Several minutes later, Liam arrived on Navana Street, in the southern part of the district, about three hundred meters away from his previous location, unaware of what was happening at Forn's residence.
Before him stood a luxurious mansion surrounded by high stone walls topped with iron bars. Two uniformed guards stood at the gate, strictly controlling access.
Before he could approach, the guards stopped him.
"What is your purpose?" one of them asked firmly.
Liam slipped his hand into his trouser pocket. The movement made both guards reflexively prepare to draw their weapons, but they quickly lowered their guard when they saw Liam only pull out a piece of paper.
"Check this," Liam said, handing it over.
The two guards stepped closer, opened the paper, and read it carefully.
"It's true. This is Mr. Albert's handwriting, and the seal belongs to the Hammond family," whispered the guard with neatly combed black hair.
He glanced at his partner before saying, "Very well. Please wait a moment."
The gate slowly opened. The guards nodded, inviting Liam inside. After he passed through, the gate closed again, and the guards resumed their duties.
The mansion had two floors and around twenty rooms—one large kitchen, a dining hall, and the rest consisting of bedrooms, bathrooms, and several storage rooms. Outside, a fountain stood at the center of the path, its water flowing in two directions, while neatly arranged gardens lined both sides, bordered by well-kept grass.
Liam climbed the wide stone steps and stopped before a tall, magnificent door that gleamed faintly. He took a deep breath, then knocked.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
He waited. Faint footsteps echoed from inside, the sound of shoes striking the steps growing clearer with each moment.
Then—
The door handle turned, and the massive door opened. Standing before him was a man with black hair and brown eyes, wearing a shirt with the top two buttons undone. The two of them stared at each other for several seconds.
"Oh, it's you, Mr. Zavi. Did you see 'her' acting strangely? Or notice any unusual signs?" he asked, fastening his shirt again.
"I didn't see it clearly," Liam replied. "But at that time, she went down the stairs, then back up again, about five times. And I'm also curious… how did you know that 'she' was possessed by something supernatural?"
Albert glanced left and right, making sure no one was nearby, even though he knew there were only three people in the vast mansion. "Come inside," he said quietly. "I'll tell you about my experiences dealing with cases like this. I've encountered things like that more than once."
He suddenly laughed.
"All right," Liam replied, confused. He then stepped inside, with Albert following behind him.
The heavy door closed with a deep sound. Albert led him to the right, into a living room arranged with authority and refinement. Two pairs of plush sofas flanked a large round table made of polished old wood, atop which crystal glasses and a teapot engraved with the city's emblem—a moon—were neatly placed.
Tall bookshelves filled the walls, packed with thick leather-bound books, archives, and official records. The floor was covered in gleaming gray marble, each step reflecting light and creating an impressive atmosphere.
Glass cabinets displayed scrolls sealed with wax, city maps, and old family genealogies. A large work desk with locked drawers and royal seals stood in the corner, reinforcing the room's function.
Blue chandelier lights gave off a warm glow, yet the atmosphere remained rigid and cautious. Clearly, this was the home of an influential figure, a custodian of important city documents and keeper of major secrets known only to a few within the kingdom.
The house was immense and spacious. Liam's sudden arrival made him feel uneasy.
After a moment of thought, he gathered his courage and asked for further explanation.
"There's something I want to talk about," he said softly. "Sorry if this sounds rude."
Albert turned, nodded, and gestured for Liam to continue.
"Are you—" Before he could finish, a woman with black hair and brown eyes, resembling Albert, suddenly appeared on the stairs and hurried toward them.
"Brother," the woman said in a panicked voice.
Hearing his sister's voice, Albert immediately approached her. "What is it? Is something bothering you?" he asked firmly.
"No," she replied gently. "Who is that man, brother? Is he your friend?" she asked curiously after noticing a stranger in her home.
Albert turned back, chuckled softly, and replied, "Oh, you could say he's a friend of mine. Why do you ask?"
The woman's name was Anastasia Hammond, Albert's younger sister. She was the same age as Zavi, twenty years old.
Like Zavi, she was currently unemployed, yet she lived comfortably without working. Her daily life was simple: staying in her room, eating, drinking, bathing, and going out for walks whenever her brother was not busy.
It might sound boring, but those activities carried a hidden purpose unknown to others.
Their parents worked as custodians of important documents in the city of Moran. Because of this job, they often dealt with high-ranking nobles of the Kingdom of Norn, from Counts ruling territories to Dukes directly involved in royal affairs, as well as documents related to internal state interests.
Through this closeness and cooperation, the Hammond family received various compensations and special access, including permits to enter areas closed to the public. This connection was later used by Albert and his associates to handle supernatural cases while expanding their vigilance throughout the city.
The work was extremely dangerous. Their parents often handled documents that could trigger political conflicts, so they required trusted people to protect them. The guards were not only tasked with protection but were also ready to fight at any moment if an assassination attempt threatened their lives.
Anastasia turned her head, staring intently at Liam, who had been looking at her the entire time. Reflexively, Liam averted his gaze to the bookshelves and stared at the book covers.
"My name is Anastasia Hammond. May I know your name?" she asked softly as she walked toward Liam.
Liam immediately turned his head, watching her approach calmly. Behind her, Albert chuckled softly, knowing his sister was either curious or perhaps intrigued by Liam's presence.
Anastasia stopped extremely close, just a few inches from Liam, almost touching him. From behind, Albert froze, his mouth falling open. He could not believe what he was seeing; he had never once seen his sister behave like this.
There was about a six-year age gap between them, yet this was the first time Albert had witnessed a side of Anastasia completely unfamiliar to him.
"Hey, that's way too close… This woman is really strange, damn it," Liam muttered under his breath, irritated by her sudden behavior.
All he could do now was smile, curse inwardly, and glance toward Albert, hoping he would tell his sister to stop.
Just as he expected, Albert ordered his sister to step back and return to her room. His command was absolute. Until now, Anastasia had always obeyed her brother, no matter how trivial the order.
But for some reason, today she refused, as if something were influencing her. Albert remained calm and ordered her again, this time with the sound of his teeth grinding.
Hearing that, Anastasia immediately became frightened, running as fast as she could up the stairs and straight into her room on the upper floor.
"Tch… Another nuisance," Anastasia thought irritably.
Downstairs, Albert glanced at Liam with a crooked smile. Liam could only scratch his cheek after witnessing that strange scene.
They resumed their earlier conversation, sitting across from each other, and the atmosphere grew tense for several seconds.
Meanwhile, Anastasia abandoned her return to her room. From upstairs, through a small gap in the railing, she overheard fragments of the conversation between her brother and Liam, growing curious because it was rare for someone like Liam to visit their house.
On the other hand, her earlier strange behavior was merely an act to conceal her true nature.
Like Zavi, Anastasia was currently unemployed, yet she lived comfortably without working. Her daily routine was simple: staying in her room, eating, drinking, bathing, and taking walks whenever her brother was not busy.
It might sound dull, but these activities served hidden purposes unknown to the people in the house.
"Ugh… Another intruder," Anastasia thought irritably.
An incident like this had occurred about two years ago.
To investigate, she pretended to behave like a strange woman to avoid suspicion, gathering information and searching for solid evidence.
For two years, or more precisely since her older sister's death, she had grown increasingly curious about Albert's increasingly strange behavior.
Anastasia suspected Albert. On that ill-fated day, there were only five people in the house. Her older sister, Niva; Albert, who happened to be off from his part-time job that day; two maids; and a male gardener.
Coincidentally, Anastasia was still in school that day, not yet graduated. And while she was enjoying herself with her friends at school, she was suddenly shocked when someone came to pick her up. They told her that her older sister had died under unusual circumstances.
Yes. Anastasia knew that Niva was her half-sister, born to her stepmother, whom her father married after Anastasia's biological mother passed away due to a severe illness.
Even though Niva was her half-sister, the woman had been incredibly kind to her. Unlike Albert, her biological brother, who was distant—or perhaps Anastasia simply did not know how to act around him.
"Who is that man? Is he my brother's accomplice?" she murmured curiously.
Despite her deep suspicion of Albert, Anastasia still called him "brother." Was it because she had grown accustomed to her disguise, or because
of her true feelings from the beginning, born from her need for attention?
The question suddenly surfaced in her mind. Still, she was determined to investigate whether her brother was truly as she suspected, and why she had begun to doubt him two years ago.