"Oh, it's you."
Even though his ability had healed the bruise, Jenkins could still feel a lingering ache. That shouldn't have been possible, but he chalked it up to his nerves not having adjusted to his body's changes.
"Co in, quickly."
He didn't ask her purpose for coming, simply pushing the door wider to invite the girl inside. He glanced over and saw the cat perched on his pillow, engrossed in so unknown activity, and decided to leave it be.
The girl timidly stepped into the man's room. She didn't take the chair Jenkins pulled out from his desk, choosing instead to stand near the door.
"Shy? I never noticed that before."
Jenkins thought to himself, then asked directly:
"Is there sothing I can help you with? I think a child your age should get to bed early. Otherwise, you won't grow tall."
"...It's nothing important... Sir, thank you for the Year's End Festival gift."
Thanking him was clearly not her real reason for being here, but Jenkins replied anyway:
"It was nothing. And thank you for your gift as well. I'm very fond of the knitted wristband."
Fini was montarily at a loss for words, as she had given him clothes for his cat. Since Jenkins's cat was so small, the size was also tiny.
But she understood it was best not to reveal the truth.
"Actually... there's sothing I was hoping you could help with."
She finally managed to say it.
"What is it?"
"It's about my aunt's family. After what happened to my older cousin... my aunt's family has had so other strange accidents. They used to be so lucky; everything always went smoothly for them. I heard the church can provide exorcism services for believers, but my aunt's family aren't followers of the Sage. So I was hoping you could help think of sothing... Would that be too much trouble?"
Her voice trailed off into a whisper, and as soon as she finished, she turned to run. Fortunately, Jenkins reacted quickly and caught her by the wrist.
"Wait a mont. Oh, I'm sorry."
He felt the girl trembling uncontrollably in his grasp and imdiately let go of her hand, realizing his action was a bit rude:
"An exorcism? That's no problem, but you should know that not everything can be changed. From what you've said, it could just be a string of bad luck. No one is fortunate all the ti."
"But my aunt's family really was always lucky!"
the girl argued, then, realizing her tone was improper, quickly lowered her head and apologized.
"Alright, alright."
He figured it was just a child's stubbornness; young people always had peculiar ideas. Rembering that the entrance to the alley was on his way to the club, he made a suggestion:
"How about this: we'll go and take a look together tomorrow morning. Although I'm not a clergyman, I believe my own devout faith is no weaker than that of the priests who perform exorcisms for the church."
"Won't it be too much trouble?"
Fini asked in a small voice.
"Not at all. As it happens, I've been wanting to see the seven o'clock morning sun in Nolan City. So, wake up early tomorrow, and we'll set out after breakfast."
"Okay, sir."
But Jenkins was destined not to see the morning sun. The next day, completely unexpectedly, a blizzard began to rage. The layers of cloud and fog blanketing the sky made seven in the morning as dark as midnight, forcing the city council to urgently extend the hours the streetlights were in use.
Today was the third day since the city's Air Protection Act officially went into effect, but perhaps due to so supernatural influence, Jenkins felt Nolan City's air had only gotten worse.
The most compelling evidence was that when the snow landing on their clothes lted, it left behind black stains, a clear sign of just how much filth the water vapor had collected as it condensed.
It wasn't just the awful weather; the temperature was also exceptionally low. As they left the church, a blast of wind sweeping across the street made both Jenkins and Fini shiver. To avoid catching the flu that was going around the city, they had to bundle up in extra layers before heading out.
The sight of a morning as dark as the dead of night was enough to bring the "end of the world" to mind. Jenkins didn't know what others were thinking, but he, at least, knew for certain the apocalypse wasn't coming today.
He carried a black umbrella, shielding the two of them and the cat beneath it. But the strong wind blew the dirty snow everywhere, making the umbrella all but useless.
He had originally planned to walk to their destination, but in these conditions, taking a carriage was clearly the better option. By the ti he voiced his suggestion, they were already so distance from the church. There was no need to turn back, so he decided to find a carriage nearby.
After so hassle, they finally arrived at the mouth of the alley a little after eight o'clock. Jenkins paid the driver, and then he and Fini walked into the alley.
Compared to his visit last month, a palpable sense of decay now filled every corner. The tree in the alley, which had withered with the season, was now completely dead. Trash and weeds littered the corners. The entire alley felt devoid of life; even in the deep gloom, not a single light could be seen.
If Fini hadn't told him the Stress family still lived here, Jenkins would have assud the place was completely deserted.
According to information he'd gathered from the church, after the massacre in the alley, no new tenants had moved into the empty hos. The only other surviving family besides the Stresses had moved away in the second week after the incident. They had even left behind furniture that would have been difficult to transport, which was a rare thing for a family living in an alley like this.
A foul stench filled the building's stairwell. Jenkins held his breath as he and Fini ascended, his eyes sweeping over the wall where Papa Oliver had once hidden before he rounded the corner and started up the next flight of stairs.
Malicious graffiti covered the stairwell walls, and as they climbed higher, he even saw what looked like traces of feces. None of this had been here on his last visit.
"My cousin owes a lot of money."
Fini explained in a low voice, "My uncle still hasn't found a new job. The money they got from selling that vase to Mr. Oliver has mostly gone to paying off the debt."
"How did he get into debt?"
Jenkins asked.
"Gambling. I didn't know before; I only heard about it the last ti I ca. My cousin used to always win when he gambled, but lately, he's just been losing and losing, and now... it's co to this..."
Jenkins didn't know how to comnt on that. He blinked, scanning their surroundings, but he detected no suspicious spiritual auras—at least, not from where he was standing.
One after the other, they arrived at the door to the Stress family's ho. The door was now splattered with large patches of paint and scrawled with filthy words. Fini stood on her tiptoes, about to knock, when Jenkins stopped her.
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