she had been searching for.

Ever since the kidnappings began, the government had tried to explain everything away. They had brought in experts, theorists, investigators—people who spoke in circles and left with neat reports.

But none of them helped find the children.

“Please… you’ve got to help me,My son—Olive.” she said suddenly, leaning forward across the counter.

Her voice cracked, the restrained English composure slipping for a moment.

“Don’t worry, I will. I just need you to answer a few questions. Tell me his name, his age… and what he was wearing when he disappeared.”

“His name’s Olive Thompson,twelve years old. He was wearing a red jacket and shorts the morning he went missing.”she it quickly like she was waiting for the doctor the whole night.

“Where was he heading?”

“To school, and that’s the strange part either? Every mum I’ve spoken to says the same thing. All the children disappeared while they were on their way to school.”

She swallowed hard.

That was odd.

Why in the morning? Why not at night… or later in the day?

There’s no pattern here, Sandra thought. Jamie was right.

This case was stranger than it first appeared.

Even Jamie had missed that.

….

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The three walked through the streets later that night, heading out to find some warm food.

“So,how did the search go?”

Jamie started the conversation.

“We found the same general information,” Kasa replied.

“Most locals say the kidnappings started about five months ago,and they always happen in the morning.”

Sandra added.

Each new detail only made the situation harder to crack.

“I checked the road most kids use to get to school, nothing. No tracks, no signs.”

Sandra continued.

“At least you didn’t spend your time gambling,” Jamie muttered.

“No one noticed your true forms, right?” Jamie asked.

“No one so far.”

If someone with magic looked closely, they would see through the face-sealing spell. That was why Jamie had warned them earlier.

They walked a few more steps in silence.

Then Jamie suddenly stopped.

“Let’s recap for a second!” he muttered, lifting his hand into the air like a scientist trying to crack a mystery.

“A genki is kidnapping kids instead of killing them on sight. That means the children are somehow connected to demons!”

Sandra nodded slowly. “That’s the only explanation. Genkis don’t target humans unless there’s demon magic involved.”

Jamie raised another finger.

“Second—someone actually saw the genki.”

Kasa frowned. “Yeah… the witnesses described it clearly.”

“Which shouldn’t even be possible,normal humans can’t see genkis.”

Jamie added.

Sandra crossed her arms. “Unless those locals have some form of dormant magic… or the genki is revealing itself on purpose.”

Jamie exhaled.

“Either way, it’s strange.”

Kasa scratched the back of his head.

“And there’s another weird detail,every kid disappeared in the morning. On the way to school.”

Jamie nodded.

“No night attacks huh. No random kidnappings.”

“Which means the creature is choosing its targets carefully,” Sandra added.

“And that makes this whole thing feel less like hunting,” Kasa muttered.

“And more like collecting,” Jamie finished.

The three of them fell quiet again.

“What a pain,and time isn’t on our side.”

Kasa groaned.

“The money we’re spending here either,This really is tricky.”

Jamie suddenly stopped walking again.

“If you want,we could speed things up.”

Kasa frowned. “How? We don’t have anything we could use to find the children.”

“Then we lower the bait.”

“Lower it how?”

Jamie slowly turned his head toward Kasa.

A faint smirk appeared on his face.

“Easy.we turn Kasa back into a kid.”

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