Was it really not that terrible? Fergus didn't think so, at least not based on what he'd seen online. He said nothing more as he transferred more money over. The money was more than enough for a few first-class seats; Aria could even have the entire carriage for herself.So this was what it felt like to have a brother indulge her. Aria smiled, her heart warm.Stephen thought that Aria and Devon would at least stay the night, but she looked at Devon and said, "I'm not waiting any longer. I'm leaving overnight."Spirits were more unstable during the day, and Aria would have an increased chance of meeting spirits who could provide her with hints if she journeyed at night.Stephen packed everything Aria would need for her, including a thermos, some sliced fruit, and bread.Aria gave everything to Devon. "We can buy the other stuff I promised you after we arrive at our destination."Devon was stunned. "This is already enough. Everyone can feast on this pile of food for days."Aria
Little Percy used to resent himself for not understanding what Owen was saying. Other kids received impeccable grades, but he couldn't even comprehend what the teachers were saying in class. The words Percy heard most often during childhood were, "Why do I have a son as stupid as you? You embarrass me."He knew that Owen was scolding him because of the high pitch of his father's voice; he'd even found fault in himself for everything. Percy didn't know if every child with developmental delays had the same thoughts as him. He'd think about how Owen wouldn't have been so mad at him if he were more typical. With that, he gradually grew up to become a people-pleaser. No one would believe that Percy Carver, the smiling fox who never lost in court, used to be a people-pleaser in his childhood.Percy only became a new person when he turned 11, and it was because he was the first person little Aria had wanted to hug. Leon had been walking circles around Aria all day, but she'd paid
Poeta had long grown tired of the stagnation in her homeland. Things were much better overseas, as everyone was more open-minded.But unlike what Poeta had envisioned, their open-mindedness often came with strings attached. While life in Farshya had felt restrictive, the lack of enforcement abroad meant her boyfriend often abused her. As a foreigner, she had no protection under local laws, which devastated her. Fortunately, she had an escape plan in the form of Fergus.She hadn't wanted to approach him with ulterior motives, but Owen had promised her that she and Fergus could rekindle their past. This was the approval Poeta longed for—a legitimate marriage sanctioned by the head of the family. However, Fergus was too unenthused, much to her disappointment. Still, Poeta reassured herself that with time and patience, Fergus would come around—he had always been steady in his love. Looking back, Poeta realized her mistake. She never would have known about Fergus' shares in the comp
Aria was speechless. Something was out of sorts with her family, wasn't it?Aria couldn't very well discourage Landon, not when Sam had already gotten a massive sum of money out of him. She bent down and asked Sam, "Did you invite this spoiled heir to come with us? He's not even used to taking the train. You're be in charge of taking care of him, alright?"Aria had worded it so nicely. Sam gestured, his eyes round, "If he passes out because of the smell, I'll carry him. Leave him to me!"Aria raised a brow. Before she could say anything, Landon appeared before them, his melodic voice cutting through the moment. "What? Is the money not enough?"That was why Sam was willing to work for him; it was hard to not like someone so generous and willing to pay. Still, Sam remained wary of Landon, who was nice to him nevertheless. Sam's eyes lit up. He made to ask for more money, but Aria covered his mouth and looked at Landon. "Are you okay with taking the train?""You're here to take
After suppressing his presence, Landon pulled out a jewel necklace and clasped it around Sam's neck.Aria was confused as to what he was doing. Landon smiled. "Homer gave me this. It was kept on Mount Dracotigris until now. It can suppress Chaos' murderous intent."Aria knew that wasn't true. The jewels didn't look like anything from the Dracotigris Order, especially with the emerald carved into a skull—completely unlike their style. This necklace clearly came from the Netherrealm. Nyx and the twins sat up straight. They all rolled their eyes, but none dared to speak the truth. They feared disintegration if Landon so much as raised his hand. Aria looked at the skull for several seconds, raising her brow. "How exquisite."It didn't sound like a compliment.Sam liked the necklace, though. He bit on the emerald and ascertained that it was real.Seeing that, Aria said nothing. However, the necklace was clearly beneficial. Spirits were already beginning to move toward them desp
"He isn't enlightened yet?" Colin exclaimed incredulously before lowering his voice, afraid that someone else would hear. "You mustn't let that happen, young lady. He'll be punished if the Phantom Patrol catch him!"Some spirits, newly severed from their mortal coils, struggled to grasp the finality of their demise. They roamed the veil between worlds in the first seven days after their passing, desperate to reclaim their mortal forms. Those who realized they could not reclaim their own bodies would launch themselves at the living, desperate to merge with the living and seize a second chance at life. Yet they must be wary to avoid the ever-watchful Phantom Patrol.Each life—its beginning and inevitable end—was meticulously chronicled in the grim tomes of the Netherrealm's officials. When mortals breathed their last, the authorities claimed their essence, guiding them to the depths of the Netherrealm, where they would await their enlightenment.An unenlightened spirit was doomed to
The mention of Nymeria reminded Aria of something. Her gaze darkened a few notches. "Nymeria, the city near Ludwiten?"Colin nodded.Aria took out her phone immediately and booked three first-class tickets for the earliest train to Nymeria—three tickets for two adults and a child. Fortunately, it wasn't the travel season now, so Aria didn't need to compete against other people for these tickets. The moment she was about to enter the station with Devon, two men suddenly appeared. They were wearing similar suits, one black and one white, that looked quite dated. They were also wearing strange masks on their faces. Noir was holding a bundle of metal chains while Blanc looked at his tablet. "This is the site of that extraordinary occurrence we're looking for. Why are there so many spirits here?"They walked closer. They usually avoided mortals when they worked, so they didn't give Aria and Landon a second glance. This went on until Noir noticed Devon. "He's a heroic spirit who sho
Nyx and the twins shared a look. All of them were thinking of the same thing. "Mr. Noir is going to meet his end."The most powerful man in the Netherrealm stood among them, so they had no cause to worry. However, this wasn't the case for some of the other spirits, who came back and asked, "Officials, look at what that boy is wearing. It's obvious that his death wasn't recent. Can't you allow him to register a few days later?"Blanc noticed Devon's peculiarities as well, but they had to perform their duties according to regulations. And so he said, "We'll escort him to wherever he needs to go. Even heroic spirits might be negatively affected by vengefulness if they leave where they're from before they're formally honored. They're bad for mortals like you."Devon was completely lost—how they talked about heroic spirits and mortals suggested he was already dead.Was he already dead?Devon looked at his hands. They were perfectly intact, not reduced into stumps by an explosion.No,