{ No matter what happens, I will stay with you. }
I didn't even realize how spent I was until I had already fallen fast asleep. Perhaps it really isn't a bad idea for a person to just catch their breath once in a while.
Morning came.
Time: 10:16 AM
At Hakan's House
Hakan walked into the room and began shaking me awake.
"Wake up, Kenjin. Breakfast is ready."
"Is it morning already...?" I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "I'll get up right now."
"The bathroom is to the right. Freshen up and come grab a bite."
I pulled myself out of bed, headed into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on my face. The dark circles under my eyes had become starkly visible, but that didn't matter right now.
When I stepped out, Hakan was waiting for me just outside the door.
"Come on, let's go."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."
We sat down at the dining table, which was already fully laden with food.
"I apologize if I caused any trouble," I said, feeling a bit self-conscious.
"There is no trouble at all, Mr. Kenjin! In fact, we are thrilled to have you visit."
The speaker was Hakan's wife, Mrs. Gina.
Hakan glanced at her. "I thought you went down to the restaurant a little while ago."
"Not yet," she replied with a warm smile. "I'll head over there once you all finish eating."
That reminded me. Hakan now owned a restaurant located right in the city center. He had started several businesses as a cover after leaving the mafia life behind. Now, he was settled down, running a restaurant managed by him, his wife, and a few of his brothers-in-law. I couldn't help but envy this simple, quiet life of his...
"Thank you again for hosting me," I said, looking around. "Where is little Ferdi?"
"He's changing his clothes. He should be down any second."
A few moments later, the little boy rushed over to the table.
"Greet Uncle Kenjin," Hakan instructed softly.
"How are you, Uncle? I missed you!" Ferdi exclaimed, looking up at me. "You don't visit our restaurant very often. Do you not like the food there?"
I smiled, patting his shoulder. "You've grown so big, little champ. And who said I don't like your food? I just can't seem to find the time to visit. I promise I'll come over very soon."
Hakan chuckled, nudging me playfully. "Even if he does eat there, I think he's developed a preference for Rina's cooking by now."
My expression froze. "What do you mean by that?"
"Hakan! Stop teasing our guest!" Gina scolded, giving him a look.
"Just joking, nothing more," Hakan grinned, raising his hands in surrender. "Let's just eat; we overslept anyway."
Everyone dug into the meal. The room was filled with warmth and laughter. It wasn't the kind of thing I usually admitted, but I was genuinely happy that Hakan had found peace and happiness.
A few minutes passed as we ate, and then Gina spoke up.
"Before I forget, Mr. Kenjin... were you two really out looking for ghosts last night?"
"In a way," I replied, setting my fork down. "Something happened to someone I know, and I wanted to look into it."
"He means Rina," Hakan added bluntly.
"Obviously." I sighed.
Gina smiled knowingly. "I see you really care about Miss Rina... Please bring her along next time."
"I will."
"As usual," Hakan scoffed playfully, "Kenjin gets into a jam and calls me, even if it's the dead of night."
"Because you're the only person I know who would actually help me at that hour."
Gina patted my hand reassuringly. "Don't mind my husband; he actually loves helping you. But... may I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"What exactly happened with Miss Rina?"
"She was with her friend when the lights suddenly cut out," I explained, my tone turning serious. "A massive, dark entity appeared to them in the shadows."
Hakan nodded, his playful demeanor vanishing. "It's like a waking nightmare. If Kenjin hadn't saved them, things could have ended very badly..."
"A dark... tall entity... Hmm..." Gina murmured, her expression growing distant.
Hakan noticed her sudden change in tone. "Gina? Are you familiar with this?"
"The thing is," Gina began slowly, "I once heard something from one of our regular customers... about a witch. A witch who sends terrifying things in exchange for massive sums of money, targeting anyone she wants to suffer. Like sending the ghost of a girl dressed in white... and it always ends with the victim either murdered or driven completely insane."
Before Gina could even finish her sentence, the cup of tea slipped from Hakan's hand.
(The sharp sound of shattering glass echoed through the room)
I won't lie—I felt the blood freeze in my veins the moment I heard her words. It perfectly matched what we had uncovered just yesterday.
"Gina!" Hakan demanded, his voice dropping into a tense, sharp register. "Tell us everything you heard!"
"Calm down, please!" Gina gasped, startled. "You spilled the tea all over the rug."
"I'm sorry... just... please! Tell us everything!" Hakan pleaded, his hands trembling slightly.
I had not seen Hakan this visibly shaken in a very long time. It was as if the news had delivered a physical blow to his chest.
"We apologize if this is putting pressure on you, Mrs. Gina," I intervened, trying to steady the room. "But please, tell us what you know. This is crucial to our investigation."
Gina looked between the two of us, sensing the gravity of the situation. "I see... Very well then. I will tell you everything I heard, down to the last detail."
"It was about a month ago..."