Will had spent the night consumed by worry. He and his men had searched high and low for the suite Aria mentioned, yet it seemed to have vanished. Even with the hotel's housekeeping manager in tow, they couldn't find the room.Will managed only to deliver the topaz stones Aria desired after seeing an online post from a lottery winner who credited their luck to their stay at the hotel. Sleep eluded Will, sweat clinging to his forehead. The moment Aria appeared, he pulled her aside. "Ms. Carver," he said, his voice low, "something about this hotel feels off." He explained his fruitless search.Aria, drained from using her inner energy, yawned. "Yes, there was an issue, but the hotel is now secure. It's been handled.""You were aware of what transpired?" Will asked, lowering his voice to avoid prying ears. "Mr. Bond mentioned in a video that someone had disrupted a manifestation of some kind—was that your doing?"Aria nodded. "It wasn't just me. Someone else helped."Borrowing heav
Aria had combed through guest reviews, uncovering a history of incidents. The customer relations department seemed apathetic toward customer complaints, and because of this callous neglect, grievances had continued to accumulate unchecked until this very day.The negative energy, Aria believed, was potent enough to permeate the upper floors within a month, affecting guests' emotions and potentially leading to tragic incidents—in a worst-case scenario—suicides by leaping off the building."Hire experienced construction workers and pay them a premium," Aria instructed, kicking the piece of paper aside. "Demolish that wall and erect a sanctum for Gaia."The manager nodded dutifully, yielding to Aria's every decree.Aria placed a topaz stone and a candle on the designated spot. "Until the sanctum stands, let that stone remain undisturbed.""Consider it done, Ms. Aria," the manager assured her, completely under her sway.In the aftermath of the controversy, some staff members who were
Aria bided her time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike decisively. Clutching the damning records in her grasp, she was impervious to any attempts at manipulation or guilt-tripping.The veteran staff, disdainful of Aria's humble origins, sought to assert their dominance over her. They doubted that a country girl like her could possess any real capability.They hadn't anticipated being outsmarted by a young woman, let alone witnessing their downfall unfold with no time for remorse.Once again, a witness to Aria's capabilities, Conrad broke out in a cold sweat. As instructed, he had observed her conduct the meeting, a fate he found worse than outright dismissal."Mr. Morris," Aria called out after the meeting, "Please stay behind."Conrad felt a chill run down his spine. Aria wasted no time. She thrust photos of the basement parking lot toward him. "Look at them. Recognize these?"Conrad examined them closely, his face turning pale. "Ms. Carver, please believe me! I had n
"Remember what you told me to do? I found Thomas Weller, the antique seller in Southbury," Malcolm said excitedly. The old fox is keeping a low profile; he is probably afraid of being investigated."He doesn't even have the guts to travel by air, preferring the safety of a ferry. Rumor has it he's returning from overseas with a trove of treasures and will be attending an antique auction in a few days."Aria's gaze shifted to Conrad upon hearing this. Conrad was still pondering her ringtone and the caller's identity when he caught her staring at him. Instantly, he felt a jolt of fear and hurriedly said, "I'll ask my family about Aunt Dorothy." Then, he rushed out the door and shut it firmly behind him. Aria retracted her gaze and placed the pen down. "Where is he?" she asked directly."Panne Street," Malcolm lowered his voice. "I wouldn't recommend confronting him now. He's more cunning than you think and is heavily guarded. He's attending as a professional guest at the Antiques
Fiona waited until Aria left before reopening the website, and seeing everything Owen had done solidified her resolve to end certain matters once and for all."Mind taking a walk with me outside, Sam?" Fiona looked at him.Sam was wearing a new bell and the Charm Coin around his neck. He nodded and began tidying his backpack."I want some rock candy, Aunt Fiona. I won't get cavities, so don't tell Aria about it," he bargained with a mischievous grin.Fiona laughed. "Aria told you to 'take care of Mom' just now, didn't she? So you should just call me Mom."Confused, Sam scratched the back of his head.Despite her age, Fiona could easily pass for someone in her 30s. After dressing up herself, she had Sam wear a cool outfit, and they looked like mother and son when they stood side by side.Their first stop was the barbershop. Fiona had always been told she looked demure with her long hair, but after her recent outbursts, whispers of "ghost" followed her.She'd met Owen during thei
Re-entering the job market was a challenge, especially for a long-term homemaker like Fiona.Fiona sat surrounded by fresh university graduates, some even high-performing students returning from overseas.Operations Management, particularly Network Operations Management, was a booming field. Even top celebrities had to be marketed, and advertisements about them were published everywhere to amass support further and attract attention. One of the candidates gave Fiona a dismissive look before turning to chat with another candidate. Fiona overheard snippets of their conversation."Seriously? She's practically ancient! Why is she even here competing with us?""They won't hire her. I peeked at her résumé—she was just a housewife."The term "housewife" had somehow become a derogatory term despite the immense contributions these women made to their families. It was disheartening that these young women themselves disregarded Fiona. After all, everyone would grow old eventually, and no o
Clary interrupted the interview. "Are you willing to start working as an assistant?" she asked Fiona decisively. "If that's fine with you, you can stay."From what she had read about Fiona, it was clear that her marriage had devastated her life. Clary's decision to offer Fiona a position wasn't solely based on empathy for a woman in a similar age group. She saw a spark in Fiona, a potential that transcended the limitations of an ordinary housewife. If she proved inadequate for the job later on, Clary would handle it."Yes, please." Fiona smiled. "I'll prove to you that I'm not just a housewife."Fiona had asserted her position without being overly arrogant or humble, which was an extra point in Clary's book.They had made an exception for Fiona, so instead of sending her home to wait, they told her to report to the office the next day.Meanwhile, Evelyn Charters, the elite student who'd mocked Fiona earlier, emerged from another room. She was on her phone, grumbling, "Mom, I don
Abraham was worried sick. "It's almost time for everyone to choose their schools. We must first transfer her formally so that she can enroll as soon as possible."As a medical professional who devoted his life to saving people and helping the injured, it was rare that he'd come across someone like Aria. She'd given him hope that the younger generation could take up the reins of traditional medicine.No matter what Aria was doing right now, she must continue her studies, and Abraham was worried that she'd fall behind.This was what Aria heard the moment she walked in. She knew that Abraham was truly worried about her. "Mr. Lowe Senior, I can just study by myself at home. I'll still be a student in your vocational high school and take the SATs there.""This won't do, Aria. With how excellent you are, you should find a better school to prepare for SATs," Abraham insisted. He didn't want his school to hold Aria back. "How about this?" Abraham proposed. "I'm meeting someone at Janovin
"But he does look familiar." This was the first time Morwenna had such a feeling. It was as if the man from the York family was even more noble than her. Before him, she felt like a nobody. The idea of that provoked Morwenna. She was a deity from Krowo, so who was he to make her feel this way? "I think you should find a chance for me to meet that guy from the York family sometime." Morwenna met the old man's eyes. "The Yorks are the true noble family when it comes to protecting the nation. They've just been focused on commerce for the past century, which made us overlook them. The Yorks might be helpful to us." "I'll look into it." The old man glanced aside. "But why haven't you completed the tasks I assigned?" William stepped forward and said, "Sir, I came to bring good news. We've located the celestial essence you sensed earlier. Rest assured, we'll present it to you soon." "Good." This was the first time the old man showed satisfaction in days. "Before you bring it, inve
The child's fate was not merely at odds with his own—it actively threatened it. On that fateful day, the old man had been plagued by dreams from a distant past, visions long buried in the sands of time. It became clear that his unnatural existence, suspended between life and death as a half-human, half-ghost, was tethered to the very essence of that unborn child.A shadow crossed his eyes as he clenched his fists. "Perhaps I should have altered my perspective earlier. It's time to take a proper look at that child... the one I couldn't read, no matter how hard I tried."Morwenna's voice, filled with venom, cut through the silence. "The Carvers have always been a thorn in our side. They were a problem then, and they remain one now. We should've eliminated that woman before she could interfere."The old man shot her a sidelong glance. "You need to keep your presence hidden in Farshya. Stop drawing attention by appearing in their churches. I've told you before not to provoke the Farshya
Something had fallen to the ground, and a small shadow began to stir behind the curtains."She's not only hindering you but me as well," came a voice that sounded like that of a little girl. Yet, it carried an unsettling, unnatural tone, more akin to the mechanical chatter of those dolls."How could she return?" Behind the curtain, the shadow's long hair seemed to extend at an unnatural speed, growing longer by the second.The entire mansion was cloaked in an eerie atmosphere. The butler at the door stood trembling, yet William appeared almost euphoric as he bowed low and said reverently, "Morwenna, you've finally regained yourself!"The wooden doll named Morwenna let out a mocking laugh. "Regained myself? Is this what you call recovery?"The shadow behind the curtain trembled, and the lights overhead flickered ominously."We anticipated years ago that she would disrupt everything, that the Carver family's plans would crumble," Morwenna hissed. "And yet, you let her return!"A l
Furrowing his eyebrows, the old man moved his fingers as if counting something. "That's weird, then."It was the same issue as before—he couldn't predict anything about Aria. If she had some ties to Homer, he should at least catch a glimpse of it. At best, she would only be Homer's apprentice. Yet, she remained an enigma beyond his foresight, shielded from even his most refined techniques.If someone was backing her, how did they conceal her from his visions? And why?The recent downfall of the Daley family was equally perplexing. It had been executed so seamlessly that no one even noticed until it was too late. The Daleys had served the country well, earning enough merit to secure the higher-ups' protection. But despite this, they were wiped out overnight.This incident triggered a memory—the old man recalled an organization he had encountered in passing—the Special Missions Unit.The unit was not affiliated with any government, yet it was always a step ahead in hunting down spie
The old man glanced at William and spoke sharply. "What went wrong with the seal?"William bowed his head, unable to provide a clear answer. "The rumors about the Daley family emerged from nowhere. We tried to suppress the information while investigating the source, but all efforts were futile."Nobody knew who the Daley family had provoked, only knowing the higher-ups were the ones giving orders. Plus, the entire case was executed quickly and privately. It was as if someone was targeting the Daley family. "The case wasn't investigated using normal procedures at all. I can't reach out to the Daley family without risking exposure. I'm afraid someone might recognize me. "If I'm identified, all our hard work over the years will unravel. And now, the matter has already been brought to light online, putting us in a precarious position."They had used a lot of energy and time to ensure their plan was executed perfectly. Their actions had gone unnoticed for the past few years. Howeve
Sam had always been by Aria's side during her bouts of self-doubt. That was why she had always prayed that Tobias' ominous prediction would never come true.Before he vanished, Tobias had warned her that if Chaos reemerged, it would wreak havoc across the world. And when that moment arrived, Aria would need to steel herself and eliminate it.But Aria disagreed. To her, Sam was like family. He would happily carry out her every request as long as he was rewarded with a bit of food. How could such an earnest and loyal companion be a threat?Sam was undoubtedly righteous, just somewhat slow to react. How could he possibly bring chaos to the world?Aria could only dismiss the grim rumors as baseless. Either that or Sam had been misled by someone else.Pahana had once told her that Sam had a previous master. He was still young then and couldn't yet distinguish right from wrong. It must have been that previous master who failed to teach him properly.The notion that Sam could be a dange
It was a rare, honorable opportunity. If Pahana's worthless father could witness him now, he'd surely regret abandoning him and his mother.Pahana understood Aria could have chosen not to give him the merits. She could have chosen to continue enslaving him like the other fortune tellers. Yet, she chose to honor her promise, compensating him for his efforts.If all humans kept their promises like Aria, creatures like Pahana wouldn't harbor such deep hatred that they'd want to devour them.Approaching Aria, Pahana was ready to repay her generosity by renewing the blood pact. However, Aria stopped him. She wasn't interested in complicating things further. Who knew where she'd be a century from now? There was no point in binding herself to a lizard—especially when the river was so polluted.Her eyes darkened. "No need. Just stop eating humans and keep an eye on the river. You saw how I handled things. If you don't want to end up as grilled lizard meat, behave.""Ms. Carver, don't worr
With a thud, Pahana fell flat on the ground. He was utterly speechless. Why did Aria suddenly lash out at him?Aria regarded him with a calm yet piercing gaze. "You had a sly look on your face just now. What were you scheming?"Pahana was still far from being fully obedient. Since she had taken him in, it fell upon Aria to teach him the proper order.Pahana blinked, bewildered. This was simply how he looked—Aria couldn't blame him for appearing sly just because of his natural features."I'm merely admiring your skill," he ventured carefully, trying to appease her. "Your mastery of the Decatorian way is impressive." He was referring to how she used Landon's heavenly fortune to sever the binding contract.Aria could sense the subtle disloyalty within Pahana. Cunning was second nature to lizards like him, but with a contract binding them, it was of little concern to her. She glanced down at Pahana, who was sprawled at her feet and spoke coolly, "That's not all I'm good at. I'm also
Back then, those fortune tellers were blind to Landon's true identity and insisted on sealing him away underground. Landon must be seeking revenge for what happened back then.That explained his pursuit of Aria.To Pahana, Aria was an enigma. Her skills were average, yet she possessed undeniable talent and a unique approach that defied the traditional Decatorian methods he knew.Fortune tellers were rarely bound by the conventional, their minds trained to think in ways others could not fathom. Pahana could also feel the hidden strength within Aria, a power she kept buried deep.Landon must have noticed that and sought to consume her soul.Yet Pahana found no trace of a binding contract between Landon and Aria.There were rumors, however, that Landon had once made a pact with a woman who was as infamous as she was beautiful. She was a woman of no redeeming qualities, a heartless temptress who reveled in tormenting others. Her disrespect for people was unmatched, yet Landon had