"What kind of a sick joke is this?!" Kim's fist slammed against the table, the sound reverberating through the dusky room
  Her patience had already worn thin, but now, it was crumbling entirely. Her gaze snapped to the man seated beside her, who was flipping lazily through the grimoire—the supposedly cursed artifact that had cost them so much to obtain. The same one Tomoya had handed over through Jess.
  "We've spent days trying to decipher whatever secrets this book holds," Kim seethed, voice sharp enough to cut through the tension, "and you're telling me that none of this makes sense?!"
  The man, utterly unfazed by her outburst, merely arched an eyebrow before lazily flipping to the next page. He hadn’t slept a wink since being summoned to assist with some so-called "historical witchcraft discovery," only to find himself drowning in this absolute nonsense.
  He ran his fingers over the inked text, his expression caught somewhere between amusement and intrigue. "I'm telling you," he said, voice calm in contrast to Kim’s fury, "most of the symbols in here don’t even resemble Latin, let alone any known dead language. Whoever wrote this—assuming it wasn’t some elaborate hoax—used a cipher that doesn’t exist in any historical record." He let out a dry chuckle. "Are you absolutely certain this is an actual grimoire, madam?"
  Kim's glare could have burned through steel. "How the hell should I know when I can't even read Latin myself?!" She slammed her fist down again, barely restraining the urge to grab the book and throw it across the room.
  The doors creaked open, interrupting her tirade. Kaiser strode in, his presence commanding immediate attention. "What's the progress, Kim?"
  Kim scoffed, folding her arms. "Where’s Jess?" she snapped. "That bitch just handed us bullshit!"
  Kaiser frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing as he moved closer to the table. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice edged with suspicion.
  Kim gestured wildly at the grimoire, while the man beside her turned the book to a particular page and tapped a cluster of unfamiliar symbols. "I've studied every dead language, every arcane dialect, and even modern cryptographic systems," he said, his voice carrying an air of finality. "And I can tell you with absolute certainty—I’ve never encountered anything like this before." He exhaled sharply. "This isn't a grimoire. This is gibberish."
  Kaiser’s eyes darkened as he studied the book. "So, it's fake?"
  "Either that," the man replied, leaning back in his chair, "or it's encoded in a way that surpasses anything humans have ever used before. Maybe. Just maybe."
  "See?!" Kim barked, slamming both palms onto the table. "I told you we needed that damned Victor for this!"
  Kaiser sighed, rubbing his temples. "And I told you—he’s been avoiding us ever since the incident at Samantha’s house!" His voice rose slightly, frustration evident. "The last time I saw him in the hospital, the man looked like a walking corpse."
  "Then we'll drag him here by hook or by crook!" Kim slammed her fist onto the table, the sharp crack of impact reverberating through the dimly lit room. Her patience had long since run dry. "He can't just help one day and decide to vanish the next! We're not playing hide and seek!"
  Kaiser exhaled sharply, his arms crossing over his chest. "That man is bound to a demon, Kim," he scoffed, his tone carrying an edge of warning. "And unlike him, none of us have been blessed—or cursed—with supernatural abilities. If we make the wrong move, we could end up wiped out before we even realize what happened. Who knows what he's truly capable of?"
  Kim's jaw tightened as she took in Kaiser's words. He wasn't wrong, but that didn't mean she had to accept it. The truth was, they knew almost nothing about Victor beyond what he lets on and that's his curiosity towards Samantha's bound demon. Mr. Hunt—despite his vast network, wealth, and influence—still hadn’t found a way to bend Victor to his will.
  Kim found it utterly exasperating. Even Mr. Hunt treaded cautiously around Victor, despite the fact that Victor, cursed as he was, couldn’t even open a portal to the other realm.
  They had tried everything. Coercion, threats, even outright abduction of other cursed individuals—yet none of them had ever agreed to join their cause. Not one. Every single one of them had chosen death or exile over aligning with them.
  And yet, Victor had helped them once. That meant he could be manipulated. He could be forced.
  But how?
  "Let’s give it more time," Kaiser murmured, breaking the tense silence. He reached out, placing a hand on Kim’s shoulder—a rare gesture of reassurance. "Besides, you still have to mourn for Junel."
  The name alone sent a bolt of fury through her.
  Kim immediately flicked Kaiser's hand away, her glare sharp enough to cut. "Don't even mention his name around me," she snapped, her voice colder than ice. Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out, her boots striking the floor with each step. She didn’t even bother closing the door behind her.
  Kaiser watched her disappear into the shadows, his expression unreadable.
  The truth was, no matter how much Kim tried to deny it, Junel had meant something to her. She had spent years by his side, fighting, surviving. And now, he was gone—sacrificed like a pawn on a chessboard, just to confirm whether Samantha had truly returned.
  And no matter how much Kaiser tried to rationalize it, the weight of that choice sat heavy on his conscience.
  Junel had died for their cause.
  But in the end, was their cause even worth it?
  •••
  "Zach, breathe. You look like you're going to collapse," Dryzza nudged Zach’s arm, her brows furrowing with concern.
  True to her words, Zach swayed slightly, his face pale and drenched in sweat. If not for the wall behind him, he might have actually face-planted onto the precinct floor.
  "Eh! Get a hold of yourself, Zach!" Esmeralda groaned, rolling her eyes before delivering a firm slap to his back.
  The force sent him lurching forward, his knees nearly buckling under him as he barely caught himself against the nearby filing cabinet.
  "H-Holy shit!" Zach gasped, twisting around to glare at Esmeralda while massaging the fresh ache spreading across his spine. "Do you realize I’m too old to be smacked around like that?!"
  Esmeralda simply crossed her arms, unimpressed. "Then I suggest you consider retirement."
  Zach scoffed, shaking his head, but before he could protest, she added, "On top of that, all you’ve been bringing into this precinct are supernatural cases. You do realize we’re cops, not exorcists, right? Because maybe it's time we start carrying holy water instead of a badge."
 "Don't get started with me, Es," Zach stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders before locking eyes with her. "You signed up for this. Either we go down together, or you go down alone."
 Esmeralda scoffed, feigning innocence as she tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. "Funny. I distinctly remember signing up because some 'historical relic of a man' needed serious help."
 Zach narrowed his eyes. "Watch your mouth, Esmeralda." He leaned in slightly. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who practically begged to explore Dr. Takahashi's manor and even agreed to go without any search warrant. You said—and I quote—'This is the most exciting case we’ve ever had.' So don’t lie to my face now."
 Esmeralda rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yeah, that was before all this supernatural nonsense started piling up and up and up, it makes me just want to pass out. Now you’re telling me those two—Ruby and that Jay guy—claim to be cursed? And that some shady organization kidnapped them to open a portal? Do you even hear how insane that sounds?"
 Zach let out a long sigh, pressing a finger against the stack of documents on his desk. "Then explain Belle Del Valle's unexplainable death and these." He slid a few photos toward her. "These were taken by Ruby. That so-called 'crumpled dungeon' they were locked in? It’s real, Es. Not a metaphor, not a delusion—real."
 Dryzza, who had remained silent until now, leaned forward, her expression taut with urgency. "And if it’s real, that means someone out there is actually using cursed people for something." She turned sharply to Zach, eyes burning with vindication. "I told you, Zach! I wasn’t just hallucinating! Those people I saw when… when I experienced celestial projection—they were real!"
 "I never said they weren't. I got you the search warrant, didn't I? Even though you weren't able to remember even one of their faces," Zach groaned, rubbing his temples. "And there's something that's been bothering me since those four entered my office."
 "Hmm?" Esmeralda edged closer between Zach and Dryzza, sensing they were onto something.
 "You mean Ruby and Jay's reaction when they saw Kim and Kaiser?" A new voice cut in—Sai, appearing out of nowhere. He stepped forward, dropping another pile of documents onto Zach's desk with a thud. Zach visibly flinched at the sight. "And how they conveniently decided to 'head to the comfort room' at the exact same time—only to enter the same door, despite being male and female?"
 "Well, no shit!" Dryzza gasped, her eyes widening as realization struck. "I thought Jay was gay, that's what he told me when they got out, but now that you mention it… Could Kim and Kaiser be involved with this organization?"
 "Then why didn’t they just tell us outright?" Sai chimed in, frustration lacing his voice. "We could’ve had confirmation already."
 Esmeralda's lips quivered in confusion. She wasn't there when those things happened, she could barely keep up. She glanced at the grainy, dimly lit photographs. Shackles bolted into stone walls. Symbols carved into the floor. Bloodstains—too old to be fresh, but recent enough to be unsettling.
 
She exhaled sharply before slamming a hand on the desk. "Alright, fine! Paranormal and all this bullshit—whatever! But if this is as serious as you say, why aren’t we reporting it to the higher-ups? Or are you planning to handle this alone again, Zach?"
Her voice was sharp, almost accusatory, but underneath it was something else—concern. Frustration. Maybe even fear.
 Zach clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the edge of the desk. "We can deal with the paranormal cases, but not with these people, Es," he met her gaze, unflinching. "I am certain that if we go to the higher-ups with this, they'll either bury it—or bury us."