FILE 15: THE CONTRACT

It took me two days to return to humanity. During that time, Mars remained in his reverie. I had to reschedule my flight, as I obviously couldn't board as a giant tiger. 

Mars called Lea, since I couldn't, to inform her about the 'exorcism'. She wanted to move back in immediately, but he convinced her to wait until things were resolved. Or that I could change back again.

"Are you sure everything is back to normal?" Lea asked hesitantly as her hazel gaze peered into the apartment. I stood in the living room, exhausted, with bags under my eyes.

I had transformed just an hour earlier, quickly showered, and dressed to make myself presentable. 

"Yes," I croaked. She squinted at me. "You don't look all right. Should I call a doctor for you?" 

"No, thanks. I wasn't sleeping well for the last few nights, that's all," I assured her. Not looking convinced, she went to put her bags in her room.

I sagged against the wall. It was extremely painful as I kept pushing my body to transform back. My muscles were strained with all the twists and turns, and I just wanted to fall in bed and close my eyes. Lea came back with an envelope.

"It's not much, but take it as payment for your help," she mumbled, blushing. I grasped the envelope with a smile. "Any time. I need your signature, thank you. I promise you'll sleep soundly tonight." I gave a salute when Mars and I departed.

It took longer than usual to arrive home, since I had to stop along the way to rest. Mars stayed patiently by my side. My parents were waiting at the gate when we arrived home.

"Are you all right? Nothing broken? Should we take you to the hospital?" My mom patted me concernedly as I removed my helmet. "I'm okay, mom. I just want to go to bed," I said tiredly.

She rubbed my hair, then hugged me furiously. "My poor baby. I was so worried. When Mars called and told us about what happened, I—sniff, I—" She broke down, crying. 

I patted her head delicately. I gazed at Dad however he was confronting Mars. "Didn't you consider the consequences?" he berated Mars. The cat said nothing which only angered him more.

"What if what happened to father happened to him? I could have lost my only son. Surely the situation was not that desperate?"

"It was that desperate!" Mars argued. There was silence. Mom released me and asked quietly, "What aren't you telling us? Mars?"

His ears flicked, but he remained silent. "Didn't he tell you about what the succubus said?" I was confused. They nodded. Then what was the problem?

"Mom? Dad? Hey, Mars?"

"Don't worry, son, it has nothing to do with you," Dad grumbled. Mars growled. "Nothing to do with him? Who do you think is fighting? Certainly not you. 

This kid has done something not even Howard was able to do. He completed it! You hear me?" He was heaving with fury. My parents looked surprised. 

"He completed FULL FORM with his mind intact? Could it be, the contract?" Dad whispered in disbelief. Huh? "What?" I cried. "Mom, what do they mean?" Mom smiled shakily. 

"Granddad tried to initiate it. But it didn't work out. He went berserk and went on a rampage. Mars subdued him, and it left him an invalid for the rest of his life." They all looked upset. I swallowed. Was it that dangerous?

"Mars, is it all right if we tell him about the bargain?" Mom asked timidly. He huffed and ran off. "I can't believe you did it. How are you? Mars only told us you fought to near death." 

Dad peered at me searchingly. Wait, so he said nothing of my great achievement? No wonder they're freaking out. "Can we go sit down? I want to get out of these clothes too," I begged. 

With my parents walking with me, I entered my home. An hour later, I felt refreshed after a bath and some homemade food. We sat in the living room as my parents listened while I described my fight with the succubus. "Well, this will be in my report too, Dad," I said.

"Yes. I noticed you use a lot of 'censors'. I suppose that is your cussing," he replied dryly. I smiled bleakly. "Yeah. You told me not to use swear words in my reports, or you'll throw them away."

"Yet there are times you can't help yourself." He raised an eyebrow. He sighed. "This is why I keep telling you not to write them so personally." 

"Don't mind it, dear. As long as the details are there, what does it matter how he writes it?" Mom defended me. Dad gave up. "Enough of the files. We came here to inform you of the contract your mom and I made with Mars." I sat up. I have wanted to hear this for years now. 

"By the time you were in your mother's womb, we were scared of losing another child. We have already had two miscarriages so we asked Mars, who was the oldest being we knew, for advice.

He suggested we enter the newly born into a contract." He paused. I was shocked. I always thought they were in agreement, but I was wrong. They forced me into one! "Huh?" I stared.

"It was for your own survival, honey. For some reason, all the children I gave birth to died," Mom said sadly. "I was convinced at the time that it was the only way to save you."

Dad continued the conversation: "To save you, Mars gave you extra power. Think of it as a power boost."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" I interrupted. They looked uncomfortable. "Honey, if you're a parent, the baby becomes everything to you. To save them, you'll do anything. So when Mars suggested a solution, we agreed." Mom looked at me lovingly.

"We don't regret what we did. You're alive and well. You're reckless, arrogant, and a womaniser, but alive. That makes us satisfied." Thanks dad. 

"What did he do?" I demanded.

"We don't exactly know. On the day of your birth, he took you away for two days. When he came back, he said the contract was finalised. 

He promised that of the three generations of Otherworld investigators, you would be the strongest and most successful. We're not sure how."

"You let him?" I asked, upset.

"It's because we trust him. You trust him too, don't you?" Mom asked me. She's right. I've been with him my entire life; how can I not trust him?

"If you want to know what happened during those two days, you'll have to ask Mars," Dad told me. I groaned. Getting him to confess is like getting a fish to breathe air.

"Thanks, Mom; thanks, Dad. So, what about the babies that came after me?" I inquired.

They glanced towards each other. "It was the same as before. He only made the commitment with you, not any other children. So other children died." 

Mom looked depressed as she explained. I suppose I should have stopped there, but I had to know.

"Why? Why did they all die?" Dad glanced furiously at me. Sorry.

"It's fine, dear. He has the right to know. See, the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me. Mars couldn't understand it either. 

We searched for years on why your siblings kept being stillborn. The closest we got was that it was a curse."

"A curse? Those things exist?" I was baffled.

"Not the ones you're thinking of. Not the voodoo, or witchcraft kind. It's a grudge kind of thing," she said earnestly. I never heard of such curses. "Can it be broken?" She shook her head. "Only by finding the origin. 

But we searched for years and came up empty. Even if we found the original grudge bearer, I'm too old to bear any children." Dad tenderly clasped her hand.

"We are just grateful we have you. So please, be careful when you take cases. And don't carelessly transform into your FULL FORM. It's very dangerous. Promise us." Both stared at me until I swore.

That evening, I rescheduled a flight back to South Korea. As I said goodbye to my buddies, Bridget whipped up a huge meal for us. Mom invited our other employees to dine with us. 

Mars gave me the cold shoulder as he ate his food. Seriously, what did I do wrong? I slumped on my bed, and Mars curled beside me. "Hey Mars?" I asked.

"What?"

"What did you do to me during those two days after I was born?"

"They even told you that?" He sounded annoyed. I thumped him on the head. "Tell me. What happened?"

"Is it so important that you must know? It's in the past, over and done with," he replied dismissively as he licked his paw.

"I want to know. Tell me, come on." I urged. He groaned. "Such a nosy child. If I tell you, it'll take too long. I'll explain on another day. Now go to sleep."

"You promise?" I insisted.

"On one condition," he grinned slyly. Oh, no. 

"Which is?" I asked hesitantly.

"You dismiss our bet. Or I won't say a word." That. Darn. Ball of fur!

Saying goodbye to worried parents is chaotic. Mom refused to release me, and Dad won't stop nagging. I was afraid I would miss my flight for the second time. 

Thanks to Bridget interfering, I managed to flee. Thankfully, I sat on a comfy seat on the aeroplane. Mars was in his cat carrier in the pet cargo hold. 

Oh, I just remembered Lea's envelope. It was still inside the jacket. While music blared in my ears, I distractedly opened it and exclaimed. Many passengers turned to peek in my direction.

"A little something, she said." I grinned. I shook the envelope, and several hundred pounds fell out. It was ten thousand pounds.

I now had enough money to buy everything I wanted.