The supernatural world only existed in novels and science fiction books.Or at least, that's what I believed.
To me, those things were just the stories my grandmother used to tell me before bed—ancient tales filled with gods, spirits, and impossible creatures. I liked them. They relaxed me. I never imagined that one day I would end up living inside one of them.
—What a cute little cat… —a man with black hair and a faint greenish shine commented, looking at the dark-skinned man with deep eyes in the room—. Though it also knows how to bare its fangs.
The man's skin was so pale it looked sickly, and his eyes, black as night, watched with an unsettling calm as he mocked the other.
—Don't you dare lay a hand on her, anomaly —the other man growled, pulling me against his chest and wrapping me tightly, as if marking his territory—. Damn relic from ancient times.
If you looked closely, his skin shimmered with a silver tone. His short, wild hair, along with his yellow, feline-like eyes, gave him the appearance of a beast in human form—like something out of a novel.
—Come here, little winged cat —the first man said, snapping his fingers.
A dark mist spread throughout the room. I felt a strong dizziness, and in an instant, I appeared beside him.
—You and I, miss, share a common goal.
Gently, he lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. Then he turned his head, pointing toward a table covered in papers that, just moments ago, had been ready to be signed… before all this chaos began.
—Do you want money? I can give it to you.—Do you want to take care of your grandmother's health? I can help with that too.
My brain couldn't keep up with what was happening. How had a job interview turned into something like making a deal with a demon? And that demon… was an incredibly handsome man. He didn't look older than twenty-seven, and he smiled with a dangerous elegance that made me nervous… but also made me blush.
—Or maybe you're looking for something more? —he leaned closer to my ear and whispered. I felt the warmth of his breath brush against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine—. Everything can be negotiated.
The second man transformed.
His body shifted into a massive black jaguar, with silver spots and wings that shone like the moon. He lunged forward, trying to bite the man in front of me, but he dodged effortlessly, as if everything was just a game that amused him.
I was thrown backward, crashing onto a couch.
The supernatural world only existed in novels and science fiction books.Or at least, that's what I believed… until today.
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It all began a few days ago.
The café was crowded, as always at that hour. The constant clinking of cups, the hiss of the coffee machine, and overlapping conversations blended into background noise that, over time, I had learned to ignore. It was my daily routine.
My feet moved on their own, from table to table, as if my body was running purely on inertia.
—I want an order of donuts! —a girl shouted from the back, laughing with her friends.
—Coming! —I replied, raising my voice slightly—. Iris, can you take table four?
—Yeah! —she answered from across the room—. I'm on table eight.
I watched her force a sweet smile as she took another order. Iris always smiled like that when she was tired, as if she feared that if she stopped, everything would fall apart.
This was my normal day.
It was Monday, and the café was filled with exhausted workers, students with unfinished projects, and people too tired to cook. Some came to work; others came to escape the silence of their apartments.
Hours passed… until it was finally eleven at night.
—Ugh… we're finally done —Iris sighed—. I'm dead.
—Me too —I said, taking off my apron—. I just want to get home, shower, and sleep.
—What if we go to a bar? —she suddenly suggested—. It's payday.
I rolled my eyes.
—Not again. You know I don't drink, and I have to take care of my grandparents. Besides, you have classes tomorrow. It's Monday.
—Boring —she complained.
—How about dinner and a movie at my place? —I suggested with a smile.
—But I want to dance… —she looked at me—. How are you not exhausted doing this every day?
—Who said I'm not? —I pinched her cheeks—. I just don't have a choice.
—You should have more fun… and meet guys.
—Who am I supposed to meet? My social life is you, my grandparents… and maybe the neighborhood dog.
—Sure… —she smirked—. And what about the guy who always tips you 15% and waits for you to show up?
I blushed.
—We're just friends. His name is Maike.
—Yeah, right… just friends… the kind that do things at night, huh?
—IRIS!
But she had already run off.
I got home to my grandparents' house completely exhausted. It felt like life itself was weighing me down. Having two jobs was too much.
At seventeen, I wanted to study journalism. I had dreams… but my grandparents' illness and the new law that banned my grandmother from working changed everything.
Also, my mother died when I was born, and my father left me with them. I don't know anything about him.
—I'm home!
—Come in, dinner's ready —my grandmother replied with that gentle smile she always greeted me with.
The house was large and old, like stepping into another era. In the hallway, there was a door carved with strange symbols. It had always been there for as long as I could remember, but I never knew what was inside… something about it always unsettled me, though I had gotten used to it over time.
—How's grandpa?
—He's fine, help him downstairs.
I went up to change before bringing him down for dinner.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
I was tired. Very tired. It felt like I had lost part of my life.
My body was slim, with soft curves. My long hair fell in brown tones with golden highlights. My hazel eyes looked dull, surrounded by dark circles. What had once been a beautiful girl… now looked like a worn-out woman.
I sighed, exhausted, trying not to think too much about it.
I went downstairs and had dinner with my grandfather in his wheelchair.
Dinner started calmly: chilaquiles and cinnamon coffee… until the conversation shifted.
—You should quit one job and study —my grandfather said seriously, with a hint of guilt.
—It's not necessary —I replied with a soft smile, trying to hide my exhaustion.
—Enough! —he slammed the table, frustrated—. You can't keep living like this. You need a life, friends, a future. We'll manage… just move forward…
—I CAN'T! —I whispered—. You're my only family.
Silence fell heavily.
I ran to my room.
I cried a lot. I was tired… of course I didn't want to work two jobs and also take care of my grandparents and their medical visits. It was too much. But they were my family… I loved them too much to leave them like that.
I took out a small piggy bank where I kept my savings. I only had twenty thousand pesos. It wasn't enough for my grandfather's surgery.
Someone knocked softly on the door. My grandmother came in.
—I've been doing extra work lately —she said, showing me some bills—. Buy yourself something nice.
—That's illegal, grandma…
She was a shaman. The government had banned any kind of unregulated spiritual practice, and doing it could get you up to four years in prison.
I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her neck so she wouldn't see my tears.
When she left, I took out a flyer I had saved:
JobRadio Station: Frequencies of the UnderworldSchedule: 11:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.Salary: XXXXX
Something inside me stirred.
The pay was good… it was double what I earned from both my jobs combined, and it was part-time.
Maybe… this would change my life.
What I didn't know was that by accepting that job…
I wouldn't just be speaking into a microphone…
something, on the other side…
was already listening.