When I got back to my bed, it was already morning, just like before. Good thing it was a Sunday and I'll be able to rest early later.
My father was already working in Alicia's room for what he promised that night.
And Alicia helping him around, already excited to see her playhouse getting done.
That's when I took the chance to gather another pure essence from her head before patching it up.
[TARGET ALICIA'S PURE ESSENCE HAS BEEN PATCHED.]
I was able to gather three essences from her, and used two for my dagger and holy rosary.
Since that's what I've been using all the time.
And then...
Days passed by in a flash, the day for the store's visit came, and I am with Gino, Sarah, and Cynthia.
When we arrived, I was stunned by how spacious the place was.
It got a back office and display racks at every corner. And the center table was waa display case covered in glass.
Which probably implies where all the expensive ones should go.
"Wow. This place is so cool." I said admiring it.
"If you told let me handle it, I could have told my father to purchase a bigger one." Gino said grumpily.
Until now, he was sulking that I agreed to let Mr. Bartolome to handle the store preparations.
Cynthia was clinging onto me happily, since the news of her check up came negative.
She was leaning quite too close, but I just let her.
Gino, hearing about it looked disappointed for a second and recovered, telling Cynthia he was happy about the news too.
Among them, Sarah was the happiest, since her reluctance to get close to Cynthia was also because of the possibility of her getting pregnant.
But all's well now. They're starting to get closer.
After looking around, and Gino giving out jabs every moment he gets, everything was finalized.
The store was available for occupancy.
Cynthia gave me the leasing documents, and we all signed it as a team.
Since it's a team acquired location.
"When will we start displaying your items?" Sarah asked me as she settle to what seems to be a receiving area.
"Next Saturday. That'll be our first official grand opening. It's not like people will crowd this place. They might be thinking everything's a gimmick." I said casually.
"The website is just waiting for your signal. It's ready to go live. Would you like it to be on a Saturday too?" Cynthia asked me as she pulled me to another chair.
"No. You can tell the tech team of your dad to have the website launched on Monday. It'll gives us time to check it everyday in our club room." I sat on the chair beside Cynthia.
"That works too. If someone sets an appointment, we can tell the client to visit our physical store and discuss the investigation and actions needed to be done here." Gino said, looking around the room.
"That's right. We can respond to inquiries on our website during weekdays, and handle them personally on a Saturday." I agreed.
Millien just kept nodding with everything we agreed on. Like, he was giving us permission.
"This place...is in a good spot." Millien said, looking at the east foundation.
"Explain." I said, looking at him.
Everyone was curious too. They all adjusted their glasses looking at Millien, as if on cue.
"The energy here isn't contaminated, which means, when they build this building, they offered gifts and blood to the one who lived in the land it was built on." Millien explained.
"Blood?" Cynthia asked taken aback from the mention of it.
"Animal blood. It's a ritual done to ask permission to use the land." Millien answered without even looking at Cynthia.
"Permission from whom?" Gino asked raising a brow.
"The entities. Like me, or far more higher. Like elementals." He said looking up to meet Gino's gaze.
"Does that matter?" Gino asked again, now curious.
"It does. Tell me, who owned this building?" Millien asked looking at Cynthia.
"My parents. Daddy owns this building. That's why he offered this place." Cynthia said like she didn't just drop an important information.
"Your father owns this... building?" I asked looking at her in shock.
"You didn't know? But you had a talk with him." Cynthia countered looking confused.
"He didn't say exactly that it's inside his own building." I said leaning forward towards Cynthia.
She just giggled like my reaction was something entertaining her.
"Father's office is at the top floor. So, yeah. He may pay us a visit if he feels like it." Cynthia responded poking my nose, and shoving me back a bit since I got too close.
I sat back on my chair and sighed. I must have not heard about it somewhere between getting bored or processing details during the talk.
"Have you father's business ever been in a pickle? Or if he was met with problems, was he able to overcome it?" Millien asked serious this time.
Then Cynthia looked at him, sitting comfortably on my shoulder as always. And tilted her head.
"I've never heard of father having problems with his business. I mean, there were times when business slows down but not to the point it closes. Especially during the pandemic. We lived by fine, even able to support the employees." Cynthia stated.
Millien nodded and crossed his little arms.
"That's the outcome of someone who got permission from the entity or elemental who lived or once lived in this piece of land. They never suffer losses. It's a fair trade. And it's funny. They do the ritual, yet don't seem to believe in our existence." Millien chuckled shaking his head.
"It's ironic. Because it's true we believe on superstitions, but also deny it entirely. Like hypocrisy at its best." I said while also matching Millien's expression.
"But not anymore." Gino said seriously. "Because we see you. We've been into situations that were hard to believe but happened. Even I am starting to remember by grandpa's stories from before. Which now would make sense, since I knew Anthony and you, Millien."
Sarah and Cynthia nodded, agreeing to Gino's words.
Somehow, every superstitions we've heard of? Might all be true.