"I swear, don't annihilate me! I'm not the one responsible for these endemics in this estate!" The voluptuous woman screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks with desperate benevolence. The dark shadows beneath her eyes deepened as panic overtook her. Her long, silky black hair began to move irregularly, as if reacting to the dense aura surrounding her. She wore a yellow kurta and crouched low in fear, trapped within a salt ring, infamously known for its ability to reduce subatomic particles to singularity. An invisible chain held her in place, a binding force meant for spirits and supernatural entities. The horrifying magic spell surrounding her intensified, an ethereal fire burning brighter, slowly expanding its radius with terrifying steadiness. Her face flushed red, and the flaming light reflected off her light brown skin like the gleam of fire on polished bronze."Don't lie to me," the man said coldly, his voice steady as steel. "As if I'll let you deceive me. This is your end, you'll be torn to nothing." His modern, auspicious black jacket caught the flickering glow as he spoke, his stance firm, unyielding.The woman lowered her eyes and knelt down, accepting her fate. Silence hung between them for a few seconds. The fire devoured even the faint light around them. As it neared her, she opened her mouth and stared blankly at the man before speaking in a low, drained voice."Fine… then go on and kill me. At least I'll be free from this eternal torment in this cursed estate, even if I carry the blame for things I never caused. But mark my words, it wasn't me… it was that thing. I don't even know what to call it. What I saw that night…"Her eyes narrowed, fixed on him with a haunted emptiness. "Remember this, your failure to hunt down that thing will have catastrophic repercussions. It's a mistake that will haunt you, Mr. Ghost Buster. You're not just risking my life, you're jeopardizing countless others. The consequences of your inaction will be dire… and I fear you'll realize your mistake too late."Her words echoed into silence. Then she closed her eyes, waiting for death.The ghost hunter stood motionless, her warning looping in his mind. After a tense pause, he snapped his fingers and the fire vanished like mist. The woman, still kneeling, opened her eyes slowly, realizing he had spared her."You will tell me everything," he said, his tone firm but contained. "I'll decide what to do with you after that. Don't try anything stupid. If you make a single wrong move, I won't think twice before ending you."The woman exhaled deeply, the tension easing slightly from her posture. Her trembling hands rested on her knees as she met the hunter's drowsy, calculating eyes.
Four hours earlier…
A shrill alarm shattered the silence, jerking Theodore out of his light sleep. It was the twenty-second alarm destroyed in the past three weeks. He groaned, arm swinging reflexively to smash it, but his wrist was caught mid-air by another hand."Don't you dare break the alarm again, bro!" came a familiar, exasperated voice. "Wake up, Theodore! We've got another contract looks like there's a murder involved too. Rare one this time!"Theodore mumbled irritably, voice thick with sleep. "Let me sleep, Reji… don't disturb me…""Enough of your nap!" Reji said, grinning mischievously. He rubbed his fingers together and a sudden jolt of electricity surged through Theodore's arm."AAAH! You—" Theodore yelped, leaping out of bed."Your mom, my mom, we're brothers anyway!" Reji said with a teasing smile, cutting him off mid-curse.Reji stood tall beside the bed, athletic and sharp-featured. His clean-shaven face glowed with energy, his light brown skin and short silky hair reflecting the soft morning light. Dressed casually in long sweatpants and a Brooklyn band T-shirt, he exuded a confident, playful charisma."Still not blood-related, though," Theodore muttered, glaring at him as he rubbed the side of his head.Reji chuckled. "Whatever helps you sleep, oh wait, never mind, you were already doing that."Theodore frowned but his curiosity sparked as the word "murder" echoed in his mind. "Alright, alright. What's the case?"Reji handed him a newspaper and a steaming cup of ginger tea. Theodore sat up and took a slow sip.Reji read aloud, "Unsolved violent deaths accompanied by mysterious energy readings, confirmed supernatural involvement by Counters. Request for ghost hunters. Reward: Sixty-thousand rupees."The Counters were specialized agents of the Supernatural Calamity Prevention Organization (SCPO), which is a global agency with operations across 190 countries. Their job was to verify and contain supernatural phenomena. Both Theodore and Reji worked under SCPO, though Theodore ranked lower despite his sharp instincts and skill. Reji, by contrast, was among the organization's recognized members, though not always lucky. "Sixty-thousand, huh?" Theodore said, unimpressed.Reji smirked. "You'll go, you'll earn, and you'll pay the rent. Forget rent, what about your other debts? Sitting idle only grows your ass hair, dude. You won't grow ahead unless you move."Theodore shot him an irritated look but stood up anyway, folding the newspaper on the cluttered table. Wires, gadgets, and experimental devices lay scattered around, his little workshop of failed ideas and eccentric brilliance.Stretching his arms, he yawned deeply. Morning light poured through the half-open curtain, glinting off his well-toned physique and brown-cream skin. Muttering something half-conscious, Theodore dragged himself toward the bathroom, already replaying the newspaper headline in his mind.He needed insight into that incident and deep down, he could feel this case wouldn't be just another routine hunt.