News travels fast, and Felix soon learned about the student's death that occurred just outside his house. The uncertainty surrounding the incident had reignited public interest in the case.
He could only scratch his head as he listened to the news, a cup of coffee in hand while having his breakfast.
What is happening in this city? he wondered silently.
His thoughts remained tangled, haunted by the unanswered questions surrounding his own parents' deaths. He still couldn't determine whether they had been murdered or had simply died of natural causes.
He couldn't connect the current events to those from the past—after all, his parents had died when he was still young. A deep frown creased his face.
Just then, he saw his sister pass by.
"Jen?" he called out, noticing her enter the room.
There was no response. He furrowed his brow.
Maybe she didn't hear me? he reasoned to himself.
"Jenny, come eat with me when you're done getting dressed," he called out again.
Still, there was no reply. That was strange—Jenny usually answered him right away.
"Jenny!" he called more firmly.
"Brother? Why?" Jenny asked, suddenly appearing before him, not yet dressed.
He stared at her, confused.
"You already went inside the room earlier... and you were wearing your uniform—" he stopped mid-sentence. "Maybe I'm just lacking sleep."
Jenny raised her brow in concern at his odd explanation.
"I didn't go into the room, brother. And I don't even have class this morning."
Here we go again, Felix thought, suppressing a sigh.
"Are you okay, big brother?" Jenny asked suddenly.
Felix simply nodded. He didn't want to tell her. Jenny didn't need to know about the strange things that had been happening to him. That ability of his only came and went, usually depending on how significant the event was.
Jenny sat down beside him.
"Has Thalia returned yet?" he asked, unable to hide his concern.
Jenny nodded slightly. He noticed the sadness in her eyes.
"I heard the student who was shot yesterday was a schoolmate of yours," he said, taking another sip of coffee.
"Yes, brother. It was Jasmin," Jenny replied.
Felix sighed deeply. He didn't even know the girl personally, but hearing about young lives lost so senselessly weighed heavily on his heart.
"I just hope justice is served swiftly for the victims."
"Justice? Justice doesn't come easily in a world where you don't know how to play the game."
He looked up—and there she was. A bloodied woman stood in front of him. He quickly averted his gaze, trying to suppress what he was seeing.
"How will justice be served if people like you—people who know the truth—remain silent?" the soul said.
Felix guessed she was one of the missing women who were later found with parts of their bodies mutilated. Her torn flesh was horrifying to behold.
"Hey, brother! Hey!" Jenny's voice snapped him out of it.
He pressed his fingers to his forehead. He was still beside his sister.
"If you had helped us, you wouldn't be feeling this way," the ghost said softly.
He knew that voice. He had helped her before—helped her twin and one of her siblings as well.
"Jenny, I'm going to rest for a bit. Still feeling sleepy," he said with a yawn, then stood and made his way to his room.
As he walked in, he caught a glimpse of Ellese staring at him.
He didn't want his siblings to get involved in any of this, so he never told them about his ability to see and hear spirits. Since then, the deaths of his siblings—especially the loss of his cousin, who was part of the organization—had never left his thoughts.
He hadn't seen her soul again since then, but he believed it still lingered in the house across the street from theirs.
Sitting on his bed, his mind replayed the events he had witnessed in that house. He had seen his cousin get shot. He had followed the siblings, unaware of what lay ahead—finding them all soaked in blood. Even the youngest had not been spared.
To this day, the police have no solid lead on what happened. The incident was broadcast on television, prompting public speculation. Some assumed it was a home robbery gone wrong and that the family had fought back.
But Felix didn't believe it.
After the crime scene had been cleaned, he had returned to the house—and when he did, the truth revealed itself to him. The real event played out before his eyes, and it was then he knew everything had been orchestrated.
What can we do against people who have the power to control everything?
Who would believe I have this kind of ability? People in this world would laugh and call me insane, Felix thought bitterly.
"Ellese, I'm sorry. I can't risk the lives of my siblings," he said aloud.
"Have mercy on your siblings. They will end up getting involved anyway, and even more people will suffer," her voice echoed.
"Ellese, we don't have enough evidence to lock up your father and your brother. You already know what will happen if we try to reverse everything," Felix replied, already used to speaking with her spirit.
"That's why… Help my twin, Mikaela, and my brother, Jake."
"It's enough that I helped the two of them escape. Ruth… Chesca… please stop disturbing Mikaela."
"They are our only hope. They're the only ones who can expose everything our father has done."
And just like that, the spirit vanished.
Felix let out another long sigh.
No matter how much you try to forget the dark past—no matter how far you run from it or turn your back on it—it always finds a way to return.
He lay down, deep in thought.