Chapter 10

DYLAN sipped his black coffee, feeling refreshed as the fragrant aroma filled his senses.

Kyle sat beside his friend, taking a sip from his own cup. A smile crept onto his lips as he noticed Dylan drifting into his thoughts again. “Still thinking about the person following you?”

Dylan shook his head silently and placed the coffee cup on the mini bar.

Kyle patted his shoulder. “I want to help you, but I’m out of ideas if you keep being so secretive.”

Dylan looked at Kyle, then pulled the Magic Charms from his pocket, inspecting the snake scale for a long moment. “I think I have to accept that my dad might be dead.”

Kyle's brows shot up at Dylan’s words.

Dylan nodded solemnly. “I’ve hit a dead end. Fifteen years is a long time. If he was still alive, he would’ve shown up by now.” He shrugged. “It’s time for me to focused on myself. I know I haven’t done enough, but the clues are just too limited. Apart from Bamboo Village...” Dylan shook his head. “I think I’ve given up.”

Kyle stayed silent for a moment. The Dylan he knew was never one to give up easily. “What about your psychic powers? You know, seeing the future?”

Dylan chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, I still have it. But...” He hesitated. “If I tell you something, you probably won’t believe me.”

Kyle frowned slightly.

“I think I have this psychic power because of this thing.” Dylan placed both pieces of the Magic Charms on the mini bar beside his coffee cup.

Kyle instinctively leaned back. “What is that?”

“A snake scale. My late grandpa called it the Magic Charms. Someone gave it to him, and before he passed away, he asked me to find the rightful owner,” Dylan explained without holding back anymore.

Honestly, he was tired of keeping it all inside. His father’s disappearance was said to be connected to the scale, but the information he had was sparse.

Kyle stared at the scale, then shifted his gaze back to Dylan without blinking.

Dylan laughed. “You don’t believe me, do you? I didn’t either when Grandpa told me. I mean, how can something like this help us see the future? Total nonsense.” He sighed. “Some things are just hard to explain—whether they’re real or just imagination. The line between the two is thin, as thin as my faith.”

Kyle remained silent.

“I know it sounds crazy, but you know I wouldn’t lie to you,” Dylan added.

Kyle took a sip of his now lukewarm coffee. “Can you explain more? It sounds ridiculous, but I want to hear it.”

Dylan looked at Kyle. “Do you believe me?”

Kyle shook his head, smiling slightly. “Start from the beginning. I want to know.”

Dylan nodded. “Alright. One of Grandpa’s friends gave it to him and asked him to find the original owner. Grandpa took it but never succeeded. Before he passed, he gave it to me, and now I’m stuck too. Same with trying to find my dad—I don’t know where else to go besides Bamboo Village, and I have no clue what or who I’m supposed to look for there.”

“And now you’re telling me?” Kyle asked.

Dylan fiddled with the scale. “Because of this thing, I can see what’s going to happen when I make direct eye contact with someone.”

Kyle paused. “You’re saying this thing lets you see the future?”

“That's one part of it. Another thing is, it seems like I can’t get rid of it. I once threw it into the river, but not long after, it was back with me. Like magic. You know, like cutting a fish in half and seeing it come back to life.”

“You kept this secret all this time? How long has it been?”

“Grandpa gave it to me before I graduated. I went back to see him during my first year. It’s been since then.”

Kyle stood up and walked to the back of the mini bar. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the dispenser. “So now you’re telling me everything. Does that mean you trust me now?”

“Yeah. I think it’s time you knew.”

Kyle chuckled softly, taking a long drink until the glass was half-empty. His eyes never left the Magic Charms in Dylan’s hand. He knew he had to be honest with Dylan soon.

KYLE stared at the small bottle filled with red liquid in his hand. Without hesitation, he downed the contents until it was completely empty. He gripped the now-empty bottle tightly, letting out a heavy sigh.

The sound of his car, which Dylan had borrowed, filled the driveway as it rolled in just before the automatic gate closed. Dylan stepped out casually.

Kyle swiftly caught the car keys Dylan tossed his way. Without a word, Dylan winked mischievously and headed inside, making his way straight to the bathroom after being out all day.

Kyle shook his head, smiling faintly. Dylan might look carefree, but Kyle knew how serious he was about finding his father.

"Sorry I can’t help you right now."

Kyle sighed heavily, opening the car door. He checked the fuel gauge—still plenty left. Relief washed over him. At least he’d lightened Dylan’s financial burden a little.

As he was about to close the door, something on the driver’s side floor caught his eye. He bent down and picked up what looked like a short wooden twig, about half a handspan in length.

The dark brown wood had strange, swirling patterns etched into it. Suddenly, a searing heat spread through his fingers. Kyle yelped and dropped the twig, noticing his index and middle fingers turning red, nearly burnt. He searched frantically for the twig, but it had vanished. His brows furrowed.

"Something’s not right."

Closing the car door, Kyle hurried toward the house.

“Argh!”

Out of nowhere, his legs gave way, and he collapsed at the doorstep. Clinging to the doorknob, he tried to pull himself up, but his vision blurred. Panting heavily, he let his body slump against the door, breaths ragged.

Half-conscious and weakened, Kyle’s eyes widened as a snake slithered out of nowhere, drawing closer to him. His limbs were numb, paralyzed, rendering him helpless on the cold floor.

The snake, resembling a massive python, climbed onto his stomach, its unblinking eyes boring into his.

Kyle struggled to move his right hand, but his body remained bound by the aftereffects of the liquid he had consumed moments ago.

The snake flicked its forked tongue near Kyle’s face, its head barely inches from his.

Through fading vision, Kyle locked eyes with the creature, though his thoughts began slipping into darkness.

Before everything faded, a voice broke through the haze.

“Kyle?”

Slowly, Kyle turned his head to the right. Jasmine’s worried face came into view, her eyes filled with panic as she looked at him.

JASMINE leaned against the table by the wall, her eyes fixed on Kyle, who was still semi-conscious. His chest, which had been heaving wildly earlier, was now calm. His face, however, was deathly pale, as if he had lost half the blood in his body.

She had searched high and low for medicine or anything that could help treat him. She even considered calling emergency services, but Kyle had stopped her, saying he just needed some rest or sleep.

Crossing her arms, Jasmine asked again, “Are you really okay?”

Kyle shook his head slightly. Not only had he been unable to move without help, but he couldn’t even speak. This wasn’t the first time it had happened, but this time it felt so intense that he genuinely thought his life was slipping away.

“What exactly is wrong with you?”

Kyle looked at Jasmine upon hearing the question.

“You can hide your condition from Dylan and Eric, but you can't fool me, Kyle.”

He rested his head against the arm of the couch, ignoring her words.

“I’ll investigate it myself if you won’t tell me,” Jasmine threatened.

That made Kyle smile faintly. His tired, half-lidded eyes met hers. Jasmine raised an eyebrow. Kyle just shook his head.

“Come on, pretty boy,” Jasmine said, moving to sit on the couch facing him. “Not every problem can be solved on your own, you know.”

Kyle looked at her. It was this kind of concern that he didn’t like. Getting too close to someone only invited disaster, especially for someone like him.

Jasmine let out a soft sigh. “Fine, have it your way. But be careful. If I find out your secret, you won’t be able to get rid of me. Remember that.”

She leaned back, clearly unsatisfied.

“Did I enter the wrong house or something?” Dylan asked as he came down the stairs after his shower. He plopped down beside Kyle, still puzzled by Jasmine’s presence. “I swear I took the same turn earlier.”

“I just thought I’d drop by and check out your house. I’ve heard so much about it. Now I get to see it with my own eyes,” Jasmine said, her gaze sweeping across the room.

It was just as Dylan had described. Kyle’s place was far from ordinary. Unless he had been born into piles of cash and gold, his career had certainly paid off in extraordinary ways. Yet, his family background remained a mystery—except for that one man Kyle had referred to as "uncle" the other day.

Jasmine's eyes scanned Kyle from head to toe.

“It’s pretty late. Aren’t you a little too bold to be visiting a guy’s place alone?” Dylan asked, narrowing his eyes. “How did she even get in?” he asked Kyle.

“The side door wasn’t locked. Seriously, not just me—a thief could’ve walked right in,” Jasmine grinned. “You both are at work during the day, and the house is empty. That’s why I came at night.” She flashed another grin.

“Good thing I came, though. Otherwise, Kyle might’ve passed out at the door,” Jasmine added when she noticed Dylan’s growing annoyance.

Dylan turned to Kyle, finally noticing how pale he looked.

Kyle raised his left hand, which had regained some movement. “Please don’t overthink it. I’m fine.”

“Doesn’t look like it. You sick or something?”

Kyle brushed off Dylan’s hand as he tried to check his forehead. He looked at both Dylan and Jasmine, then pushed himself upright. “Just a little tired. I’ll be fine after some rest.”

“Really?” Dylan still sounded doubtful.

“I know you and Jasmine are my best friends and care about me, but seriously, I’m fine. For real.”

Dylan leaned back, crossing his arms as he glanced at Jasmine. “Let’s change the topic to this shameless girl who barged into a guy’s house.”

Jasmine grinned once again, unapologetically.

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