Things are slow tonight at the Tenang Cleaning Services. The soft hum of the air conditioning unit was the only noise breaking through an otherwise silent night at the office. Arif hunched over his desk, elbows planted on the surface, fingers absently tracing the sharp contours of his jawline. The computer screen's pale glow washed over his features, highlighting the deep brown of his eyes and the tousled waves of black hair that tumbled across his forehead.
He blinked slowly, his gaze fixed on the lengthy report displayed before him. As he scrolled through the document, the words seemed to dance and blur together, the lines of text becoming an indecipherable jumble. Arif let out a heavy sigh before leaning back in his chair, the frame creaking under his weight, and rubbed his eyes, trying to refocus on the task at hand. Arif hated that this paperwork was taking too much of his time tonight.
A sudden thud yanked Arif from his thoughts, snapping his spine straight. His gaze darted to the light brown folder unceremoniously dropped on his desk. Looking up, he found a burly, middle-aged man looming over him, his bald head gleaming and his bushy gray mustache twitching.
"What's this?" Arif asked, his eyes narrowing as he reached for the folder.
"Got something interesting for you," Ram said, tapping the folder. His large fingers gave the desk a resounding thud. "A new recruit."
"You managed to convince someone to join us? I'm surprised." Arif chuckled lightly as he reached for the folder from his desk.
"You underestimated my 'Indian Uncle' charisma and negotiation skills." The older man countered the jab from his employee. "In fact, it was an easy sell. Accepted without much thought."
"Really?" Arif raised his eyebrow before shooting Ram a frown. "You did tell them we are quite a small agency right?"
"Even then, I didn't know you were recruiting. I thought the four of us were enough." Arif continued, his fingers flipping open the folder. The name 'Elena Hong Mei Ling' stood out in bold black letters, printed at the top left corner of the document.
"Extra hands would not hurt." Ram quipped as Arif read Elena's profile. One particular detail caught his eye, causing him to pause.
"She registered as a Mambang last week? Since when are we hiring interns?" Arif's tone was laced with skepticism, his brow furrowing.
"I'm not bringing her as an intern. She will be joining as a full-time staff. Frontline." Ram replied bluntly, his arms crossing over his broad chest.
"What?" Arif was dumbfounded as he shot Ram a questioning look. "Isn't that a little much for a week-old Mambang?"
"Read on." Ram gestured to the folder, his gaze unwavering.
Arif's eyebrow arched, his curiosity piqued. He dove into the girl's profile, eyes raking over the information.
Elena Hong Mei Ling. Nineteen years old. Chinese ethnicity. Originally from Sg. Siput, Perak before moving to Kuala Lumpur a year ago. Seems to have awakened around the same time when she moved to KL. Exhibits all characteristics of a fully awakened Mambang including Hijab-less vision, an active Aura, and Pusaka manifestation. She was found after an incident in Bangsar-
"Oh." Arif's voice was barely a whisper as he read the following paragraph.
Ram nodded, a hint of pride in his voice. "Exactly my reaction when I bumped into her last week. She single-handedly defeated three Beings without backup or prior formal training."
Arif nodded slowly, his mind trying to wrap around the feat. The fear of gaining Hijab-less vision and seeing those Beings was enough to make most people freeze in their tracks, their bodies paralyzed by the sheer terror of the unknown. Without knowing what exactly they were, it was incredibly rare for someone to defeat one Being, let alone three, all by themselves.
"Quite impressive" Arif muttered before looking back at Ram. "Where did you find this girl?" Ram cracked a small smile.
"Coincidentally found her at Bayangan, asleep with the Mambang application form in her hands."
"Must be fate" Arif joked.
"You can ask her more about it when she joins us on Monday." Ram turned around and made his way back to his office.
"And Arif?"
"Yes?"
"You will be her mentor."
Arif shot up from his seat, his mouth opening to protest, but Ram had already disappeared into his office.
****
"Achoo!"
The sneeze echoed through the small apartment, followed by the sound of Elena sniffling. "Someone must be talking about me," she muttered, a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"Oh no, who did you offend today?" Vivian's teasing voice drifted from the kitchen, accompanied by the rich aroma of hot Milo.
Elena rolled her eyes, sinking deeper into the worn couch cushions. "Excuse you, I'm pretty sure it was praise for my awesomeness."
"Or your manager cursing you for quitting so abruptly." Vivian appeared in the doorway, a steaming mug cradled in her hands.
The sisters shared a striking resemblance - the same upturned nose, sharp jawline, and porcelain skin. Only the dark circles beneath Elena's eyes, a testament to her grueling work schedule, set them apart. That, and their hair - Vivian's fell in soft, carefree waves, while Elena's hung straight and sleek.
"Zee took it well... I hope." Elena's mind briefly flashed to her manager's tearful goodbye.
Vivian plopped down on the couch beside her, the cushions sagging under their combined weight. She took a sip of her Milo before her eyes shot up, remembering something.
"Oh, rent is due by the way."
Elena winced, her stomach twisting at the mention of bills. "Right. I'll talk to the landlord later, see if we can get an extension." She had missed too many shifts lately with the whole Unseen thing, and skipping meals had become a regular occurrence.
Vivian's expression softened, guilt flickering in her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't be more help."
"No, no, it's fine." Elena waved off her sister's apology. "You're lucky to have that scholarship. Just focus on your studies, okay? The financial stuff is my responsibility anyway."
Vivian nodded, but the concern didn't leave her face. "I just feel bad, seeing you work those long shifts. The eye bags are a dead giveaway, you know."
"Low blow, sis." Elena huffed, but a small smile tugged at her lips.
"Sorry sorry… But I still feel a little guilty you're doing all of this for me." Vivian looked down at the hot chocolate drink in her mug, pondering.
Elena patted her younger sister on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much, okay? I got this. Plus, this new job pays better so hopefully we will be over the hump soon."
"Oh right," Vivian brighten up before asking. "When are you starting your new job again?"
"Tomorrow."
"Then, you should get some sleep and rest. Gotta be fresh in the morning."
"I start at 7 pm though. Night shift work."
Vivian placed her mug on the coffee table and gave Elena a questioning look. "Night shift? For a cleaning agency?"
"It's…err…" Elena hesitated, her mind scrambling for a plausible explanation. She couldn't exactly blurt out the truth - that she would be working as a hero in the night defending the city from monsters lurking in the shadow with a magical dagger that she could conjure with her aura.
Even in her head, it sounded absurd.
"Some heavy-duty cleaning can only be done at night, I guess. You know, like in malls and stuff." She shrugged, hoping her sister would buy the flimsy excuse.
Vivian tilted her head, considering. "Weird job, but at least it's not another customer service gig, right?"
"Yeah, I'm done with those. Need something with a career progression." Elena leaned back into the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.
"A cleaning gig at night for malls has career progression?"
Elena jabbed her sister in the ribs, eliciting a yelp. "You know what I mean."
"Kidding kidding." Vivian laughed, rubbing the spot where her sister had poked her. Elena's face dropped a little and her eyes downcasted.
"Honestly though, it's a big change. Kind of scary, you know?"
Vivian looked at her sister, slightly confused but her expression softened. "But you're Elena. You always do things well even when you're scared."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Elena protested, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her amusement.
Vivian shrugged, her expression a mix of affection and exasperation. "I'm just saying, you're always going on about how scared you are - scared to move to the city, scared to talk to customers, scared to take out the trash at night. But in the end, you always face it head-on. Every single time."
Vivian continued and gave a small chuckle. "Sometimes, I feel you just saying that to mask your excitement."
Elena crossed her arms and thought about her younger sister's poignant observation. "Hm…that's an interesting take."
"Well, you excited?"
Elena can't help to crack a sincere smile.
"Very." She admitted, feeling a fluttering in her chest that was equal parts nerves and excitement. It was a sensation she was starting to recognize - the same electric thrill that coursed through her veins whenever she called upon her Aura. She is going to start her career as a Mambang.
"See? You're just saying things, El." Vivian grabbed her mug and took another sip of her drink. From the corner of her eyes, she could see an attack incoming. "No! No! Hot drink! Hot drink!"
Elena stopped her jab mid-air. "You're lucky." She let out a long sigh. "I guess you're right, Viv. No point overthinking it."
"I'm always right."
"Geez, you sounded like the older sibling."
"Step up, then El"
The two sisters laughed.
"Thanks, Viv".