The Oldest Dream of Eternal Night

"I know you're aware of the Wunders. I need a chemical that's flammable when exposed to air. I know you're good at chemistry. If you could help me, I'll owe you one."

Hannah felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Why?"

"We're tracking a ghoul. A cannibal creature that fears fire."

"Wow, so that's the kind of thing that's been causing all the murders in town."

Yuki: "Looks like it..."

She nodded thoughtfully.

"It won't be hard. I can prepare homemade napalm."

"Perfect. Thanks."

Yuki hung up, leaving her with her thoughts.

"Everything okay?" asked Jane.

"Yeah... I'm heading to Kaiser's."

Jane looked at her for a moment, her gaze turning suspicious.

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"Nothing at all."

She smirked and chuckled lightly.

Hannah rolled her eyes, stood up annoyed, grabbed her bike, and quickly left the house, pedaling toward Kaiser's.

The sky was already darkening when Hannah arrived at the house. It was just past five o'clock. She knocked on the door.

No answer.

His parents were clearly not home.

She placed her hand on the handle and slowly turned it. The door was open.

"Kaiser!"

"..."

She cautiously entered, observing the place. Everything seemed normal. She headed to Kaiser's room and tried to open the door. It was locked.

"Kaiser, I know you're in there. Open up."

No sound replied.

"I'm breaking the door down."

A muffled voice came from the other side.

"You're already breaking in, now you want to break my door? I should call the police."

Hannah clicked her tongue, exasperated.

"Yuki called me. He wants to talk to you."

"It's none of your business. And I don't care."

She opened her mouth to reply but abruptly stopped.

A strange smell hung in the air.

Smoke.

Her eyes widened.

"Uh... Are you okay in there?"

No answer.

Worry rose within her. Without thinking further, she took a running start and slammed her shoulder against the door. Once, twice. On the third try, the lock gave way.

What she saw froze her in place.

Kaiser was sitting on the windowsill, a cigarette between his fingers.

Hannah felt anger rise.

"What are you doing!"

He looked up at her, expressionless.

"Can't you tell?"

He took a long drag before slowly exhaling the smoke.

"It was one of the cigarettes my uncle hid under his bed. I figured... I don't want to take my meds anymore. Might as well try this crap, if it can help me."

Hannah approached with an angry stride.

"Give me that!"

He straightened slightly, a bitter smile on his lips.

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're doing something stupid! You have heart and neurological problems, and now you want to destroy your lungs too?"

He shrugged.

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"What difference does it make? I don't care."

His nonchalance finished exasperating Hannah.

"Stop talking nonsense! Do you think I'll just watch you kill yourself slowly without doing anything?"

Kaiser sighed, visibly annoyed.

"You should leave me alone. I don't need hypocrites pretending to care about me."

Hannah clenched her fists.

"Do you really think I'm faking? You're insufferable, hateful, self-absorbed with terrible behavior. Do you think I'd come here if I didn't care?"

Kaiser's gaze turned colder.

"You can add crazy if you want. I don't give a damn if you're worried."

"Stop bothering me unnecessarily. You're just one of my casual, intrusive acquaintances who barges into my room and pisses me off!"

The dismissive tone, the contempt in his eyes...

Hannah felt a surge of rage overwhelm her.

Before she could think, she raised her hand and slapped him hard.

Silence fell in the room. For a reason she didn't understand, his words were so sharp that she couldn't control her emotions.

Kaiser stared at her, but his expression didn't change.

Hannah: "I—I'm—"

"Do you think you can do whatever you want?" he murmured.

"No, that's not it! It's just—"

Kaiser: "Get out... You're getting on my nerves."

Hannah felt her throat tighten, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing he'd hurt her.

Without a word, she turned on her heels and slammed the door behind her.

"And I'd rather not see you again. I'm already starting to hate you, bitch..."

There was no response. And Kaiser sat down again.

"I really have shitty behavior..." He took a drag.

"Hey, leave the bike here as compensation for my door!" he shouted downstairs.

"Whatever, it'll only do you good to leave me alone. I'm not a good person for you." he muttered, watching Hannah flip him off, grab her bike, and leave.

***

Two days had passed since the meeting at HQ, and finally, the moment had come. The method to kill the ghoul was simple, at least in theory.

Hassan, Yuki, and Carter had spent two days meticulously preparing the setup.

They followed a precise plan:

"Bloodied meat."

They selected fresh meat, game that they coated with human blood obtained through one of Hassan's shady contacts. Once soaked, the meat was smoked with herbs, so its aroma would spread widely in the air. The ghoul wouldn't resist the enticing smell.

"Bait placement."

They placed the meat in a cleared area, not far from the last massacre perpetrated by the creature. The location was strategic: open enough to prevent the ghoul from escaping easily, but close enough to the forest edge to reassure it.

"Trap setup."

The ground was rigged with steel cables stretched taut at ground level. As soon as it moved forward, it would trip, get entangled, and slow down. Reinforced nets with metal fibers were hidden under dead leaves, ready to close in on it.

A little further away, they dug shallow pits filled with a viscous liquid, a mixture of oil and gel with wooden spikes. Not really to kill it. Just to slow it down long enough to throw a lighter if the initial plan failed.

Finally, to perfect the trap, speakers were hidden in the trees, looping human heartbeats and muffled moans. Enough to excite the ghoul, giving it the illusion of a vulnerable prey within reach.

"Flammable mixture and ignition mechanism."

The mixture was simple but devilishly effective: gasoline and polystyrene, a formidable homemade napalm. Yuki and Hassan prepared several bottles, ready to be ignited and thrown at the right moment.

When Hannah arrived with the napalm in a duffel bag, the preparations were nearly complete.

"I'm staying with you."