Melanie sat at a small table in the cozy café, her eyes fixed on the camera in front of her. She hadn't noticed the man approaching until his shadow fell over the table. "Excuse me," he said, his deep voice jolting her from her thoughts. "Are you Melanie?" She looked up, startled, and nodded. He pulled out a chair and sat down, extending a hand. "Hunter, Detective Hunter. I'm investigating some... strange occurrences in town. I understand you might have seen something?" Melanie frowned, confused. "Sie sprechen Deutsch?" she asked hopefully. Hunter shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't speak German. Do you speak English at all?" "No... I'm sorry," Melanie said, her brow furrowing. She searched for the right words. "I saw... a man. Last night. He was... gone." "Gone?" Hunter leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?" Melanie swallowed hard, remembering. "I was taking pictures. The festival, the lights... and then I saw him. He was walking, then..." She gestured with her hands, a whooshing motion. "Then he wasn't there. Like... he vanished." Hunter's jaw clenched. "Did you get a good look at his face?" Melanie shook her head, her eyes welling up. "Nein... it was too dark. But it scared me, you know? I ran back to my hotel room." Hunter nodded, jotting down some notes. "And you're sure this happened last night?" "Yes, during the festival," Melanie confirmed. "I was on that hill overlooking town, taking pictures of the lights. And then..." Her voice broke off and she looked away, fighting back tears. Hunter placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Thank you for telling me this," he said gently. "If you remember anything else, you let me know, okay?" Melanie nodded, wiping her eyes. "Ja, I will," she promised. Just then, Hunter's phone rang. He stood and glanced at the screen, his expression darkening. "I'm sorry, I have to go. But we'll talk more later." As he walked away, Melanie felt a chill run down her spine. What was happening in this small town? And what had really happened to that man she saw? She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her, suddenly wishing she'd never