Back at the Izana Café
"So, that's everything that happened to you?" Diana folded her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing as they scanned every bruise and scratch that marred my body.
I looked away, shame heating my cheeks. "Yes."
"A young Outer, captured by a Shadow Garden... You must be very far from home," Roger added as he stirred a drink at the bar. His calm voice contrasted the quiet clinking of glass.
"I... don't even know where home is," the zombie boy mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. His expression was sheepish, uncertain. "I think I lost my memory."
Diana's sternness softened at once. "Memory loss? Poor thing..." she murmured, casting a worried glance at him.
Meanwhile, in the far corner of the room, Shizu and Freed were already doubled over in laughter. Shizu was gripping her stomach as if her life depended on it.
"Pfft—hahaha! You seriously got beat up again?" she gasped between cackles. "And here I was thinking I had the worst luck! But now I realize it's you who cursed us back when we ran into that goblin! Haha!"
"Oh, wow—that actually checks out," Freed joined in, wiping a tear from his eye. "Just look at you. You look like someone who's had way too many life-or-death experiences. Like, who even walks into a café looking like they just got rolled through six realms of suffering?"
Their jokes were like jabs to my ego.
"You act like you would've done better, Shizu," I snapped, glaring at her.
Before she could respond with another snide remark, Diana's hand came down on both their heads with an authoritative thwack.
"Keep it down," she scolded. "We have a guest."
"Sheesh... always ruining the fun," Freed muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Diana asked, her glare intensifying as her fist clenched.
"Nothing, ma'am." Freed quickly turned away and scampered over to the zombie boy, trying to save face. "Hey, do you remember your name at least?"
The boy blinked, thinking hard. "Mmm... I think it was... Zhong."
"Zhong, huh?" Roger set the cup in front of him. "Sounds Chinese."
"Heh, won't the drink just leak out of him?" Shizu muttered with a mischievous grin.
Bonk.
"Ow!" she yelped as Diana smacked her on the head again.
"He's not your average Outer," I added, now curious.
"He's Chilean," Freed said as he casually crossed one leg over the other and placed his feet on the table. "Though I gotta say, your people seem to really admire Chinese traditions."
"Chilean? Isn't that a city in China?" Shizu and I asked in perfect unison, both of us blinking in confusion.
"It's to be expected," Diana said, shaking her head, arms folded again.
Zhong looked up, equally puzzled. "Wait, what's a Chilean?"
"It's a forgotten—or more accurately, erased—country in South America," Freed explained, his tone growing slightly more serious. "I don't remember all the details, but I'm pretty sure I met someone like you once."
"I just checked the map," Shizu said, holding up her phone. "There's nothing there. It's like... poof, gone."
"That's the work of the Black-Men," Freed replied grimly.
"That's crazy! To completely erase a country from memory and maps? That's, like, god-tier insanity!" Shizu exclaimed, her voice practically bouncing with enthusiasm at the concept of such raw power.
"Actually, it was someone in the late realm of Immortality," Freed replied. "And yeah... it's one of those situations where even I can barely recall the specifics. That's how deep it goes. Finding your people won't be easy, Zhong."
The boy's face fell. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes dimmed with despair. "Why is this happening to me?" he whispered, resting his head on the table. "I don't know where I came from. I don't even know who I am. What am I supposed to do now?"
"Ehn? What do you mean, 'it won't be easy'? We can just report it to the Black-M—" Diana started, but Freed was already dragging her aside. He leaned in and whispered urgently into her ear. The café fell silent for a few seconds, everyone sensing the shift in atmosphere.
When the two finally returned, there was an odd glint in their eyes—like co-conspirators sharing a secret.
"Don't worry," Diana said gently, rubbing Zhong's back. "You can stay with us. We'll do everything we can to help you find your people."
Zhong looked up, eyes wide. "You... you mean it?"
"Of course," she replied with a soft smile.
Freed stepped in beside her, the same comforting smile playing on his face. "And while you're here, you can train with these two idiots—uh, I mean, talented recruits—to become a Paranormal Officer."
Zhong blinked. "A what?"
"Don't worry," Freed said, that mischievous sparkle returning to his eyes. "Your new padawans will explain everything."
Shizu and I exchanged a long, dry look.
"Okay..." I answered flatly.
"But if he's joining us, where's he supposed to stay?" Shizu asked, arms folded in her usual bossy pose. "The house is full. We can't just let a zombie wander around outside. He'd scare people."
"I've been meaning to ask this for a while now," I cut in, raising a hand slowly. Everyone turned to look at me. "Are we... poor?"
Glass slipped from Roger's hand but didn't shatter. He caught it mid-air with wide eyes. Diana and Freed stood frozen. Shizu looked away, suddenly interested in anything except eye contact.
"Whaaat?! Why would you ask that?!" Diana blurted, blushing.
"No, we're not poor," Freed said quickly—and unconvincingly.
I gave them a deadpan look. "We've got no decent spiritual weapons in storage. I almost died in the last fight. We haven't had a single customer since... I don't even remember when."
"Well... you know we do have some debt," Freed said, rubbing the back of his head.
"How much?" I asked.
"Uh... 900 Zen. It used to be 1000, but you know... progress?"
"Nine hundred?" My voice rose an octave. "Do you know how much that is in Yen?! One Zen is 1.6 billion yen. That's like... over a quadrillion yen! Are you insane?! That's not debt, that's a multiverse-level curse!"
Zhong tilted his head. "I don't understand anything you just said, but I can tell it's bad."
"Don't worry about it," I said with a sigh. "I'll take care of Zhong's accommodation."
"With what house?" Shizu asked, clearly enjoying the reversal.
"My house. Don't worry—it's big."
"Lies. How can someone who spent seven years in a recuperation center suddenly be rich?" Shizu shot back.
"I can prove it," I said, confidently.
"I want to see!" Freed leapt to his feet.
"I'm coming too," Diana added, curiosity piqued.
Roger gave a rare smile. "Guess I'll tag along."
"Alright then," I said.
A Few Hours Later
We stood before an opulent mansion nestled within a luxurious estate, surrounded by polished roads, high-tech fences, and rows of elegant homes that screamed wealth and exclusivity.
"You see," I began, turning to their stunned faces, "when I woke up, the hospital told me I had access to a savings account left by people they called my parents. Can't remember their faces, but this house... this account... this is what's left of them."
I paused, watching their jaws hang open.
"Oh—and while I was in recovery, I studied crypto. My guardian taught me. Grew the account a little."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then—
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" they all shouted in unison.
Zhong, ever oblivious, just sipped his drink with a confused smile. "Is this... normal?"