"Did the two of you go there?" Isaac suddenly asked.
Daniel turned toward him and nodded.
"Did she remember anything?" Isaac continued.
"Nothing," Daniel replied with a sigh, glancing at the watch clipped to his waistband. "Not a single memory surfaced."
"I heard you also encountered Archangel Mikael," Isaac said.
"Yes," Daniel admitted. "I wasn't expecting to meet one of the King's archangels."
Isaac nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you still trying to understand why Aliya lost her memories?"
Daniel fell silent for a moment.
"It's strange," he said quietly. "Out of all the soul keepers here, she's the only one who remembers nothing—not her past life, not even who she was."
"Her case is unlike the others."
Isaac held a scroll in his hand.
"Before we became guardians, we all carried secrets from our lives among the living," he said.
"From what I heard… what happened to her was tragic."
Daniel looked up.
"She's dead," Isaac continued slowly, "but her body was never found. That may be why her identity slipped away."
Daniel didn't respond.
Instead, he stood up.
"I need to check something on Earth."
Isaac raised a brow.
"What are you planning to do there?"
"Just wander," Daniel answered. "While waiting for the next soul."
Isaac studied him carefully.
"Are you still troubled by what happened to you?"
"Is any of this connected to Aliya?"
Daniel paused.
But he said nothing.
He simply walked past Isaac.
With a wave of his hand, the world around him shifted.
Moments later, he appeared before a large mansion.
Daniel stared at it quietly.
Memories surfaced.
He had died because of someone else's wrongdoing—dragged into the consequences of a crime he had never committed.
The world believed he had been struck by a stray police bullet.
Archangel Mikael was the one who collected his soul.
Instead of the usual judgment, Daniel had been given a choice.
He could return to life and correct the injustice surrounding his death.
But fear stopped him.
Instead, he chose to remain as a guardian.
Since then, he had witnessed countless events in the human world—both cruel and kind.
Despite humanity's flaws, Daniel still believed goodness existed somewhere within each person.
There were many realms beyond human understanding.
The human world.
The heavens.
And countless spiritual dimensions unseen by mortal eyes.
No wonder Aliya was confused.
He once felt the same when he first became a soul keeper.
Suddenly, Daniel sensed something.
Danger.
I need to move… or I'll get trapped.
His gaze landed on a young man wearing a hood and hat.
The stranger limped as he walked quickly through the street.
Daniel caught a glimpse of the man's memories—dark fragments swirling around him.
He was about to follow.
But his watch suddenly glowed brightly.
Someone needed guidance.
Daniel sighed.
The pull of duty dragged him away.
Moments later, he appeared in an abandoned place where a child was crying beside a lifeless body.
XXX
Aya woke to the sound of someone knocking on her apartment door.
She got up and opened it.
A young boy stood outside.
She recognized him immediately—the one who had asked for help before.
"Why are you here?" she asked gently.
The boy smiled and held up the kitten.
It looked healthier now, lively and recovering.
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"Greg!"
A man called from behind him—probably his older brother.
The man stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Sorry about my little brother."
"No problem," Aya replied softly.
Suddenly, the boy grabbed her hand.
She flinched in surprise.
"P… please be careful of the people around you," he whispered.
Aya froze.
He looked straight into her eyes.
"D… don't let your anger blind you. You'll find what you're looking for."
Her heart pounded.
Something about the way he spoke felt strange—too calm, too knowing.
"Greg," his brother said quietly, pulling him back.
The boy released her hand.
"Sorry again," the older brother said.
"Oh, and one more thing…"
"They'll exist."
Aya frowned.
The statement made no sense.
Then they left.
"Thank you for helping those little creatures," the man called back.
Aya remained standing at the doorway, unable to respond.
Just then, her phone rang.
It was the police.
They confirmed that the pen she found would be added to the investigation as evidence.
And there was more good news.
She had won the legal case filed against her clinic.
It had been proven that she wasn't responsible for the massacre.
Her clinic had been closed for nearly a month.
She would need to reopen it soon.
But her search for answers could not stop.
Don't let your anger blind you.
The boy's words echoed inside her mind.
It was almost as if he knew exactly what she was going through.
Aya had never believed in spirituality.
To her, it had always been nothing more than human imagination.
But what if…
What if spirits really did exist?
Suddenly, Cloud jumped onto her lap.
Aya startled.
"Cloud! Don't scare me like that," she groaned.
Days passed.
Then unexpectedly, her parents came to visit.
"You came here?" Aya asked coldly.
Her mother sighed.
"Don't act like that, Aya."
"I'm simply asking why you're here," she replied.
Her father handed her an envelope.
It was from the police.
"Do you really think we killed Aliya?" her mother snapped angrily.
"You should explain your alibi at the station," Aya said firmly.
"You're suspects. Nothing more, nothing less."
"We would never kill Aliya," her father insisted.
"Really?" Aya replied.
"Yet you were capable of killing animals."
Her eyes narrowed.
She noticed scratches along her father's arm.
And he was limping.
"Where did those scratches come from?" she asked sharply.
Her father frowned.
"Are you insane? From the animals, obviously."
"A dog bit you?" Aya pressed.
Suspicion grew stronger inside her.
"You'll need to explain everything to the police," she said coldly.
"If you don't… I'll make sure both of you end up in jail."
Her mother tried to slap her.
But her father stopped her.
They left soon after.
Aya released a shaky breath.
Calm down… calm down, Aya.
She didn't notice Cloud hiding nearby.
His fur was raised, his eyes burning with anger after seeing her parents.
"Cloud, come here," Aya whispered gently.
The cat walked toward her, rubbing against her leg.
Whatever the investigation revealed, Aya had already made a decision.
If her parents were responsible for Aliya's death—
even if they were her own family—
she would send them to prison.
Her resolve would not waver.