The Midnighter

Cutting from Timpul Românesc, November 19

From a Correspondent

Leordina.

The village of Leordina was the epicenter of a horrific incident on the night of November 17. The locals are terrified, but the police assure them that things will be under control. This incident has left a solid impact on every villager, as according to most of them, this has never happened before.

On the mildly cool yet windy morning, three men were found dead and two went missing. But the most horrific fact is, the three dead men were found headless, and their bodies bruised to the extreme extent. Some of the limbs have been chopped off, rather torn away. Around the villages of Vălcești and Leordina, there are often heard howling of wolves and even footprints are seen. The police claim this incident was a wolf pack's attack, as no human is so inhuman enough to be capable of doing or bearing this sight, be it alone or in a gang. Although all villagers agree on the fact that no human from their village is involved, most of them are creating nonsensical stories of it, revolving around an old myth.

Some early reports claim that incidents like this have happened long before in both Vălcești and Leordina, but not with this much intensity and brutality. Many footprints of wolves are found on site and around, some of them leading to the forest.

An interrogation with the villagers revealed a lot of information about it. A milkman, named Gabriel, began his errand early morning when he discovered a headless body under an oak tree. Terrified by the sight, he screamed and called for help. As soon as some other locals arrived, together followed the blood trail and discovered two other headless bodies, all bodies lying apart from each other. Some locals identified the bodies from their dresses, which led to the conclusion that these men were on guard last night. But a total of five men were on guard, and so began a search for the other two men. After a search around almost the whole village, the other two men were nowhere to be found, and thus declared missing.

The heads of the dead victims were also not found anywhere, indicating that wolves took them.

The victims found were:

Andrei - 29-year-old milkman

Matei - 29-year-old Worker in the hotel The Grand Carpathian

Codrin - 33-year-old woodcutter

Stefan - 35-year-old woodcutter

Jeremy - 30-year-old coachman

 Among them, Andrei and Stefan are missing.

Gabriel also said that the day before, it was his turn to guard alongside Andrei and others. But due to a family problem, Jeremy went out instead.

During the hours immediately following sunset, the inhabitants of the villages of Leordina and Vălcești adhere to a longstanding tradition of remaining indoors until the early morning, unless faced with an emergency. As the full moon night approaches, these villages designate five individuals each day to guard the community, armed with both a weapon and a torch.

This precaution, which has been upheld for generations, extends beyond mere protection against theft or other common crimes, focusing instead on a larger, long-standing threat that has instilled fear within the villagers for centuries.

The old myth says that as the full moon approaches, evil forces come down to the villages of Leordina and Vălcești, in the form of someone who is described as neither an animal nor a human, but rather a mixture of both. This demonic creature sends out a pack of wolves to hunt down humans and devour them, strengthening his powers. Once a certain ritual is completed, then that creature, who claims to be the master of those wolves and, as some say, the lord of the night, will become all-powerful. This malevolent entity is undead and dwells somewhere amongst the forests on the outskirts of Leordina, and is feared by almost everyone. Some even refused to take its name. The villagers name this demonic creature, 'The Midnighter'.

Some elderly individuals in the village have expressed the belief that the ominous time, long prophesied, has finally come to pass after centuries. They view the recent tragic incident as a manifestation of this omen, signaling the beginning of the end.

'The Midnighter' has been the subject of similar stories recounted by many around Vălcești, although its existence has not been substantiated.

According to the police investigation, it appears that a pack of hungry and aggressive wolves may have been responsible for the attacks on these individuals, who unfortunately were unable to defend themselves.

Families and friends of the victims are in constant mourning, and the rest of the village is in fear. The police have registered this incident as a tragic case of animal attack. Further searches would be continued for Stefan and Andrei.