In the Middle of the Forest

About half an hour later, Ethan drove to his mansion in the middle of the forest, where only the sounds of strange animals could be heard.

"Do you live here?"

"Do you think he's taking us somewhere just to kill us?"

Just in case, Stiles sent a message to his father: "[If I don't respond in three hours, look for me; I think I might be kidnapped.]"

"Isn't the place incredible?" Ethan smiled as he stopped in front of a gloomy-looking mansion.

Neither of the two friends noticed, but on the ground, there was a circle of an unknown black powder wrapped in a plastic tube to prevent it from being disturbed by animals.

This was a barrier against supernatural creatures; nothing could enter the mansion, thus preventing an attack before it happened.

Ethan was a very cautious man. He had become more careful with his life as the years went by, not understanding exactly why he wanted to die.

Maybe he didn't want to make things easy for supernatural creatures? Who knows? Before coming here, he only killed out of a long-faded grudge.

"Welcome to my home. You have to meet the gardener." Ethan got out of his vehicle to introduce them to his gardener.

Walking into the mansion, Ethan led them to meet the gardener named JJ. He was a retired agent who used to work as a spy for the Association of Light and was now retired, doing gardening.

"He's huge…" Scott murmured as he saw JJ chopping the trunk of a tree.

Ethan signaled to JJ and said, "One of these young men is interested in being your helper. Show them the work they would be assisting with."

JJ looked at Stiles, who was silent, and said, "Follow me, skinny boy."

Still shocked by the muscular JJ, Stiles asked, "Is that the gardener? Because he looks like he used to fight in street brawls."

"Don't speak loudly, or you'll annoy him." Scott wanted to leave this place but didn't dare walk through the forest.

Ethan smiled slightly and walked toward Sebastián, who was waiting for him. "I've completed your task."

"What was in the briefcase?"

"A vial of blood, the hilt of a broken sword, and ancient writings I couldn't decipher."

Hearing this, Ethan was surprised. Sebastián was supposed to be a librarian who served him as a source of general information. If someone like him didn't know, the answer to an ancient script was something truly significant.

"That's worrisome," Ethan said in a slightly different voice.

Sebastián showed him the taken images and said, "We deciphered them in the best time possible. Specialists are working to figure out what it is."

"I just hope it's not a time bomb. I don't need to be responsible for actions I've become involved in by mere chance," Ethan said, checking the time.

The situation was changing. Just one simple action had stained Ethan's mood. "JJ asked for a helper. I personally think one of those young men is special."

"Do you know them?"

"A part of me says I do, but that's certainly impossible." Ethan remembered them, but he didn't know from where. The same thing happened with that high school teacher whose name he had forgotten.

Beep-beep!

Ethan looked at his cellphone and answered, "What are the details?"

"I made it clear that I wouldn't be bothered by situations that could be resolved by other agents. Wasn't that clear?"

Sebastián, seeing the call end, murmured, "Prepare your weapons."

"The decline of hunters is truly worrying. Now they can't resolve a simple anomaly that should be the work of exorcists." Ethan took a deep breath to avoid losing his patience.

"They're busy working in the city."

"The problem is that there are cases everywhere. This is a damn headache."

...

"Are we just going to take care of these plants?" Stiles looked at J.J., who clearly showed them what he was doing in the greenhouse.

Scott was surprised because he thought they were drugs, but it turned out to be a flower he didn't recognize. "This is too easy."

"It's not. This flower only blooms at this time, and if someone makes a mistake, they could damage hundreds of millions of dollars in medicine that could save thousands of lives." JJ, of course, didn't tell them this flower was for killing wolves.

"Can we touch them?"

"It's poisonous. Its name is Aconitum napellus," JJ said, showing them the result of the blue flower after preparation.

Stiles felt a bit pressured by everything happening that morning, so he decided not to work for this mansion. "We'll consider the offer."

"What offer?" JJ asked, clearly confused.

Scott intervened and said, "The job offer."

"You won't work here. The master of the mansion might have taken a liking to you, but it's doubtful you can work here without first being selected," JJ said, walking towards a boiling pot.

"Then what are we doing here?"

"You're learning history."