Drawn by a curse.

CHAPTER 2

Detective Damien Blackwood's eyes flickered open as the first rays of dawn streamed through his window. He stretched and groaned, and instinctively reached for his phone on the nightstand. The device emitted a soft chime as it illuminated with notifications.

As he sat up, the soft hum of the TV caught his attention. He reached for the remote and turned on the news, his sharp eyes focusing on the screen. The headline sent a jolt of recognition through him: "Late-Night Attack in Moonlit City Alley."

The news anchor's voice was grave as he reported the incident. "A woman was attacked last night in an alley in Moonlit City. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the assault. The victim is currently in the hospital, where her condition is stable but critical."

Just as he was about to call his office, his phone began to ring. The caller ID displayed "Unknown."

"Detective Blackwood here," he answered, his tone professional.

"Detective, we have a new case," his assistant's voice crackled over the line. "There has been an attack in Moonlit City, and it's unlike anything we've seen before."

"Inform the patrol team that I need a report of everything that happened at the scene last night to the tiniest detail. Alert your team members, I need all hands on deck." Detective Blackwood replied, his gaze locked on the TV screen.

“Already on it sir”.

"Good.”

“The Mayor's office also called that he is particularly concerned about this one. He wants swift action," his assistant added.

“Okay. Send me the details of the victim and the hospital she is at. I will head to the hospital first before I make it to the office.”

Detective Blackwood ended the call and stood, his mind focused on the task ahead. He needed to gather more information about the attack and the possible threat it posed to the city.

…

Meanwhile, at Moonlit General Hospital, Dr. Harper walked briskly down the hallway. She had just completed her morning round except for the accident victim who was brought in last night. She paused outside Dencia's room, glancing at the chart in her hands. The attack had been quite brutal, it was a miracle she survived. The wound sustained will take a while to heal but she was positive that in two or three weeks, Dencia would come out of it just fine.

She entered her ward and stopped almost immediately. It seemed like she had entered the wrong room. The lady on the bed didn’t look like who was brought in last night. It seemed like she had changed overnight.

Dencia lay peacefully on the bed, her breathing steady. Her wounds had healed almost too quickly, leaving only faint scars where there had been deep gashes. Dr. Harper's eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of awe and confusion washing over her. She had never seen anything like this before.

Dr. Harper examined the wounds carefully, her mind racing with disbelief. The bandages used we're not blood-stained. How could this be?

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts, and she turned to see the nurse standing there with a tray in her hand, a look of surprise plastered on her face.

“What happened?”, she asked.

I just came in not quite as long and I am as confused as you are. She seemed to have healed overnight and that is medically impossible. You know what, let us keep this between us. Put a restriction on this room. No one should enter unless permitted and she should be on 24-hour watch.”

Okay, Doctor,” Nurse Jone replied.

“And who was the friend that came in with her yesterday, I think his name is Alex. Put a call to him, he needs to be here as soon as possible.”

——-

Arriving at the hospital later that morning, Detective Blackwood found himself in a hallway filled with hushed conversations and anxious faces. He was not a new face to the walls of Moonlit Medical Center as most crime perpetrators or their victims were brought in here for treatment or autopsy as the case may be.

He waved to some familiar faces he knew as he made his way to the receptionist and he was directed to the office of the doctor in charge.

Dr. Harper stood up to shake hands with him as he walked into the office.

“How is the victim?”, he asked. She updated him on Dencia’s condition from the time she was brought in last night up until now. His brows furrowed in shock as he heard the last statement.

"Dr. Harper, I need to know how the victim's condition has changed so fast since last night."

Dr. Harper cleared her throat, her gaze still on Dencia's healed wounds. "Detective, it's... it's surprising. Her wounds have completely healed overnight. I've never seen anything like it."

Detective Blackwood's brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing. "Completely healed? Are you sure?"

“We can go take a look, detective.”

They stood and made their way to Dencia's ward where she was lying, still in a coma. They both took a look at her and where the wounds once were.

Dr. Harper nodded, her voice tinged with amazement. "As you can see, it's as if the wounds were never there. It's medically impossible."

Detective Blackwood's mind raced, the pieces of the puzzle shifting in unexpected ways. He needed to get to the bottom of this, to understand what kind of attack could cause wounds to heal so rapidly.

“And what about the friend who brought her in”

Oh, Alex. I saw him not quite long, he should be in the waiting room.”

“Does he know about the sudden turn of events?”

“No, I thought it best not to inform him yet.”

“That’s good. So just you and the nurse know about this?”

“Yes, I guess so”

“Let’s keep it that way for now. I will leave for the station right after having a chat with Alex. Kindly let me know about any new updates and ensure the security is tight. We don’t want the victim disappearing please”

Dr. Harper nodded in agreement, “Okay detective”.

They moved out of the room and Detective Blackwood made his way to the waiting room.

——-

In the hospital's waiting room, Alex paced restlessly. He checked his phone for the umpteenth time, his worry for Dencia evident in his furrowed brows. When he heard footsteps approaching, he looked up to see Detective Blackwood striding toward him.

Blackwood's gaze held a mixture of determination and intrigue as he extended his hand. "Alex, I'm Detective Damien Blackwood. I have heard about your involvement in the incident last night."

Alex shook the detective's hand, his grip firm. "Yeah, that's me. I was just around the corner when I heard the commotion."

Blackwood raised an eyebrow, his gaze keen. "Coincidence that you were nearby?"

Alex's eyes darted away briefly before he met the detective's gaze again. "I live just around the corner, so I heard the screams and rushed over to see if I could help."

The detective nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. "And your connection to the victim, Dencia Brown?"

"We work together," Alex replied, hoping his voice sounded convincing.

“I work with her at Forestort Group of companies. She's a secretary, and we've become friends over time."

As they spoke, Detective Blackwood's senses remained sharp, his gaze remained intense, probing for any sign of deception, his eyes lingering as if searching for something deeper. "It is fortunate that you were there to assist. We'll need all the information we can get to solve this case."

"I also want to assure you that my team is doing everything we can to find out who's responsible for this attack. In case you have any information or you happen to remember anything, here is my card you can reach out to me”

“Oh yes, I will do that,” Alex replied.

The detective's phone buzzed, and he glanced at it briefly before returning his attention to Alex. "I have to be on my way, but we will be in touch. Thank you for your cooperation, Alex."

With a final nod, Detective Blackwood turned and strode out of the hospital, his mind already processing the information he just received.