"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,
Noir yanked on Blanc's shirt hard, telling him to sneak away unnoticed for now. Aria seemed to have noticed something at this moment because she said with a smile, "Were you asking us? I don't think so. I thought you were asking—""Three days!" Blanc interrupted quickly. "We'll give you three days. Noir and I must take him with us when the time is up."Aria raised a brow. "Oh, okay. She was asking us, I'm sure." She turned to say, "Three cups of coffee, please, thank you."After she paid, the woman said, "Sure, they'll be done in a jiffy."Blanc and Noir seized the moment with guilty haste, vanishing in an instant. They were known for being intimidating. They had never run away so pathetically before. What the hell had happened? Why were their actual forms suddenly visible to mortals all of a sudden? This shouldn't have happened, not when they still had half an hour to dawn.Everything felt wrong that night. Blanc and Noir decided that they would look deeper into it after r
Landon set his palm on Devon's head gently. Devon's soul had been unstable, and vengefulness had come to fill his gaze. However, with Landon's touch, his gaze slowly became as vacant as before.Purple energy swirled around him—an omen of immense fortune. That was what Aria saw. However, Devon's stabilization wasn't solely due to his fortune; Landon's innate power to suppress spirits had quelled him completely.All spirits could only yield to Landon, who was superior to them.Devon looked up, his eyes distant. "I died. Everyone else is dead too. Soren died protecting me. He was pierced through the back…""No, no," Devon muttered to himself. "There's something else, but I've forgotten. I've forgotten something really important."Aria pushed his flailing arms down. "It's okay. We'll figure it out eventually. We're going to Nymeria now."Aria's entourage finally passed inspection at the gates. Sam remained quiet throughout. Unexpectedly, he hadn't popped up to tell Blanc and Noir
Aria didn't respond immediately. After some thought, she sent someone a text message and told them to take note of the current situation in Nymeria. The existence of Krowonians here in Farshya was not out of the ordinary. Aria said, "Our people visit each other's countries sometimes now for cultural exchange and trade."Devon took some time to come to terms with how things were different now. Yet, he reacted violently. "They're not ordinary Krowonians; they're the people who were violent toward us! They're all holding guns too!""Are you saying that they're from the army?" Aria's gaze darkened. "You're both spirits, and in the same place at that?"Devon's brain was muddled. "I don't think we're in the same place. They have food and drink, and they're living quite relaxedly."It was impossible for the Krowonian spirits to have food and drink on Farshyan soil, not when they had once invaded this land. This would only happen under one condition—someone had given them offerings.Ari
"Fine, whatever you say." Dean Rutgers glared at Aria. "There's no baby formula here. If you need it, go borrow it elsewhere."Aria left immediately, as if terrified, but in reality, she was moving to take photos so she could better explain the situation to the train marshals onboard.This was because she'd noticed something unsettling. It wasn't just this carriage that felt off; there were many women with babies in their arms, and they'd all boarded at midnight. She had also noticed the tattoo on Dean's arm, a design only worn by criminals willing to risk their lives for money. This wasn't something the train marshals could handle alone.At least ten people in this carriage were under Dean's control. The middle-aged man with glasses, smoking between carriages, was in charge of keeping watch. The men playing poker and drinking were only there to distract the authorities. Their rowdiness kept attention away from the women and their babies. It was all part of a premeditated sc
"What's he saying?""As if I know what he's talking about."The passengers craned their necks to look at Dean. Soon after, another man on the train put his arm around Dean's shoulders. "We're from the same hometown. He's saying weird things because he's drunk."Bart Taggart punched Dean in the abdomen. He asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with you?""Bart, I—" Dean was just about to say something when he saw a pale-faced baby on Bart's shoulder, staring at him creepily.That baby was one of those he'd trafficked.Dean was so scared that he collapsed on his seat, muttering, "This place is haunted, Bart, it's haunted! Those little ghosts are coming for us!"Ghosts?Almost all the passengers in the carriage woke up, and pandemonium ensued.Marna and the other women with babies looked at Dean. Bart slapped a bracelet on the table with a ferocious glare. "He's gotten so drunk that he's rambling."That bracelet was a rare one. It was a thread of sandalwood beads with a special fr
Contrary to the driver's expectations, Fiona remained unnervingly calm, as though everything was perfectly normal. Her beauty was striking, paired with an air of delicate indifference that belied her age. Especially her eyes—pure and unguarded when her gaze lingered. Yet, temperament was not so easily concealed. The driver could tell that Fiona was no naïve woman. She was a sheltered, affluent woman from a prestigious family. But didn't Alaric disdain women like her the most? Why, then, had Alaric asked him to stop the car from a distance?Perplexed, the driver kept glancing at Fiona.Her hair, still damp from the relentless rain, clung to her neck. She turned deliberately, avoiding Alaric's side. "Is there any tissue in the car?""Yes." Alaric chuckled, pulling out a few tissues and handing them to her.The driver frowned, finding Alaric's obliging demeanor uncharacteristic.As Fiona wiped her hair, she inadvertently exposed the curve of her neck—graceful, like a swan's. Its
Alaric Sloane's figure remained as fit as ever, especially compared to his peers. However, he had traded his signature red suit for a more mature dark gray. His demeanor had shifted too—there was an air of indifference in his gaze, a far cry from the carefree man he once was.A laptop rested on his lap as he worked. The light illuminated his sharp features, making him appear serious and composed. He no longer resembled the reckless man of the past.Fiona froze. The last time she saw Alaric was at her wedding. That day, the free-spirited man had called her during her wedding banquet, standing amidst the crowd. His voice had been teasing, laced with the unmistakable slur of alcohol."Hey, listen to me—don't marry him. Look at me. If you agree, I'll stop the wedding right now."At that time, Alaric still wasn't that fluent in Farshyan. Having grown up overseas, his accent gave him a polished, foreign charm. His classmates used to joke that it made him seem like a gentleman from abro
The entertainment industry was a place where people could rise quickly. It was a world where words could be tailored to suit different audiences, where alliances were formed with the popular, and enemies were kept in check before they could make a name for themselves.On the surface, everyone seemed friendly, but beneath the smiles, subtle rivalries festered.Back then, Fiona wouldn't have noticed such dynamics. She had never been interested in competing with other women, even in school. The term "female competition" hadn't existed in her vocabulary. Fiona simply wasn't concerned with who stood out in the crowd, so she remained unaware of the unspoken tensions around her.But now, things were different. After years of observing the entertainment industry, Fiona had become attuned to the subtle games people played. Every word Priscilla had spoken earlier had an underlying agenda.It was then that Fiona realized how much time had changed everyone. She could barely recognize the wom
Priscilla, it seemed, embodied the capitalist archetype that online critics often despised—one who saw people as mere tools for profit. Her approach to problems was straightforward, ruthless, and without compassion.She had used unapproved injections to boost her earnings, and now, when things went wrong, she wanted to shift the blame onto unsuspecting individuals.The girl's parents, though devastated, were not asking for much. They simply wanted their daughter's suffering to end and for Priscilla to cover the basic medical costs. But Priscilla wasn't concerned with such matters. The success of her medispa in Ludwiten wasn't due to any sense of ethics—it was built on ambition and exploitation.If Priscilla agreed to treat one person's botched surgery, it would open the door to countless others. She couldn't afford to make exceptions; these "victims" would only try to take advantage of her.At that moment, Priscilla reclined in the lounge, a face mask on, preparing for a full-bod
Back then, a rumor circulated that everyone desired the Grisham family's daughter. Audriana had thought it was an exaggeration. After all, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she would inevitably age. Fiona, no matter how stunning, would eventually face the same fate.However, Audriana had come to realize that some people could indeed look like fairies. Yet, she couldn't show her envy, as Priscilla was still watching her."Why do I think she looks so average? She's not nearly as ladylike as you, Priscilla," Audriana flattered her.Priscilla merely gave her a passing glance. "You don't have to try to flatter me. I don't care about that. With plastic surgery so common these days, I can have any appearance I want."What's important is for a woman to have her own career. But I have to admit, her face is quite stunning."Otherwise, Fiona wouldn't have remained relevant for so many years. But it didn't matter now. Fiona was already married, with so many children. Once a woman became a
"Who doesn't have a career in this day and age? She's the only one with no achievements to speak of, and she even went crazy. How does she have the nerve to reconcile with the Grisham family? I don't know whether to call her naïve or just plain dumb," Priscilla remarked, her voice dripping with disdain as she spoke to the person behind her. As she spoke, the woman slowly rose, revealing her identity—none other than Audriana."Perhaps she doesn't realize that the Draycott family is almost as influential as the Grisham family in Ludwiten. Especially you, Priscilla. Everyone knows the medispa you operate. "Fiona hasn't kept up with the times. I once thought she was capable, with her title as Ludwiten's Red Rose. But now, it seems she's all show, no substance." Audriana chuckled, clearly taking pleasure in belittling Fiona while subtly praising Priscilla. Priscilla, clearly pleased, took a sip of her coffee. "It's a shame she didn't listen to me and meet Ms. Kent."Audriana raised
Priscilla twirled her long hair and took a sip of her coffee. "I didn't have much confidence back then. I always followed you, never daring to try things on my own. It's only now, after trying for myself, that I've realized some things."She added, "Opening a medispa has always been my dream, and that's how it all started. Now, all the wealthy women in Ludwiten come to me for fillers and anti-aging treatments. If you're interested, you should come by. I can even fix your nose a little."Priscilla smiled. However, her smile was a little off, perhaps from a recent treatment. She pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I can't smile too much, or I'll get wrinkles. I envy your flawless, youthful face, Fiona. What's your secret?""Probably just staying indoors and avoiding the sun," Fiona replied, carefully omitting the fact that her soul had entered a manifestation.Priscilla's expression darkened, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's all Owen's fault! How could he be so cruel? You're no
Leon typed so quickly that Aria suspected it was a result of his experience arguing with his online haters. Aria couldn't get a word in as Leon flooded the entire group chat. She was speechless—his typing was even faster than a hacker like her. Celebrity Carver: "I'm worried about Aria. I should have gone on the train too!"Aria freed one hand to reply, "No need to worry. Fergus is with me."Celebrity Carver: "Fergus has never been in a relationship himself. What does he know?"Boss Carver: "Leon, aren't you getting too full of yourself lately?"Leon kept his head down, continuing to type. He was filled with worry for Aria.Unbeknownst to anyone, a mysterious person watched Leon with intense focus. The gaze was unsettling as if the person were ready to explode with hatred at any moment.The person only looked away when Leon entered the VIP lounge. Then, they went to the washroom, and standing before the mirror, revealed an eerie smile. There was no rush. After all, there wo
Their positions were reversed in an instant.Landon was pinned down, a few stray strands of hair falling over his face. His long, dark eyelashes gave him a somewhat coy expression. Aria, on the other hand, appeared dominant, with one hand pressing down on his wrist and the other on his shoulder. This was the scene the attendant walked in on. She cleared her throat slightly before speaking, "Sir, here are your fruits."The attendant's voice caught the attention of Fergus, who was seated in the last row. He put down his tablet and glanced over. What he saw was Aria playfully pressing down on Landon's wrist. Fergus couldn't help but rub his temples, unsure how to express his current feelings.When Leon mentioned that Aria was pursuing Landon, Fergus hadn't thought much of it. However, seeing for himself, he could only think of ways to keep Landon around for Aria.But Aria couldn't be too forward as they weren't married yet. At the thought of that, Fergus deliberately coughed.