Chapter 4: Nightmares and Undercurrents

An icy claw pierced through Alina Smith's body, the pain tearing her muscles and bones apart like a blade slicing through her skin. The agony spread inward, deepening as the claw embedded itself into her flesh, making her vision blur. She could hear the sound of her own blood dripping from the claw, breaking the silence around her like the steady patter of raindrops.

Her gaze held a fading anger and bitterness as she watched a distant, blurred figure running away.

"Am I really going to die here…"

Suddenly, her eyes shot open, and she jolted awake from the nightmare. Silence filled the room. Her heart pounded, her fingers trembled as they reached for her chest, where she could still feel the phantom ache from the dream.

Taking a deep breath, Alina tried to pull herself out of the brutal memory. Her heart continued to race, and the lingering pain in her chest felt so real that she pressed against it several times, as though to confirm she was still alive.

She picked up her phone and checked the time—3 a.m. A few unread messages flashed on the screen, all from Alex Lin. Frowning, she scrolled through them.

"Are you still awake?"

"Had a rough day. Wanted to talk."

"Why aren't you replying? Busy?"

"Alina, did you fall asleep?"

Her fingers paused, a mix of emotions stirring in her chest. Since returning from the apocalypse, her relationship with Alex had gradually become distant. Yet he still occasionally sent her these late-night messages, as if hoping she would be there for him. But Alina knew that once certain things had changed, the distance between them would be difficult to bridge.

Sighing, she typed a brief reply: "Sorry, I fell asleep earlier. I'm awake now. What's up?"

She watched the screen, her eyes weary. Moments later, Alex's reply appeared.

"Not much, just missing you. Lately, it feels like things have changed between us." His message seemed casual but carried a hint of probing, as if he were trying to open a door to her guarded heart.

Alina took a deep breath, hesitating over how to respond. She knew Alex had sensed the shift between them, but memories of his actions during the apocalypse lingered in her mind. She took another breath, reminding herself, Not yet… it's not the time.

She typed carefully, "I've just been busy and haven't been sleeping well. Don't worry. Get some rest."

After sending the message, a hint of melancholy flickered in her eyes. She put the phone down, returning to the dark silence. Images from her nightmare—the claws, blood, betrayal, and abandonment—replayed in her mind, as though silently reminding her that some things never truly fade.

"Looks like I won't be sleeping again…" She opened her phone once more and began aimlessly scrolling through videos on social media.

A livestream title soon caught her attention: "Tell us about Sunnydale City's urban legends."

Curious, Alina tapped into the stream. On the screen was an energetic host, currently discussing some of Sunnydale City's urban legends.

In the chat, a user named "Nightfall" began typing a series of messages:

"Sunnydale may look bustling on the surface, but there are countless eerie stories hidden beneath. They say that late at night, strange shadows appear in the isolated alleys, sometimes accompanied by unnatural cries. Some even say that those who disappeared never really left this city."

"Really? That sounds terrifying!" the host exclaimed, clearly intrigued.

Alina's brow furrowed slightly, her attention sharpening as she listened, her memories drifting back to the shadow-filled wasteland of the apocalypse. Sunnydale City was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, a place she had come to investigate the roots of the disaster. Now, though, she began to wonder if the city's eerie atmosphere held deeper connections.

"I've also heard that around the Stellar Foundation's headquarters in the old town, strange figures are often seen at night. Some people even claim that sometimes the lights suddenly go out, followed by footsteps… but there's no one around," another user named D added.

Alina's heart tightened. She had heard of the Stellar Foundation—a charity organization, but something about it set her instincts on edge. Her intuition told her that there was more to it than met the eye.

Making a quick decision, she followed the livestream channel and noted down the locations and clues mentioned. Her mind began to form a plan. She knew that this investigation might lead her to uncover unexpected secrets, perhaps even placing her on a far more dangerous path. But no matter the risk, she had to know—what was hidden within this city?

Alina closed her phone, sitting up in bed and taking a slow, deep breath. Outside her window, the nightscape of Sunnydale City stretched before her, but in her mind, she saw the desolate scenes of the apocalypse she had lived through before returning. The shadows in the dark, eerie cries, the missing people, and the scenes of ruin—these memories were etched deeply into her mind, and the rumors she had just heard brought them back.

"There has to be a reason… it can't all happen again without cause…" Alina mused, dark memories of bloodshed and apocalyptic lessons flashing through her mind. She had returned to Sunnydale City with the goal of uncovering the truth behind the devastation and altering the course of fate. But now, it felt like everything in this city hinted at her worst fears—that the seeds of the future catastrophe might already be planted here.

The mention of the "Stellar Foundation" lingered in her thoughts. In the apocalypse, this organization was a mystery wrapped in a charitable façade, secretly tied to numerous eerie events. She couldn't ignore this; perhaps this was the start of her journey to uncovering the truth of the future, maybe even finding clues to prevent the apocalypse.

"No matter the cost, I have to find out," she murmured to herself, opening her notebook to record the key points of her new lead. She knew that this investigation might affect more than just her own fate; it could change the course of millions of lives.

Meanwhile, at a lakeside on the outskirts of Sunnydale City, blue and red warning lights illuminated the dark shore. Beyond the police tape, dozens of patrol cars cast a cold, stark glow across the scene. The frigid night breeze stirred the lake's surface, filling the air with a chilling sense of foreboding as it carried the metallic scent of blood.

A black sedan stopped outside the police tape, and the car door opened slowly. A tall, sharp-eyed man stepped out, exuding an air of calm authority—Detective Jason Smith from Sunnydale City's Major Crimes Unit. His gaze was steady and observant as he scanned the scene, noting every minute detail.

"What's the situation?" Jason asked, his tone devoid of any emotion.

The lead officer, an old colleague of his, approached immediately. "Detective, it's strange this time. According to the report, a witness saw a figure struggling in the lake before it suddenly disappeared. We found a significant amount of blood along the shore, but no sign of a body or the witness. The lake water appears contaminated."

Jason's brow furrowed slightly as he looked toward the lake. The usually calm surface reflected an eerie red hue under the night sky, as if stained with some unknown substance, casting an unsettling glow. Stepping closer, he slipped on gloves and crouched down to examine the bloodstains along the shore, his expression darkening as he studied the details.

"The smell in the water is off—a mix of rot and iron, similar to… decaying blood," Jason murmured, his gaze fixed on the lake's surface, contemplating the possible reasons behind it.

His instincts told him this was far from an ordinary case.

"Detective, could this be related to… those rumored incidents?" The lead officer asked in a hushed tone, a slight tremor betraying his unease.

Jason took a deep breath, standing up with an unreadable expression. "Seal off the area, thoroughly search the surrounding zones, and make sure to report any unusual signs. We need to locate the involved parties and ensure nothing like this happens again. And remember, as police, we rely on science and evidence, not speculation."

His determined gaze reflected the seriousness of the case. Beneath the silent surface of the lake, he sensed an inexplicable undercurrent waiting to surge up and engulf the city.

"Well, well, so serious, Jason!" A playful voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere, accompanied by light footsteps and a low whistle. Jason frowned, turning to see Edward Wilson strolling over, one hand in his pocket, casually twirling a small notebook in the other. He wore a confident smirk, seemingly unaffected by the grim scene.

Edward, in his usual teasing manner, raised his voice just enough to break the solemn air. "Lighten up, Jason! Even for major cases, a little humor goes a long way to ease the tension."

Jason's brow arched as he gave him a cool stare. "Edward, this is a crime scene, not a place for jokes."

Edward raised both hands in mock surrender, putting on a mock-offended expression. "Hey, I'm just here to help! Even intense cases need a touch of humor, right?" He grinned before crouching down to examine the blood patterns on the ground.

"That's a lot of blood… We sure it didn't just come from a rough time of the month?" Edward joked, though his expression turned more serious as he observed the scene carefully. "Jason, do you think all this blood came from a person?"

Jason glanced at him and replied in his usual calm tone, "A witness reported seeing someone struggle, but there's no body. Under normal circumstances, this much blood would mean an injured person or a body, yet there's no indication anyone was here. And the blood has an unusual smell."

Edward whistled, nodding thoughtfully, a hint of playful intrigue in his tone. "A rare sight, indeed. Mysterious scene like this… Don't tell me you're starting to believe those urban legends, Jason?"

Ignoring the comment, Jason remained focused. "I believe in evidence. Witnesses, blood, the oddities here—those are our leads. I don't want to hear any wild theories."

Edward shrugged, chuckling. "Understood, you're the city's straightest cop, after all. But this case is beginning to feel like a scene out of a horror story. Who knows, maybe I'll turn this into a thriller novel."

Jason shot him a cold look. "Save the commentary and help search the lakeshore. And keep those pointless ideas to yourself."

Edward snapped a mock salute with a grin before walking off along the lake, his expression both serious and curious. Despite his usual playful demeanor, Edward had a sharp intuition and a keen eye for detail, often picking up on things others overlooked.

Jason watched him disappear down the shoreline, shaking his head slightly as he mulled over the case's clues. Suddenly, Edward stopped, his voice carrying a note of surprise. "Jason, you should come see this!"

Jason quickly approached and looked down. There in the muddy ground along the lakeside were strange markings—deep, irregular claw-like prints etched into the earth. Edward, still in a half-serious tone, pointed at the marks. "Looks like we may have an unexpected visitor."

Jason's expression grew more serious as he studied the markings, his instincts telling him there was more to this than it seemed. Edward watched him with a hint of anticipation, as if waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to reveal itself. Both men stared at the strange imprints by the lake, each sensing that this was just the beginning of something far more ominous.

"Detective, the situation here is unusual," a forensic officer muttered, his flashlight casting light over the muddy shore, illuminating a long, deep drag mark interspersed with scattered bloodstains. "According to witnesses, someone was struggling in the lake, but there's no body or trace of anyone else."

Jason's frown deepened as he crouched down, directing the flashlight over the drag marks. The trail wound along the shore but abruptly stopped a few meters away, as if something had forcibly lifted the body away or vanished into thin air. Examining the blood, he detected an odd chemical smell mixed in.

"The drag marks and blood trail just end?" Jason asked quietly, his mind racing with possible explanations for the strange occurrences.

The forensic officer nodded grimly. "This blood has traces of a corrosive substance, similar to industrial waste. There's a strong metallic odor, very unsettling."

Jason wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of rust and decay, his frown deepening. Just as he was about to stand, footsteps approached, and he turned to see Edward coming over with his usual casual demeanor, hands in his pockets.

"Jason, still crouched here, huh? This scene could pass for a horror flick. Who knows what lurks in that lake?"

Jason shot Edward a cool look and replied curtly, "We're investigating a case, not shooting a horror movie." He pointed to the interrupted trail of blood and drag marks. "These bloodstains suddenly stop here. We need to go over this area again."

Edward raised his hands in mock surrender, then leaned down to examine the blood and drag marks more closely. "But honestly, these marks look suspicious, almost like someone was trying to cover something up."

Jason nodded. "Exactly. I suspect someone tampered with the scene to conceal certain details." He directed his flashlight toward the bushes along the lake, moving forward to continue the search.

Following the trail, they soon noticed that it stopped abruptly behind a large rock by the shore. Jason crouched down to inspect the area. There were no additional clues around, though it seemed like something heavy had been there, only to be intentionally removed.

He exchanged a glance with Edward, who raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Jason, looks like this isn't just some accidental case. Think it's time to consider… unconventional explanations?"

Jason shot him a sharp look. "Let's stay focused on the facts."

He meticulously inspected the lakeside, shining his flashlight across every inch of the muddy ground. Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a faint mark, nearly obscured—a deep, deliberate footprint half-buried in the soft mud, barely noticeable without careful observation.

Jason crouched, directing the beam of his flashlight over the imprint. It was a shoe print, only the faint front portion remaining, as if someone had walked through and attempted to erase their presence—but had overlooked this single mark.

"Someone else has been here," Jason murmured, his gloved fingers brushing lightly over the tread. His gaze sharpened. "The print is shallow, but it looks like someone was intentionally covering up their steps."

Edward leaned in, examining the nearly erased footprint with a raised brow. "Interesting… so someone came here and even tried to clean up after themselves? Jason, who do you think would be so invested in keeping their presence hidden?"

Jason's brows knitted as he considered the situation. He didn't answer. Certain individuals were meticulous, leaving little trace of their presence at a scene. But this overlooked print suggested that the person had been in a hurry. This heightened his suspicions, making him wonder if there might be a deeper connection to the case.

Jason took a quick photo of the footprint and then covered it carefully with his glove to preserve it from further disturbance. Standing, he looked out over the lake, his expression resolute as he decided to broaden the scope of their investigation.

"Tonight, I want increased surveillance in the area and for you to keep an eye out for any suspicious movement. In the morning, I'll need someone to visit nearby residents and ask if they've seen anything unusual," he ordered, his gaze lingering on the nearly imperceptible footprint, deep in thought.