Chapter 7: You'll Die

Ethan Greaves stared at the shattered cup on the floor, then at the thick, golden tentacle beside it. His soul seemed to tremble. What the hell was that thing? He fought to free his other hand. The blanket had already been thrown halfway off. Not bad. A matched pair. Symmetrical. The thought was pure despair. That scorching heat in his arm only made him weaker. Those two thick tentacle felt like arms in his perception, nimble and responsive, but they also put a brutal strain on his body. It was as if a knot of energy sat in his chest, only to be siphoned away again and again by whatever had replaced his limbs. "Stop…" he rasped through clenched teeth, as if ordering himself. Footsteps and voices sounded outside the door. Ethan's expression tightened. He shoved the tentacle under the blanket at once, but… It was too long. "Damn it…" A sheen of sweat had already formed on his forehead. He had no idea where he was, and he didn't know who the people outside were. But he knew one thing perfectly well. If anyone saw him like this, they would slap the label "monster" on him without hesitation. Even if they didn't kill him on the spot, his ending would not be pretty. "Change back, you bastard…" Ethan ground out. At that moment, the doorknob turned. A man in a black jacket entered first. He stepped into the room and looked at Ethan sitting up in bed. "Hey! The kid's really awake!" Behind him came a woman in a pale blue dress that showed off smooth, slender legs. Her long hair fell naturally, clean and unadorned. Her heels looked about two inches high. The man glanced at the puddle and the broken glass, then at Ethan. "Thirsty?" "A little." The man chuckled and went to pour another cup of water. "Warm. Won't burn you." Ethan slid a hand out from under the blanket, took the cup, and gulped it down in one go. His face stayed perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened. The woman sat to the side. Her eyes were cool, and when she looked at Ethan, there was a clear edge of appraisal in her gaze. She held a kraft paper envelope and pulled out a stack of documents. "Ethan Greaves. Male. Twenty-two. Star City University undergraduate graduate. Home address: City Garden Community, Riverside Road, North River District, Star City. Parents went missing when he was young. Raised by his uncle, James Greaves." Ethan looked at her and said evenly, "You're trying to tell me you've investigated me thoroughly?" The woman didn't deny it. "You can interpret it that way." Ethan frowned and fell silent. With so little information on his side, he couldn't help but be at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, the broad-shouldered, dark-skinned man acted as if they were old friends. He draped an arm over Ethan's shoulder and perched half his butt on the edge of the bed. "Ethan, don't overthink it. We're not here to hurt you," he said with a wide grin. "We just want to know what happened earlier. How did you end up in the Demon Realm, and how did you get out? Satisfy our curiosity." Ethan understood they needed answers urgently. This was not about "curiosity." "Then you should tell me who you are first," Ethan said. A flicker of hesitation crossed the woman's cold face, gone in an instant. She reached into her pocket and took out a wooden plaque. Woodgrain ringed its edges, forming patterns that looked like strange flowers or intricate talismans. In the center were three characters: Demon Suppression Bureau. Ethan's pupils constricted. He stared at her, stunned. "You're… with the Demon Suppression Bureau?" She put the plaque away. "My name is Faye Gilholm. He's my colleague, Jay Showyer," she continued. Ethan forced himself to steady his breathing. For reasons he couldn't explain, the Demon Suppression Bureau inspired a certain trust in him. He handed the empty cup to Jay. Jay blinked, then only understood when Ethan tipped his chin. With a helpless look, he went to pour another cup. After a sip to wet his throat, Ethan spoke. "Since you're with the Demon Suppression Bureau, I don't have anything to hide. Half a month ago, I graduated from college, and then… I ran into some relationship issues." Jay grinned. "I know. Your girlfriend got picked for the Martial Academy and dumped you!" Ethan stared at him without a word. Even Faye shot Jay a sharp look. Jay scratched his head. "Did I say something wrong?" When neither of them answered, realization dawned on him. "Yeah, okay. Judging by your faces, I definitely said something wrong. Ethan, you go on." Ethan smiled. "Honestly, I didn't care that much." "But you just went totally quiet," Jay said. Ethan pointed at the door. "Out." Jay: "…" "Continue," Faye said. Ethan paused, then went on. "It wasn't complicated. I took a walk along the tracks, into the sunset, snapped a few photos. You know… fake artsy stuff. Maybe I'm still in my teenage phase, so I tried to build this whole persona. The brooding prince type. Bitter wine in my throat, heartbreak in my chest. You get it?" Faye's mouth twitched slightly, but she didn't interrupt. Ethan had to admit, she was an excellent listener. "Then I saw an abandoned train car. I don't even know what I was thinking. Maybe my brain short-circuited. Maybe something guided me. I took a few photos of the car and went inside. I even sat on a seat that was already half-rotted and decided I'd spend the night there." Faye frowned. "That doesn't make sense." Ethan nodded. "It really doesn't," he said. "But I can't tell you why I did it. Maybe the moment I stepped into that car, something was already wrong with my mind. After that… I think I forgot everything. I was on a train. Across from me was an old woman with a child. Beside them was a girl with braids, beautiful beyond belief… and I didn't seem to notice anything off at all." After that, Ethan recounted everything he had seen and heard on the train. All the way up to when the strangeness surfaced, and Ivy Spears warned him. The moment Ethan said Ivy Spears's name, Faye's expression shifted. Jay blurted out in shock. "Ivy Spears?! Ethan, you just said… in the Demon Realm, you saw Ivy Spears?" From their faces alone, Ethan immediately understood. That woman named Ivy Spears was no ordinary figure, even to the Demon Suppression Bureau. "It looks like we'll have to let the boss meet him," Faye said with a quiet sigh. Jay's face turned solemn too, and he nodded hard. Seeing the worry on Ethan's face, Jay tried to reassure him. "Ethan, trust us. Your situation is dangerous. If we don't get to the bottom of it… you'll die."