"One of the audience members commented, "It's finally time for them to choose their partners!"While the production claimed the non-celebrity partners were chosen randomly, the director had actually hand picked them. The background stories for each episode were complex, often tweaked from actual incidents, making it challenging for the celebrities to piece together the original stories. Some even required professional knowledge, so the crew included non-celeb participants with medical backgrounds.Viewers were already speculating about the chosen candidates for this season."Ladies and gentlemen, there are five people in front of you," announced the director. "Only those who successfully match will form a pair for the upcoming challenge. The candidates' information is displayed on the screen. Two have medical backgrounds, while the others bring diverse skill sets. Please carefully consider your needs and choose a partner who can complement your abilities."Everyone's expressions
The third non-celeb participant displayed on the screen was a middle-aged surgeon named Alistair Whitman. He wore glasses, looked ordinary, and was of average height. However, his medical experience was exceptional.A viewer commented, "The second and third non-celeb participants seem to be the best options."The fourth guest participant was Evelyn, and she majored in media studies. She appeared normal until she shouted, "Leon, choose me! I know how to make you win!"Her words brought Leon into the spotlight.Anthony mocked, "Mr. Carver, your fans are quite enthusiastic. Not everyone gets a chance to be on this show, you know."His comment made it seem like the show's crew was favoring Leon.Leon's haters pounced. "Dumb pretty boys shouldn't be on variety shows. Their fans are crazy, and it's unfair to the other participants. He's just embarrassing himself!"Amidst the ongoing conversation about Leon, the fifth participant was introduced. Everyone was surprised to discover tha
Leon was determined not to embarrass himself on national television. Those eager for more screen time were clearly planning ahead. Yet, Chandler and Anthony's performances seemed lackluster compared to his."Has everyone decided on their partners?" Kian asked. In unison, the celebrities and their partners replied, "Yes."As their voices echoed, the veils covering the guest participants dropped.Aria removed her blindfold, unveiling her striking and composed face. She had heard what the celebrities had to say and had already seen all the faces of the guest participants.She'd consented to the filming after sensing a dark, vengeful energy in the air. If this dark presence persisted, it could spell catastrophe. Yet, she hadn't foreseen that she would also be expected to complete various tasks. As soon as all the participants were on camera, Aria's appearance took everyone by surprise. Her stunning features set her apart from the rest, including Lulu, whose innocent looks couldn'
Leon's sudden warning to Aria left the production crew and audience speechless. A viewer asked, "What does he mean?""I'm in tears! What is he doing?" another exclaimed. The other participants also sent odd looks their way. After all, Leon didn't seem like the type to say such things.However, Aria wasn't surprised to hear this coming from Leon. From the pictures and stories Warren had told her, this was Leon's true nature. "Leon, the instructions are on the screen," Aria pressed, not wanting to waste a moment. The sooner they completed filming, the sooner she could drive away the oppressive aura lingering around them.If they didn't hurry, the frail-looking Lulu might not make it to morning.Aria had no intention of revealing her relationship with Leon on camera. She planned to have a private conversation with him after filming.Leon's expression tightened. "I'd prefer if you didn't use my first name. I don't think my sister would like it."Meanwhile, Warren was watching t
To capture the most genuine reactions, the producers and assistants monitoring the participants were called out of the building. Instead, cameras were set up in every corner to record the participants' responses.The children's hospital, a two-story building with long, dimly lit corridors, wasn't particularly frightening when bustling with people. Now, with the production crew gone, the atmosphere turned chilling.All the female participants seemed unnerved except for Aria. Lulu, in particular, nervously rubbed her stomach as she glanced at the delivery room.The livestream audience was intrigued. "Why is Lulu rubbing her stomach?"Suddenly, the signboard above the delivery room fell, crashing loudly and startling everyone. Despite his own unease, Chandler saw an opportunity to take the lead. "Given the hospital's age, accidents like this are expected," he announced. "Let's be cautious."He continued, "I don't think we need to head that way. I believe the clues will be in a well
Chandler erupted in anger. "What did you say?""The camera’s rolling, Mr. Lucson. You might want to consider your image," Aria said calmly.Chandler's anger twisted his face into a repulsive scowl.Anthony stepped forward. "Have you no manners? Is this how dumbasses like you usually speak?"Aria's expression darkened. "As a public figure, you should set a proper example for your fans. What are you doing? Are you trying to incite cyberbullying?"You should spend more time improving your acting skills. You sidelined Leon impressively just now, but why can't I see the same talent on your shows? Do you believe you're a good actor just because your fans say so?"Aria's tone was deliberate, as if revealing a harsh truth. "With your ordinary looks, your family must have invested heavily to land you the lead role when you debuted."Anthony seethed, "You little—"Nobody expected someone as gorgeous as Aria to deliver such cutting remarks. The comments section exploded in reaction.One
Chandler went upstairs after saying that, with the others following. Lulu, her face ashen, dared not glance at the delivery room.Aria and Leon lingered downstairs. Aria's eyes fixed on Lulu's shoulder, and her brow tightened in concern. The dark spirit clinging there was deeply entrenched, its removal demanding more than the usual effort. She couldn't help but wonder if the production team was aware of the shift in the storyline's dark currents.Kian hadn't noticed any issues as the changes were subtle. Besides, surprises would keep the audience engaged. Aria inspected the camera equipment to ensure it was in proper working order. She needed to keep the supernatural entities hidden from view, as their presence would quickly become a focal point.She turned toward the dark corridor. The fallen signboard of the delivery room, bright and colorful, seemed to beckon them inside. Why would such malevolent, vengeful energy align with the production's designs? If this was the will
The scream came from the second floor. The cameras positioned there showed nothing but darkness. Despite Kian's orders to activate night mode, the equipment malfunctioned at this crucial moment.While Leon and Aria continued to rack up points on the first floor, the participants on the second floor struggled to see anything. Only Alistair had picked up the flashlight provided by the crew; the others had neglected it.Kian's brow furrowed. "Where's the production assistant? Why is the light off so early?"Nothing was going according to plan, but the participants remained oblivious.Chandler, who had been brashly confident earlier, now appeared almost laughable in his fear. He grabbed Alistair's flashlight and tried to project calm. "Mr. Franco loves to cut the power on this show. There's no need to panic.""Chandler, we only have one flashlight now," Anthony said, his regret evident. He would have chosen a male partner if he'd known Helen would be so inept.Sensing Anthony's conde
Aria wouldn't refuse. Landon was too valuable an ally in dealing with manifestations to leave behind. With him present, their combined arcane and fortune would make her practically unbeatable, especially against those who practiced dark arts. Aria had a feeling that going to Ludwiten would resolve all the mysteries. Though the regrets from the previous manifestation were settled, the root cause remained unsolved. If the opposing forces continued to nurture evil through social media, the manifestation's power would keep growing. Aria worried that this was not an isolated case. There could be a second, or even third. Since the reputation of the Hendricks family had been affected, it had broken their cultural heritage line. After all, someone like Paxton was unworthy of succeeding Don. This was Aria's first encounter with such manipulation. She had not expected that a morally corrupt mistress could destroy Don's life's work in an instant. Paxton's actions would surely affect Don's
"Why the rush?" Stephen believed Aria would understand the delicate situation he had just explained and that it did not have to be so urgent. As she threw a glance at Philip, Aria was clearly reluctant to speak in his presence. Phillip looked confused. "Aria, are you sure you won't visit my family first?" "I will, but we'll follow Stephen's planned sequence." After arriving in Janovin, they would visit different families to avoid revealing their actual purpose. Visiting relatives in Janovin before seeing her uncles in Ludwiten would seem natural. Aria suspected that Yonah did not know about what Barron had left behind. With that thought in mind, she moved closer to Stephen while touching her amethyst pendant. She lowered her voice. "There's something I've never found." It was something Barron had left for Aria, and he had even advertised it twice in the youth paper. But Aria did not tell Stephen about this. The less the Earthbound Manifestation was revealed, the clearer she c
The market share was already limited, and if the Carvers entered, they would certainly claim a portion of it. Moreover, Fiona's greatest wish was to reconcile with the Grishams. Aria's trip to Ludwiten would only heighten the sense of crisis, and someone was definitely trying to drive a wedge between the families. After expressing these concerns, Stephen continued, "Ms. Carver, though your suspicions go beyond this, outsiders will definitely seize upon this point and keep feeding suggestions to the Grishams." Stephen poured tea for everyone before continuing, "Mr. Grisham was famously devoted to his daughter. Both families supported Mrs. Carver's marriage without much objection since she wanted it. The fact that Mr. Carver offered some company shares at that time put the Grishams at ease too. "Later, as you know, the Carver family's shares were diluted. After you were kidnapped, Mrs. Carver fell seriously ill. The Grishams visited many times, especially Mr. Richard and Mr. Waymon
Aria announced, "Mr. Warsaw, please prepare. We're heading to Ludwiten."This decision to visit Ludwiten wasn't made on a whim. The place held something crucial to Yonah's cultivation.Aria didn't yet know what it was, but her instincts warned her that if she didn't go, she would regret it.Stephen, however, didn't immediately agree. He was always deliberate in his actions, cautious not to leave room for criticism in matters of etiquette or social nuance.After a moment of consideration, he said, "Ms. Carver, if it were any other city, we could leave without much thought. But for Ludwiten, we need to be more careful."Aria, quick-witted as ever, understood his meaning right away. "You mean it's because of my uncle and his family?"Stephen nodded. "The Grisham family made their fortune in Ludwiten and have been a pillar of the community for generations. They're one of Ludwiten's most prominent families. When Mrs. Carver married into the Carver family, the Grishams disapproved of t
"He's not the only one who said that," Fergus interjected. "It's a widely held belief in the business circle.""They say the Wagner family rose to prominence in the south during a time when factories were shutting down. The shift encouraged people to start their own businesses instead of relying on collective systems.""They believe Mr. Wagner Senior seized this opportunity and expanded his business, and eventually moved from the south to the north, finally settling in Janovin."Philip nodded. "That's true.""After leading the Wagner family through so many challenges, doesn't your ancestor deserve a memorial plaque in his honor?" Fergus' words hit a nerve."He didn't want it," Philip replied, unfazed. "Maybe it was because he was influenced by the foreigners' culture. My great-grandfather likely rejected the idea of memorial plaques because such practices aren't common abroad.""If that's the case," Aria said, absently twirling the amethyst pendant in her hand, "your great-grandf
Philip scolded himself, "Why didn't I think of this earlier? Aren't I the most sensitive to these things? How could I be so stupid, letting Grandpa Yonah suffer for so long? I'm such an idiot. I should've gotten rid of it sooner!"Philip muttered to himself as he tightly gripped Aria's hand. "Aria, don't go to the Furler family just yet. Let's go to my house first."At his words, the people around the dining table exchanged glances. Fergus and Leon locked eyes, their brows furrowing deeply.From Philip's account, it was clear that Yonah had been drinking some kind of tonic for years. But this so-called "tonic" wasn't medicine at all—it was blood.And it had been happening since before Philip even started middle school, so many years ago.It could only mean that the seemingly harmless Yonah was actually someone or something else.Yonah had been possessed all this time, and none of them noticed.To pull this off, someone would need to perfectly mimic Yonah's mannerisms and behavio
Those who witnessed the situation all said that Yonah pampered Philip. On the surface, it seemed like he had truly been "spoiled" by Yonah throughout his life.Yonah never pressured him to be like Kenny. He was free to do whatever he wanted, and his studies didn't matter. But wasn't this just another form of neglect? To Yonah, he was expendable.That was why Philip was so drawn to bars and street racing—anything that offered a thrill. Since Kenny was the exceptional one, he figured Kenny could take charge. He would just play the flashy second-generation heir, hoping Yonah would feel more at ease with him.Why was Philip like this? Because, at times, he still felt warmth from Yonah. But recently, that warmth had completely disappeared. And then, there was the incident he witnessed this time.Certain memories surfaced from the deepest corners of his mind, repeating themselves over and over. He couldn't even tell if they were memories anymore.Every night, he had the same dream. The
Philip looked tortured, his hands clutching his head, his eyes red and swollen.Perhaps it had something to do with his broken family and losing his mother too early. Because of this, Philip placed immense value on his family.Growing up, Kenny was always better than him. Jack had always been proud of Kenny. Only Yonah treated him with unconditional kindness.When he was a child, Yonah often said, "My good grandson, you don't need to be exceptional—just be healthy in the future."Philip vividly remembered a time when he had a high fever. Jack wouldn't even bother to care for him, and the household staff kept their distance. The doctor recommended isolation because the fever was caused by a highly contagious and dangerous bacterial infection.But Yonah stayed with him the entire time, patting his shoulder and telling him stories."My good grandson, don't be afraid. I'm here with you. You'll be fine. You'll get better. Tell me what you want to eat."Philip couldn't believe that su
They only believed others were worth helping if there was something to gain.The last time, the crow and Landon witnessed an elderly man fall. A passing student helped him up, even calling an ambulance, concerned for his well-being.However, when the elderly man's family arrived, they insisted the student stay, demanding to know if the man had fallen because he was bumped into. The student initially believed that everything would be cleared up once the old man regained consciousness.But no one expected that when the man opened his eyes, he nodded and firmly claimed that someone had indeed bumped into him, causing him to fall.As a result, the student not only lost his time but also had to prove that he wasn't responsible for the fall. The complexity of the situation was beyond imagination.They said that heaven was blind, but perhaps it wasn't—maybe heaven's eyes were open, and human actions shaped the world. Eventually, even heaven might grow disappointed.The crow flapped its