Homer rose from his seat, deep in thought. Lysander said in shock, "Mr. Bond, that's… That's—""The Grand Pilgrimage," Homer interjected, a sudden smile lighting his face as he glanced downstairs. "The malevolent spirits have been transformed into holy ones capable of saving humanity in crucial moments. Excellent, excellent! This apprentice of mine is truly a prodigy in the arcane arts, as expected!"Lysander, still confused, responded, "Your apprentice? But she said she isn't a practitioner, Mr. Bond."Homer paid no heed to that. If he were determined to make someone his apprentice, nothing would stand in his way.…To maintain order, the HOU had already asked the reporters to leave.The celebrities, who had been revived by the chilly wind, began waking up one by one. As soon as Lulu opened her eyes, she grabbed her assistant's arm. "Issue a statement denying my abortion and make it public. Do whatever it takes, no matter the cost."The assistant hesitated. "The show was alread
Lily's mind whirled. This couldn't be the end. She decided to call Evelyn to confirm everything. Lily then dialed Evelyn's number but was met with the disheartening sound of a signal tone—Evelyn's phone was off.…Meanwhile, Evelyn was still reeling from the shock of the day's events. She glanced at Lulu, who was verging on hysteria and regretted ever participating in the show. She had tried to tell everyone that the ghosts were real and that Aria could genuinely communicate with them, but no one believed her.The crew insisted that everything was scripted; they had to maintain this narrative, or the show would be done for. Anthony and Chandler trembled whenever they saw Aria, and Evelyn was no exception. Beside her was Helen, who had a coat draped around her shoulders. She looked pale when the HOU came over to ask her some questions.Just when they thought everything was over, they were faced with the prospect of further interrogation.Aria spotted Chandler. Her lips parted i
All the HOU officers looked at Aria, who smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Bond, but I already have a mentor."Homer's dramatic demeanor faltered, replaced by a deep frown. His voice, tinged with a child's stubbornness, responded, "A mentor, you say? Your haphazard dismantling of the formation speaks otherwise. You barely grasp the Divine Laws! I question the existence of such a mentor!"Aria's fingers brushed the surface of her Charm Coin. "This isn't my passion. I merely recall snippets of what my mentor once shared."Homer deflated like a punctured balloon. "Do you really have a mentor?"His eyes snapped up with sudden intensity. "Where is he? I wish to challenge him to a debate!""I've been looking for him as well," Aria replied, her smile enigmatic. "When the time is right, you'll meet him."Homer still couldn't handle such a blow. "Give me a moment, my apprentice."This was his first encounter with the gnawing regret of lost potential."I'll return for you!" Homer vowed, h
Leon froze in the middle of his tirade as if struck by a bolt of lightning. His mouth opened and closed, yet no sound emerged, the words trapped in his throat. Landon's revelation echoed in his mind, "She's Rainbow, your sister."The screen displayed the scene where he had admonished Aria to be mindful of her words. Leon realized he had just rejected his own sister in front of a national audience.He gripped his hair in frustration, his usually composed visage cracking. His handsome features, often idolized, now appeared disheveled and human, a stark contrast to his public persona as a popular celebrity.Leon paced the room, his thoughts a chaotic storm. How could he have told Aria not to harbor feelings for him, dismissing her so thoughtlessly?Why hadn't Warren mentioned anything about Aria filming the show alongside him?Leon wanted to go to Aria but was uncertain how to face her after his careless behavior. He continued pacing around aimlessly, but his heart was bursting with
Lily scoffed at the notion that Aria could commune with spirits. Under Georgina's tutelage, Aria had merely scratched the surface of basic medical knowledge, leading Lily to think that Aria's supernatural ability was merely a farce. After all, if Aria had any real skill in the esoteric arts, she'd have demonstrated that back in Southbury. Lily was unconvinced by Aria's skills because she'd asked Marshall about them. Marshall was doing quite well in Janovin. Thanks to Lily, he'd gotten to oversee many construction projects.Marshall said on the phone, "You're saying Aria's skilled in some esoteric arts? Hardly. She failed every subject when she was at school. As if she'd be any good at that stuff!"Marshall's voice rose in disbelief. "Did you say that she's also here in Janovin? How dare she show up in front of you!"Marshall and Lily had transformed since their days in Southbury. Lily, especially, had ascended into the ranks of Janovin's elite society.In contrast, Marshall initi
Did Leon not fear the possibility of his biggest fans turning their backs on him?Leon didn't care about that. His fans could do as they pleased. Nothing mattered more than his sister.In the aftermath of his declaration, the atmosphere among his fans shifted. Someone released a series of images online, urging, "Look closely, Leon's fans. Don't let yourself be misled by those with dark intentions. Player No. 5 was the true star of the episode, wasn't she?""From start to finish, she held the narrative together. Without her, the truth would have stayed buried. She stands on her own merit, needing no borrowed fame.""You're right! As someone who isn't a fan of anyone, I gotta say that Yoyo seems suspicious. Why is she suddenly bringing Player No. 5 down through these ambiguous photos? Something doesn't seem right.""It's not just that. Her claims are so biased. We could all see that Player No. 5 carried everyone else in that show.""Player No. 5 spent a lot of time talking to that
"Everyone wants to meet Aria, but they're not exactly friendly about it," Keith reported honestly. "Some have seen her as a country bumpkin from the start and think she's not sophisticated enough for their socialite gatherings."Warren's expression darkened. "Yonah called me just now. While he sounded congratulatory, he was actually implying that Aria would embarrass herself at these banquets.""Aria doesn't try to ingratiate herself with them, so they're behaving this way," Warren mused, then suddenly had an idea. "Let that scheming York kid know about this.""Are you referring to Mr. Landon?" Keith asked cautiously.Warren nodded, frowning. Landon was set to marry Aria in a few years, and Warren wanted to ensure that Landon was genuinely committed to protecting her. Despite his many years of experience, Warren still found Landon difficult to read and wanted to be certain of his intentions.…After all the celebrities finished recording their statements, they were taken home by
"Landon?" Aria raised a brow, surprised. She had long been aware of the enigmatic aura encircling Landon. Was there something more?"What's going on with him?" Aria gestured for Nyx to continue. Nyx swayed slightly, a hint of unease in his posture. "The twins can explain better than I."Aria glanced down at the amethyst pendant she toyed with. Soon, a soft voice echoed, "Angie, are you taking the lead, or should I?""You handle it," Angie replied. "You're better at discerning such things."The pendant glowed faintly as Abbie mused, "I feel like I've seen him before... in the depths of Netherrealm. Your fiancé stirs a primal fear within us, my lord.""Yes, he does," Nyx added, "I thought I was gonna be done for when he walked in."Aria chuckled. "Is it that dire?""Yup." Nyx nodded, sucking on his pacifier.The twins shared Nyx's concern. "Nyx is right, my lord. There's something profoundly unsettling about your fiancé, and we're too weak to see through his skin.""But you ca
"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