Iksha

"Wha— huh? But… But…H — How?" There were so many things I wanted to say. So many things going on in my head that I ended up stammering. We were now looking eye to eye. But unlike me, he was calm and collected. The corner of his lips turned upwards. It was a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. And although he was smiling, why do I feel like he was sneering at me?

"Huh? Am I missing something? Do you know each other, Alec?" It was Aylmer. He was looking back and forth at us both.

Mr. Alec smiled at him and said, "So much that I even have a photo of him." This is definitely not the Mr. Alec I know. Definitely not. And with the photo he was saying, I'm pretty sure that was the one he took when I applied at the agency.

Did he know about me from the start? Did he know that I've been coming here? And was this the reason why we barely reached ten at the agency? Why I got accepted at the job almost instantly? What about the others? What about Haru? Adrian? Dominick and Alicia? Were they normal or…

He took the seat that the lump of bone was sitting earlier. It fits him perfectly. As if it was made just for him.

I noticed that Ethan was acting a bit strange. I observed him for a bit while Aylmer was still whining. He was profusely rubbing his palm on his thigh. His already pale face seemed to have gone a shade paler too. What's happening? He bit his lower lip. And he was covertly glancing at Mr. Vlad but the said person ignored him completely.

"Aaaaah! Why didn't you guys tell me anything? Garv likes him. He was closed with Ethan and now, Alec knows him too. Wh—"

"Enough, Aylmer. Act accordingly." Mr. Chaffer cut him off.

"But—" he was about to say something but Mr. Chaffer glared at him. "Fine! But you have to tell me once we're done."

Mr. Vlad clapped his hands, taking all of our attention. Whatever it may be, I think I should ask Ethan when we get back to the apartment.

"Now that everyone's here. Let's start, shall we?" he said. "But first…" he snapped his fingers and the dishes flew in the opposite direction and they disappeared into a pearly white smoke when it crashed into the wall. And he placed something on the table. It was a flat wooden chest with an intricate design. The one I brought here. The one Mr. Carlos, Miss Patricia's father gave me.

"Have a look at this," he said while opening the chest. "This was given to Mr. Jack days ago. By a friend I supposed."

"No! You're mistaken, Mr. Vlad. That man wasn't a friend of mine. Just — Just someone I happen to know on sheer coincidence." I told him. I don't want that to be a source of misunderstanding.

"I see. But that's not the point. Look at this painting, everyone." He lifted the canvass for everyone to see. "We know for a fact that these were made using dark arts. But take a closer look at this woman here especially. Doesn't she look… familiar to you?"

It was a woman standing at the top of a mountain of men in their half-crazed faces. Her left hand covered her bosom. And even though it was only a painting, her hair seemed to be moving, dancing with the wind. I thought that the woman's face was very familiar indeed.

But there's that weird feeling again. That weird sucking force pulling something inside me. It was uncomfortable and unsettling yet… I don't understand why I keep wanting more.

"Hmm… I could be wrong. But I think she resembles that woman a lot." It was Aylmer.

"I think I saw her somewhere too. But still, these paintings are ominous." Mr. Chaffer said.

"Look more closely. I want you to really remember."

Suddenly, a large amount of smoke puffed out by my side. It was coming from Hariric. "Isn't that Iksha?" he said.

Ha? Iksha? You must be kidding, right? Iksha was the one I met when I was trying to become a peculiar. That stunning blue-haired woman with tentacles. Surely. This can't be her.

"Right! Right! I thought she was Iksha too!" Aylmer exclaimed. Mr. Chaffer agreed as well.

What the heck is wrong with you, guys? Are your eyes defected or something? No matter how much you look at it, there's no way that can be— huh? Wait! It did! It did resemble her! But only when she didn't have the tentacles. The time when she brought me into a room with dirty gray walls that was riddled with graffiti of incomprehensible words.

What's the meaning of this?

Suddenly, the thin thread of connection in my chest started to pulsate violently.