“So, did you find anything I should take note of?” with the phone currently in between his left ear and left shoulder, Xiao dodged the table he was heading toward. The box in his hands juggled with the sudden movement but didn’t lose its balance.

“Nothing out of the ordinary. I checked with the school and the story pretty much checks out. I checked with the neighbours too but didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Looks like this worker of yours is genuine” Noah voiced out, the tone as mild as if it was commenting on the weather and not someone’s private information check.

In hindsight, it should have reassured Xiao about the young boy. However, his doubt remained. Even if nothing was out of the ordinary, that didn’t rule out the fact that the child could potentially see the butterflies. He had not informed his cuisine about his speculations - least it came down to his cousin doing something unnecessary.

As for the boy - he had his own specifications. Those he was not about to share with anyone right now.

“That’s good. I was nervous about hiring help without verification but this really puts my mind at ease” in hindsight, it did nothing to soothe his doubts. Xiao spoke this just to reassure his cousin. And by the incoming silence, it looked like he succeeded.

“How is your other aid performing? I’m afraid it was too short notice to get you something better, so you will have to do this right now” Now the voice on the other end had shifted toa more amused tone which made Xiao chuckle.

Blue-green eyes moved toward a younger person from moving around the shop. Wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of high waist jeans, a short-haired girl moved around the shop toward a customer couple who were looking at a box.

It would have been a domestic scene in the shop, if not for the image the girl portrayed. Spiky black hair with purple highlights and a fair complexion mixed with black, the girl looked less like a sweet helper and more like a street thug.

Seeing the girl approach the couple who were looking at the box quickly tensed before the husband subtly poked the wife and motioned to move. Ignoring the girl, they picked up the box and began moving in his direction toward the counter.

The girl looked lost for a second. However, she soon shook herself and followed behind the couple toward him.

“Are you there?” The voice which came out of the phone carried a sharp pitch. Noah really didn’t like to be ignored much. His parents had done nothing to curb that inferiority complex of his throughout his life and it resulted in his cousin’s short temper.

“Ah, sorry. Your aid is a great help for me. I’ll take care of her and this business as soon as you will let me off this phone call” that was as good as any confirmation to put the phone down. Also, the box in his hand was getting heavy and he needed to put it down soon.

As his hands moved to shift the box down, the call disconnection tune sounded in his ears. With a sigh, with his now freed hands, he picked the phone from its present position. His head protested when he moved it from its tilted position. It had been there for a while and now it protested any movement.

In all this, the couple from earlier had actually reached him with the box in their hand. The couple were middle-aged, and from the looks of their clothes - not local. Their clothes were way too heavily tailored for cold. A misconception most tourists made due to the closer, much colder hill station.

“We would like to buy this? How do we pay?” they framed both sentences as questions and just from their tone he could tell that they had not meant to purchase this box. They had picked up this most likely to get away from the girl just behind them.

The girl still looked lost at what to do which made him feel guilty. He had put the poor girl in front to give her the customer experience when she wanted to work the counter before. And now that this had happened he was not happy.

He should fix this for now.

“Ah, sorry. I’m a little busy right now. Era, can you guide them through it? I’m really sorry” Xiao picked up the box from the table again as he shot apologetic looks at the girl behind the couple. This had happened a few times since the morning.

Since the girl was a ghoul, a mix of humans and indeed, he had thought it would be good for her to interact more with living people to socialise. However, her aura had been stronger than he expected which made people uncomfortable around her.

Well, that and her looks did not help her aura at all.

The couple thought the apologetic look he was casting behind them was for them and they looked a little pleased with it. Era finally moved from behind them and toward the payment counter in front of him.

As for the couple? They pretended to not have seen her and looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. Evidently, they didn’t want to make a big deal out of ignoring a person they thought was below their standard of what's right.’

“Card or cash?” Xiao left them to do the transaction while he moved the box toward the outer shelves. Putting it down, he began arranging the displays on the shelf. There had been a steady supply of customers these past few days due to the festival of one of the Indian local communities in the area.

Festivals were special cases when their business became extra busy due to a lot of supernatural activities they generated. And fascinatingly most people sound like the world had similar festivals to celebrate.

The current one that approached was called the ‘festival of light’ for the community. As such, lights and such decorations were in high demand and their supply had eroded quickly.

As he sorted through the bundle in the box, he saw a very familiar silhouette outside the window. Kei entered the shop and Xiao stood up to greet the child. The hoodie that Kei wore was similar to his yesterday one.

“Master Xiao, I’ve brought the required documents” The voice was as strong as yesterday but somehow it sounded freer than the day before. It was no longer tense to his ears. Finally, it sounded like one of a child his age should have.

“Good. Era, our other new worker is here. I’m taking him to get the formalities over in the employee room. Can I take care of the counter?” Xiao asked but even he knew that it was all but a formality at this point. The girl had already been made aware of the new employee that will join them.

“Sure” the girl agreed. Now that the couple had left, there was no one else in the shop that needed any management. And even if someone showed up, she could just mind her own at the counter.

“Follow me to the back room with the papers. Shouldn’t you be in school right now? Also, have you worked out the hours you will work here for?” As they moved toward the backroom, Xiao got curious. The child was fifteen, yet was travelling to and fro without any visible escort.

This was what fed his paranoia - the child was rich, yet unharmed for the most part. Their neighbourhood was not one of the safest - in both aspects. Yet, the child had almost no fear inside him. And the way his eyes took in the shop was the same way his more unorthodox customers did.

He was more than sure this child was far from normal. If anything, it was more likely that this was not even a child but something which was not yet seen in this world.

The door creaked as he opened the backdoor. The room was clean with a more modern touch to it than the front of the shop. Instead of an official look to the room, it was arranged more like a bedroom.

“Cosey” the slip from the child’s lips was almost unconscious. The eyes that looked at the room were heavy and somehow if he had to guess the emotion in those eyes, it would be lonely.

“Well, the best for my employees which now include you too. Now, answer my questions from before would you?” Xiao was getting impatient. Generally, he has a really good grasp of such situations. But rude customers, new employees and a lot of paperwork did wonders for one’s mental health.

His tone had spooked the child it seems since it caused him to actually jump up into the air a little. Well, cute - but not the answer to his question at all.

“Ah, I’m in distant learning with the school distance system. There were some ‘problems’. But since it's part of the curriculum, I thought I should get it done as fast as I can” That screamed suspiciously. Well, yes - his cousin has checked for everything legal with the school. Yet, the feeling of uncertainty remained with him.

“And your accommodation? Aren’t you living in the dorms? Or was I mistaken” there was a lot of weekend crowd on his side of the street when the dorms let out and as far as he knew, most children opted for the dorm accommodation. He had assumed that Kei was the same.

“I live with my guardian. I told you so before, the one we called yesterday. And anytime is fine for me. Is this right to sign here?” Kei pointed to the bottom contract line which would make him the official employee.

Kei had mentioned his guardian yesterday, but it was better to recheck. Sometimes, people slipped when egged a little if they were lying. But the child was keeping his facts straight even if he was subtly being grilled.

Was his feeling really wrong in this aspect? Was he getting paranoid for no reason at all? Somehow he was not so sure right now.

“Well, we’re done here. Welcome to the shop. You can share the 11:00 - 04:00 shift with Era. However, you will show me your progress report regularly. If you fell behind in your studies you are getting off the shift” This was one of the clauses he had worked out with his previous employees. Most of them had been students and hence needed to keep up with their studies.

Of course, most of their situation had never been like this either. But it would allow him to keep an eye on the child for the most part. Maybe he could give the child the accounting part - his handwriting was really clear and beautiful. Definitely the work of someone who had attended calligraphy classes before.

But as he went through the form more, there was one place that caught his eyes on them. The one question which he asked every employee.

‘What is your wish’

“You left it empty” it was only after the words had left his mouth did he realise that he had spoken them aloud. It was not his intention to bring the point to light right now. He should have bound his time before.

“Ah, you mean my wish? Well, I once had a wish but I no longer do now. Also, I won’t be a good employee if I take the resources of my employer after all” the reply left Xiao stunned. He had thought that the child would hide the fact that he knew about this side of the world. Most people were too afraid to say after all.

But the child had all out admitted to the fact.

“Are you really a child? Or something else? What is your objective in coming here to this shop if not to have your wish fulfilled?” Xiao was cautious. Even if the child was smiling gently right now, it didn’t mean that he was safe right now. Kei, if that even was that thing's real name came here for a reason.

“Relax. I’m just here as an employee and nothing more. The contact binds me here after all, doesn’t it? Well, if you don’t believe me I can even swear an oath. Let’s just say this is the payment to a wish I made long ago. You can report me if it makes you comfortable to do so. However, whatever happens after that is not in my hand. I will defend myself if I must”

That was a threat and a warning all in one go. While he can report this to higher authorities, he had a feeling that he must not. This person was clearly dangerous. He outright ignored the butterflies yesterday and could even see through the seals most likely.

His aura was also something neither he nor his cousin could see. Even Era had not noticed before as her guard was completely down.

But most importantly - his senses had not registered this Stanger as dangerous. But neither had recognised him as a customer. They had been dormant unlike ever before and he had just till they had been alone since they always reacted to everything around him.

“What are you?” Xiao tried again. He had quickly taken steps to create a distance between himself and the person in front of him. The black markings on his body converged in his hand, the darkness forming a shape.

Firm hands grasped the curved form as the darkness solidified into a bow. The strings and everything glittered obsidian - reflecting light.

The grin on the boy - no - creature’s face grew and he drew nearer to Xiao. In defence, Xiao pulled the string back with the bow at ready. However, he was still hesitant to release the arrow. Somehow, it just didn’t feel right to shoot a child.

Mostly because his senses were not registering any danger to him right now.

“Well, I’m already an employee right now. The choice is yours to make from here. Will I be an ally or a bystander? After all, don’t you want to know how I came to possess this power?” The voice was awfully young, but it carried with it the darkness and much to Xiao’s horror, the previously empty hands of the child now rested on his bow unharmed.

The same bow which housed the power of the world tree, which shared the same material as the horror filling fatal butterflies. The one thing which no one but him could touch was now retreating into shadows back on his body. The markings regain their original form.

“Who are you?” Xiao tried once again. His voice was much shakier now, breaking in between his words. The face in front of him was solemn and all around him, the shadows came to life. Small butterflies made of shadow flew around the pair. However, they maintained their distance.

They, however, were no longer their original colour but had gained red markings in their wingspans. Like one's, they gained after a fresh feeding.

“Who I am doesn't really matter. Now, you can choose - let me stay and keep an eye on me or let me go free unsupervised” the voice was much more cheerful. However, the bite of sharpness was still there. The air is still heavy and his senses still useless.

There was only one possibility left. There was only one right answer to the individual in front of him. And if so, he could not allow the information to get out. He had to keep this to himself. Even if he already knew the answer, he could not fathom why that person would be here and now. Why take an interest in him now of all times.

And why him out of everyone else? However, more than anything else, he wanted to keep an eye on this creature and make sure nothing goes wrong. If this was repayment, there was never a record written about it and if not - he could not guess. All he could do was observe because if his speculation was right, neither he nor anyone else could do anything about the person in front of him.

They were at its whims.