"Why are you only arriving now, Reymark?" someone asked.
Reymark looked toward the man who spoke and bowed slightly, showing respect to his boss.
"I just visited someone, boss," he answered simply.
The man nodded.
"Go help Malchor first. He's in the underground."
Reymark nodded again and released a quiet sigh.
"Ah, boss… I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I just want to know where my brother is living now."
He hadn't seen his brother for a long time.
"Ah." The man glanced at him. "I will. Don't worry—he's doing fine."
Reymark nodded.
He didn't ask any more questions. If he irritated the man, his mood might change again.
His leg still throbbed with pain. He didn't know when the deep wound would finally heal.
Because of what the man's grandson had ordered him to do, his life had nearly been put in danger.
I have to do this—for my brother. For us to survive, he told himself.
"Oh, you're here, Reymark."
He recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to one of his boss's grandsons.
He nodded when he saw Jayson.
"Going to the underground?" Jayson asked.
Reymark nodded.
"Okay, whatever. By the way, Grandpa already transferred the payment to your account. You can send money to your brother now—but not the full amount. You almost messed up cleaning the mess."
"I understand," Reymark replied, clenching his fist.
"Good."
Jayson walked past him and lightly patted his shoulder.
"Next time, be more careful."
After the warning, Jayson walked away.
Reymark shook his head before heading toward the stairs leading underground.
As soon as he stepped inside, a foul smell assaulted his nose.
He coughed.
Only those with strong stomachs could endure working in the underground.
Soon, he saw Malchor.
Malchor was cleaning the cages and the body of another animal that had died.
Reymark cleared his throat.
He noticed the large wounds on the dogs—evidence of illegal dog fights where animals were forced to kill each other.
Malchor noticed him and stared silently.
Nearby, one of the wounded dogs barked fiercely at Reymark, its eyes burning with anger. Blood covered its body as it struggled to stand.
Reymark felt a surge of pity for the animals trapped there.
It wasn't only dogs.
There were also endangered species—snakes, birds, cats, rabbits, and many others—either sold, killed, or used in cruel experiments.
He noticed a cat in one of the cages that was no longer moving.
"That one's probably dead," Reymark said quietly.
"Maybe it's better that way. At least it's free now," Malchor replied.
Reymark didn't respond.
They were the ones assigned to clean the cages, dispose of the bodies, and sometimes care for the animals that were still clinging to life.
When their other companions were around, dying animals were simply shot to end their suffering.
You just have to harden your stomach here, Reymark thought.
He continued cleaning the filth and gathering the dead bodies.
There wasn't a single day without animals dying.
They died from abuse… from beatings after losing fights… and the only sounds Reymark and Malchor heard were the animals' final cries before death.
"When you're done there, throw it over there," Malchor said.
Reymark nodded.
His leg throbbed again. He touched the bite mark left by a dog and shook his head.
XXX
Isaac accompanied Aliya this time to collect the souls of the animals.
They were inside the underground.
There were not just one or two souls waiting for them.
There were many.
"Are you going to bury them, Malchor?" a man asked his companion.
Isaac realized they were once again inside the Buenaventura mansion.
He recognized the two men nearby.
If I hadn't died, I would never have known what they were doing, he thought.
Aliya was busy calming the animal souls.
Isaac stayed nearby, accompanying her while she communicated with a guardian—one of the archangels—to report what they had discovered in the darkness.
As guides, they were required to report everything they learned.
Their knowledge helped those above them.
They had to cooperate to maintain the balance of the spiritual world.
"Isaac," Aliya called.
He turned toward her.
"Are you done?" he asked.
"Some of them ran away from me, and the others are scared. They don't want to see humans like us," she sighed.
He looked at the animal she had managed to calm.
"Take that one across first, then come back. I'll search for the others."
"Yes," she replied respectfully.
Isaac blinked in surprise.
What happened? he wondered.
Why is Aliya suddenly speaking to me so respectfully?
He shook his head and watched as the dead animals were placed into sacks.
"I'll handle this one, Reymark," Malchor said.
"I'll go with you. I know your secret, Malchor," Reymark replied.
Malchor glanced at him.
"Suit yourself."
Isaac watched as Reymark helped carry the sack.
He quietly followed them.
Then he noticed the animals that had refused to approach Aliya earlier.
He wasn't good at calming animals—but he had to try.
"Don't come near me!" one of them growled, its eyes blazing and fur standing on end.
"I won't hurt you," Isaac said gently. "Come with me. You won't suffer violence in this world anymore."
The animal shook its head.
Liar! Humans are all liars!
"You need to cross over. You won't see the people who hurt you anymore. Your kind are waiting there. I know you'll be happy."
"Will we really be happy?" another asked. "Will we no longer feel chains striking our bodies?"
"Don't believe him!" another animal shouted. "All humans are liars!"
"Go with your guardian," Isaac said softly. "You'll see that I'm telling the truth."
"We have no place here anymore," one of them said quietly. "If we stay, we'll keep wandering back to this place and relive our pain. Let's try trusting them."
Isaac remained silent.
"But… I don't want to leave him," another animal said, looking toward Malchor.
"He's the one who truly cares for us. When we're hurt, he treats our wounds. He feeds us and tells us not to give up."
The others fell silent.
"He became our friend in this dark place. What will happen to him? He'll become even lonelier."
"He always tells us that one day we'll be free. I believe him because he's kind."
"Not all humans are cruel to animals. You know that."
Isaac watched Malchor as he carefully dug graves for each animal.
He didn't throw them away like lifeless trash.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," Malchor said softly.
"I hope you find peace in heaven. Run free. Be happy. You'll never suffer painful blows again."
Isaac saw tears fall from Malchor's eyes.
Reymark simply let him cry.
"He's the only one who has ever cried for creatures like us," one animal whispered.
Reymark gently patted Malchor's shoulder as they finished burying the bodies.
One of the animals that had glared earlier now looked at Isaac.
"We're ready to go with you."
Isaac nodded.
He was waiting for Aliya.
"If you lie to us, we'll bite your soul," one of them warned.
"I won't lie to you."
After Malchor and Reymark finished burying the animals, they returned to the mansion.
Aliya had also returned.
"Let's go," Isaac said.
She nodded.
The remaining animal souls followed her.
They led them toward their new home.
Aliya smiled warmly.
"Be happy here," she told them.
"Thank you. See? Not all humans are bad," one of the animals said.
The animals ran happily into the distance.
Isaac sighed.
Aliya silently followed him as they walked into the light toward their destination.