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The Doctrine of Blackwood Exorcists. Rule 1: “Should the evil’s power exceed yours, never face it alone, or death shall be your only companion.”

In simpler terms: if it feels like a spirit you can’t handle, you probably can’t.

No exception.

The Greene couple had been on Evan’s tail for a month now, begging him to cleanse their ancestral property. But contradicting their statement of “just a little trouble at an old building," the Greene Mansion turned out to be a hotspot of malicious energies, overflowing with vicious, resentful spirits.

Evan had paid a secret visit to the mansion when the Grenes had first approached him.

It was a centuries-old construction that had sinister energy emanating from every wall and square inch of ground around it. The air around the property was so dense with malice that not even morning mist descended on the patch of land. It was strongenough to make Evan—a reckless, seasoned exorcist prone to taking risks—never want to visit that wretched place again.

Sure, the Greenes were rich, and if he came out alive—which was unlikely—they would probably hit him with a “name your price” tagline.

But the richer the family, the deeper and nastier were the secrets buried behind all that glittery wealth.

Even as an exorcist, Evan wasn’t invincible.

“I’m not doing it. It’s too dangerous,” Evan said, puncturing a straw into a carton of chocolate milk before taking a sip. “Find me another case.”

Aaron sighed from the other end. “Alright. I’ll look into what I can find and call you back.”

Looks like he gave up.“Fine—”

“But please, at leastthinkit over one last time before turning them down. You might not find such an opportunity swinging your way again.”

Nope, he didn’t give up.

Biting at the edge of the straw, Evan reached for his phone.

“Bye, Aaron.”

As soon as he hung up, a cold wind whooshed past Evan’s side, spiking goosebumps under his oversized t-shirt. Blinking, he shifted his gaze over his shoulder, and a pair of golden yellow eyes amidst a mass of black fur stared back at him.

Evan let out a snort.

“Misty, you startled me,” he picked up the furry ball of a cat and snuggled his face into her soft black coat, inhaling her soothing, familiar scent. “You have a tendency to show up whenever Daddy needs a good snuggle, don’t you?”

Misty purred, kneading his thighs with her soft paws, staring up at him with dilated pupils. Then slowly blinked.

Evan’s lips twitched. “Daddy loves you too, Misty.”

He had never quite figured out how he could communicate better with a cat than any human being he’d ever come across. But Misty was surely the preferable one out of the two options.

Whoever wanted towillinglysocialize with creatures of the same species?

Just as Evan was about to bury his face in Misty’s belly, the doorbell went off. As if sensing who was at the door, Misty leaped off his lap, disappearing under the bed.

Evan’s eyebrows furrowed.

That couldn’t be a good sign.

Dragging himself out of the bedroom, Evan reached for the front door and swung it open—

A splayed palm rushed towards him. So fast he couldn’t dodge.

As that ridiculously huge and calloused palm smacked Evan’s face, he stumbled back into the nearest wall, a high-pitched ringing going off in his ear.

“Ignoring our calls now, little shit?!” Bruce, the mainenforcerof Phantom Finance Corporation, spat in Evan’s direction, his eyes blazing with the need to break something.