Months passed.
The cases never stopped.
A ghost in Nebraska.
A vampire nest in Missouri.
A demon hiding inside a small-town preacher.
A creature beneath an abandoned hospital.
Daniel hunted them all.
Mara stayed beside him.
Michael became their researcher, driver, and occasional unwilling bait.
They became a team.
Not a family.
Not yet.
But something close.
One night, they stopped at a motel.
Daniel opened his bag.
The black book was still there.
He hadn't touched it in months.
He considered leaving it behind.
Instead, he opened it.
The pages were filled with cases.
New ones.
Old ones.
Some Daniel recognized.
Others he didn't.
Then he reached the final page.
It was still blank.
Daniel smiled.
"Good."
He closed the book.
Mara watched from across the room.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"Maybe it's finally finished."
Daniel nodded.
"Maybe."
He put the book away.
Then someone knocked on the door.
Three times.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Daniel and Mara looked at each other.
Michael sighed.
"Of course."
Daniel reached for his gun.
"Who is it?"
A woman's voice answered.
"I need help."
Daniel looked through the peephole.
A young woman stood in the hallway.
Alone.
Terrified.
Daniel opened the door.
She immediately stepped inside.
"Please."
Mara closed the door.
"What happened?"
The woman looked at Daniel.
"My brother disappeared."
Daniel nodded.
"When?"
"Last night."
"Where?"
She gave them an address.
Daniel wrote it down.
"Any strange activity?"
The woman hesitated.
"There's a book."
Daniel stopped writing.
"What kind of book?"
"Black."
Mara looked at Daniel.
The woman continued.
"It keeps appearing."
Daniel slowly reached into his bag.
The black book was gone.
His blood ran cold.
He looked at the woman.
"Where is your brother?"
She whispered:
"At home."
Daniel stood.
"Let's go."
Mara grabbed her weapons.
Michael grabbed the keys.
As they left the motel, Daniel looked back.
On the desk, a single black page had appeared.
One sentence was written across it.
EVERY HUNTER HAS A FIRST CASE.
Daniel smiled grimly.
"Looks like ours isn't over."
The page burned.
And turned to ash.