Marek appeared lost. The arcane seekers laughed as they gradually dissipated in the air. They depleted their spiritual energy to put the remnants of those souls within the manifestation at ease. Their souls shone as bright as stars as they surged up toward the sky from the ground. Darkness blanketed them, and everything around Aria started to fade. She knew that the manifestation was about to collapse, but the students didn't, so they were consumed by shock. Marek's hands were starting to disappear as well. He said, "Mr. Garrison told me to listen to you. They—""Okay, old man, time's running short. I'm Aria Carver. Remember to seek me out in the future and take me in as your mentee." Aria had to take Simon with him before the manifestation collapsed. She glanced at its entrance, saying, "This time round, I'll study fortune telling and the esoteric arts properly under you. If you want to ascend to another realm, I'll also lend you a hand."Marek was befuddled. "Me, take you i
Ian's attention immediately shifted at those words. Edwin raised his lantern a little. "Mr. Ian, I'm worried that Richard still isn't on our side. He was quite cold toward Ms. Summers today." "That's true." Ian narrowed his eyes. "Unlike his father, we'll need to test where his loyalties lie." Test? Elijah had been patient long enough. He knew he could not reveal too much yet, as he needed to give Aria time. But Aria had also told him to follow his heart. Now, they just had to wait for her. Elijah was curious to know too. What secrets could someone so perfect, who even saved Ian's life, possibly be concealing?Meanwhile, a crow descended in the Carver residence's backyard. Being sent here on orders, it was hiding in the dark mist where no one could see. Its master could not enter this manifestation, but it could. However… "Sir, perhaps we should investigate Ms. Carver's past life." The crow could see the reflections within the manifestation. "It makes sense that the heroic s
Simon was not sure either. "I think so." "This is interesting." Aria lifted the crow to meet its eyes. "You're a friend of the Cerulean Dragon and also a primordial beast. Do ancient creatures now prefer following humans around?" The crow wanted to protest and caw, "I'm not! That's not true! Don't make assumptions!" Aria did not torment it further. She tossed it to Simon. "Since you know each other, find a place to chat." The crow could not figure out Aria's intentions anymore. But Aria had no hidden agenda. She simply did not have time to deal with all these mythical creatures. Her goal was to make this public and force everything into the open. Only then would Barron stop getting upset. Besides, she still needed to keep her ability to enter the manifestation a secret. Aria buried a copper coin in the spot, then turned her gaze to the crow. As a beast of fortune, the crow suddenly had a very bad feeling. "They say a crow's call means a human is going to die," Aria smirke
Something felt off, but Aria had no time to dwell on it now. Sam must be safe if he was at Mount Dracotigris. Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Aria's mood lifted. She glanced at the messages again and typed back a simple "Thanks." The reply came quickly. "I was about to file a missing person report, my dear fiancée." His cool tone barely masked his resentment. Just as Aria considered calling him, he beat her to it with a video call. She could not decline, especially since he was looking after Sam. His breathtaking face appeared on her screen soon after. He seemed to be in the mountain as there were misty trees swaying behind him. His striking features stood out against the backdrop. Aria's gaze lingered. She was having that strange feeling again. She thought he would look better in a fine brocade coat than his suit, especially in deep crimson. Such beauty deserved elegant clothes. But this was not the time to think about such things. She needed to ask about important matt
Having just experienced such an Earthbound Manifestation, the realm within became connected to the present world. And everything tied back to Barron. Aria needed to think clearly. That master in the manifestation was too mysterious. Though she had never met him, he clearly still received offerings in the present world. Who could he be? She had discussed this with the fortune teller in the manifestation. Logically speaking, he could not have lived this long. Even if alive, he should be bedridden with age. No one around them fit that description, yet her experiences suggested this person was close by. Aria suspected he used some secret technique, perhaps... soul transfer! At this thought, her expression changed. She looked at her phone, remembering he was also in that manifestation in Ludwiten as his past life self. She sensed a connection but was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. "What are you thinking about?" The deep, mesmerizing voice from her phone brought her back.
Amongst everyone else, Owen hated Aria the most. His life had become unbearable. He was met with suspicious glances wherever he went, all thanks to that wretched girl! The fortune teller had warned she would bring disaster to the family, but Warren would not listen. Now that he'd finally seen her for the catastrophe she was, he surely would not miss this spectacle. He had even used his remaining connections to invite a master from Mount Dracotigris. Tomorrow, he would make her pay for everything he had suffered.That night, no one in Janovin slept peacefully. Every household buzzed with talk of Aria's departure. Deep in the mansion, Daemon coughed blood onto the wall with his back trembling. He seemed to be talking to his reflection in the mirror. "Find her... You're right, I must find her. Her image was blurred in the manifestation, but someone must have seen her clearly among those we chose." Though the remnant spirit in the Earthbound Manifestation had vanished willingly, s
Celestia's voice was sickeningly sweet as if she did not care who might hear. "Boyfriend? How could I have a boyfriend, Derek? Who's spreading these rumors? "He's just pursuing me, I never accepted. I only want you, Derek." Her voice faded with the closing door. Lost in thought, Ingrid lay in bed with her eyes open. Dawn broke. Edwin had prepared a lavish breakfast to win over Fergus at the Carver family villa on the mountainside. Ian had even arranged for Poeta to sit beside him. He wanted to observe them quietly, to see if there was still affection or if something had gone wrong. Ian had not slept well as this was what he had been pondering all night. This morning, he found out about the social media drama through Edwin. Fergus was not the only one sitting at the breakfast table now. A few shareholders had arrived together, supposedly to play chess with Ian. Ian could not leave them standing, so all were seated. Only Fergus seemed unaware of what was happening. "Granduncl
"Mr. Fergus, please tell Mr. Carver Senior to take care of his health. Young people have their own ideas, so he shouldn't force things on them." "Yes, Mr. Fergus, you really should help calm Mr. Carver Senior down." Everyone knew not to meddle in other people's family affairs. This commotion was clearly meant to upset Warren. Fergus had not understood before, but seeing it now made him wish he could call Percy immediately. He would sue them all and send them to prison. Aria had tipped him off, saying that they were just waiting for these people to walk into their trap. These seemingly insignificant figures had been quietly corroding Carver Group for years. Fergus wouldn't have noticed them at social events before. It just showed how cunningly Ian had played this. Ian was familiar with such scenes. After all, he was the one who had encouraged Owen to partner with Krowonian businessmen back then. It was all to make his brother Warren face reality. He had invested so much effo
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t