Siripan's office was surprisingly normal compared to the rest of the facility. No cells, no contained spirits, just a desk, filing cabinets, and a coffee maker that looked well-used.
"Sit," Siripan said, gesturing to chairs arranged around a small conference table. "We need to discuss next steps."
Pratya sat down immediately, then stood up, then sat down again. "This is a very nice office. Very organized. I appreciate organization."
"Thank you, Pratya."
"You're welcome. I mean, thank you for saying thank you. I mean..." He trailed off.
Thana sat across from him, carefully professional. Ruj took a seat near the window. Junjao sat next to Pratya, still mortified about the emotional revelation incident.
Siripan pulled up files on her tablet. "Let's review what we know. Papang, Ayutthaya period concubine, died 1762, bound to her burial site by family ritual. The binding has lasted over two hundred fifty years, which suggests either an incredibly powerful original spell or active maintenance."
"The bracelet regenerating confirms maintenance," Thana added. "We destroyed it completely. It shouldn't exist."
"But it does." Siripan made notes. "Which means someone, somewhere, is feeding energy into this curse. The question is who and why."
"Could it be descendants?" Pratya suggested. "Family obligation passed down through generations?"
"Possible. Though maintaining a binding for that long would require significant resources and knowledge. Most families lose that kind of magical expertise after a few generations."
Junjao raised her hand hesitantly. "Can I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"Why would anyone want to keep her trapped? I mean, if they loved her enough to bind her to avoid judgment, wouldn't they want her to be free eventually?"
Siripan and Thana exchanged looks.
"That's actually a very good question," Siripan said. "Most binding rituals are meant to be temporary. Keep the spirit around for a specific purpose, then release them. Permanent bindings are rare because they require constant energy input."
"Unless," Thana said slowly, "the binding serves a purpose we don't understand yet."
"Like what?"
"Protection. Revenge. Political leverage if the family is still influential. We don't know enough about Papang's original case to say for certain."
And then it happened again.
The emotional colors crashed over Junjao without warning. Siripan's calm green focus. Thana's brown professional concern with flickers of curiosity. Ruj's silver steadiness with copper interest. Pratya's yellow nervous energy tangled with magenta affection and...
"Pratya is worried he's being too obvious about liking Director Siripan and also he's trying to figure out if Thana is actually a threat or if I was wrong earlier and also he really wants coffee but doesn't want to interrupt the meeting to ask for it!"
Everyone stared at her.
Pratya's face went red. "I... what... how..."
"And Thana is thinking about whether he should mention the incident last year where a bound spirit escaped because the family maintaining it died and also he's wondering if he should ask Pratya to stop being weird around him!" Junjao clapped her hands over her mouth but the words kept coming. "And Ruj finds this entire situation hilarious but won't show it because he's professional and Siripan is thinking about seven different things at once including whether she should address the romantic tension in the room or just pretend it's not happening!"
"Junjao," Ruj said. "Breathe."
"I'm trying! It's like someone turned on a radio in my head that broadcasts everyone's feelings and I can't turn it off!"
Siripan stood up. "Pratya, you've studied spiritual abilities. Do you know how to help her?"
"Yes! I mean, theoretically yes. I've read about Soul Clarity. It's rare. Very rare. I've never actually met anyone who had it." Pratya was already moving toward Junjao. "Okay. This is a teachable moment. Very exciting. Also overwhelming for you, I understand. Let's try some techniques."
"What techniques?"
"Focus exercises. Soul Clarity is like hearing. You can't turn off your ears, but you can learn to tune out background noise." He pulled his chair closer. "Close your eyes."
Junjao closed her eyes. The emotional colors were still there, just less visual and more felt.
"Now," Pratya said in his most calming voice, "imagine the emotions as sound. Like you're in a crowded restaurant. Lots of conversations happening at once."
"Okay."
"Pick one conversation. Just one. Focus only on that."
Junjao tried. She focused on Pratya's emotional state. The nervous yellow energy, the affectionate magenta, the orange jealousy that was actually fading now because Siripan was paying attention to him in a professional capacity and that felt good.
"I can feel you," she said. "Just you. The others are still there but quieter."
"Good! That's very good! Now expand it. Feel everyone in the room, but like you're listening from a distance. Not overwhelmed by details."
Junjao adjusted her focus. The emotional colors became more like ambient background instead of shouting directly into her brain.
"It's working," she said, opening her eyes. "I can still see the emotions but it's not drowning me anymore."
"Excellent! You're a quick learner!" Pratya beamed. "This is actually very exciting. Soul Clarity is such a useful ability. People with this gift often become excellent judges or counselors because they can sense truth beneath words."
"Or they become incredibly annoying at parties," Thana said dryly.
"That too," Pratya agreed. "The key is control. You'll need to practice every day. Eventually you'll be able to turn it on and off at will."
"How long will that take?"
"Depends on the person. Could be weeks. Could be months."
"Great. So I'll just be accidentally revealing everyone's private feelings for months."
"Probably!" Pratya said cheerfully. "But look at the bright side. You have a rare and powerful ability. Very few souls can do what you're doing. And you're alive, which makes it even more unprecedented!"
"Everything about my situation is unprecedented."
"That's what makes it interesting!"
Siripan cleared her throat. "This is helpful, Pratya. Thank you. But we should get back to the case." She looked at Junjao. "Can you manage for the rest of this meeting?"
"I think so. As long as no one has any really intense emotions."
Pratya and Thana both looked away.
"I'll try to keep the meeting emotionally neutral," Siripan said, amused. "Now. The binding maintenance theory. Thana, you mentioned an incident last year?"
"Right. We had a case in Phetchaburi. A bound spirit that had been contained for about eighty years. The family maintaining the binding all died in a car accident. Within a week, the binding collapsed and the spirit went on a rampage. Took us three days to contain her."
"So if the person maintaining Papang's binding died, she'd be free?"
"Theoretically. But she'd also be uncontrolled and extremely powerful. Two hundred fifty years of rage and suffering..." Thana shook his head. "It would be catastrophic."
"Which means," Siripan said, "we need to find out who's maintaining it before we make any moves to free her."
"How do we do that?" Junjao asked.
"Research. Investigation. The Holy Spirits might have leads." Siripan checked her tablet. "I'll coordinate with Bangkok After Office on this. We need historical records, family trees, any connection to current practitioners of binding magic."
"I can help with historical research," Pratya offered immediately. "I'm very good at research. Extremely thorough."
"I know you are. Thank you, Pratya."
He looked so pleased Junjao had to fight the urge to comment on the warm golden happiness radiating from him.
"We should head back," Ruj said. "The Holy Spirits are probably waiting at our office with their findings."
"Right." Siripan stood. "Thana, prepare a full report on the bracelet regeneration. I want documentation of everything. Photos, energy readings, the destruction report compared to current state."
"Already on it."
They headed out of the office. As they walked through the facility back toward the parking level, Pratya positioned himself next to Siripan.
"Thank you for your time today," he said. "This has been very informative. And productive. Very productive collaboration."
"I agree. You have good instincts for curse cases."
"I do? I mean, I do. Thank you for noticing."
"I notice a lot of things, Pratya."
His emotional state exploded into bright happy colors. Junjao looked away quickly before she accidentally announced anything else.
The van ride back was quieter. Pratya spent most of it making notes on his tablet, occasionally glancing at Siripan who was reviewing her own files. Thana had stayed behind at the Bureau. Junjao practiced her focusing exercises, learning to tune the emotional colors up and down like adjusting volume.
"You're getting better at it," Ruj observed quietly.
"It's weird. Like learning to use a muscle I didn't know I had."
"That's essentially what it is. Spiritual abilities are like muscles. The more you use them, the stronger they get."
"Do you have any special abilities?"
"I'm very good at being on time."
Junjao laughed. "That's not a spiritual ability."
"It is in this office."
They arrived back at Bangkok After Office around four in the afternoon. The moment they walked through the door, Kasidetch appeared.
"You're back! How was Nakhon Pathom? Did you see any really scary spirits? Did anything attack anyone?" He noticed Junjao. "You look different. Did something happen?"
"I discovered I have a rare spiritual ability that makes me see everyone's emotions and I can't fully control it yet so I might accidentally announce your private feelings at any moment," Junjao said. "How was your day?"
"Significantly less eventful than that." Kasidetch grinned. "Actually, I wanted to talk to Khun Pratya. Is he available?"
"I'm available!" Pratya said, emerging from behind them. "What do you need?"
"I want to formally apply to become an After Butler. I know I said I was thinking about it, but I've decided. I want to work here."
Pratya's expression shifted to professional mode. "That's excellent! We could use another Butler. Kiet is getting overwhelmed with the increasing soul volume. But there's a process. Interview, assessment, training period."
"I understand. I'm ready."
"Good! Come to my office in an hour. I'll have the preliminary paperwork ready." Pratya checked his watch. "First I need to meet with the Holy Spirits. They should be here by now."
As if summoned, Somdet and Phra Anong materialized in the lobby. Literally materialized, which was apparently something Holy Spirits could do.
"We have news!" Somdet announced. "Very interesting news! Possibly disturbing news! But definitely important news!"
"My office," Pratya said immediately. "Everyone involved in the case, please follow."
They gathered in Pratya's office. Somdet and Phra Anong stood in front of the shot glass collection, which seemed to fascinate Somdet.
"You have one from Phuket! I love Phuket! Beautiful beaches! I haven't been there in eighty years but I assume it's still nice!"
"Somdet," Phra Anong said sharply. "Focus."
"Right! Focus!" Somdet turned to the group. "We've been researching Papang's case in our archives. The binding ritual was performed by her family with help from a very powerful sorcerer. His name was Luang Pho Sak."
"Was?" Junjao asked.
"He died in 1799. But..." Somdet paused dramatically. "His apprentice survived. And his apprentice's apprentice. And so on."
"You're saying the knowledge passed down?" Siripan asked.
"More than knowledge. The actual ritual maintenance. It's in the family line." Phra Anong pulled out an old scroll. "We found this in the Ayutthaya archives. It's a contract. Luang Pho Sak's descendants agreed to maintain the binding in exchange for protection and prosperity."
"For over two hundred years?" Pratya looked skeptical.
"The contract is magical. Binding. Each generation is obligated to maintain it or face severe consequences." Phra Anong's expression was grim. "We believe the current practitioner is still active."
"Do you know who they are?" Ruj asked.
"We have a name. But..." Somdet looked uncomfortable. "This is where it gets complicated."
Junjao's Soul Clarity, still active at low level, picked up intense concern from both Holy Spirits.
"What is it?" she asked.
Phra Anong met her eyes. "The current practitioner is someone you know."
"What? I don't know any sorcerers. I barely know anyone at all."
"Not a sorcerer. A descendant with the knowledge." Phra Anong unrolled the scroll further. "The family has modernized, integrated into normal society. But the obligation remains."
He showed them a name at the bottom of the scroll.
Junjao's blood went cold.
The name was familiar. Very familiar.
It was her thesis advisor.
Professor Somphong.