Jay couldn't tear his eyes away from the man seated at the table.
He was old, much older than the man he remembered, but there was something unmistakable about the way he sat, the way he carried himself.
The posture was exactly the same—his grandfather's. Jay's pulse quickened, and he couldn't hold back any longer.
"Grandpa?" Jay whispered, almost too afraid to say it aloud.
The old man's eyes flicked up at the sound of his name, and for a split second, Jay felt that familiar warmth in his chest. But then, the old man smirked and leaned back in his chair.
"You're wrong, kid," the old man said, his voice gruff but oddly comforting in a way that sent chills down Jay's spine.
"No… No, you're him. Everything about you, it's all you. You're my grandpa!" Jay's words tumbled out in a frantic rush, his hands trembling as he pointed toward the man.
Alina stepped forward, her usual smirk replaced by a more serious expression. She shook her head in annoyance. "That's not him," she said, her voice clipped. "This is Leno. He's the head of our organization."
Jay's mind spun, trying to process what he was hearing. "Leno? Wasn't that you grandfather? You looked like him. You sounded like him. How could you be anyone but grandfather?"
Leno raised a hand, silencing Jay's confusion with a flick of his fingers. "Leno and Levo," he said, as if the words meant something important. "We're twins. Same blood. Same legacy." He stood up slowly, his movements deliberate, and as he did, Jay couldn't shake the eerie sense of déjà vu that followed.
Jay's mouth went dry. "Twins?"
Leno nodded. "Levo and I are the founders of this organization," he said. "We were hunters—hunters of demons, monsters, and entities with powers far beyond what ordinary people should ever know about."
Jay's head was spinning. He staggered back, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
"My grandpa… my grandpa never told me about any of this. And he—he had a twin?!" His voice cracked on the last word, disbelief pouring out like a dam that had finally broken.
Leno glanced at him, unfazed. "He wasn't allowed to tell you. When you were given to us for safekeeping, things were too dangerous. He made the decision to leave our work behind. He chose to protect you—sacrificing everything to raise you in peace. He couldn't bear the thought of you being involved in this world."
Jay's breath hitched, his heart pounding in his chest. "But... why now? Why hire me now? What do you want with me?"
Leno's expression darkened slightly. "There's power in you, Jay. Power that's been dormant, hidden deep inside you. We need that power. And it's time for it to awaken."
Jay recoiled, shaking his head violently. "I don't want to be a murderer. I don't want anything to do with this." His voice cracked, and for a moment, he thought he might collapse under the weight of it all.
Alina chuckled softly from the corner, her arms crossed. "Murder?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's what you think this is about? Murdering people?" She laughed louder, the sound echoing off the walls.
Jay's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, then?"
Alina's eyes twinkled with dark amusement. "We're not here to kill people, Jay. We're here to hunt down the things that hide in the dark, the monsters that slip through the cracks of the world. We're not murderers. We're hunters."
Leno added, "The things we do—people would never understand. The world would never understand. But we are supported by governments, by organizations that need our help. And in return, we're compensated generously. More than you can imagine."
At that, Alina leaned forward, a sly grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "Maybe this will change your mind." She reached into her bag and pulled out a case, one that gleamed under the fluorescent lights.
When she opened it, Jay's eyes widened. Inside was a stack of money—more money than he had ever seen in his life, thick bundles of bills that seemed to stretch on forever.
She closed the case with a snap and looked at him, her eyes cold and calculating. "Every month. No matter how many jobs we do. This is what you get for your work here."
Jay swallowed hard, his stomach turning. "I don't care about money. This is wrong. I don't want to be part of this."
Leno's voice grew quieter, more persuasive. "You don't have a choice. You're part of something bigger now, whether you like it or not. You can't unsee what you've seen. This world isn't a fairy tale, Jay. It's real. And it's filled with things you wouldn't believe."
Jay's eyes flicked toward the child standing off to the side, her small frame almost hidden by the others.
She couldn't have been more than ten, maybe younger, yet there she stood, like she belonged in this terrifying place.
"What about her?" Jay asked, his voice rising in confusion. "That's a child."
The child smirked, looking up at him with an unsettling expression. "And you're a coward man," she spat, her voice full of disdain.
Jay blinked, taken aback. He had expected the child to be silent, to be scared, but instead, she was the one who seemed to hold the power in the room.
"I'm not scared of you," Jay muttered under his breath, but the child's words pierced him.
"I'm Agent Bomby," she said, her tone flat. "And if you want to know the truth about your grandfather's death, you should change your mind about us."
The room fell into an eerie silence. Jay's heart raced as her words sunk in. His grandfather's death—the thing that had haunted him for years.
Could these people know something about it? Was that the real reason they were trying to recruit him?
Victor and Leno exchanged looks, then stepped closer to Jay. They both seemed to have expected this moment, this moment where Jay would finally break down.
Leno was the first to speak. "We need you, Jay. And we can help you understand what happened to your grandfather. But only if you're willing to join us."
Victor nodded, his voice steady but heavy with meaning. "This is your choice, kid. You want answers? This is the only way you'll get them."
Jay stood there, torn between the urge to run and the burning desire to uncover the truth. His grandfather's death—his entire life had been a lie. Could he really walk away now?
"Sign it," Leno said, handing Jay a black contract. "It's simple. No turning back after this. But if you want the answers, this is the price."
Jay stared down at the document. His hands shook as he picked up the pen, his mind battling with itself.
Everything in him screamed to refuse, but his heart—his need for answers, for closure—drove him forward.
He signed the contract, the ink flowing on the paper like a final vow.
As soon as he did, a searing pain shot through his palm. Jay gasped, pulling his hand back instinctively, but it was too late.
...
A symbol burned itself into his skin—an intricate, strange design that glowed faintly under the light.
And then, one by one, the others in the room showed their own tattoos—each one matching his.
The room was silent, and Jay's head swam as he tried to make sense of it all.
"What the hell is happening?" he breathed, his eyes wide with shock.
Leno smiled darkly. "Welcome to the crib, kid. You've just signed your life away."
Jay's stomach turned as he looked around at the people in the room, each one marked with the same symbol.
A symbol that looks demonic...