In Chapter 8, detectives Jax and Davies investigate a break-in at the university labs, focusing on Elias Thorne, a custodial staff member with suspicious clock-out discrepancies. As they analyze security footage, tensions rise when they discover Elias's connection to Marcus Thorne—a rogue empathic dragon recently processed by the detectives.

The investigation intensifies as they confront Elias. His fear reveals masked figures dragging a metal crate from the lab, hinting at a deeper conspiracy. With mounting urgency and danger surrounding them, the detectives realize someone is eliminating loose ends.

Join us in this thrilling urban fantasy noir as secrets unravel within near-future Chicago's shadowy underworld. Can Jax and Davies catch the ghost in the machine before it vanishes forever?