In the hushed stillness of the cemetery, Samantha whispered softly to the gravestones before her, her voice barely above a murmur. "Hey, mom, dad. It’s been a while," she began, her breath hitching as she leaned down to place a bouquet of tulips, a feeble offering to the memory of her estranged parents. As she traced the letters of their names etched in stone, Samantha's fingers brushed away the accumulated dust, revealing the cold permanence of their absence. "Daniel Brown, Josefina Brown," she recited, her eyes flickering to the identification card hanging from her white coat. "Samantha Shane Andersen," she added with a bitter laugh. "Twenty years later, and I still can’t comprehend how you could despise your own flesh and blood." A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she gestured to her ID. "Look at me now, mom, dad. I'm a licensed psychiatrist," she choked out between soft sobs. "I have the career you always wanted for me. I even have my own office, soon to be filled with comforts rem
Kathleen slammed the car door with a ferocity that made Christian wince. "Best friend for ten years, my ass!" she hissed, crossing her arms and seething with barely contained rage. Christian followed her into the car, his frustration evident as he settled into the driver's seat. "Why did you storm out?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm, but the disbelief in Kathleen's eyes cut through him like a knife. "And you're taking her side?" she spat, her voice trembling with anger. "This isn't about sides," he sighed, trying to placate her. "I'll always take your side no matter what, but this is about respect and boundaries. Samantha's still haunted by her past. Give her time. She'll open up when she's ready." Kathleen's fury only grew. "Ten years isn't enough time? And obviously, you are taking her side." "I'm not!" Christian protested, rolling his eyes. "You're her best friend. You're supposed to understand. She has every right to keep her secrets." Kathleen scoffed. "Yeah, whate
"After she left, I started hearing this voice inside my head, doctor! I-I know you told me not to listen to them, but it’s so hard. What should I do now?" Samantha hummed thoughtfully as she jotted down key points from her patient's account. Setting her pen aside, she regarded him with a calm, professional demeanor. “Last time you were here, Mr. Rito, you spoke about your friend Bryan, who lives under your bed. Do you remember?” The young boy nodded cautiously. “And then there’s your girlfriend, Dessa, who resides inside the mirror in your room,” she continued. He nodded again. “And the mysterious tall man who appears suddenly, anytime and anywhere?” He looked at her unsteadily, his eyes darting around the room. Samantha took a deep breath and glanced at the boy’s mother, who was staring at her son with a mix of disbelief and distress. It was her first time accompanying him to the clinic, and the revelation was clearly overwhelming. “I have conducted extensive tests on your son, M
“Why didn't you tell me?” Scott sounded rather pissed. “I was waiting for you to tell me yourself. The baby is on its fifth month and we’ve been together more than that.” Scott stared at her for couple of seconds and then looked down when he realized he could no longer hide his lies from her anymore. “I didn't know she’s pregnant.” “Pregnant or not, the point here is you cheated, you son of a bitch!” Samantha bit her lips, she didn’t mean to curse him, but her anger has gone to rage. “I am Karma, no need for you to curse me,” he muttered and looked back at her in a very different aura. “If you can't forgive me then it’s fine. I don’t need you to anyway.” Samantha couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She even refused to believe that it’s Scott she’s talking to; seems like a whole different person. “I don’t want to say something that could hurt you that’s why I didn’t tell
Kathleen's eyes shifted to the crying face of her best friend. “What a-are you talking about?” Samantha’s tongue explored her frontal teeth. “He's been seeing his ex-girlfriend behind my back for quite some time now,” her voice broke into short sobs. “I made myself look stupid as I am certain he’d leave once he knew that I am already aware of what’s happening. She quickly wiped the tears trickling down her cheeks. “I thought he’d feel sorry for me—at least—for what he did, but no. He even tried to shift the blame on me,” her tongue folded on top of her mouth to stop herself from breaking into a loud cry. “All of them knew: Kim, Junel, and Kaiser, but none of them said a thing. I have been fooled.” Kathleen could only watch her best friend succumb in pain. “Why didn't you tell me?” “I just can’t acknowledge the fact that everyone I care for always ends up leaving me. I know he’s a jerk and I won’t mind making myself look st
Everything’s too dark. Kathleen caresses her hand on the cold and empty floor as she pushes herself up in one hand. “Where am I?” She asked as she watched everything around her in confusion. Her eyes squinted as a blinding light, from nowhere, hit her eyes. Furrows formed on her forehead when she suddenly found herself standing in a hall. She turned from corner to corner only to find out she’s in Samantha’s old house. “Hello?” She called to no one in particular—thus—no one answered either. Her heart started pounding; she could feel the muscles in her neck stiffen when the floor suddenly tilted from one side to another, but oddly enough, she’s still standing unmoved. She only stared into nothingness when a much brighter light struck from above leading towards the second floor of the house. She’s never been there before neither any of their friends; Samantha’s rules, and Kathleen wondered—what’s up there? She felt like a strong magnetic force is slowly pul
Kathleen only stared at Takumi who's eyeing his moon milk tea for almost five minutes now. He looks really dumbfounded and he’s not talking ever since they arrived at the coffee shop. She doesn't know what he’s up to either, but she has this hunch that he knows something—something related to Samantha’s disappearance. She cleared her throat to break his silence. His eyes bated and looked at her. “Well?” She finally decided to talk, crossing her arms. “What are you gonna tell me?” “Oh, y-yeah,” he looked back down and heaved a deep sigh. “I-I don’t know if you’re gonna believe me or not or will I make any sense but—I saw everything.” Kathleen’s brows met. “And when you say everything, everything like what?” “I talked to her before she left that day you two got into the accident. She has that weird aura surrounding her when she rushed inside the elevator and before it closed, I saw someone—no—something’s standing behind her.” Kathleen’s lips opened; she wanted to ask, but chose to l
Kathleen drives home after Takumi and her agreed to meet again tomorrow to seek help from someone he didn’t mention who. She has to call it a day and muster up her strength first.When her adrenaline faded, her body started aching all over. The wound on her head, that has been covered with plaster, started itching. She remained motionless throughout her travel until she reached home and found Christian and that son of a beast, talking in the balcony. She banged the car door the moment she stepped out and walked towards their direction. Scott smiled a little self-consciously by the time she stood straight in front of them, eyes nailed on him. “Love...” Christian mumbled but she signaled him to stop. “Lots of guts you got there,” she snarled hiding a totally inapt sneer. Scott stiffened. “I already knew what happened.” “Good for you. Now leave.”He frowned and came to a sudden decision. “I will look for her as well and y
[Continuation of Chapter 78] “The phantom caller is in her house.” Dryzza bit her fingernails, her frustration unspoken but obvious. Sai and Esmeralda, though understanding her plight, were bound by strict protocols, unable to offer her any solace. The phantom caller’s ominous warning of a catastrophe within three days weighed heavily on them all, but procedure left them paralyzed. Zach, usually confident, was equally restrained. Despite his awareness of the supernatural stakes and their past encounter with the phantom caller, he heeded Tomoya’s stern warning to avoid further involvement. Yet, with human lives at risk, abstaining felt like betrayal. The phantom caller’s threat was not just a warning; it was a grim countdown that demanded action. The team wrestled with the tension between duty and morality, knowing that their inaction could lead to tragedy. Tomoya’s caution offered safety but no solutions, forcing them to consider breaking ranks to confront the encroaching dark
Tomoya leaned back against his car, his arms crossed defensively as though they might shield him from the piercing gaze of the woman standing before him. Dryzza, a force to be reckoned with even on her worst days, stood opposite him, her face pale, her exhaustion evident. Dark shadows framed her eyes, betraying sleepless nights. Yet despite her weariness, her presence held an unyielding authority that made Tomoya’s discomfort intensify. "What?" he asked, feigning nonchalance, though his mind raced. Knowing Rener had already entered this woman’s dreams made him uneasy. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with her—it could derail the delicate events set to unfold later that evening. "You tell me," Dryzza snapped, her tone sharp but laden with fatigue. She paused, as if assessing whether she truly had the energy to deal with him. "What are you doing here?" Tomoya smirked, a feeble attempt to mask his anxiety. Pushing himself off the car slightly, he gestured to his ve
Tomoya dragged himself back home, his mind and body weighted by the events of the night. He didn’t bother dwelling on Jess’s fate if her accomplices realized the grimoire he’d handed her was a forgery. Exhaustion had dulled his senses, and the moral complexities of his choices faded into the background. Reaching his condominium, he allowed the familiar silence to envelop him. He assumed Kathleen was in good hands with Theresa, sparing him one less worry for the night. Collapsing onto the couch, Tomoya felt the day’s tension seep into the room. The empty space around him, although spacious, felt oppressive, as if the walls themselves carried the weight of his secrets. Pulling the grimoire from his coat pocket, he placed it carefully on the table next to his laptop. The book’s presence filled the room with an ominous aura, a silent reminder of his uneasy alliance with Rener. The thought of working with Rener makes his skin crawl. What would Takumi think if he found out? The betr
Tomoya slumped into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel as his mind spiraled. “Now what?” he muttered, his voice a mixture of self-loathing and panic. He replayed the moment he handed the grimoire to Jess, realizing with mounting horror that he had fallen prey to Rener’s manipulations. His fists clenched as frustration overwhelmed him. “You absolute idiot!” he berated himself, his voice echoing in the stillness of the car. “You trusted a demon. A demon! What the hell were you thinking?!” He kicked the floorboard like a petulant child, trying to vent the storm raging inside him. He was still seething when a movement in the rearview mirror caught his eye. “Holy shit!” Tomoya nearly leaped out of his seat as he spotted Rener, lounging in the backseat as if he belonged there. His calm, unbothered demeanor only added fuel to Tomoya’s anger. “You!” he pointed accusingly, his voice trembling with disbelief and fury. Rener’s dark eyes met his through the mirror, a faint smirk p
The hospital cafeteria exuded an almost eerie stillness despite the occasional clatter of cutlery and murmured conversations. Its sterile, fluorescent lighting gave everything a pale glow, and the faint smell of antiseptic mingled with the aroma of cheap coffee. Tomoya sat across from Jess, his body language rigid and unwelcoming. The tension between them was palpable, thick as the silence that had settled around their table. Jess had barely touched her salad, her fork occasionally poking at the lettuce while her gaze remained fixed downward. "How’d it come to you that I would just hand you the grimoire that easily?" Tomoya’s voice cut through the silence, his tone sharp and laden with irritation. His arms were crossed, his posture unyielding. It wasn’t in his nature to entertain vague requests, especially not when they revolved around something as dangerous as Samantha’s grimoire. Jess’s unwillingness to provide any meaningful explanation only fueled his skepticism. Jess shif
“We clearly severed all ties long ago. Why is he still meddling in my affairs?” Takumi's voice was sharp, laced with an unmistakable irritation, as he slammed a hand down onto the round table between them. The sound resonated through the quiet room, highlighting the tension that had hung since Tomoya arrived. After his strange encounter with Rener, Tomoya had come to Takumi without delay to relay the archdemon’s unexpected proposition. Now, sitting across from his cousin, he could see Takumi’s simmering resentment—a bitterness that seemed to have settled within him long ago. Tomoya managed a wry smile. “I’d never know his true intentions,” he replied with a hint of sarcasm, leaning back in his chair. “But, whatever his motives are, we both know he genuinely cared for you once.” His tone softened as he finished, a subtle reminder of the past that even demons cannot erase. Takumi froze, the sarcasm seeping from his own expression, replaced by something harder to decipher. His ga
Rener remained standing, merely raising a hand in polite refusal. “No need,” he said, his voice a low resonance that seemed to echo off the walls. “I’m only here for a little pep talk.” “Pep talk?” Tomoya raised a brow, feigning confusion even as his mind raced, grasping for the direction of the conversation. He knew all too well that Rener rarely appeared without purpose, and his visit now only served to confirm Tomoya’s darkest suspicions. “What for?” he asked, his tone guarded. “And in case you’re here to see Takumi-niisan, he’s out.” Rener shook his head slowly, his expression unchanging. “No,” he replied, his gaze sharp, “I came to speak with you personally.” Tomoya’s guard rose, and he decided to press forward before Rener could steer the conversation further. “If you’re here to convince me to stop nii-san from opening the portal, you’ll be disappointed,” he said, his voice cool but unyielding. “Even if you’ve claimed his heart, his connection with Agatha can neve
In the cool, dim light of the police precinct’s entrance, Tomoya felt his nerves on edge, the weight of his recent discovery bearing down on him. The information he’d unearthed in the police database had made it painfully clear—Jess was no ordinary woman, and her connection to the Takahashi case was undeniable. Though his heart raced with the excitement of finally untangling some of the puzzle, his mind buzzed with the complications this revelation brought. He was drawn here, to this place, by an undeniable urge to confront Jess, yet as he crossed the threshold, he saw no familiar faces among the precinct’s busy, bustling crowd. No sign of Zach, Esmeralda, or anyone else he’d anticipated seeing. It was strange, but he felt a pull towards Dryzza, the detective whose skill had uncovered pivotal elements of the Takahashi case. Her name had popped up so often in his search that he felt almost as though he knew her—though not a face in the precinct was familiar to him. He hadn’t
The afternoon had settled into an unsettling quiet. The wind brushed gently, yet coldly, across the cityscape, weaving through empty alleyways and rustling through bare branches as though whispering secrets. The sky was cast in a muted gray, thick clouds obscuring any hint of sunlight and casting shadows across the streets. Distant sounds, a dog barking, a faint siren, echoed faintly and faded as quickly as they came, amplifying the eerie stillness. It was the kind of day where time seemed to pause, hanging heavy with an inexplicable weight, as if something significant were lurking just beyond the silence. From his vantage point on the hospital rooftop, Tomoya watched Esmeralda and Zach as they departed, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance. They had come, as Tomoya knew they would, to speak to Takumi, hoping he might grant them access to the ruins of the Takahashi manor. But as expected, Takumi had refused, his response curt and his demeanor wary. The weight