"Talia, please go back to your room," Mr. P ordered coldly. "M-Mr. P," Talia stammered, her discomfort clear. Seeing her reaction, Mr. P reined in his anger, returning to his usual calm and composed demeanor. "Now, Miss Talia, I really need to talk to your friend. You can go back; there’s nothing wrong with what you did," he said, his tone controlled. "Promise me you won’t hurt him." "I promise you I won’t lay a finger on him." Reluctantly, Talia rose and hesitated before heading back inside the mansion. Mr. P watched her go before turning his gaze on Shawn, masking his rage. **This kid is a nuisance,** he thought, **but Ellen... why did she go so far as to attack him? I get it—since we brought him here, he’s been nothing but trouble. Still, should I just kill him?** The thought was tempting. He glanced down at Shawn, who was still on the ground, trembling with fear. **As tempting as it is, he’s still useful. Talia already broke the first seal to save him. Her power surged, even pushing back Ellen. No... for now, I’ll keep this brat alive.** "Hey, brat. Get up," P commanded in an icy voice. "P-please... leave me alone. I just want to go home," Shawn sobbed. "Oh, you want to go home?" A wide grin spread across P’s face. "Yes, please," Shawn begged, desperate. "Then you’ll need to do something for me." "I... I’ll do anything." "Beat that girl, Talia, in a fair fight, and you’re free to go." Shawn hesitated, doubt flickering in his eyes, but he knew this was his only chance. "O-okay." P extended a hand toward him. "Alright, then. The deal is on. You won’t leave here until you’re powerful enough to defeat her fair and square." Shawn took his hand, gripping it firmly. "I accept." They shook hands, and a faint red glow appeared where their palms met. **Look at this brat,** P mused, **I’m sure he’ll serve as the perfect fuel for Talia’s growth. Perhaps I should gather more of them here... I should check on the others too. But honestly, the quality of these two far surpasses the others.** "Come along, brat. I’ll take you to your room." P led Shawn back into the mansion, assigning him a new room. Once alone, Shawn took a shower, scrubbing off the grime and stink from his time in the shed. Freshened up, he glanced around his new quarters. It was plain, especially compared to Talia’s. A simple bed, a small bookshelf, and a table furnished the room. **Why did I have to get into a mess like this?** he thought, settling onto the bed. His gaze grew distant. "I wonder if Grandpa is looking for me." The thought saddened him, and though he tried to sleep, rest wouldn’t come. Eventually, he got up, unable to shake the memory of Talia pushing back Ellen without even touching her. **How did she do that? It was like... like that character Dork Vader from *Stir Wars*.** **Maybe I have powers too,** he thought, excitement tingling through him. **If I try hard enough, maybe I can do something like she did.** Determined to escape, he scanned the room and spotted a newspaper on the table. **Perfect.** Focusing intently on it, he attempted to imitate Talia’s telekinetic push, concentrating on the newspaper. For several tense moments, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the newspaper shot up, slammed into the ceiling, and fell to the floor. Shawn’s eyes went wide, overjoyed by his success, and he celebrated quietly. The newspaper lay open to an article, featuring a man in his mid-thirties with a ferocious look and a receding hairline, wearing a police uniform. Local Police Officer Exposed as Black Magic Practitioner -by Harry Leninton The chief officer of Morville City has been revealed as a practitioner of black magic. Authorities believe that recent child abductions are linked to Chief of Police Brian Wenton. While Wenton remains at large, on October 28, he murdered his own wife and injured Inspector James, who was later found with a stab wound near his chest. Among the victims rescued were five children, including Wenton’s daughter. Authorities speculate that Wenton planned to use the children in a sacrificial ritual. The police also discovered an abandoned church at the outskirts of the city, marked with ritualistic symbols. Four of the children were from the Bus Accident of the Sunnyshine School, two of the children Talia Wu and Shawn Jackson are still missing. Fear is spreading through the city, with many citizens demanding a thorough investigation. The Mayor has ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter. **They must have been forced to publish this,** Fiona thought, having read the article numerous times. She marveled at how close it came to the truth, though only she and Shin knew the full story. That day, she had altered the memories of James and the children, ensuring they only remembered vague details about the kidnapping, with James believing Wenton had attacked him. Fiona folded the newspaper and stepped outside. Nearly a week had passed since the incident, and no additional help had arrived. Her recent days had been spent surveilling the Jinnestein Forest on the city’s south side. Dense and teeming with wildlife, locals whispered that it harbored ferocious animals, but Fiona knew the real threat. It wasn’t tigers or lions she feared; it was demon hounds—ferocious beasts that could tear a human apart and feast on their soul. These hounds served as sentinels for high-grade demons. For a skilled hunter like Fiona, they were manageable, but she knew the hounds would have to be her first target in the raid, as they could alert every demon nearby. **Ugh, dealing with demon hounds,** she thought, frustrated. **They’re fast and hard to spot. Even a hunter has to concentrate fully just to sense them.** She arrived at Shin’s house, rang the doorbell, and stepped inside as he greeted her. They sat together in the living room. "Any new developments?" Shin asked. "The cult has at least three demon hounds. I don’t know if there are more, but I think I’ll wait until the others arrive before going back there." "That’s wise. Demon hounds are excellent at tracking. Did you make sure to erase all traces?" "Yes, I was careful. We’ll need to eliminate the hounds first. Fighting them alongside cult members would be a nightmare." "Agreed. Any updates from your team?" Fiona sighed. "Not yet, but it’s been a week. They should arrive soon." Her hairs unkempt, her green eyes showing signs of sleeplessness. Shin gave her a thoughtful look. "Fiona... did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Fiona blushed, then smiled. "No, Shin, you never did." "Maybe I should have." Shin laughed awkwardly. "Why don’t you tell me now?" Fiona leaned toward him, only to smack him with the hilt of her sword. Shin yelped, falling to the floor. "What the hell?" he shouted in pain. "Come on, Ryan. You know your disguise never fools me," Fiona said. "You don’t have to be so violent!" Shin’s body glowed, transforming into a boy in his early twenties with long black hair, brown eyes, and an innocent face. "What were you trying to pull?" Fiona demanded angrily. "Just testing how close you are with him," Ryan said, grinning. Fiona glared, smacking him again. "If you pull a stunt like that again, I’ll kill you." Ryan raised his hands defensively. "Relax, I wasn’t planning anything serious." "Since you’re here, I assume your good-for-nothing mentor is here too. Where is he?" "He’s following Shin." Fiona sighed in exasperation. "I ask for backup, and they send liabilities." Ryan smirked. "Big talk from someone who loses to my master every time they spar." "You little—" Fiona stopped herself, taking a deep breath. "Let’s find them. We need to plan the Jinnestein raid." "No need. They’ll return when he’s done testing him." "We need to conserve energy for the real enemies. Let’s go." "No," Ryan said, blocking her path. "Move, now," she warned. "Too late." The room warped, the surroundings shifting in and out of focus until they stabilized. **Angelic Void Distortion,** Fiona realized. "Ryan, you’re not ready to use that! Why are you doing this?" "Master ordered me to keep you from interfering," Ryan replied, leveling his spear at her. "Fine. I didn’t want to, but you leave me no choice," Fiona said, unsheathing her sword. "I hope you’re ready to regret this." "Bring it on." Ryan’s voice held a hint of overconfidence. Meanwhile, in a supermarket, Shin strolled through the aisles. It was unusually empty, there were no other people coming in Shin's way, neither the sound of cashier girl, or any other customers, suddenly the light started to flicker a bit and through the silence a voice cut through the air. "Who let a demon walk among us?" Shin turned around a man in his late thirties, fit with dark hair and black eyes, holding a spear. "You must be one of Ms. Fiona’s group. Nice to meet you, I’m—" Shin began, but the man interrupted, thrusting his spear at him. Shin deflected it with an aura shield. "I didn't ask for introductions. Show me what you are through your fighting skills," the man said, gripping his spear steadily. "Very well," Shin replied. As he prepared, the skin on his hands seemed to melt away, revealing multiplied layers of muscle beneath. His fingers extended and sharpened into deadly claws. "Let's begin, then." With those words, they both charged at each other, the clash imminent.