Three days had passed. Elijah had learned that the safehouse was a converted warehouse in the industrial district, its exterior rusted and forgotten, its interior a maze of reinforced rooms. Solomon slept in one. Dr. Aris had a makeshift laboratory in another. Elijah's cot was in what might once have been a break room.
On the fourth morning, Solomon laid out a stack of leather‑bound journals on a steel table.
"These are case files," Solomon said. "Decades of encounters. Creatures, weaknesses, patterns. You'll memorize them."
Elijah picked up the top journal. The pages were filled with handwriting—some neat, some frantic—interspersed with sketches of things he'd only seen in nightmares. "You wrote all these?"
"Some. Others were written by people who came before me. We add to them when we learn something new."
Elijah flipped to a page with a drawing of a gaunt, gray creature with elongated fingers. The caption read: Ghoul. Class 1. Weaknesses: Salt, iron, decapitation. Feeds on corpses but will attack the living if starved.
"Class 1," Elijah read aloud. "What does that mean?"
Solomon pulled out a marker and drew a simple scale on a whiteboard.
Level 1 – Car
Level 2 – House
Level 3 – City block
Level 4 – Town
Level 5 – Building
"This is the power scale," Solomon said. "A Level 1 creature can destroy a car. A Level 5 can level a building. The vampires you encountered were Level 3. The thing that's been taking children near the cemetery is likely a Level 2. We deal with Levels 1–5 on Earth. Anything above that can't get through the barrier—yet."
Elijah pointed to the whiteboard. "What's above Level 5?"
"Level 6 could level a city. Level 10 could level a small country. There are things in the higher realms that make vampires look like mosquitoes." Solomon capped the marker. "Your wolf—the prince—he was strong enough to hold the barrier against creatures of Level 80 and above. His power, if you ever unlock it, will be on that scale."
Elijah looked down at his own hands. "And right now?"
"Right now, you have zero tails active. But the prince's essence gives you baseline enhancements. Faster healing, better senses, a sixth sense for the supernatural. It's enough to keep you alive, as long as you're smart."
A knock came at the door. Elijah tensed, but Solomon seemed unsurprised. He opened it to reveal a woman in a police uniform.
"Seraphina," Solomon said, his tone neutral.
She stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room before landing on Elijah. Her face broke into a relieved smile. "Elijah! I've been looking everywhere for you. When Garvey didn't show up and they said you were missing—" She crossed to him and gripped his arm. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Elijah hesitated. Solomon had warned him: You don't tell anyone who isn't already in the life. Not even cops. Not even friends. It puts them in danger.
"I got banged up," Elijah said. "Concussion. They've got me on medical leave."
Seraphina's eyes flickered to the journals on the table, then to Solomon. "And this is?"
"A private investigator," Solomon said smoothly. "The department asked me to consult on the cannery incident. Officer Okafor was kind enough to help with my questions."
"Right." Seraphina smiled, but something in her expression didn't quite reach her eyes. She turned back to Elijah. "Well, when you're back on your feet, the precinct misses you. Call me, okay?"
She left. The door closed behind her.
Solomon watched it for a long moment. "How well do you know her?"
"We were in the academy together. She's sharp. Ambitious." Elijah frowned. "Why?"
"Just making a note." Solomon picked up a journal and handed it to Elijah. "Read. We go out tonight."
---
That evening, Elijah rode shotgun in Solomon's black SUV. The city passed by in streaks of neon and shadow.
"What are we looking for?" Elijah asked.
"A stray. A ghoul was spotted near the old rail yard. It's weak, probably a Level 1. You'll do the work. I'll supervise."
Elijah's stomach tightened. "I've never fought anything like that."
"You have instincts now. Trust them." Solomon pulled into a lot overgrown with weeds. "The coin. Check it."
Elijah pulled out the silver touchstone. It was warm.
"He's close," Solomon said. He handed Elijah a metal baton. "Salt core. One good hit will slow it. Aim for the head."
They walked into the rail yard, past rusted boxcars and skeletal cranes. The moon was a sliver, casting just enough light to see. Elijah's senses stretched outward—and then he felt it. A cold presence, like a draft from an open grave.
It came from behind a stack of pallets: a hunched figure, its skin gray and slick, its mouth stretched in a permanent, toothy grin. It moved on all fours, too fast, scuttling sideways like a crab.
Elijah's heart hammered. The ghoul lunged.
Time seemed to slow. The wolf inside him stirred—not waking, but nudging. Elijah's body moved before his mind caught up. He sidestepped, swung the baton, and connected with the creature's shoulder. Salt exploded from the impact, and the ghoul shrieked, recoiling.
It scrambled onto a boxcar, hissing. Elijah's senses told him it was afraid—but also cornered.
"Finish it," Solomon said from behind him. "Or it will come back."
Elijah stepped forward. The ghoul lunged again, and this time Elijah was ready. He ducked under its claws and drove the baton into its skull. The creature crumpled, twitched once, and dissolved into gray ash.
Silence. Elijah stood over the ash pile, breathing hard. His hands were shaking.
Solomon walked up and clapped him on the shoulder. "You didn't freeze."
"I almost did."
"But you didn't." Solomon handed him a small brush and a bag. "Collect a sample for Dr. Aris. Then we go back."
As Elijah knelt to gather the ash, he felt something settle inside him—not peace, but certainty. He could do this. He had to.
---
Easter Eggs
· 📓 The leather journals – Direct homage to John Winchester's journal in Supernatural and the X‑Files' case files.
· 📊 Power scale on whiteboard – Similar to the monster classification systems in Grimm (Wesen classifications) and Supernatural (demon rankings).
· 🦴 Ghoul description – Resembles the "Geier" from Grimm in its gaunt appearance, but the salt weakness is classic Supernatural.
· 🧂 Salt‑core baton – A weaponized version of the salt rounds used by the Winchesters.
· 🚂 Rail yard setting – A nod to the many industrial/maritime settings in The X‑Files and Fringe.
· 🔍 Solomon watching but not intervening – A classic mentor move, reminiscent of Giles in Buffy and Bobby in Supernatural.