Hi friends!

First and foremost, I would like to thank you for checking out Soul Exchange – Case Files third installment. If you have not had the chance to read the previous chapters, click here and it will lead you directly to my Short Stories Page. Also, even though the stories in the Case Files can be read independently, you may find that this story references to the House of Trials series. Thus, I truly recommend reading the Case Files and the House of Trials side by side.

Secondly, I want to affirm that my stories are fictional and should be treated as so. I know that certain topics can be triggering to some. So please, if you ever feel uncomfortable and scared, discontinue reading it! My goal is to share stories that dance in my head (or nightmares) and turn them into reading material. If this does not bring/add joy to your life, please do not force yourself to read it.

Other than that, I genuinely thank you for checking me out, and I hope you enjoy my work.

Truly yours,

Cyrl

Disclosure: Hi friends! If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small cash compensation. But I only recommend products that I believe that are great and helpful! You can also read my full Privacy Policy here.

Disclosure: Hi friends! If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive small cash compensation. But I only recommend products that I believe are great and helpful! You can also read my full Privacy Policy here.

Warning: contains violence, jump scares, and death. Reader discretion is HIGHLY advised.

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Soul Exchange, Casefile no: Mon – 1366, Always Listen to the Children

A house was built at a portal to the other worlds. Many strange things have been reported to have occurred in this location. After the Doctor’s death, the boundaries grew weak and unwelcomed entities gained the ability to breach the Mundane World.

I will report back to the Director about this occurrence and request my removal due to the conflict of interest.

-M0N

“Jace!”

His bedroom door rattled as his mother pounded on it again. “It’s already 7:30. You’re not going to make it during rush hour. Wake up!”

Jace groaned as he grabbed his pillow to press it on his face. His siblings have been up since five in the morning, chasing each other in the hallways as they screamed at the top of their lungs. Their single mother, who had given up on parenting (for which he could not blame her), let the hellions do whatever they wanted as long as they didn’t get in trouble at school and brought home good grades.

His mother was a nurse who worked long hours to provide for all of them. They barely saw her and when they did, she would either be passed out on the couch or the kitchen table, drooling on bills that needed to be paid. He and his siblings had argued that they did not need to be in private schools but their mother had kept them there since she did not want them to lose the friends they have already made. When he got taller and stronger, he would sometimes bring their mother up to her bedroom so she could get proper sleep.

He always tried his best to pick up the slack that their father left for them when he passed away. Every day, he would drop off and pick up his siblings, he would cook meals, help them with their homework, and tuck them in every night before he did his schoolwork. Thankfully for the internet, Jace had managed to work part-time as a back-end coder in his spare time and during the weekend, so he could save up for university. That was if he decided to go.

“Jacey!” The twins sang at the other side of his door. Groaning, he got up and wiped off the sleep from his eyes. He was exhausted beyond belief and he only turned 18 today.

“Jacey, can we get McDonald’s?” Elaine asked, but was quickly reprimanded by her twin, Jack. “Lainey, it’s Jacey’s birthday. We can’t get cake there.”

“Chicken nuggets cake!”

“You just want them for yourself.”

“You want them too!”

“You know I can both hear you, right?” Jace grinned as he opened the door. The twins were already at each other’s throats.

“Oh,” they said in unison, then Elaine added, “Maybe you can teach us how to bake a cake?”

“You’re going to make him bake his cake?” Jack raised his brow.

“I’m 8. I’m not allowed to be by myself in the kitchen. How about you? Can you do it?”

“You know, we’re the same age.”

“Well, you’re acting like smarty pants. So I thought that maybe you do.”

Shrugging, Jace left for the bathroom as he rushed to get ready for school—leaving the twins to argue about which was the best Pokémon starter. At the corner of his eye, he could see their tired mother, Christina, sluggishly putting together her lunchbox and coffee. Guilt ate him from the inside. He usually was up earlier to have everything prepared since their mother would only get 5 hours of sleep if she was lucky enough to. So, he rushed to get his things together and went to help her. Christina gave him a warm smile where the corners of her eyes wrinkled.

“Jace, hon, I can do that, you know?” She said as she patted his head. “Oh, you’re getting so tall.”

“U-huh.” He muttered as he helped with putting together the twins’ lunches. Christina hummed quietly as she took a sip of her coffee.

“Jace,” she said as she rubbed her back. “I have to work another twelve-hour shift tonight and since it’s a full moon, I may not be able to get home until late tonight. You know how people are on full moons and it’s a Halloween on a Friday.”

Jace chuckled. He was well aware since his mother would always tell them the horror stories during these times. He had concluded that people tend to be a lot less “responsible” during full moons. “It’s okay, mom.”

She sighed sadly. “No, it’s not. It’s your birthday and I hate missing it.”

He zipped up the lunchboxes and called the twins over. Surprisingly enough, they brushed their hair and were wearing their uniform properly. The twins grabbed their lunch boxes, saluted him, and raced to the door as they betted who could put their shoes on the fastest. Weirdos. He thought.

“Anyway,” she shouldered her bag pack and handed him a small box. “Happy birthday, son. That right there is from your father. It was his favorite watch and he intended to give that to you someday.”

He gaped as he stared at the black box. Then his mother gave him an envelope that had at least $500 in it. “And this one is from me. I know, it’s not as meaningful. But I figured you should treat yourself today while I’m gone. Go out with your buddies or even invite them over! Your Aunt Marie will watch the kids. They can even sleep over there tonight if you want. Tomorrow though, we all will go out. Your choice of the restaurant and what you’d like to do.”

It was a lot of money for a gift, Jace thought, but he did not argue since he didn’t want to offend her. So he decided that he would just put it toward his school investment. He gave her a tight squeeze and grinned widely. “Thanks, mom!”

She laughed as she kissed his forehead. “I can’t believe you’re all grown up now. Where was my little boy?”

“Still here, mom.”

She sighed and he knew that she was holding back her tears. “Alright, alright, we need to get going. You got your keys, wallet, lunch, and bag?”

“Yep.”

“Good.” She then gave the twins a quick hug and told them about the plans for the night. The twins gave each other a high-five. They always loved going to their aunt since they get spoiled for the day. Marie would order pizza and wings and had no problem watching Disney movies with them. She would even re-enact the scenes with them. Their aunt did not have children of her own yet, since she was only turning 25 and had been focused on her career and getting her Ph.D. at the same time. So, she treated them as her own younger siblings and spoiled them whenever she had a chance to.

“I’ll drop off the twins at Aunt Marie’s today and I’ll stop by there for a bit too. I know she would like that.” Jace said as he hurried the twins to his grey 2009 Toyota Corolla that he bought from Christina’s mechanic best friend, Rag, for $750. Although it was old and had high mileage on it, the car was well-taken care of and it ran more smoothly than the other cars he had been in.

“Thank you, Jace.” His mother smiled and wished them a safe day before she left for the hospital. Then he got into the driver’s seat and the twins sang him variations of Happy Birthday. Eventually, they got tired of it and just sighed happily. Although the highway was moving slower than usual, Jace was grateful that the traffic was still moving and they were not at a complete stop. The travel between Scarborough to Vaughan during rush hours was not terrible but he did not like the risk since he could never trust other drivers—especially when their father died from a car accident on his way to work.

“It’s Halloween, Jacey! Are you trick or treating on your birthday, again? I wonder if Aunt Marie would let us watch a scary movie after trick or treating,” Elaine squealed and Jack moaned, “I hate scary things.”

“We can watch Final Destination, Jacky. It’s not that scary,” Elaine added as she rummaged in her backpack. Then she produced a rolled parchment and handed it to Jace. “You don’t have to open that yet. You’re still driving. But Jacky and I drew that! It’s oil pastel! We worked hard on it. Happy birthday, Jacey!”

He gave them both a smile in the rearview mirror. If there was one talent that the twins excelled at except for mischief, it would be art and music—thanks to Marie who had dedicated her every other weekend to take the twins to music and art lessons. “You guys are the best.”

Elaine fixed her pink bow. “I know we are. Right, Jacky?”

But Jack did not share her enthusiasm as he only nodded. Jace’s brows stitched together. “What’s up, buddy?”

“It’s nothing,” Jack muttered as he fidgeted with the hem of his school vest.

“What happened to our no secret pact?” Jace jabbed lightly and in the rearview mirror, he saw the twins give each other a concerned look.

Elaine, who was more vocal between the two, spoke for Jack. “He is worried about leaving you alone for the night and we have been thinking that maybe you should spend the night at Aunt Marie’s too.”

“I’ll be okay, guys! I’ll have my buddies with me too.” Jace reassured but Jack looked terrified.

“But what about the Hatman and his scary friends?”

Elaine shot him a look. “Jacky, it’s Jacey’s birthday. Don’t scare him like that. Be nice.”

“But you saw him too! You’re scared of his friends too!” Jack was on a verge of tears and Elaine immediately squeezed his hand. He squeezed back.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” Jace said as he stopped in front of their school. It was a mid-sized school where the more privileged kids go to. It was a sister school of Lux et Obscurum Academy, the high school that he went to. If it weren’t for their father, they would not have been able to go to these schools since they were known to be exclusive and extremely selective with their students. Kids who wore the same uniform as they, screamed and loitered the school ground. “I’ll be okay. I got a black belt in Taekwondo, remember? I’ll fight them for you.”

Jack did not look too convinced. As soon as he took off his seatbelt, he gave Jace an awkward hug from the back seat. “Please call us and Aunt Marie if anything happens. If you get scared, come over to Aunt Marie’s too. Please, Jacey?”

The school bell rang and the kids ran to line up against the wall.

“I will,” Jace promised and that seemed to appease him. Then they both hurried to line up as well. Elaine gave him one last wave before she met up with her squad of boys in the line and they did their complicated high fives. Jack was more popular with the girls and they immediately updated him with the latest gossip. He saw Jack gasp and tried to hush the girls when the teacher took a quick attendance. Knowing that they will be okay, he headed toward his school which was only a 10-minute drive away.

Lux et Obscurum Academy was surrounded by the woods and the drive there during the fall season always awed him. The leaves had turned into deep reds and golds and fall flowers grew on the ditch. By the time he got there, students loitered about in the gravel parking lot and the school grounds. The mid-sized castle had vines climbing up on its bricks, and the rose garden that surrounded its perimeter had been replaced by the mums.

“Hey, nerd,” Mona kicked his bottom lightly and he turned around with a wide grin on his face. “Happy birthday. Ready for the beatings? The squad has been waiting.”

Mona was one of his best friends and even if she was hardly available after school hours since she worked right after school (he asked what her job was but after she gave him the answer: I hunt the devils and I write columns for the Illuminati with my “girlfriend”, El. He never questioned again), she had always been there for him and the boys. Mona had short silver hair, smooth tanned skin, amethyst eyes (he did not know how that was biologically possible), and she wore vibrant eye makeup. She was 5’7 feet and loved her high heels. She was also lean and strong, and whenever men would mistake her for a fragile woman that they could take advantage of, they immediately regretted it. Jace deeply admired her and was also slightly afraid of her. But who wouldn’t be? She was a walking Goddess of War. He was sure that even when he had a black belt in Taekwondo, she could easily take him down with a punch.

“Uh, physically? No.” Jace responded as he fist-bumped the rest of the squad. “How about in video games instead?”

“Smash Bros?” Carlo smirked as he pushed his big Ray-Ban glasses up. “Do you really feel like losing on your birthday again?”

“Wow, Carlo. You never pull any punches, eh?” Li jabbed him lightly and Carlo hid a blush.

Carlo was one of his childhood friends and who he always sparred with. Carlo used to be the smallest of their group but now he stood taller than any of them. He had bulked up as he became more dedicated to fitness ever since he got into kickboxing. Li, on the other hand, was more elegant than any of them. Like Mona, Li was on top of fashion and he always looked and smelled immaculate. Jace knew that Carlo had always been head over heels with Li, but unfortunately, Li already had a boyfriend whom they still have to meet.

“I’ve been practicing,” Jace lied as they walked toward the building. “My house at 5 pm? I’ll order pizza or something like that.”

“Sure! That gets Mona and me out of the lame Halloween Party invitations which is amazing. Anyway, see you guys in class!” Li linked arms with Mona as they strolled ahead of them to go to their locker. The duo waved at the people they passed by and giggled softly amongst themselves.

“I don’t know what those two see in us.” Carlo mused. “They are out of this world and they’re hanging out with us, nerds.”

Jace chuckled as he put away his bag in their locker. “Can’t tell you. But hey, are you ever going to tell Li how you feel?”

Carlo brushed back his hair. “I don’t know man. I think it’s better if I don’t. He already has a boyfriend and I don’t want to confuse him. I don’t want to lose his friendship. He’s really important to me, Jace. I can’t lose him.”

Jace rolled his eyes as they both headed for class. “I don’t even think this boyfriend exists. But just make sure you don’t regret staying silent. I think Li is going to France for university.”

“Yeah that’s the thing,” Carlo smiled sadly. “I don’t want to burden him with my feelings and make him feel like he had to choose. No way. Education comes first. Maybe one day I’ll tell him if this feeling persisted.”

Jace patted Carlo on his shoulder and dropped the topic. Once they have entered their class, Li and Mona waved at them and they headed toward them. As usual, Carlo sat beside Li, and he sat beside Mona.

The day passed by quicker than he expected. After the last period, he planned out the night with the squad. Then he picked up the twins from their school. Elaine was covered with dirt and scratches but Jace ignored it. The girl was always rough housing with her friends and would always come home with new bruises. Jack was back to chattering about the elementary gossip with them as if he already had forgotten about the Hatman and his friends. Jace nodded as he spoke but in reality, he really could not keep up with the stories.

When they finally arrived at Marie’s house, the kids raced toward her door and got into a fight about who would knock first. Marie opened the door before any of them had decided.

“Aunt Marie!” They both squealed as they jumped at the small brunette woman. Marie had brown eyes and softer features than their mother. She was also small since she always forgot to eat because she was too immersed in her work. The woman lived off coffee and energy drinks. The only time she wouldn’t forget about food was when she was with them. Jace looked more like Marie. He had inherited her brown eyes, and brown hair. He could have been her child if she was much older.

“Hey, you little devils!” She said as she tsked at Elaine’s scratches. “Baby girl, you need to learn how to fight properly.”

“Should you be condoning that?” Jace mused as he hugged her too. “Hi, Aunt Marie.”

She slapped his cheeks lightly and smiled. “Jeez birthday boy, you grew like a weed. Are you staying here too?”

“Not tonight.” Jace rubbed the back of his neck. “I have the squad over for the night.”

“That sounds fun!” She replied as she handed him an envelope. “Figured that you’d prefer a gift card over toys. So there you are, buddy. Happy birthday!”

“Thanks, Aunt Marie!” He smiled. He peered inside and saw a $100 Amazon gift card.  

“Still your favorite aunt?”

“You’re the only one we have.”

“So a favorite then.” She grinned as she held the twin’s hands and swung her arms with them. “Anyway, call if you need anything okay?”

“Will do.” He gave her a last hug but before he could leave, Jack caught the hem of his shirt.

“Remember the promise, okay? Call us and come here if he shows up.” Jack said quietly and Jace ruffled his hair. Marie looked at him questioningly but Jace just smiled.

“I will. You two be good, okay?”

“We will!” Elaine said as she waved him off.

Once he got in the car, he heard Marie yell, “Now let’s get you two ready for trick or treating!”

The twins squealed as they all went inside. The drive home was quicker than this morning, and he got home just after four. After changing his uniform to jeans and a black hoodie that had “Talk to me after I had my 5^th cup of coffee” printed on the chest, he cleaned up the clutter in their house. He picked up the Legos that the twins left on the living room floor and put the dishes in the dishwasher. He then opened the windows to let some fresh air in and he vacuumed. By the time he was done, he stood in the middle of the kitchen and smiled proudly at his work. They lived in a small bungalow house and with the twins always running around, the house was always a mess. But tonight, the house was immaculate and was ready for guests. As if on cue, the doorbell rang and the three showed up at his door. They brought sleeping bags, a bag of clothes, and a sinful number of snacks and carbonated drinks. Neither brought alcohol since none of them wanted to impair their competitive edge in games.

The boys entered like they owned the house and left their shoes on the rack, but Mona, who had never been there since she was usually preoccupied with work, stood, and glared at the twin’s bedroom door that was left ajar.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jace put his hand on her shoulder and she flinched. Her expression immediately switched and she elbowed him lightly.

“Nothing. Just spaced out.” She responded as she grabbed a bag of chips and offered it to the boys, who were already arguing which game they should play first.

Odd. Jace thought as he saw a shadow pass by from the corner of his eye. Shaking his head, he joined the rest of the squad.

Jack must have gotten into his head about the Hatman and his friends.

Around 8 pm when the trick or treaters have finally stopped ringing his doorbell, they ordered three large pizzas and wings that the group volunteered to pay for. Jace had argued to pay but was immediately downvoted. He did not get a say other than which toppings and dip he wanted. Rolling his eyes, he went to the kitchen to grab his phone. It was then he saw a text from his mom that said she was going to end up staying in the hospital longer and may not be able to make it home until the next morning. After he texted back, he pocketed his phone and grabbed ice from the freezer to fill their cups. He then looked out the window and saw that a rainstorm had rolled in. He scrunched his nose as the high winds mercilessly whipped the tree branches. At least the food had already been delivered.

“Dammit!” He heard Carlo curse and before he could ask what was wrong, the lights immediately shut off.

“Happy birthday to me.” He sang under his breath as he grabbed the candles and the lighter. “Guess we’re having a romantic dinner, everyone. Mom only buys fall-scented candles.”

Li laughed nervously as he helped him light the candles. “I hate the dark but fall scented candles and eating pizza with friends? I love it.”

“Hm,” Jace said as he tried to spread the candles to light up the space. “You and my brother are the same. He hates the dark. Probably even more now after he and Elaine have been having night terrors about this Hatman and his friends.”

Lightning streaked across the sky. Li gasped as he immediately grabbed Carlo’s arm. “Jeez, Li. Your nails are sharp.”

“Sorry,” he muttered sheepishly.

Mona closed the blinds and when she looked back, she met Jace’s gaze. The dim light from the candles made her look ethereal and more intimidating than she already was. “Hatman, eh? Tell me.”

Jace tried not to fidget as he sat on the recliner, while the other two boys were huddled together on the couch. They ate their pizza quietly as they waited for Jace to tell the story. Mona continued to lean against the wall, with her arms crossed across her chest.

Jace then rubbed his hands as he frowned at the situation. He somehow felt like they were in a terrible horror movie: bad storm, lights out, no parents, and a supposed haunting in his own house.

“I don’t know what else to tell you guys,” Jace sighed out loud. “I just found out today when I was dropping them off at school. Jack was freaking about me being home alone because he and Elaine have been seeing this creep and his friends.”

“And?” Li urged for him to continue but Jace shrugged.

“That was it, really.”

Carlo raised his brows. “You are a terrible storyteller, man.”

Mona did not look too convinced but before any of them could say anything else, the backdoor slammed open and the draft took out half of the candles. Immediately, they got to their feet as they watched the door swing from the wind.

“I am one hundred percent sure that door was locked,” Li whispered as they all looked at him for confirmation. “Okay, now I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Are we getting robbed?” Carlo added as he tried to grab something to use as a weapon but just ended up grabbing a PS4 controller instead.

After a few minutes of waiting for something they could not explain, Jace gave in and walked toward the backdoor to close it. The rainwater had begun to pool on the hardwood floor and he’d be damned if his cowardice was the reason they have to get new flooring. Suddenly, the twin’s bedroom door slammed shut as three loud knocks banged on the front door. Jace halted as he watched Mona summon a silver blade out of thin air.

What the actual fu— Jace thought. He looked at the guys to see if they were just as surprised as he was, but other than Carlo who was internally freaking out, Li had conjured green flames in his left hand and took a fighting stance behind Mona.

“Uhm, Mona…Li…” Jace whispered but their gaze never left the front door. Another three knocks rattled the door as his heart pounded against his chest. Then the rain abruptly stopped along with the wind. Their breaths and the windows frosted as the temperature dropped.

His phone dinged! Three heads snapped in his direction.

“Uhm,” Jace mumbled as he took out his phone. Li’s eyes glowed crimson but he knew better than to say anything else. Instead, he looked at the text message he got from Jack.

You need to go. NOW!

His blood drained from his face as he gets more texts from the twins.

Jace, run.

Jace, they’re there. We saw it in our dream.

Jace! Get. Everyone. Out. Now!

JACE, NOW!

“Jace?” Mona approached cautiously as he pocketed his phone again. “What is it?”

“I—” A cold hand grasped around his ankle and when he looked down, he saw two bulging eyes staring up at him. Pus and blood dripped down from its eyes. Its joints stuck out in the wrong direction as its skin melted off its body.

“Let us in.” The creature croaked as it tried to reach up to him.

“What are you—”

“I SAID LET US IN!” It howled as it dragged Jace out the door by his ankle.

“Jace!” He heard Mona yell as she ran after him.

Jace instinctively protected his head from bashing on the floor as the creature dragged him out to the backyard and into the forest. With all his might, he kicked the creature at its head. Its grip loosened and Jace did not stop kicking until he had freed himself.

When he did, he grabbed a fallen branch on the ground and scampered up. It was then he saw more of them in the trees and in the pile of leaves.

“Holy sh*t.” He cursed as emerald flames rushed past him to attack the creatures that crawled toward him.

“Don’t just stand there!” Li commanded as more emerald flames lit up the forest. “If you’re not going to fight, run!”

His brain blanked as Mona fought her attackers in an attempt to save him. Even Carlo, who was freaking out had Jace’s baseball bat to fight the monsters that Li have missed. Adrenaline rushed into his veins as he joined the fight.

His logic fought with him and yet his body wouldn’t allow him to stop and think anymore. He dodged and swung the tree branch at the creatures. When the branch broke, he started using his fists.

A creature larger than he had Mona pinned to the ground. Her blade was just a few inches from her reach but she was too busy trying to keep the monster from biting off her face. Without hesitation, Jace grabbed the blade and stabbed the creature in its eye. The creature screamed and in that moment of weakness, Mona freed herself, yanked out the blade, then swung it across its neck. Its head rolled on the ground as its torso seized.

They panted as they looked around for more attackers and saw at least a hundred of them crawling toward them. Then they witnessed Carlo jump to defend Li when another creature ambushed them from above. However, Carlo slipped and his head bashed at the giant rock, immediately knocking him out.

The crunch caught Li’s attention and when he saw Carlo’s blood drip down from the large cut on his forehead, Li screamed.

Fire exploded.

Mona immediately grabbed Jace and shouted a spell that he could not comprehend. An energy field surrounded them and Carlo, but the impact of the explosion threw them several feet away. His head hit the ground as Mona’s weight pinned him. Groaning, they both sat up as their ears rang. The forcefield wavered and vanished, but the fire was already gone.

In fact, everything was gone.

Their mouths gaped open as they saw the barren field and the scorched corpses.

Li did this. Jace stood and his legs shook. There was not a tree or other life in sight except for them. Mona shook her head disapprovingly as she mumbled angrily in a language he did not recognize. She rushed to assault Li but Jace held her back and pointed at Li’s devastation.

When Mona realized the situation, she stepped back and held her breath. Blood gushed from Carlo’s head and Li had been whispering spells to make it stop. But no matter how many times Li repeated the spells, Carlo’s wound never healed.

“Oh God, Carlo. Please wake up.” Li sobbed as he shook Carlo awake. “Carlo, please. You can’t do this to me.”

Li kept sobbing as Jace’s stomach knotted. If Carlo dies— Jace looked away, unable to complete that thought.

Then Carlo groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Li gasped in relief and held him tighter.

“Hey man, why are you crying?” Carlo croaked.

“I thought you died, you a**hole!” Li slapped his chest and Carlo winced. “Oh Gosh, I’m so sorry.”

Carlo sat up as he wiped Li’s tears. “Yo, your boyfriend is going to get jealous if he found out you’re crying like a baby for me.”

Li sobbed harder and Carlo’s brows stitched together. “Hey, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“You good-for-nothing-attractive-thickhead!” Li huffed. “The boyfriend is a ploy for you to realize that I don’t like girls.”

“Oh.” Carlo’s eyes widened with realization as a blush crept up his cheeks. “Oh.”

An awkward silence befell them. Carlo coughed and wiped the blood that dripped down his brow. “Uhm, so do you want to go together to the Grad dance then?”

“What do you think?” Li wiped his tears and pouted. “Of course I do.”

“Cool,” Carlo gave him a lopsided smile and Li hugged Carlo again.

“Let’s get you stitched up first, okay? You may be concussed.” Li said as Carlo laughed. “Yeah, but also, you and Mona have a lot of explaining to do.”

“That they do.” A man chimed in and their heads turned toward the voice.

The man wore all-black attire and his deep sapphire eyes glowered at them. Ten other people followed behind him and each one wore a silver full mask.

“Uhm, who are they?” Jace asked as the masked men approached Li and Carlo. Li hesitated to let him go but eventually stepped away to let them examine his injuries.

Mona frowned. “Remember when I said that I work for the Illuminati?”

“You’re kidding.”

“Kind of. These guys are just much scarier,” she admitted defeatedly as she gestured at the man. “Jace, meet Mikhail. The leader of the High Celestial Council, the former boss of your father, and your mother’s past lover. So, you see, you and the twins may not be your father’s biological children.”

His face paled as he stared at Mona in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that Mona would think that was an appropriate joke to make, but when she looked away in shame, he knew.

His phone dinged again and he took it out from his pocket. The tempered glass was destroyed but at least the screen itself was functional. His brain was too fried to process anything else and decided that looking at his phone would allow him a few seconds of escape.

Is the Hatman there? He read the text from Jack. He took a large breath in and looked up at the dark sky. Maybe he should have just gone to Aunt Marie’s. Maybe he should have listened to the children and none of this nightmare would have happened.

“Jace?” Li gently touched his arm and Jace swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Okay. You all need to start explaining,” he said as he returned Mikhail’s glare. “Since you’re the adult here, I would like to hear it from you.”

If there was one thing Jace knew for sure, biological, or not, that man was not their father. He could never be.

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Next installment: Soul Exchange, House of Trials – As Per Contract: TBA.

Note from me: I apologize for the delay today and for the delay on the next installment! My computer had been crashing lately and I did not have the chance to reformat it until today. Anyway, I very much appreciate your continuous support and I hope you enjoyed this short (a sneak peek for a different series after the House of Trials)! Don’t forget to share my site with your friends, and if you have not done so yet, sign up for my Newsletter and follow me on Twitter @Cyrls_Corner. P.S. if you would like, you can also support my caffeine addiction by leaving me a tip at Buy me a Coffee.