Humanity Will Have a Tomorrow

"You're surprisingly polite," Serena quipped, feeling that the werewolf seemed far less like a typical aberration. "I'm starting to think there's a person hiding under that wolf skin."

Logan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed the subject. "I picked up a few things from humans. By the way, how's your injury? Will you be ready to take down the Bull-Headed Aberration in time?"

"I'll be fine. It's just a stab wound," Serena replied nonchalantly, though deep down, she felt a strange, indescribable sensation.

"Recover quickly. I'm off to continue my hunt," Logan said before abruptly hanging up, preventing Serena from asking any further questions.

Lily, standing nearby, furrowed her brows. She had a gut feeling the person on the other end was a beautiful woman.

"Who was that?" she asked, a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

"A captain from the Exorcist Bureau, named Serena," Logan said absentmindedly as he handed over the phone to show Lily the contact information.

"Is she pretty?" Lily threw out the question, the classic "deadly inquiry."

It took Logan a second to realize, and he quickly defended himself. "Not at all! She's as cold as ice, always with a sour expression. I can't stand talking to her."

"Oh, I see," Lily smiled, finally reassured, and threw her arms around Logan. "Let's go hunting then!"

Logan smiled to himself as he embraced her, leaping from the rooftop into the night. ——

Detective Warren King wiped the sweat from his brow as he removed his gas mask, stepping out of the stadium where the infected citizens had been quarantined.

Since the solution to the "biters" problem had been discovered, they had been corralled into large facilities like stadiums, football fields, and exhibition centers.

Each infected person was restrained in straightjackets and fitted with muzzles to prevent further attacks on humans.

It looked inhumane, but given their condition, it was a necessary precaution.

Medical staff from across the city had gathered to treat the infected, administering emetics and laxatives to expel the aberration fragments from their systems. Manpower was stretched thin.

Warren had just finished delivering the barbecue restaurant staff from the precinct, only to be roped into helping the doctors move patients. Finally, he could catch a brief break.

"When will this end?" a fellow officer asked as he approached, also drenched in sweat. He had been similarly conscripted for help.

"Probably in two days. We've treated almost half already," Warren replied.

"Man, I feel like I'm going to die on the job. This never ends," the officer sighed.

Aberrations had turned society upside down, skyrocketing crime rates, leaving cases unsolved, and overburdening police departments. It was exhausting.

"We rely on the Exorcist Bureau. They're the ones on the front lines," Warren said, patting his colleague on the shoulder before putting his gas mask back on and heading back inside the stadium.

In truth, Warren was plagued with doubts. How far off was a brighter tomorrow? When would the aberrations finally disappear?

There were no clear answers to any of these questions. He missed the days when life was simpler—when even the worst criminals were still human and could be held accountable by the law.

But aberrations… not even weapons could bring them down.

"Sometimes I wish this were all just a nightmare, and I could wake up to a peaceful world," Warren chuckled bitterly at his own wishful thinking.

Inside the stadium, rows upon rows of infected citizens lay restrained in their beds, muzzled like ravenous beasts, constantly gnashing their teeth as if ready to bite anyone near.

However, the strict safety protocols gave the medical staff enough confidence to go about their work, recording the patients' progress as they were treated for the fragments inside them.

Warren's sharp eyes spotted his superior, Captain Glenn Cooper, working tirelessly alongside the doctors, pushing beds and assisting wherever needed.

"Captain! Let me help you!" Warren rushed over to assist, pushing one of the patient beds alongside his boss.

"Ah, Warren! Good to see you," Glenn greeted him with a tired smile.

Warren noticed the exhaustion in his captain's face but also the lack of sadness or frustration. Curious, he asked, "Captain, how are your wife and son? Are they safe?"

"Haha, you wouldn't believe it!" Glenn laughed, surprisingly upbeat. "My wife accidentally booked us at the wrong restaurant. We ended up in the northern district, at a perfectly normal barbecue joint!"

"That's great! They didn't have to go through any of this nightmare," Warren said, genuinely happy for his captain.

"Yeah, I guess there's a blessing in her scatterbrained moments. Thank goodness for that mistake!" Glenn smiled, clearly relieved.

"But what brings you here, Captain? Shouldn't you be handling things at the station?"

"Just trying to do some good—helping out wherever I can. Keeps the family safe, you know?" Glenn replied with a chuckle, his answer simple and heartfelt.

Before they could chat further, a nearby nurse called out for help. The two officers quickly paused their conversation and rushed over to assist.

"Keep it up! They'll get better soon!" Warren overheard Glenn whisper words of encouragement to one of the delirious patients strapped to a bed, and it solidified Warren's own resolve.

Even if he never became an exorcist, he would do everything in his power to uphold his duty as an officer. He believed that humanity would find a way to survive, no matter how dark the days ahead might seem.