Chapter 22: Otherworldly Ally
Alex went back to his office after watching Toru begin the suit construction with intense focus. The warehouse materials had arrived swiftly thanks to Yurei's authorization. Watching Toru shift between technical tools and his merging ability was a sight in itself—each component floating momentarily before clicking into place with precision.
Alex leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the quiet, dim-lit office. The flickering screen on his desk listed no new missions—no rogue attacks, no creature outbreaks, no strange item emergencies. It was unsettling. A rare moment of peace that didn't sit well.
With nothing urgent to handle, he turned to the bounty board—a separate list where unresolved, lower-priority cases were posted. His eyes locked onto a new one.
[Bounty Case: Missing Child – 6 days unresolved]
Name: Riku Halden
Age: 9
Last seen: Near south ward marketplace
Clothing: Red hoodie, grey trousers
Status: Unknown
Alex's expression darkened slightly. He tapped the file open, reading the witness reports and timestamps. No sightings since the evening of disappearance. Police efforts had come up short.
He tapped his earpiece.
"Ghostbit," he said calmly, "We've got a job. Missing child case—search name Riku Halden. South ward area, six-day window. Check nearby surveillance feeds, social media pings, anything odd."
There was a soft crackle in his ear before the techno-cyborg voice responded, filtered and smooth.
"Understood. Beginning data sweep and signal trace. This may take time."
Alex nodded to himself, already pulling up a map of the city's southern ward.
No hero emergencies today—but that didn't mean he wouldn't act like one.
Ghostbit's voice returned after a short delay, calm but tinged with static.
"Scanned all public and private feeds within the south ward. Several blind spots. Many street cameras are non-functional or have interference. No confirmed visuals of the child."
Alex frowned. "So nothing useful?"
"Only traces. Interference spikes near the old textile warehouse and city drain junction. Unusual but inconclusive. Will continue passive monitoring."
Alex exhaled slowly and stood up from his chair.
"Alright. Keep sweeping for any changes or motion anomalies. I'm heading to check on the parents. Sometimes answers hide in the beginning."
He grabbed his coat and access tablet, his expression unreadable as he left the office.
Missing kids, malfunctioning surveillance, and strange interference—
It never stayed quiet for long.
Before leaving the building, Alex made a detour to Yurei's office. She was sitting at her desk, sifting through a folder of spore reports when he stepped in.
"Quick question," Alex said. "Is the Spore Planting initiative covering the south ward? Specifically around the textile warehouse and drainage junction?"
Yurei glanced up. Her fingers paused mid-turn.
"Not yet," she said after a beat. "That area was flagged for phase three, which hasn't started. Why?"
Alex nodded slowly, absorbing the answer. "Just cross-checking something. There's a missing child case—Ghostbit's picking up interference in that area. No visual trace, and the CCTVs are out."
Yurei's eyes sharpened. "You think it's connected?"
"I'm not sure yet," he replied. "But either it's a coincidence, or someone really doesn't want that part of the ward watched."
She exhaled. "We'll keep it off the planting schedule for now. I'll send a soft alert to local law enforcement too—quietly."
"Thanks," Alex said. "I'll let you know what I find."
With that, he turned and walked out, his mind heavier than before.
As Alex made his way toward the south ward, the city's usual buzz dimmed beneath his thoughts. The trees lined the sidewalks like silent guardians, but something about the air today felt heavier. On one corner, buildings were under repair—loose bricks stacked to the side, scaffoldings clinging to walls like cobwebs. Alex paused briefly, letting his gaze scan the workers, the dust, the tension beneath normalcy. Nothing stood out, but a quiet thought anchored in his mind.
He moved on.
The child's home was tucked at the edge of a quiet cul-de-sac. A weather-worn house with drawn curtains and a wind chime that barely stirred. Alex knocked twice.
The door creaked open. A tired man with unshaven stubble and sunken eyes blinked at him.
"Yes?"
Alex held out his credentials. "Dispatcher Alex Thorne. I'm here regarding your son."
Recognition flickered in Mr. Halden's eyes. "Right… come in."
Inside, the air was heavy. Not with incense or mildew, but with stillness—like a pause that never broke. Mr. Halden offered tea or coffee. Alex politely declined, already slipping into work mode.
The questioning began.
"Where was he last seen?"
"After school. He always walks home. That day… he never came."
"Any trouble? Fights at school? Problems?"
"No. He's a good kid. Quiet. Doesn't cause trouble."
"Anyone suspicious nearby recently?"
Mr. Halden shook his head firmly. "No strangers. Just regular people. Everyone knows everyone here."
Every answer was too clean. Too polished.
Alex's gut churned.
Without another word, he stood and moved toward the open floor space, brushing aside an empty rug. He took a deep breath, and summoned.
The air grew cold.
Blue light flickered as a dark rift tore open briefly in the air—and out stepped what looked like a sleek black Belgian Shepherd, tall and lean, its amber eyes burning with an intelligence that seemed far older than any simple canine.The air around it shimmered faintly with residual heat.
The Hound locked eyes with Alex.
And didn't move.
The room fell silent. The hound stared into him—not physically, but mentally. Alex's Mindcube flared in response, glowing faintly on his temple, threads of mental energy reaching out like invisible synapses.
In that exact moment, The Hound's body flickered. Briefly igniting into ethereal fire—orange flame that danced around his body like ghostly armor. The flames vanished in a blink, leaving no trace. Not even a hint of smoke.
Alex blinked. A name appeared in his mind-Ghostfang.
Ghostfang approached and stopped a breath away from him. It tilted its head, eyes glowing brighter now, like twin lanterns in a cave.
Alex felt it—not just presence, but intent.
A bond was formed.
"Find the child," Alex whispered, voice steady but tense.
The dog broke its gaze and sniffed the floor once. Then again. It padded over to the door and stopped in front of it, still and silent. Its tail didn't wag. It didn't bark. But Alex understood.
Through the thin thread of mental connection, he felt the hound's thought:
Follow. Now.Master.
Without needing more, Alex rushed out of the house, muttering a brief explanation to Mr. Halden. Outside, he jumped on his government-issued bike, kicked the engine to life, and took off.
Ghostfang ran ahead—not sprinting wildly, but gliding like shadow and flame, each movement precise. It moved so effortlessly that it looked like the world moved around it.
Even as Alex sped through the narrow back alleys, the hound kept ahead with ease.
They turned corner after corner, into parts of the neighborhood even Alex wasn't familiar with.
Then, Ghostfang suddenly stopped.
It stood in the middle of the road, motionless, staring at the rusted manhole cover just ahead. Its body tense. Waiting.
Alex pulled the brakes, tires skidding slightly on the pavement. He got off the bike, stepping forward as Ghostfang sniffed once, growled low, and looked back at him.
It was clear.
The trail led underground.
Alex looked at Ghostfang closely.
The Hound wasn't panting.
He wasn't breathing.
He wasn't even blinking.
Its chest didn't rise. Its sides didn't twitch. It stood as if carved from obsidian, the faint shimmer of heat rising from its black coat.
But its eyes—those glowing, ember-like eyes—remained fixed on Alex.
Unmoving. Unwavering.
It was as if Ghostfang wasn't just waiting for orders…
It was watching his soul.
Alex felt a strange sensation stir in the back of his mind, like static whispering across neurons. The Mindcube on his temple glowed faintly again. A flicker of understanding passed between them—not words, not images, but something deeper.
A question.
"Do you trust me enough to follow?"
Alex nodded, not aloud, not even fully conscious of the gesture.
And Ghostfang… finally blinked. Once. Slowly.
Then turned toward the manhole cover.
Alex approached, eyes narrowing. He already knew he'd have to go down there. And now, with this strange, otherworldly ally leading the way, he wasn't going alone.
[Endo of Chapter]