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
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
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
"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
After the old man said those words, the clouds outside began to churn, and the clear sky suddenly turned dark. People on the street quickened their pace to seek shelter from the rain. Only a black motorcycle cut through the fog like a blade, heading straight for its deepest part. As Aria tracked Sam's energy, she stopped near a roadside café. It was a circular outdoor plaza with lawns and food trucks. They were colorful and beautiful. But despite the pleasant scene, Aria could smell blood hidden beneath the tranquility. This was different from anything she had smelled before. No ordinary bloodshed would draw so many wandering spirits from all directions here. The blood was mixed with Sam's energy. Aria had never seen such chaotic energy so exposed in all these years. She rarely worried about anything, but this time, she pulled the black chain from her waist. To others, it looked like a thin decorative waist chain. However, the other end held the Emperor Coins. Its cold yet fl
Noir and Blanc had not even reacted when she created a barrier with just a wave of her hand. Despite their official positions, they were still spirits at their core. They could not break through barriers created by someone stronger. But they never expected to see such powerful magical formations in the modern world. They had found her suspicious since the last time they met. Who was this young woman, and where did she train? Why was she even more powerful than Homer when angered? All spirits were kept outside the plaza, including those evil beings trying to take advantage of the situation. In these circumstances, even Noir and Blanc would not dare breach the barrier despite their doubts. After all, this barrier helped them do their job. Still, Blanc was worried. "Should we report this to the lord? Is it safe to let her go alone?" "Of course not. But can you even break through that barrier?" Noir tested it. An old lady who had been walking by glanced at him again, shaking he
Smelling blood, Sam could not hold back anymore. He threw down his black bag and leaped onto the wall, breaking nearby branches. His behavior was no longer human-like. With his eyes narrowed and fixed on one spot, his body wreathed in black mist. That once-innocent face was now unrecognizable. As he lowered his head to sniff something, he could barely think straight. Aria had once told him to chat with their neighbor Edith like a human. She said to stop killing Edith's fish, or he would have to pay for them. During his first bath, Aria stood outside and gave him rubber ducks and bubbles to play with. Georgina had made him chocolate cupcakes and declared it was his birthday on that day. He remembered all this. He knew he should not be acting like this now, but he could not control it. The scent was intoxicating. Sam's eyes turned completely black. With another leap, he pinned down an evil being as his pupils fixed on something in the distance. The two men in black whom he had co
The two men in black exchanged glances before splashing the beast of fortune's blood forward. Chaos was known for its violence and bloodlust, so this was the perfect way to provoke it. Once it was fully transformed, people at Mount Dracotigris would arrive. Then they could quietly take the beast of fortune while half the arcane practitioners from Mount Dracotigris fell! As for Chaos... The more havoc it wreaked, the better. It would be best if it crushed Farshya's fortune! Sam was indeed provoked. Moments ago, he could still remember Aria's teachings—like how the fundamental difference between humans and animals was not eating what should not be eaten—how Sam was human, so he should walk properly and behave well. But now, his mind went blank with only one thought. He was starving. He wanted to eat and to devour everything. Sam threw back his head and roared. His eyes and legs transformed. Nearby, arcane practitioners in robes all stopped walking. They turned to look with swords
Dorian furrowed his brows, lost in thought. "There was someone… I think he was a low-level official handling Ludwiten's economy at the time.""Take a look. Is it him?" Aria slid her phone across the table, revealing a picture. Dorian immediately nodded. "That's him, but why does he look younger? He doesn't seem like the timid man I remember.""Power changes people," Aria said knowingly. "It's understandable you don't recognize him. But look," she said, pointing to the webpage with a smile. "Do you recognize him?"The man in the photo wore glasses and a suit, exuding an air of authority. Something about him felt eerily familiar.Dorian paused for a moment. "H-He is…""He's the third-in-command of the city, Amos Lune." Aria's gaze flicked between the two images. "It's indeed hard to believe. With a simple name change, he's a completely different person. But someone must have worked hard to push a minor official this high."Dorian had never considered how deep the web of influence
Dorian had always been timid, never having faced real hardships. The thought of spending the rest of his life in jail was unbearable. "This is all because of your greed," he spat, his voice trembling with resentment. "You and your obsession with the Grisham family—you always thought they were better than us. That's why you were so desperate to outdo them."His eyes burned with anger as he continued, "You were beyond saving from the start, yet you still dragged me and Laura down with you. Mom, you can't be this selfish."Magdalene staggered, nearly collapsing from the sheer weight of his words. Rage and betrayal clawed at her chest, but before she could succumb, Aria intervened, keeping her upright. Magdalene had to hear everything."Aria," Dorian pressed on, his desperation mounting. "You don't know half of what my mother has done. It's about Fiona. I know everything. You'll want to hear this."He had never been this frantic before. He was willing to reveal any secret if it meant
Magdalene thought they were being taken to an interrogation room. Instead, they were led somewhere not far from Fitzroy Group. After being handcuffed, they were blindfolded. When the blindfolds were removed, harsh lights greeted them. Magdalene's son and daughter sat on either side of her.Dorian was the first to react, his voice sharp with panic. "Lawyer! I want a lawyer!"Laura, in contrast, remained silent, the weight of remorse pressing down on her.A lazy voice cut through the tension. "I don't have a lawyer for you, but I can arrange a lifetime sentence."Laura stiffened instantly. Magdalene turned toward the voice in disbelief. Dorian, though unfamiliar with Aria, recognized her face. Her presence was unforgettable, and the tattoo on her neck had been seared into his memory."Aria?" Laura's voice cracked. "Why is it you?"Aria met her gaze with cool indifference. "Why shouldn't it be me?"Magdalene's experience gave her a sharp intuition. She narrowed her eyes. "How can
Dorian reached out instinctively, but he was too late. Magdalene hit the ground hard, her forehead bruised. How she wished she could just faint and escape this nightmare. But reality was merciless. With her head throbbing, she could only look at Dorian and the chaos engulfing the Fitzroy Group.Dorian's knees trembled with fear. "Mom, what should I do? That bastard must have exposed me! He'll pin everything on me. Mom—""D-Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll get you out of this," Magdalene said, though she was barely holding herself together.But the SWAT team would be here any second.Dorian's face turned deathly pale as a sudden realization struck him. "Mom, you told me to do everything. You said helping the Draycott family tamper with Waymond's financial statements would give us the upper hand!"Magdalene froze. Her outstretched hand dropped as she coughed up blood. "Y-You—!""Don't worry, Mom. Even if you go to jail, I'll come visit you. You're already old, but I still h
Dorian steadied Magdalene, helping her sit down. "Mom, what if Laura refuses to apologize? We need to put an end to this mess online before someone digs too deep.""Don't worry. Your brother is the one involved, and he's already on the plane. No one will link the Grisham family's accounts to you. Even if the police conducted an investigation, they'll only interrogate your brother." Magdalene took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her. Her clothes were stained with Laura's blood, making her feel utterly repulsed. Meanwhile, Dorian relaxed, reassured that he wouldn't be implicated.To him, his half-brother was nothing but an obstacle—a liability who competed for the inheritance. Though Dorian had joined the Fitzroy family late, he had Magdalene's support.Neval, on the other hand, had been nothing but a disgrace, sinking deeper into his gambling addiction. Now, at last, he served his purpose—as a scapegoat.Just as Dorian was savoring that thought, a frantic voice broke thro
Eamon never loved Laura, but he had always respected her. He fulfilled her requests, supported her family, and never strayed. While other wealthy men indulged in affairs, Eamon remained distant and polite, just as he had been in college.Their marriage wasn't filled with passion, but his world still revolved around her, Jett, and his work. Laura had a life many envied—a stable family, a respected position—yet she had only realized its worth too late. Tears welled up in her eyes. If she had been more decisive, things wouldn't have come to this. She could have continued her life as Eamon's wife, reaping its privileges whether love was present or not. Instead, she had listened to her mother and lost everything—her family, her son, and the Grisham family shares she had once taken for granted.She had never even desired those shares. So how had it come to this?Regret twisted inside her, making it hard to breathe. Clutching her shirt, she barely registered the voices around her unt
Magdalene's voice rang out, sharp with indignation. "What an ungrateful wretch! If not for my husband, you wouldn't have achieved any of this!"The PR manager remained unimpressed. "And yet we stayed here for his sake. Otherwise, with their so-called capabilities…" His gaze flickered toward Dorian, who stood frozen in shock. "Your youngest son is a fool blinded by women. He lacks competence and knowledge."As for your eldest, he has potential, but you raised him to be useless. I've been in this business too long to be deceived. You're only doing this to hold on to power."Magdalene's breath hitched. His words cut deep.The PR manager added, "Now that Fitzroy Group belongs to you, clean up the mess yourself."Her hands trembled with fury. She lifted a finger, pointing at the departing figures, but no words came out.Dorian leaned in, his voice hushed yet frantic. "Mom, what do we do? The Guetta family won't even pick up our calls."Magdalene bit down so hard on her lip that the t
The deeper people dug online, the more they painted Eamon as the perfect man—handsome, intelligent, scandal-free. Many began to feel it was a waste for him to have married Laura in the first in the first place. As for Magdalene's accusations, the public remained skeptical. They weren't entirely convinced by her words but were eager to hear the Grisham family's statement. No matter how attractive Eamon was, cheating was unacceptable.Aria stayed out of the online chaos, but she knew exactly who was orchestrating it—Eamon.Since the Fitzroy family refused to acknowledge their wrongdoing, Aria saw no need for restraint. It was time for the final blow."Expose the Fitzroy family's IP addresses," she ordered. "And have the one who photoshopped that image apologize. If he refuses, the dark web forum will make sure he regrets it."Online smear campaigns often relied on bots, just as the Fitzroy family had used them to fabricate rumors about Eamon's infidelity. After tossing out a few mi
Laura's marriage to Eamon had turned her into a laughingstock in Ludwiten. How could that heartless man transfer their marital assets ahead of time? What had she even gained from wasting years in this sham of a marriage?"I want that jerk to pay! Aren't feminists trending right now? Just spin the narrative like they do!"The Fitzroy Group had always been a family-run business, but aside from Magdalene, none of her descendants were competent enough to keep it afloat.The PR manager had long known this. Most senior employees remained loyal out of respect for the late CEO, but after hearing Laura's words, they could only exchange helpless glances. Did these spoiled heirs truly believe the internet could be so easily manipulated? That people would blindly believe whatever was fed to them? How delusional.The reality was damning. The video clearly showed Laura drugging Eamon. Instead of conducting themselves with the dignity befitting an esteemed family, they had resorted to illegal s