The afternoon sun cast long shadows as we navigated the busy city streets, Lenna's arms wrapped tightly around my waist. The wind whipped through our hair, a refreshing contrast to the stifling heat of the classroom.
"We're going to your house first to pick up Hana!" I shouted over the roar of the engine.
"What?!" Lenna's voice was barely audible against the wind. "I thought we were going somewhere else!"
"We need her for this!" I yelled back, explaining our plan to confront Asmar.
Lenna nodded, her grip tightening around me as we weaved through traffic.
Arriving at Lenna's house, I parked the motorcycle and waited while she hurried inside.
"My mother isn't home, Wait here a moment." she explained, a hint of relief in her voice.
I nodded, tapping my fingers against the handlebars, my mind racing with anticipation. I pulled out my phone and checked the Unveiled Family group chat.
[Dove: @Xian, can you bring Hana to the office?]
Already? I thought, surprised by the swiftness of their progress.
[Me: Yeah, I'm at Lenna's house now. We'll head over soon.]
I closed my phone, a sudden wave of unease washing over me.
Lenna's going to find out about my family's secret, Did I make a mistake by bringing her along?
I realized.
Just then, Lenna emerged from the house, Hana's translucent form floating beside her.
"Ready to go?" Lenna asked, a determined look on her face.
"H-Hey..." Hana greeted, her voice a soft echo in the still evening air.
"Don't worry, Hana," I said, a reassuring smile on my face. "We've made some progress. And Lenna..."
"Yes, Senior?"
"...When we arrive at our destination, please wait outside for a moment. Just a little while, and then... well, we'll just have to see."
Lenna tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Hana, come with us," I said, beckoning her towards the bike.
Lenna climbed on behind me, and Hana's translucent form floated alongside us as I started the engine.
The familiar rumble of the motorcycle engine filled the air as we navigated the city streets. Lenna held on tightly, her grip a reassuring presence on my waist.
We arrived at the imposing WRA Company building, its glass facade gleaming in the late afternoon sun. As we entered the lobby, employees gave us curious glances, their eyes lingering on Lenna's ghostly form.
"W-Why are we here?" Lenna asked, her voice hushed. "This is a huge office building."
"Don't worry," I reassured her. "It belongs to my family."
"Your family?" she echoed, surprise evident in her voice.
The elevator doors slid open, and we stepped inside.
"Don't worry," I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. "You'll see."
The ride to the 20th floor was filled with a pregnant silence, the only sound the soft hum of the elevator motor.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing the 20th-floor office. The atmosphere was still charged, but the initial chaos had given way to a focused energy. Yolan was meticulously organizing the stolen documents, while Aca and Irune were engaged in a hushed conversation.
"Xian!" Vill greeted me with a warm smile as we entered.
"Hey," I replied, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. "I brought the ghost you wanted."
Everyone's attention shifted to Hana, who was hovering beside Lenna.
"Who's that girl?" Irune asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Her name is Lenna," I explained. "She can see ghosts too. Hana's been staying with her."
Everyone gasped in unison. "She can see them too?"
I couldn't bring myself to reveal Lenna's heritage as a Seer. It seemed like a burden she didn't need to bear, not yet.
"Did you have anything you wanted to tell us?" I asked
Dove, however, stepped forward, holding up a blue debit card. "This is yours, isn't it?" she asked, addressing Hana.
"Y-Yes! Where did you find it?" Hana exclaimed, her ghostly form flickering with surprise.
"At the killer's house," Dove replied, a grim satisfaction in her voice.
Lenna and Hana's expressions turned grim.
"Asmar..." Hana repeated, her voice barely a whisper.
Dove nodded solemnly. "We found this on the card," she said, pointing to a series of numbers etched into the plastic. "240705. Isn't that right?"
Hana's eyes widened in recognition. "Y-Yes," she stammered. "That's... that's my birthday."
"Why was my debit card at Asmar's house...?" Hana asked, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and anger.
"We checked the balance," Dove explained gently, "and it was zero. The last transaction we found in the logs was on the day you died. There was a transfer of 15 million rupiah from your account to another account..."
Hana's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "H-He stole my money?! That was the money I had been saving for my future!"
"But don't worry," Dove said, a reassuring smile on her face as she pulled out another debit card, this one a gleaming gold. "This is Asmar's money."
Lenna and Hana's eyes widened in surprise.
This is... incredible, Just who are Xian's family?
Lenna thought, her mind reeling with the implications of what she was seeing.
"M-My money is in there?!" Hana exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of joy and disbelief.
"Yes, but the balance was already zero," Dove explained. "I transferred it to my crypto account first. Aca, show them the news!"
Aca pulled down a white board and turned on a projector, the screen flickering to life with a news report. It showed footage of a police officer's house being robbed, the officer identified as Asmar.
Lenna's eyes widened further. A robbery, the debit card, Xian's family... Could they have...?
The pieces were starting to fall into place, but the picture they formed was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Hana stared at the news report in disbelief. "Wh-Who stole it...?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
Dove's eyes flickered towards Xian, a silent question in her gaze.
Hana and Lenna followed her gaze, their eyes widening as they turned to look at him.
"Senior... you stole it I never thought—"? Lenna asked, her voice filled with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
"It was for a good cause, Lenna," I interrupted, my voice firm. "Please don't tell anyone. I trust you."
Lenna hesitated for a moment, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. Finally, she nodded slowly.
I couldn't say anything more. I didn't want to lie to her, but I also couldn't reveal the full truth about my family and their mission. After all, this company was one of the biggest in the country. I couldn't let myself jeopardize their operation, not when it was doing so much good.
< Chapter 062 > Fin.