The low, rhythmic thrum of the private jet's engines vibrated through the floorboards of the luxury cabin as the three cousins were preparing to leave the country using the Monteriel private plane. Their trip to Houska Castle had been moved forward by a full week, a sudden change in plans that was entirely Kenzii's decision.
"You sure about this, cuz?" Alas asked, looking over at Kenzii, who only responded with a silent nod.
"Why are you still asking him that? The plane is about to take off in a few minutes, everything is already set," Sota interjected as he buckled his seatbelt. "I've already coordinated our entry clearance with the regional curators of Houska Castle under the guise of an academic research delegation. So there's no turning back now. If you're scared, you can just stay behind."
"Come on, maybe he's just overwhelmed with his decision, you know? His wounds haven't even fully healed yet... And I'm not ready yet…" Alas muttered to himself the last sentence. He checked his seatbelt repeatedly, which had been securely fastened for a while now, before glancing at Kenzii, who had remained completely silent.
"It's better this way, since Kenzii still has nine days of vacant time before a new target profile opens up anyway," Sota sighed, checking his phone one last time before turning it completely off.
Every time a mission was classified as high-alert, the system granted Kenzii a two-week layover or rest period afterward. Kenzii thinks that this is the perfect time to visit the castle so if ever the story behind it wasn't real they don't need to waste their time there and move to another possible lead.
Kenzii remained quiet, staring blankly out the window as the plane taxied down the runway. It had been several days since that explosive confrontation inside Don Hidalgo's study. After the strong sedative finally wore off, he had woken up inside his bedroom at the ancestral Monteriel mansion, with Sota and Alas watching over him.
Sota had explained everything that happened after he lost consciousness. He had woken up early that morning with a bad feeling, and when he found Kenzii's room empty, his instincts flared. He immediately dragged a half-asleep Alas out of bed and rushed to the mansion, arriving just in the nick of time.
But it wasn't the near-death experience of his grandfather that kept looping in Kenzii's mind. It was the parting words of the Don that told him in his room the moment he woke up—words that continued to haunt him:
"Everything that happened was for a reason, Kenzii—it was done to protect this family. You need to accept that. I wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice my own blood and my own self if it meant ensuring the survival of the lineage that each generation has carefully built. Remember that..."
"Bury your father's ghost in your heart and never let him crawl in your mind and corrupt it. He is not as innocent as you think he is. Forget him… You still have a family left, Kenzii. If you can control that temper of yours, I will personally give you the coordinates of where they are. Learn to accept reality, and you will find out the truth when the right time comes."
So the old man really knows exactly where they are, Kenzii thought, letting out a long sigh as he clenched his fists. His mind was an absolute mess, but he knew he had to play along for now. He would do whatever it took, even pretend to be the loyal grandson, until the old man handed over the missing pieces.
.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. We have begun our descent into Prague Václav Havel Airport. The current temperature is a chilly ten degrees Celsius. Please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened." The flight attendant's polite voice echoed through the speakers, waking the brothers up. Sota rubbed his eyes, realizing he and Alas had slept through the entire flight right in their passenger chairs, completely bypassing the private plane's luxury beds.
After passing through customs, a private car immediately drove them north toward Blatce, a small, rustic village located near Houska Castle.
Looking out the window, Kenzii observed their temporary destination. The village looked like something straight out of an old European fairy tale. Traditional wooden cottages stood surrounded by dense pine forests, and narrow cobblestone pathways wound between the properties, leading to a small, quiet stone square in the center.
To Kenzii, however, the scenic beauty meant absolutely nothing. Having traveled to various parts of the world just to execute targets for the system, an idyllic European village was just another backdrop to him.
When the car pulled up to a timber house, a local couple immediately stepped out onto the porch to welcome them. Kenzii raised an eyebrow as the couple instantly wrapped their arms around Sota and Alas, greeting them like family.
"Uncle Jacob, auntie Ann, this is the youngest cousin we told you about during our last trip," Sota smiled warmly, pointing toward Kenzii. "This is Kenzii."
Kenzii instantly forced a polite expression onto his face and extended a hand for a formal greeting—only to be pulled into a crushing, emotional embrace by the woman, followed by a heavy hug from the man.
Stiffening at the unexpected physical contact, Kenzii shot a lethal, glaring look at his cousins over the woman's shoulder. Sota and Alas were standing a few feet away, biting their lips aggressively as they desperately tried to stifle their laughter.
"What the fuck is this?" Kenzii mouthed silently, his eyes narrowing into slits. The sight only made the two brothers lose their composure entirely, their shoulders shaking with silent hysterics.
The moment the couple finally let go of him, Kenzii's face instantly smoothed over, and his lips curled into a perfectly practiced, charming smile.
"We are so happy to finally meet you, young man!" Ann cheered, looking him up and down while Sota and Alas nodded like proud parents. "Your cousins spent hours talking about you when they were last here. They told us you were the sweetest, most exceptionally social boy."
"Indeed!" Jacob laughed loudly, clapping Kenzii hard on his bruised shoulder. Kenzii's jaw twitched, his smile turning into a grimace. "There are a lot of young folks in this village, of the same genders. Don't you worry, young man, I am going to personally introduce you to every single one of them!
"I can't wait," Kenzii forced out smoothly, though inside his head, he was already imagining how exhausting that would be.
"Come inside, come inside! We've prepared a welcome lunch," Jacob gestured, leading the way into the house.
Sota and Alas moved to follow, but before they could cross the porch, Kenzii stepped right into their blind spots. With two swift, brutal movements, he smacked the backs of both their heads hard with an open palm.
"Ow!" Alas winced, spinning around to face him.
"You two seriously have way too much goddamn free time," Kenzii hissed under his breath, his eyes flashing with a dangerous promise of revenge before he swept past them into the house. The cousins shared a look, laughing quietly as they followed him inside.
The rest of the day was filled with endless stories over heavy plates of garlic potato pancakes and roasted meats. Listening to the conversation, Kenzii realized that the dark folklore Sota and Alas had compiled about Houska Castle had been sourced entirely from this couple's tales. While Kenzii didn't doubt their sincerity, his analytical mind remained skeptical; it was hard to tell where history ended and village rumors began.
He chose to remain quiet, observing from the shadows of the dining table. The absolute truth of the castle—and whatever demonic anomaly rested inside its foundations—would reveal itself soon enough the moment he stepped past its accursed gates.
The night drew to a close with warm toasts, the three Monteriel keeping their true identities and bloody professions carefully concealed beneath the guise of wandering academics.
.
By eight o'clock the following morning, the quiet household was already a whirlwind of frantic activity. Long before the sun had even cleared the pine trees, Jacob and Ann had been awake, the kitchen filling with the heavy, savory scents of large-scale cooking. Three plastic containers stood stacked on the countertops, packed to the brim with traditional food.
"Hey. Move your ass, what are you still standing by the door for?" Sota called out, snapping his fingers to beckon Kenzii toward the entryway.
Kenzii released a long-suffering sigh. He had completely miscalculated the nature of this trip; he hadn't anticipated that his arrival would force him into an aggressive display of small-town socialization. Apparently, it was the 60th birthday of the starosta—the traditional village leader—and the entire community was transforming the central square into a massive, mandatory festival. The couple's insistent promises to introduce Kenzii to the local youth hadn't been an empty pleasantry; it was an organized social deployment.
"Do I really have to do this?" Kenzii asked, his voice sounding hollow and utterly drained. The mere concept of exchanging trivial pleasantries with strangers had drained his social battery before he had even crossed the threshold of the house.
"Yes, you do. It's mandatory for our cover. Move," Sota replied flatly, turning on his heel to lead the way out into the morning air.
Kenzii dragged his shoes across the floor, watching his two cousins lift the tupperwares of food alongside Jacob and Ann at the front gate. Looking up at the clear, blindingly blue European sky, Kenzii offered a singular, silent hope that this day would end faster.