The flight back to the Philippines was a blur of high-altitude clouds and the humming of jet engines. By the time Kenzii walked through the doors of their shared sanctuary in Manila, the humidity of the tropics felt like a familiar embrace.
Sota and Alas were already there, sprawled across the new leather couches in the living room, surrounded by maps, ancient texts, and digital printouts. The air was thick with the scent of coffee and the low drone of news reports.
"The wanderer returns," Alas chirped, though his usual playful grin was replaced by a look of profound exhaustion. "How was Japan? Did you find your 'Zen' or did you just end up scaring more people?"
"It was quiet. Mostly," Kenzii replied, dropping his bag and taking a seat across from them. He looked at the two of them, noting the dark circles under Sota's eyes. "You two look like you've seen a ghost."
"Worse," Sota said, sliding a thick folder across the table. "We found the source, Kenzii. Confirm, there's really something else in that shitty castle, it's not just a story."
Kenzii leaned forward, his interest piqued. "What did you find at the Gate?"
Sota exhales. "The legends about the pit being bottomless are real. So yeah, the castle was built as a 'cap' to keep things from crawling out. But we found out that a group of ancient people before—who didn't just guard the gate. They were bestowed with a gift." He then scratched his eyebrow. "We don't have proper evidence yet though, but we will surely have one, so no worries."
Alas leaned in, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "We also get that, the debt... it's not just a random offer of soul that you need to complete. It's a cycle. Those ancient people, who were said to have guarded the hole before the castle existed, as Sota said, were given a blessing or gift by the demons beneath the hole. And that blessing is a curse in disguise. They need to pay the said "blessing" that the devil gave them, so it became a debt." Alas explained and took a deep breath. "And we know what will happen next, if that debt isn't paid, they will take their whole family, their lineage."
Kenzii stared at the old images of the blackened pit, when it didn't have a castle above it yet. His right arm begins to throb with a dull, sympathetic heat. "So all of this is just because of the blessing the devil gave to our worthless ancestors? Don't we already know that part?"
"It's more than that," Sota added, his eyes burning with a new, dangerous resolve. "According to the story we got from someone living nearby—a tale passed down from their ancestors—there is a way to break the agreement and stop paying the debt." he added, in a serious tone.
"How?" Kenzii asked, his voice trembling slightly. His face was a mask of desperate hope—a look so raw that it made Sota's heart ache. "How can this shits finally end?"
"That is exactly what we need to find out," Sota answered, leaning back and letting out a long, heavy breath. "Alas and I haven't found the full answer yet, but I am certain of one thing: the key to breaking the debt lies inside that castle itself. Inside Houska."
"Then when can we go?" Kenzii's response was sudden, filled with a vibrant energy his cousins hadn't heard in years. "I have already finished my task, we can fly there immediately. We don't have to wait."
The two older cousins shared a look, a small smile tugging at their lips. For the first time, the cold, hollow glint in Kenzii's eyes had been replaced by a genuine spark—a light that made him look like the 24-year-old vibrant as he was supposed to be, rather than the killer he was forced to become.
"Next month," Alas chimed in, his tired face brightening as he saw Kenzii's excitement. "Sota has already pulled some strings. Houska Castle is famous for its 'Night Tours' and occult-themed visits for tourists. It's the perfect cover. Sota managed to book us a private tour under the guise of 'historical researchers' interested in the chapel's folklore. We'll be able to get closer to the pit than any regular tourist ever could."
"We're going together," Sota added, his voice firm. "No more solo hunts for a while. We're going to find what's beneath that haunted castle."
Kenzii felt a lump form in his throat. He looked at his cousins—the only family he considered in this shadow world—and for the first time, he felt like he wasn't walking toward a grave, but toward a future.
A genuine, wide smile broke across his face, and for a moment, the room felt warmer than it had in years.
.
The Monteriel Corporation Building was a monolith of glass and steel, a place where the air felt too thin and the light too sterile. Inside his private office, Kenzii leaned back in his leather chair and let out a long, weary breath.
"Ah, I hate it here," a loud voice entered his office.
The door clicked open, and he didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Alas strolled in with his usual swagger, followed closely by the ever-composed Sota. It didn't matter where Kenzii went in the world; these two would always find a way to materialize in his space.
"Who doesn't?" Kenzii replied calmly, his eyes still fixed on his laptop screen. He turned to his secretary, who was standing by his side. "Elena, please get them something to drink."
His secretary, a sharp and professional woman who had been his right hand for four years, nodded. She had just finished briefing him on the mountain of paperwork he needed to review. With a quiet grace, she stepped out to fulfill the request.
"Quit complaining. This is part of our duty as members of this family," Sota interrupted. He was already settled into Kenzii's single sofa, legs crossed, eyes scanning a thick document in his hand.
"That's because you actually like what you do, 'COO,'" Alas smirked, emphasizing the title with a hint of mockery.
"Shut up. Can't you see I'm busy?" Sota frowned without looking up.
"If you're so busy, why did you bring all that work here?" Alas shot back.
"I like the ambiance in Kenzii's office. He has actual trees in here," Sota replied with a faint, rare grin.
"There's a whole garden on the rooftop with plenty of trees, Sota," Alas teased, leaning against the desk. "Just admit you didn't want to be left out." Sota merely arched an eyebrow in response. "So, what's actually eating at you?"
Sota sighed, finally setting the papers down. "The board of directors is breathing down my neck. They're demanding a total digital transformation and a shift in our operational model to stay competitive in the global market. But the internal resistance is heavy. The long-term employees fear that 'modernization' is just a code word for 'layoffs.' If I can't find a way to bridge the gap between innovation and job security, we're going to have a massive talent drain."
"That's a real headache," Alas noted, his playful tone softening.
"Here is your juice," Elena said, returning with a tray. She placed the drinks on the table with a polite smile, receiving a nod of thanks from the cousins before she retreated back to her station.
"I need a solution to this before we leave for Europe next month," Sota said, taking a long drink of his juice and rubbing his temples.
Kenzii looked at his cousin, his expression shifting to one of genuine concern. He offered a reassuring, rare smile. "If you can't finish it, it's okay if you don't come next month. Alas and I can handle the trip. We know you're carrying a much heavier load than we are, given your position."
"It's true," Alas added. "I have my legal team, and the Deputy General Counsel usually handles the grunt work for the CLC office. I'm mostly just a figurehead anyway, so I'm free to drop everything and watch Kenzii's back."
"Don't give me that," Sota countered, his eyes narrowing playfully at Alas. "You're on the verge of suspension at the CIDG because you've used up every sick leave and 'emergency' absence in the book."
A flicker of guilt crossed Kenzii's face. He knew Alas's record was suffering because of him. Alas caught the look immediately and waved it off with a cough.
"Actually, I'm planning to resign from the CIDG soon. I'll focus on my work at the company. The Chairman has been demanding I actually show up and do my job, so I'll probably file my resignation next month."
Kenzii's brow furrowed. "Are you sure about that? It sounds backward. You've wanted to be an investigator since we were kids. I thought you were going to resign as Chief Legal Counsel, not leave the force."
Alas let out a dry laugh, trying to mask the pang of regret in his chest. "Cuz, we all know nobody actually stays in their dream job forever, right? Practicality wins. How am I supposed to support a future family if I'm always one foot in the grave at work?"
"Right. That was exactly my logic when I resigned from the CFC in Singapore," Sota added with a small smile.
But they both knew the truth. They hadn't chosen those paths for the money or the prestige. They had studied, worked, and climbed the ladder at the IGCI and CIDG specifically to gain the skills and connections needed to help Kenzii with his missions—the blood-stained debt of their bloodline. The only problem was that Alas had accidentally fallen in love with the job he only took as a means to an end.
"How about you? Any drama in your department?" Sota asked, steering the conversation away from Alas's sacrifice.
"As of now, none," Kenzii replied, glancing through the glass wall at Elena, who was busy coordinating with the staff under his wing. "The Vice Chairman is making some demands, but everything is fine because Elena handles 80% of it anyway."
"You mean Elena handles all of it?" Sota laughed, and Alas joined in. Kenzii shot them a sharp look, which only made them laugh harder. "Don't look at Alas like that—he's just as bad as you are."
"That's why half of my personal salary goes directly into her account on top of her official pay," Kenzii grumbled. "She's not complaining, so why are you?"
"She's been with you since the day you stepped into this building," Alas noted, his gaze drifting to the secretary outside. "She was your father's original secretary before he… vanished. Aren't you worried she might just up and leave one day?"
Kenzii was only twenty when his father disappeared, leaving no trace and no explanation. At the time, Kenzii had already been a Soul Collector for two years. He was a graduating Arts student when his grandfather, Hidalgo, thrust him into his father's old seat as the Executive Director of Visual Arts and Brand Heritage. It was a massive, crushing weight for a young man already carrying the souls of the dead on his back. Elena had been the one to catch him before he fell.
"She's only twenty-nine," Kenzii said, trying to dismiss the sudden unease in his chest. "She won't resign. She's the breadwinner; she's still putting her younger siblings through school."
"You think with the massive bonuses you and the company give her, she doesn't have a huge nest egg by now?" Alas teased, though there was a hint of warning in his voice. As an investigator, he made it his business to know everyone in Kenzii's orbit. "Word on the street is she already owns her own restaurant. You might want to start worrying, boy."
Kenzii's eyes locked onto Elena through the glass. For the first time, he felt a flicker of genuine anxiety at the thought of her empty desk. Without her, this gilded cage would become unbearable.