Chapter One: After Midnight

In the distance, police sirens repeated a curfew order. The horror was not that monsters had appeared. It was that they had clearly been here all along. Jianyue entered a twenty-four-hour convenience store. The clerk stood with his back to the door, a pair of furry ears protruding beneath his cap. Keeping her eyes lowered, she bought a baseball cap, a mask, and an oversized raincoat. At the register, the clerk glanced at her. “First manifestation?” “Yes.” “What lineage?” “Not settled yet.” His nostrils moved. Jianyue slipped one hand into her bag and closed it around the window hammer. “Relax.” He passed her the receipt. “Mixed blood can take until dawn to stabilize. Don't go to one of Everday's screening stations tonight.