"Reporting—in the last three years, this is the first time I'm able to see everything in the Evidence Room. Ah… ah—"

Jones' voice rang loud and clear from Agent Angela's phone on speaker. Vick, Zack, and Angela stared at the device, their muscles tense.

But that sudden hitch at the end of his sentence? It made all three panic.

"Jones? What happened? Jones?!" Vick demanded, stepping closer to the phone.

A beat. Then—

"I think I stepped on a burger. Probably belonged to the boys."

His voice was sheepish. Embarrassed.

Danny's eyes went wide. "Ah—my burger!" he exclaimed with a look of betrayal.

Samuel just shrugged, giving him a look that screamed I told you so. Grumble telepathically "I told you not to leave that on floor earlier"

Vick coughed, redirecting everyone. "Jones—focus. How's the room? Any trace of negative energy?"

"So far? Nothing. No traces of dark aura, no lingering curses. Even my tastebuds are clear—thank God. No aftertaste in the air."

The agents exchanged stunned glances.

Angela looked back at the boys—Danny looked devastated about the burger. Samuel kept a calm, unreadable smile.

Vick pressed forward. "Jones, check the cursed artifacts directly. Look for any residual aura."

"Copy that, Chief."

Jones' voice returned sharp and focused. He moved toward the main shelf area, stepping through rows of items that had once oozed corruption.

His pulse quickened.

Some of the artifacts he passed—he knew them. Masked talismans, fractured bone idols, old blades soaked in blood curses. He remembered classifying several himself, calling them high-risk threats. Now?

Nothing.

No vibrations.

No taste.

No spiritual pressure.

"Reporting: all clear. I'm going to remove my protective suit to double-check."

Angela snapped, "Are you sure, Jones?"

"I am. Every sense is clean so far. I think I can risk direct exposure, just to confirm."

He pulled back his face guard and took a slow breath inside the room. Deep. Full.

Vick pressed the phone close. "Jones? Report."

No reply.

And then—his head popped out from behind the door.

"All clear!" he shouted, waving at the group. "There's nothing wrong with the room. Boys—great job."

He gestured for them to come closer.

Soon, Vick, Angela, and Zack stood inside the room itself.

They walked slowly, scanning every surface. Angela touched the edge of a blade once classified "cursed." Nothing.

Zack tapped the edge of a sealed urn. Clean.

Even Vick, silent and skeptical, took a long look around—and couldn't deny what he saw. Or rather, what he didn't feel.

Samuel stepped forward casually and pointed toward one shelf.

"Agent Vick… what do you call the crystals inside that black box?"

Vick turned. "Oh… that." He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"They're important to us. Hell-related stuff." Samuel gave a vague shrug. "Do you have more?"

Vick smirked. He knew that was the real reason Samuel brought it up.

"We do. Not here, though. They're stored at Department Zero HQ."

He folded his arms. "Now. You give me something I don't know. Something worth the trade. Don't give me 'Hell stuff.' I want intel."

Samuel smiled, sly.

"For me to tell you what you don't know… you'll first need to tell me what you know."

Vick chuckled. "Alright. Let's play."

"We found those crystals hidden in high-level demon hideouts," he said. "Our experts say they don't emit demonic energy or curse resonance—but we've recovered them from enough locations that we're convinced they're important. No official designation yet, but they're flagged."

"I've told you what I know. Fill in the blanks."

Samuel nodded.

"They're called fragment stones. Stolen from Hell during the great demon breakout. Demons can increase their power by studying the hidden energy stored inside—especially high-level ones. It's a slow process, but it works."

He met Vick's gaze dead-on.

"They can't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Not even Demon Agents. One of the standing orders from the Hell King himself… is to recover them. At any cost."

He left something out.

He had to.

Maya remained their trump card—for now.

Vick's eyes gleamed. "So... you want me to give you this one?"

"Yes," Samuel replied calmly. "We don't trust the Demon Agents with it. And we're asking you to keep it discreet. Retrieve the rest from HQ—but quietly."

Vick nodded. "I'll speak to HQ and get back to you. Either way—good work. This is a significant contribution. You'll be rewarded accordingly."

He turned toward Zack.

"I'll have Agent Zack brief you on how to organize and update the evidence room records. While you're logging the files, pay attention—learn the types of cases and classifications of demons our division handles. It'll help you understand how we operate."

Then his tone shifted—more curious now.

"Also… can you explain how exactly you cleansed the room? HQ will need a report, and I can't write 'mystical vacuum cleaner' without getting laughed at. A brief explanation would go a long way."

At this, every agent present turned their eyes to the boys.

Danny instantly pointed at Samuel. "He's the one who did it. He'll explain."

Samuel gave him a look. Really? But then sighed and stepped forward.

He lifted his left hand and tapped his Hell Bracelet. The glyphs shimmered.

With a sharp hum, a glowing crimson circle unfurled beneath his feet.

His bracelet pulsed once, then bloomed outward—projecting a spiralling, three-tiered magic circle into the air, like a radiant mandala burning with infernal grace.

The circle hovered, humming. Slowly, it began to inhale—drawing the atmosphere inward like a soft vacuum.

Everyone stared.

Agent Jones, the only one who could truly see its essence, blinked hard—then gasped.

"What… is this? The light is divine... and it tastes sweet."

"You can see it?" Vick asked, surprised.

"Thank God Jones is here," Samuel muttered. "At least someone can verify it's not just laser effects."

He gestured toward the spinning sigil.

"This is a cleansing spell—let's call it a negative energy purifier. It filters spiritual toxins, curses, residual malevolent presence. Basically, it scrubs the room clean."

Jones added, still stunned, "The light is alive… it's like divine energy. I can see dark residue in the air being pulled into it. It's all disappearing."

After a moment, Samuel deactivated the spell. The circle curled in on itself and vanished into his bracelet.

"I'll leave you with Agent Zack," Vick said, satisfied. "We've got other matters to handle."

He turned to leave.

Angela glanced back at the boys one last time, her expression unreadable—then followed Vick out, with Michael and Jones close behind.

To Be Continued.