10 Escape:

The person at the door waved his hand; the familiarity in the face was instantly recognizable for Alex.

"Benzo, why are you here?" Alex was startled to see not only Benzo but also Impact and another black-haired person standing at the door.

Although there were a lot of questions in Alex's mind—like how they arrived so early, when Benzo informed the other two, and what he meant by murmuring on the call—Alex ignored them, having more important things to do.

"We should not stay here; let's move on."

****

On a long, spread-out highway-like road, in front of a convenience store, a black luxurious car was parked.

Car's exterior glowed dimly under the soft sunlight of daybreak, its smooth texture reflecting rays on the people sitting on the front deck ,Holding a bottle of beer and some snacks,

Alex was one of the individuals. He sat in the center, with Benzo and Impact on his right and a black-haired boy, Ricky Anderson, on his left.

Ricky was the son of the rich businessman Merton Anderson, involved in blessed land maintenance and the transport of spiritual ingredients.

Ricky, with brown eyes and black hair, wearing simple clothes, smiled softly, holding two beers in his hands offering one to Alex.

Alex took the beer without a word, starting to gulp it down. The familiar taste, similar to beer from Earth, sent a calming wave through his entire body, eliminating his anxiety, fear, and worry.

As the Cold brew traveled down his neck, flashes of what had just happened played in his mind, along with the reasons why Benzo and Impact were able to come to him at the right time.

After the school finished, both Benzo and Ricky went to their homes. Impact also went on his own after he dropped Alex at Raser's home.

When Impact reached his house, his mother told him that she was going out as his grandmother's health had suddenly degraded—a sudden call.

Impact wanted to go, but the upcoming exam held him back.

He, being a good student, decided to call the boys for night outs and group study to prepare for the incoming exam. He did call Raser, but his phone was switched off. Not minding the usual behavior, they decided to play games on a gaming operator.

Their plan was to eat, drink, play, and repeat when Benzo and Ricky were in an intense match of a multiplayer battleground tournament. Suddenly, Benzo received a call, causing him to be distracted and lose the game—a missed call from Raser around 3:30 a.m.

Frustrated by the loss, Benzo decided to confront Raser. He directly reminded him about his most irritated stuff—murmuring.

It had been a week since Raser started to hear unknown murmurs, including a knock on the door crying for help from a woman and demanding to open the door.

When Benzo called him, reminding him about his fear and irritation, he expected Raser's dissatisfaction. But instead of tantrums, he only heard one sentence.

"I need help…"

Without any second thought, he informed the other two and drived to his house, already aware of his mental condition.

Then, here they are, under the embrace of an early dawn, enjoying the scene and the company of the sweet first sunlight.

"So you're telling me your siblings are performing a ritual," Ricky said while gulping down the beer.

"Yes," Alex answered. He had already explained what had happened to him in detail.

"You know anything more,like the name of the ritual, the nature, and where did you find the ingredients? Didn't I inform you that I arranged them for you? Ah, you and your sibling should learn to accept help."

That's right, his friend. Well, not his, but Raser's friends are taking this ritual thing too lightly.

For them, It's like an everyday occurrence; a perfectly normal part of daily life.

"Didn't you hear me!?--She sacrificed the essence of an unborn child. Eyes of the mother and the father's heart with the sibling's limb—bb. You still don't find anything unusual about it? And on top of all that, that ghost in the house banging at my door... then calling me in the midnight, telling me to open the door. Is that really normal?"

Alex's outburst startled the gang. For a moment, everything turned silent, and a quiet gentle breeze passed by them, displaying the tender nature of early morning. A cold sensation permeated their bodies, reminding them about the time.

At a distance behind them, the rising sun cast its first rays, slowly climbing in the sky, eating away the night and presenting a new fresh day.

"Ah, listen Raser."

"I don't know why you are this agitated, but believe me, man. We understand that spirit thing. It was indeed abnormal, but not knowing about an invocar— isn't that too much amnesia?" Impact said

"Wait, was that the Invocation ritual? How do you know Impact And Damn, Raser, you'll already be enlightened. My Auspicious Time is next week!"

Alex had learned about these things while reading on the phone, but he still didn't have a clear picture. The talk between Impact and Benzo made him curious, first finishing up the beer bottle and then throwing it sideways.

He asked, "Can you tell me what you're talking about — what's this invocation ritual, Auspicious Time, and enlightenment?"