"So what happened after that?" An old investigator leaned over the table. Right across from him a distraught Kenneth. It had been exactly 12 hours since Ken had found Michael's body in the alleyway. Ken had answered as many questions as he could, but it seemed no matter what truth he told, he still could not get the investigators on his side. At one point, Ken had finally stopped saying anything. 

Ken looked up at the man and frowned. "I already told you. I called the cops." He had said. "I'm done talking to you. I'll call for my lawyer if you don't let me go anytime soon." He said softly. "I'm tired of you. You should be out there looking for the person who killed my fucking brother. Not on your ass, in here, interrogating someone who just lost their only family." He scoffed at the officer. The officer sighed and began walking out of the room. 

Ken finally let out a sigh himself, going limp against the chair. He closed his eyes and tried to think of all the things he could have seen at the crime scene. What else was there? Was he missing something integral to solving this case? He did remember an officer telling him that Michael had been beaten and bludgeoned to death. Michael's wallet was still on him; nothing had been stolen. The same money was there, and Michaels's student ID was also there. It was not a mugging gone wrong. No. It was an act of pure evil. To watch someone squirm, beg, and die in their hands. Ken tried a million ways in his head what might have been going on through Michaels. He was most definitely terrified. And Ken beat himself up over it. God, why hadn't he been there to protect his brother? He should have walked him to school that morning. He wished he could go back and do...something. 

It wouldn't be but a year later when Ken almost thought of giving up the search for his brother's murder. He had become a shut-in, finding that working from home was something he could do while trying to follow in his brothers' footsteps. Michael left the house that morning to head to school. He had only made it halfway through his journey before he was pulled into an alleyway. Presumably, the killer was a man. Michael was a very skinny man who did not need to be super strong. A gust of wind could have taken him away just as well. 

Ken smirked to himself, sitting by his desk. He stared at pictures of the crime scene he had taken some time in the middle of the night. He chuckled to himself. 'What am I doing...' he thought. It had been almost a year, and no one anywhere had been any closer to solving this case than before. The perpetrator left virtually no traces of even being there. They still hadn't found a murder weapon or a motive. Eye witness accounts were almost entirely useless, as they only saw Michael when he was on his way to school. All of this scanning and looking over was driving Ken insane. He needed to head in a different direction, all together. Maybe he just needed to stop. It was hard to let go of his little brother, nearly impossible for him. Ken had found himself all alone in the year that went around without Michael. Sure, he had felt alone the first night he fell asleep without Michael in the house, but for the first time in a while, he truly felt alone. He wouldn't call people or let many people talk to him. He had made fun of Michael before for not having any friends, but to be honest, Kenneth did not have any friends either. 

Kenneth stared at a picture of a fourteen-year-old Michael building a tiny robot he made using parts of an old computer and some garbage. Ken picked up the frame and stared at it sadly. "I'm so sorry, Michael. I can't keep going on like this..." Honestly, Ken did not want to. A part of him wanted to tell the other part to shut up and keep looking for clues, but another part kept whispering, 'You're tired...You're tired, so stop'. And for once, he might listen to that voice. He put the frame down and wondered how he could get on with his life without the last piece of the family he had left. 

And it was probably Kens's sleep-deprived state of mind that didn't notice the figure staring at him. Right in the corner, too, just staring at him. Before Ken even began to feel like someone was watching him, someone stepped out directly behind him. "Giving up that easily, huh?" The voice was dark and sultry. Mesmerizing but still scared the living daylights out of Ken.

Ken turned his head back at lightning speeds before opening his mouth to scream; the man grabbed him by the back of his head and put one hand over Ken's mouth. The man in front of him was tall, about 6'5. Slender, with long black hair and eyes the color of pure gold. He was of a browner skin tone, seemingly Hispanic. Unlike Ken, he at least seemed more fit, while Ken had let himself get chubby over the year. Ken stood, paralyzed in fear, as the tall man held him tightly. "None of that, eh?" He gave a large toothy grin. "I'll let you go in a bit. But you must answer my question, ok? Are you giving up that easily?" He said, quieter this time. Staring with wide eyes, Ken slowly nodded his head up and down. The man put his hands back down, "Really? Well, that's a shame..." Ken stared at him, "Who...Are you? How did you enter my house?" He said, looking around. The windows were closed, and the door had been locked from the inside, ensuring no one entered or left without Ken even noticing. 

The man had begun walking around the room, seemingly more interested in the many pictures of Michael than Kenneth's questions. He frowned a bit, grabbing one of Michaels's pictures and staring at it. "A friend. Someone who can help you perhaps.." He said darkly. Ken watched as he walked around the room. "What..? Help me?... That's mad suspicious." He said, raising a brow questionably. "I honestly have never even seen you until now. There's no way I can trust you." The man seemed to groan as if he were telling Ken to shut up. He glared in his direction, "You've never seen me, but all I do is look at you." He said as he put the picture down. He stared down at Ken and gave a small smile. Any malice had five minutes ago seemed to disappear from his face...for some reason. "Yes. You will do quite nicely.." He said softly. "I can help you, Ken. I can help you find your little brother's murderer. I only ask that you do one thing for me." He said, holding onto Ken's shoulder. Ken looked at the hand touching his shoulder. "..How? What would I need to give you?" he asked gently. 

The man's face seemed to soften before he leaned into his ear. His breath was hot against Ken's skin. "Your everything. Your body, your soul, your time...and perhaps your office experience." Ken turned to face him, a large blush on his cheeks, "My WHAT?? I don't even know your name!"  He exclaimed. 

The man couldn't help but chuckle. My chubby little man was cute. He smirked, "I'm no one you should be afraid of...But if you must know my name...Call me Adonael." He said slowly. "Or you could always call me 'Honey,'~," He said teasingly at Ken. Ken gave a disgusted face, "No. This is all insane. How do I know that you're not just a figment of my imagination? How do I know that I haven't gone insane, and you're an imaginary friend!" He spat at him. Adonael smiled, standing up as straight as ever. "You don't! But Ken, I promise you. I will help you find your brother's killer. I only ask that you be by my side at all times. As a secretary of mine.." 

Ken could not believe a word of what Adonael was saying. He looked at the floor and then turned his head at his year's research work. It was practically blank. He let out a loud sigh. "Well. You are not human. I'm afraid if I say no, you'll kill me..." he gave a reluctant look to Adonael and pursed his lips. "So, alright. I'll take you up on your deal. I beg of you...Please help me look for Michaels's murderer." He said, turning his head to the wall of pictures surrounding him. Adonael gave a strange look to Ken. "Yes, Ken...I promise we'll bring your brother to justice. You have to do what I say..."

A deal was made today. A deal Ken nor anybody could understand. Ken was sure he had made the biggest mistake of his life. However, in Adonael's head, things were finally starting to look up for him in a long while.