The Dormant Queen of the Hybrid

Book 1,Chapter 5 Asterids

The building ventilation system continues to cool the air adding more dampness to the already cold climate of July, the rainy season in the Philippines, chilling everyone in the office. The office has always been extravagant like that. They can afford it. They been thriving since the merger after all. Pasig city is one of the well developed city in the country. And it housed the construction empire of the E.D. Construction Company. The main branch is in the Manggahan district, of Pasig city, but they also have the branch in Rosario district, originally owned by Dook before the merger. Pasig is surrounded by the big three which are the central business in the National Capital Region. Makati city or the witches district is located North-west, Edsa city west of Pasig, and Green hills district north-east. These three provides the best networks of clients who are owners of large businesses or corporations, and this is the reason why the E.D. company is very successful.

Asterids stopped to observed the place, it hasn’t changed since the last time Asterids surprised her father, inviting him to dinner before she went to college. She was eighteen then. Behind the Office water station is a phallic drawings by an old employee who resigned after getting caught having an affair, doing it in the fire exit. That drawing has been a good conversation starter every time the employees take their water break. The chairs and tables has always been vintage, made of metal and black leather as if you are working in a club and not a building construction and supply office. The wall is made of polished Narra Wood, while the floor is black modern tiles. The curtains are see through blue and every corner, nook and cranny of each cubicles have plants that is almost dying if not made of plastic or it's cramped of old blue prints from old projects. The windows are full height made of tempered glass, some are awning, some are fixed. What a dull and messy place. The big A3 and tracing paper size printer is a new addition, though.

“Why am I here again? And why are you in my dad—I mean Mr. Edward's office?” Asterids started, while closing the door. They had to pass through the big main room full of plastic cubicles where the employees work and into the private office of the president. She almost melted from all the laser like staring. Some of them she knows and friends with giving her a wave of hand, while the others were just looking out of curiosity or out of the need to gossip, whether she is the bimbo of the handsome boss. As far as she remembered, she was fired on her first day at work.

“Silence please, ” he whispered. Dook is pinching his nose bridge. Frustrated.

“I'm thinking.” His butt was leaning on his private office table, but now he is standing straight, crossing his muscular arms.

“Do you always talk like that?”

“Talk like what?”

“As if you're whispering.”

“I like controlling my inside voice. It's just how I am.” Asterids took note of his silent type character. It's a contrast to her loud and commanding father, Mr. Edward. Though Dook have a low baritone voice, it gives volume, confidence and gravity of an Alpha without coming across as arrogant or dismissive of others. Anyone won’t hesitate to follow his order. Still. She hates his guts every time he's antagonizing her.

“I need that ring back. And being you don’t want to part with it—after I asked nicely many times—Or bribe you a great sum of cash.” Dook raised one eyebrows, eyeing Asterids, checking if the lady would consider his offer of cash this time.

“And yet my answer is no. Out with it former boss.”

“K. What I mean is, it’s inevitable that you and I will be partners soon.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, professionally. Business? I need to be near that ring for as much as I can and You’ll have to take over part the company which belonged to your father soon. But being you're still green. You'll have to start from the bottom up. I will train you.”

“That's what I intend to do. I don't want any hand me down. I want to earn it.”

“Good. And I agree.”

“Good.”

“Be my assistant then.”

“Wait a minute mister.”

“Hmm?”

“Dude my experience is of a drafter. I draw plans, visualize them.”

“Don't be stiff lady.”

“Uh! Lady?”

“How are you offended on that? Think of the big picture. I know that you're the evil daughter who is trying to steal the company and the Madrigal clan from dad. Honestly I don’t care either way. Edward has been incognito for a while, giving me all the works and I'm tired! And by the way Tia just sent me the copy of this text from Edward he sent two hours ago when he heard about Mr. Sandro, so he's safe. If you're wondering.” Asterids flinched hearing the news.

“So once you take over this company, you won't do just planning and drawings. Leave that to the architects. You'll need to know our clients, know our resources, know the processes. Plus we'll have to sort that issue about the Madrigal killings?!”

“Okay I get it,” Asterids' voice is mellowing. On the other hand, she is impressed about Dooks capability to say all those long sentences in his whisper-ish monotones. And so she will give him a chance to employ her again.

“Thank you for rehiring me, boss.” She shook his hands like she mean it.

*** *** ***

It's horrendous. The formalin was not able to cover anything at all. Asterids gagged and more foul smelling air went inside her nose. She was about to faint. Still. She is able stand strong and calm, walking in the middle of the white room full of dead people. She bet touching the bodies isn't a problem either. She will not show weakness in front of the arrogant prick. Her boss.

The room is very cold and at the same time, very warm. The space adjacent to the room is the crematorium and it's door is open. Inside the room is sepia from the burning oven like machine, where they make ashes from the cadaver. And just like the devil raising up from the depths of hell, Mr. Jackstone came out of the bronze colored room. He's a fifty year old bulky man with kind and mischievous eyes wearing a garb. Asterids noticed a little bit of blood splash on the googles he's wearing as a headband.

“He’s the coroner/medical examiner, look at his nametag,” Dook mansplained.

“Oh thank you boss! So informative,” Asterids’ highlighting her sarcasm.

“What brings you here my favorite boy?” The bearded devil said while tapping Dook at the back with his gloved hand. Asterids thought if that hand was just holding a decaying body before touching her boss. She kept her mouth shut.

“Hey Jo, how you doing. Actually I need to see the body ASAP.”

“Oh Mr. Sandro?” The guy does not care about disclosing private information.

“Yes the most recent one that was sent here.”

“Is he your clan member?”

“In a way yes. This lady over here is the daughter of the Madrigals in which the Sordlak clan have partnership with.”

“Pretty lady huh. Wait are you the lost daughter I've been reading in the news from back then?”

“Sorry mister—doctor? I don't know how to respond to that.” Mr. Jo laughed so hard, absorbing all the cadaver air inside the room.

“Alright, come on.”

A few minutes later, the trio went inside another room, much colder than the last one. It's full of metal cabinet, cold locker for the cadavers. Mr. or Dr. Jo went at the far end of the locker and pulled the door 37 taking out Mr. Sandro which is now covered in white cloth. Seeing the uncovered hand of the victim, Asterids noticed that the body is now frozen, covered in tin ice. The skin is paler looking, there is already a small sign of decomposition but the cold temperature will help it against decaying faster. Mr. Jo removed the cloth covering the face and the trio faced the horror of Mr. Sandro's death. No eye balls with bloody orbit. The black smoke is gone but you can still see the burn marks, brain chunks and some misplaced flesh inside the big wound.

“Mr. Sandro is an Ursinthrope. A strong and huge bear. Age forty one years old. Married to a normal human Gladys with three children. He’s your typical salary man with managerial position.” Jo started.

“I see Abrasion—Superficial damage to the skin around the eyes, well the whole face actually.. We have some inflammation here.” He then faced his audience and smile.

“Do you want to know what I found out in his Anal Canal?”

“No thank you,” the Alpha ware tiger responded.

“Your loss,” Jo retorted.

How? Asterids thought.

“Oh you’re in for a special treat! I’m about to perform a séance,” the coroner added excitedly.

“Wait are you a wizard Dr. Jo?”

“No little lady, I’m far superior than those witches and wizards in terms of this craft.” Jo winked at Asterids. They put the cadaver on a gurney and then went to lower level of the morgue. Asterids noticed the room doors and walls are looking older in design, as if ancient, as they went further deep below the facility. They reached the lowest level and found two gigantic doors made of igneous stones. From the looks of it, each wing is six inch thick. Asterids was thinking about how heavy that is since the doors are ten feet high when Jo opened the doors without a single sweat.

The room is bigger inside. Possibly occupying two or three stories underground in height and fifty feet both side and width. The walls are naturally curved stones with thick circular columns that you can see in Egypt while the middle is a wide, three feet deep circular pool. In the middle of the pool is a circular altar accented by three huge steps which you can reach by a narrow stone hallway. The room is unusually bright even though there are no electrical lights nor any candles nor lamps around. The old coroner walked near the pool and dipped his fingers. When he pulled his fingers up, Asterids saw it burning and sizzling as if being roasted in the grill.

“The pool is filled with holy water. Just the way I like it,” Mr. Jo continued. He grabbed the gurney from Dook and pushed it near the pool. He then grabbed the cadaver and went in the middle of the altar, and gently left the body there as if it's fragile. He stared back at his audience then faced the altar again and begun kneeling as if Praying. Suddenly the room went dark and Asterids found herself in a bit of panic, remembering that dark road with the big acacia tree. She recovered though when she heard Dook sigh as if bored. Gradually she was able to see in the dark as if the moonlight is shining inside it. Probably the perks of being a shifter, though she hasn't used her abilities yet. She tried walking a bit looking at the altar until the cadaver and Mr. Jo's face is visible again. Flabbergasted is how she felt when she saw how reddish bright Mr. Jo’s eyes are. The moon cannot compare on how bright it is across the room. To Asterids horror, the eyes are now looking at her but at the same time, she felt that their attention is really not towards her but to something else. Suddenly a shrieking cry startled her. It came from the ground at her back.

Out of the blue, the room is filled with shrieking ghosts. They came from different part of the room, from walls, grounds and ceiling. At first they were doing their own thing but when Jo opened his arms as if welcoming them all, the ghosts moved in circular unison. It formed a little gray tornado in the ceiling going round and round. Then they went in the middle top of the altar clawing their arms as if calling something out of the cadaver of Mr. Sandro. But a few minutes of clawing, shrieking, and crying did nothing on the cadaver. Jo seems disappointed and immediately stopped the ritual which returned the magical light in the room vanishing the shrieking ghosts as well. He then left the altar and went back near Dook and call Asterids to go near them as well. Once gathered Jo scratched his beard as if confused and frustrated.

“I can't sent him back to the afterlife unlike the other victims in the past. Mr. Sandro's soul is missing.”