An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

The night passed quickly, and by morning, Callan had finally regained consciousness. A whole night’s rest had restored color to his face, though he was still physically weak.

Grace had kept watch outside his room all night. As soon as she learned that he was awake, she immediately walked in.

“Callan, I’m the official in charge of handling this outbreak. I need to ask you several questions, and I kindly request that you answer them truthfully. Understood?” Grace said, getting straight to the point.

“Yes,” he replied, nodding with visible apprehension.

“When did you first get infected?”

“I’m not sure how long I was unconscious, but from what I remember, it started about three days ago. I suddenly felt dizzy and weak, with chills running through my entire body,” Callan said weakly.

He went on, “At first, I assumed it was just a common cold, so I took some medicine. But the symptoms kept worsening, and by the time I realized something was seriously wrong, it was already too late.”

“Before you fell ill, did you come into contact with any strangers?” Grace pressed.

“I hardly ever leave the house, but a few days ago I met up with this woman I’d been chatting with online. We’d known each other for two years, and this was our first time meeting in person,” he explained.

He continued, “She was gorgeous and even said she wanted to be my girlfriend. I was thrilled at the time and had a meal with her. Afterward, she said she was going to Harbortown to see her best friend, so she left for a while.”

“You started showing symptoms after that meeting?” Grace asked.

“You can say that,” Callan replied.

“Do you know who she was planning to see in Harbortown?”

“I’m not sure. Even though we’d been chatting online for two years, we rarely asked about each other’s personal details.”

you know her name,

me her name was Lauren Stephan, though I have no idea

need you to describe Lauren’s appearance in

her fingers at Sadie, signaling

After nearly an hour of adjustments and corrections,

finished portrait, his eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, that’s

out who

it,” Sadie responded before

anything else unusual around you

my time at home gaming and seldom go out. Anyone in the village can vouch for me.

I need for now. Get

she

already reviewed his background file and found nothing suspicious. He was a classic shut-in whose parents had died in a car accident a few years

social skills. He was passive and indecisive, which was precisely the type who’d

the truth, then Lauren had to be the source of the outbreak. Her trip to Harbortown

I found Lauren’s

few moments later, she had compiled everything she could find using

got on

She returned to the country three years ago and got into Nexology. She spends a lot of time online spreading their teachings and appears to be a devout believer,”

about her family and

was young, and we can’t trace her foreign identity right now. However, she does have several close relatives and

checks

one of them into it. I suspect this Nexology is just the Skull Covenant operating under a new identity,” Sadie said with a

wasn’t surprised upon hearing

again, they must have been planning this for years. They’d