(Harry's POV)

  As I am hugging Chloe, feeling her small frame shake with the remnants of her terror, Olivia joins us.

  She wraps her slender arms around both of us, her warmth a familiar anchor that I almost lost forever.

  "Welcome home," she whispers, her voice thick with a relief so profound it vibrates through my chest.

  While we are having this intimate family moment, my gaze flickers over Chloe's shoulder toward the living room. There, sitting on our worn sofa like a stain on a clean rug, is the corrupt inspector of Ashmere.

  I call him corrupt because I know him too well. He is the same officer I went to months ago, desperate and naive, showing him the pictures of the bruises on Rose's arms.

  He had looked at the photos, looked at me, and then ughed, telling me to stop sticking my nose into "domestic disputes between respectable citizens."

  He is a man who doesn't serve the w; he serves whoever pays the highest price, and in this city, that means the Jones brothers.

  After several minutes of the three of us holding onto each other, we finally break the embrace and step fully into the house.

  Karan is still perched on the edge of the seat, his mouth slightly agape. He looks like he's seen a ghost—which, in a way, he has.

  "If it isn't Inspector Karan himself." I ce my voice with a yer of mock surprise, stepping forward and extending my hand.

  Hearing my voice, Karan seems to snap back to reality. He blinks rapidly, his small, beady eyes darting between me and the door as if looking for an exit.

  "Ahh, yes... it's good to see you back, Harry." He stands up, his movements stiff, and shakes my hand. His palm is sweaty and cold. "Um, Miss Olivia, I think you don't need police services anymore. I should go now."

  The inspector is practically tripping over his own feet to get out. He knows something. I can see the gears of panic turning behind his greasy forehead.

  "Wait, I'll escort you out," I say, my voice smooth and low.

  Before Olivia can object or ask the mountain of questions I see forming in her green eyes, I turn to her with a reassuring nod. "I have something I need to ask the Inspector."

  Karan gres at me, his lip curling in a brief fsh of the arrogance he usually dispys, but with my family watching, he merely nods. "Fine. Let's go."

  We step out onto the front porch, the cool night air of Ashmere hitting my face. I close the front door behind us, sealing my family inside. I need a moment of privacy with this man.

  "Ask what you want to ask, boy," Karan says, his voice dropping the polite facade now that we're outside.

  He shifts his weight, his hand moving instinctively toward his leather revolver holster. He's alert, like a rat cornered in an alleyway.

  I take a moment to scan the street. It's 09:30 PM. The suburban road is bathed in the white glow of the streetmps, and not a single soul is in sight. The world is quiet, save for the distant hum of the city.

  "Be quick, boy, I don't have—"

  Before he can finish his dismissive sentence, I turn and lock my gaze onto his. I don't just look at him; I pierce through him. My amethyst eyes, hidden by the dark brown illusion, suddenly fre with a hidden, violet radiance.

  [Lesser Hypnosis: Influence the thoughts of a target with a weaker will. Effective for pnting suggestions or clouding memories. Making eye contact is a must.]

  [Requirement: 10 OJAS.]

  [Time limit: 5 minutes.]

  A strange, cold sensation flows from my brain through my optic nerves. I feel a connection snap into pce, like a tether hooking into Karan's consciousness.

  [Lesser Hypnosis – Successful]

  [Timer: 04:57]

  [5 EXP Gained]

  [Level 2 (05/20)]

  So, I can gain experience points just by using my demonic traits, I note, but I don't have time to celebrate.

  Karan's eyes immediately lose their sharpness. His pupils dite until they are nearly swallowed by the whites of his eyes, and his posture slumps. He looks like a puppet with its strings cut. I wave my hand inches from his nose, but he doesn't blink.

  [Harry, time is moving] Nova's text fshes in the corner of my vision.

  I lean in close, my voice a rhythmic whisper. "When I entered, you seemed shocked. You thought I was dead, didn't you? Did you know what Joris and his brother did to me?"

  "...Yes," Karan drones. The single word is a confession that makes my blood boil. He knew I was being taken to be sughtered, and he sat in my house pretending to "help" my grieving mother.

  "What were you doing at my house this te? What was the real reason?"

  "Someone asked me... on behalf of Joris... to close the case of your disappearance. To make sure Olivia Vedman stopped asking questions."

  "And how were you going to do that?" I press, my fists clucking.

  "The same person gave us the information... told us that Alex Shawn texted your sister. Told her that you both were together on Sawaii Isnd. I was going to use the text as proof of a runaway... to kill the investigation."

  The world seems to tilt. Alex? My best friend since middle school? He sent a fake text to Chloe to cover for my murder?

  Wait, wait, wait.

  My mind races back to yesterday—the text I received from Alex asking me to come over to finish our assignment. That was the trap! That was the reason I was walking down that specific road where the Jones brothers were waiting.

  I feel a pang of absolute betrayal. We shared everything. We grew up together. Why would he sell my life to a man like Loris? I want to believe he was forced, but the logic is cold and hard.

  [Timer: 01:16]

  I don't have much time left. I need to know where my killers are. "Do you know where the Jones brothers are right now?"

  "No... Sir Joris said they were going for some important work... a meeting out of town. He didn't tell me where."

  I growl under my breath. They're hiding, probably waiting for the heat to die down or maybe something else.

  [Timer: 00:23]

  I look at Karan's bloated, smug face. This man is a predator who preys on the weak, using his badge as a shield. I feel the surge of my enhanced strength, the 14 points of STR humming in my knuckles. I flex my fist.

  "One st thing," I mutter. "I really, really don't like your face. Sorry, but not sorry."

  I throw a light punch—or what I think is a light punch—straight into his jaw.

  CRACK.

  The sound of bone snapping is sickeningly satisfying. Karan's head snaps to the side, and a spray of blood hits the porch railing. I'm genuinely shocked by the impact; I barely put any effort into it, yet his jaw looks lopsided.

  [Timer: 00:00]

  The violet light in my eyes fades. Karan gasps, his body jerking as he regains his senses. He stumbles back, clutching his face, a look of pure agony crossing his features.

  "Arrggh! What the hell! My mouth!"

  "What happened, Inspector? Are you alright?" I ask, my voice dripping with fake concern. I keep my hands open and visible, looking like a confused student. "You just... you tripped over the step. That was a nasty fall."

  He gres at me, his eyes watering with pain. He knows I hit him, but his mind is foggy from the hypnosis, the transition between the trance and reality leaving him disoriented. He tries to speak, but only a wet gurgle comes out.

  Spit.

  He spits a bloody tooth onto the pavement.

  He looks at me with narrow, suspicious eyes, but the confusion is too great. He doesn't have the words to accuse me.

  Without a word, he stumbles toward his cruiser, the engine roaring as he peels away into the night, leaving a trail of exhaust.

  HiralVedman