CHAPTER 3

Michael plopped down onto the sofa when he arrived home, exhausted.

He hadn't eaten lunch, and now he didn't feel like eating dinner either. The events of the day had been too tiring, especially for someone like him who wasn't used to dealing with this kind of chaos.

He leaned back on the sofa and rested his head on the headrest. When he closed his eyes, the image of Ruby lying on the street flashed back into his mind. Her skull was shattered, and her neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, which the police found highly suspicious. Her bones were also badly broken, making it a horrific sight for anyone who saw her.

But aside from his secretary, what bothered him even more was the delivery boy who was the only witness.

Yes, he was the only one who saw it - or maybe Ruby did too. He wasn't sure, since he couldn't talk to her anymore.

However, it was clear to him what Ruby and the invisible entity on the CCTV footage were discussing. Ruby called the entity "SIR".

His friend had suggested that maybe Ruby saw his face on the CCTV before she died.

When they checked the footage of him talking to a delivery boy who supposedly was let into his office by Jam, they didn't see anyone else but him.

Even the police investigators were stumped, scratching their heads because this was the first time they had encountered a situation like this.

He rubbed his face with his palms. He shouldn't be scared. He shouldn't be like this. He had nothing to worry about because he hadn't sold his soul to get rich. His conscience was clear.

Michael stood up and walked towards his bedroom. He lived alone in the condo unit, so no one would be there to serve him.

He was about to open the door when his phone rang. It was Jam calling.

"Mike, how are you? Did you get home?" Jam asked.

"Yeah, I just got home."

"Don't worry about it, Mike, okay? We're all here for you. You have nothing to worry about because everyone knows you're not at fault."

Michael sighed. Was that really true? He didn't know the answer to that. He thought the woman might have been caught up in his bad luck.

"Thank you."

"By the way, Mike, what's the plan for the party you've been preparing? Is it still on?"

"That's what I'm thinking about. I'm hesitant to cancel it, but the invitation cards have already been distributed. I don't want this incident to be the reason it doesn't push through."

Two weeks later…

"That's a lovely brooch, son..." The person he was talking to was referring to the brooch made of stone that his grandmother had left him. He had pinned it to his chest pocket.

Michael was conversing with a senator who was also a businessman. They were on the lawn of his mansion, where his party was being held to celebrate his achievement as the top businessman in Asia. It was a great honor to be recognized not just in his country but also internationally. Even the Spectre Elite Magazine, a renowned publication based in New York, had featured him on the cover of their latest issue.

They were in the middle of their conversation when the lights suddenly went out, so he excused himself. He couldn't find any helpers, so he went inside the house himself. Fortunately, his guests remained calm despite the sudden power outage. Since it was a full moon, the surroundings weren't too dark.

As he was heading towards the power source, he caught sight of a figure going up the stairs.

"Who are you?" he asked, but the person didn't even bother to stop. Instead, they quickened their pace towards the floor where his room was located.

Since he didn't have time to call for security, Michael decided to follow the person. With the help of the moonlight, he saw the figure standing outside his room, as if waiting for him to see them.

Once the figure was sure Michael had seen him, he entered the room. He even left the door ajar, so Michael ran towards his own room without thinking about his safety.

But what he did was a huge mistake!

As soon as his feet touched the floor inside the dark room, a cold object pierced his chest. He grimaced in pain as he felt the knife stabbing him.

He gasped when the perpetrator twisted the knife inside his chest! He could feel the person's anger through the act...

He struggled!

And when the person suddenly pulled out the knife from his chest, Michael exhalated sharply, and blood gushed out of the wound! He coughed, causing blood to splatter in his mouth.

As he was about to collapse, the person grabbed his hair and struck the back of his head with something before leaving.

Michael fell to the floor, convulsing while holding his bloody chest...

As he lay dying, he heard a voice and saw the brooch on his chest glowing. The brooch was stained with his blood.

H-help me... his mind pleaded as he saw an inexplicable figure standing in front of him. The figure was similar to the one in his dream. It was like a mirage, like smoke, like an angel—

No! It's not an angel!

It's a—

Demon!

The figure in front of him didn't speak. But it moved...

It moved towards him...

And before he lost his

life, Michael felt an intense chill spreading through the wounds he had sustained…