Eira made the rare occurrence of staring at Dalton. He could feel her gaze drill a hole from the side of his head, but he kept on typing on his computer until she rose from her seat and walked around to his side.

“We don’t have a strict dress code, but why are you wearing a butler’s outfit?”

After a few minutes of complete silence, Dalton answered with a tear in his eye. “Because my word is bond.”

“That doesn’t answer anything I just asked. Give a clearer answer instead of giving a vague one that does not answer anything.”

“I lost a bet.” Dalton dropped his head and started to pound his fist against his desk. “Maid outfit!”

“From the hungry glint in your eyes, that I should step back. Just keep on doing your work, and I will overlook this.”

The door to the office opened, and Ozul stepped in far skinnier than yesterday. Both Dalton and Eira watched him as he staggered towards his desk like a flag whipping in the wind.

“What happened to you?” Eira asked.

“Eira, you don’t want to ask that.” Dalton narrowed his eyes in disgust. “You’re going to have to trust me on this.”

He changed his mind when Ozul opened his mouth and a waterfall of thick black liquid surged forth.

“I am going to ignore that, but make sure you keep your desk clean.”

“Wait what? You don’t want to know what happened?” Dalton turned his head towards Eira. “Black sludge is draining from his mouth.”

“It’s probably some form of STD.” Eira crossed her arm with a serious expression etched on her face. “Make sure to take some allcure.”

Louise came in next, and her eyes went wide as she spotted Dalton, and it went even wider when she saw Ozul.

“Louise. Make sure you submit all of your candidate reports to me by the end of the day.” Eira told her as she passed by her and to back to her desk.

She shook her head. “Yes. Will do.”

Ozul made a gurgling sound behind him. Dalton turned back to see his eye sockets caved in further and Dalton only saw black.

“This isn’t an STD is it?”

Ozul smiled, a few of his teeth clattered on his desk.

Dalton was ninety percent sure that this man was not sick with any form of STD, even though it would have been very likely.

But Eira didn’t seem to care enough to respond to him, so Dalton sighed going back to his work. A few minutes after some gurgling and mumbling from Ozul, Malcolm burst through the door in tears holding a crumbled note in his hands.

“Satoshi has been kidnapped.”

That news made Dalton stop what he was doing. Eira immediately stepped from her computer, and smoothly crossed over to the crying Malcolm.

“What are you talking about?”

“This letter was taped on my apartment door. It’s a suicide note from Satoshi. It’s written in his handwriting, but I know for a fact that he would never commit suicide. He’s been kidnapped.”

Eira plucked the note from his hands. She read it and frowned. “I don’t see any code on here that could surmise he’s been kidnapped like last time.”

Last time? How common was this?

“I couldn’t decode anything, but I know he didn’t. I can just feel it. He’s alive somewhere.” He put his hand to his chest. “He’s here somewhere.”

Dalton didn’t want to say that he was in a crystal prison at his home.

“Well, let’s stop there. Oh, look at that!” Eira pointed at Ozul.

Malcolm looked their way, but Dalton saw Eira crouching down placing an envelope at the crack at the door. Then standing up right before Malcolm turned back to her.

“Yeah, I can see that Ozul has an STD.”

It really is an STD?

Ozul’s lips curled in a shaking smile and then his head turned a hundred and eighty degrees. It was certainly not an STD.

“Look at what I found Malcolm. An envelope was just pushed under the door.” She held it up for him to take.

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Malcolm opened it. His eyes widened. “These are…”

Eira peeked from the side of his shoulder. “They look like photos of Satoshi’s dead body.”

“I…No these have to be fake.” He tried to stay upbeat, but his voice was weak. “They have to be. I can feel it in my gut. He’s-” He bit his lips. “-I am going to my time chamber. No one bother me while I do.”

Time chamber?

Malcolm trudged like a soldier that lost his brother. He crouched under his desk, but Ozul blocked his view. One of the most hideous and evilest laughs cracked form his throat like a broken trumpet.

All anyone had to say about that was to take his allcure.

#

“If you can, can I ask that you accompany me to lunch. I must speak to you.” Louise had come up to his desk to ask him.

Dalton was very surprised by this. For the past month he worked here, he had never spoken directly to Louise, but that was more by design than anything. He had avoided her because he was sure there was something strange about her, and he did not want to get involved.

There was also the added bonus of Ozul’s murderous gaze drilling on his back. So, he wanted to turn her down.

“I don’t think I can today. I have a lot of work. Maybe you should ask Ozul.”

As Ozul fervently nodded to that, small black droplets of sludge hit Dalton’s desk and sizzled like an egg on a hot pan.

“No thank you. I don’t want to talk to Ozul. I want to talk to you. Privately. Just the two of us.”

Louise didn’t know, but the specter behind him was growing vengeful with every word she spouted.

“No, no. I’m going to have to turn you down. I’ve got a lot of work here. See, look at my screen.”

Louise looked over his shoulder. “It looks like you’re working on a resume.”

“See, very busy. I absolutely have to get this paperwork in order.”

Louise leaned in; her hand reached over his crotch.

“Hey, what are-”

And she crushed his balls and whispered in a tone venomous tone.

“Come with me, or I’m going to crush any attempt to make a Dalton Jr.”

Though he was already damaged, Dalton managed a curt nod.

Immediately her demeanor changed. “I look forward to speaking with you on the roof.”

His balls were not the only thing he had to worry about. Dalton wondered if he would be able to make it out. Behind him, Ozul had sprouted longer hair that moved around like tentacles.

The cursed Ozul screeched in an inhumane roar. Eira threw a pencil at him, and Malcolm was still in under his desk. But neither cared too much to look up.

What a day to forget the protection imbued tie.

Already, his hand was shackled by one of the tendrils of hair. Dalton moved his hand towards his pocket, reaching for another ring and a potion that Maya had gifted him.

#

Louise perked up when Dalton opened the door to the roof. She pushed herself on her feet and clapped her hands together.

“Wonderful, I appreciate that you have come.”

“Sure.” Dalton looked at his wrist. There was still a cuff of hair frozen on it, and he barely escaped Ozul’s wrath. “What do you want?”

The wind blew, her pink hair wafted in the wind as she turned to look at the view. “I’m sure you have noticed that Ozul is acting strange.”

“No. I haven’t noticed at all,” Dalton said sarcastically.

She brushed her hair behind her ear. “Well, it’s not an STD. He’s possessed by a ghost.” Louise turned to him with a serious expression.

“He’s possessed.” The gears in Dalton’s head turned. “That makes sense. But why are you involving me in this?”

She poked her fingers together. “Well…aren’t you friends?”

“No. He is my mortal enemy.”

“You said that quite quickly.” Louise looked distraught.

“Can I leave? You’re not going to crush my balls again, are you? I don’t have another potion handy to heal that again.”

“No. No. I would never.” She waved her hand.

“But you just threatened me. You grabbed my testicles and squeezed them like stress balls. Don’t tell me you’re possessed by a ghost?” Dalton gave a chuckle.

But Louise did not move. Her eyes looked down, and it was there Dalton realized that she was possessed by a ghost too.

She placed her hand on her chest. “I am a ghost user. My family comes from a long line of spiritualists and we’re able to channel ghosts in our body.”

“Huh.” Dalton turned his head. That didn’t sound as bad as he thought. Maybe he could get along with Louise.

“Well, to be more accurate. I am the ghost that is possessing this body.”

“Huh…” And that was something else he didn’t expect.

Louise’s head dropped and when she looked up her expression changed from the nice woman in front of him to a strong-willed gaze.

“Really? You want this virgin to help us?” The real Louise spoke to the inaudible ghost. “You might as well try and get the fat one to break the stalker’s curse. I think we should just get the dangerous woman to help us.”

Dalton could easily guess who each of those people she was talking with were. Better to leave now, before she changes her mind.

Dalton lifted his hand. “Yup. Like you said, I’m a weak virgin. I’m going to go ahead and leave now.”

Just as Dalton turned, the ground shook. Dalton almost fell and caught himself on the door’s knob. Louise clicked her tongue and stared below her.

“I told you it was a bad idea. That idiot stalker has let the ghost fuel on his jealousy.” She glared at Dalton. “Virgin. You better not go down there.”

“Why is that?” Dalton straightened himself.

“Because the stalker is about to burst from that door.”

Dalton moved aside from the door just in time as the door blew off its hinges and soared over the chain fence and down into the streets.

A black aura like smoke emanated from Ozul as he floated onto the roof. He passed Dalton, giving no indication that he even noticed him. That was good enough for Dalton, he just wanted to go down the stairs and leave the building now.

Louise lifted her fists, ready to fight. “Let’s go!”

Ozul made a ghostly roar, his long hair swiped at Louise. Louise moved under the hair, closing the distance between the two. A large crack resounded as her fist met Ozul’s ribs.

If Ozul felt pain, he didn’t show it. The hair came down in all directions around Louise, aiming to trap her.

Louise slipped through the crack of hair, dodging any attempt to grab at her.

“You’re going to have to try better than that!” She hollered.

Dalton was amazed at the right he was watching that he almost forgot he was trying to escape. Dalton walked to the door, only to realize that there was a net of thick hair blocking the exit.

He put on the ring and touched the hair. It immediately froze. Dalton tried to push his way through, but it was too thick to break. If he tried to punch it, his fist would break first.

Dalton groaned. He was going to need Louise’s help. From what he saw, she would be able to shatter the frozen hair.

He was tired of getting involved in these crazy things. One after another. A vengeful CEO, a crazy department head, a Goblin King, and now ghosts. His life was just getting weirder and weirder.