The three of them walked across the school grounds as James Trice began explaining the situation.
"I came here as a teacher through a welfare organization. Everything seemed fine when I first arrived, but a few weeks ago, a young girl from my class went missing. I asked her parents, but they hadn't seen her either. She had completely vanished. Since this is such an isolated village, it seemed impossible for her to disappear without a trace. I filed a complaint at the local police station, which is a few kilometers away," James explained, only to be interrupted by Braylon.
"You already reported it to the police?" Braylon asked. James nodded.
"They told me this happens every six months in this village, and they haven't been able to find a single missing child. Every child was between 8 and 12 years old," James finished with a sigh, clearly worried about the children.
"Didn't the villagers care about the missing children?" Eryx asked.
"Only the families of the victims were devastated. There's a rumor around here that the village is cursed by a devil, and every year two children are sacrificed. The belief is that the devil chooses the children itself. But it's all just superstition," James explained, finishing his account.
"It feels like someone's behind this. We'll need to stay here and investigate further," Braylon said while jotting notes in his small diary. Eryx nodded in agreement.
Before they could continue their conversation, Alex's voice interrupted them.
"Eryx, Braylon… someone wants to see us," Alex called out as he approached. Behind him, the village head was walking toward them.
They bowed politely as the village head approached.
"You've entered our village without my permission. May I know what exactly you're here for?" his tone shifted, sounding more suspicious.
"We're from the CID and have permission to investigate the case. If you cooperate with us, things will go smoothly," Braylon replied calmly. His voice, though steady, carried an underlying warning that made everyone flinch slightly.
"We'll be staying here for a while, Mr. Village Head," Eryx added, glancing at Alex and Revilla for confirmation. They shook their heads, signaling no further developments from their end.
"Very well, I'll arrange a place for you, gentlemen," the village head replied, his tone laced with hidden annoyance that escaped everyone's notice—except Braylon, who sensed it immediately.
At Evening
Everything was settled by the boys. They had decided to stay in the village for one week and set a deadline to solve the case. The village head arranged his guest villa for their stay, and during the week, the villagers would provide all the necessary supplies.
There were nearly 200 houses in the village.
"Eryx, the village seems completely normal. We couldn't find a single clue, and the villagers were really friendly," Alex shared his experience from the afternoon.
"The village itself isn't the issue, but the village head is. We should keep an eye on him," Braylon said, joining the group on the balcony where everyone had gathered.
"I don't think so... honestly, I have no idea," Revilla shared her thoughts.
Before Eryx could respond, Braylon's phone rang. He stepped away from the group to answer the call. Eryx clenched his fist.
"Hello, my little prince, what are you up to?" Braylon's voice was suddenly soft and tender. How could he change his mood so quickly? Just a moment ago, he was serious and focused, but now he sounded like a typical doting father.
"Dad, I've been a good boy and haven't bothered Aunt Zaneta. I love you, Dad. Please come back soon," Alan whined on the other end of the line.
"Alright, alright, I'll be back soon. Dad loves you more," Braylon said with a smile.
"No… no, Alan loves Dad more," Alan whined again.
"Alright, Alan loves Dad more," Braylon chuckled heartily.
Eryx, visibly frustrated, slammed the paper he was holding down and stormed out of the room. The sound startled Braylon.
Just then, Franklyn arrived. Everyone had their own room for the night.
Braylon busied himself with setting up his room, but despite everything being in order, he couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. He was restless. A sudden knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He opened it, but before he could react, he was slammed against it, and the door was locked from the inside.
The person who had the nerve to do this was Eryx. Yes, it was him. Before Braylon could say a word, Eryx crashed his lips against Braylon's, kissing him fiercely, like a starving man.
Braylon could only hear a ringing sound echoing in his head. Eryx's relentless movements, changing the position of his tongue over and over, left Braylon breathless. Saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths as the intensity of the kiss grew.
Completely ignoring the ringing of Braylon's phone, Eryx continued his assault on his lips.
"Er... Eryx," Braylon gasped, barely able to speak as he struggled for air. His body felt numb, and his legs turned to jelly under the heat of Eryx's kiss.
After what felt like an eternity—though it was only one minute—Eryx finally released Braylon's swollen lips. Braylon, already weak, nearly collapsed but managed to steady himself by gripping Eryx's arms, trying to catch his breath.
Eryx stood unmoving, solid as a rock. A single tear slipped from Braylon's eye, dampening Eryx's shirt.
"What the hell did you just do?" Braylon demanded, anger rising as his eyes reddened with frustration.
"What am I doing? Can't you see, Braylon? Why do you always make me so angry? Why did you come back into my life? Do you think you can just show up again and then escape?" Eryx's tone was harsh and filled with dark emotions.
"You'll never change, Eryx. Always so arrogant," Braylon retorted, pushing him away and turning to walk off. But Eryx grabbed his arm and forcefully pushed him onto the bed. Braylon's body bounced against the mattress, and he winced in pain.
"What the—"
Before he could say more, Eryx took control, pressing his lips against Braylon's in a searing kiss. Braylon, unable to resist, began to respond. How long could he suppress his own feelings? Within moments, their clothes had already slipped away, discarded on the floor.
Eryx went down to Braylon's neck and bit hard on his collarbone which made Bryalon whine in pain.
"You are mine, Braylon. I won't share you with anyone, even a woman", Eryx again attached his lip to Braylon's, biting his lips to the extent of making it bleed. A drop of blood stained Eryx's lip.