Aria's heart skipped a beat. A tremor ran through her as she touched the plaque, causing the black mist surrounding it to evaporate. The plaque, once at the center of the Soul Lock Manifestation, now rested in her hands."Isn't this too easy?" Aria muttered, lowering her gaze.As she held the plaque in her hand, fragmented scenes suddenly flooded her mind. The chaotic, turbulent images seemed to emanate from the plaque itself.In the visions, a sect was preparing for a wedding. Clouds gathered ominously, and heavenly trials loomed overhead. Aria, wearing a traditional wedding dress, observed as sect members from different clans gathered.Another scene showed her standing atop a mountain stream, her sleeves billowing in the strong wind. Before her stood numerous arcane seekers, accusing her of being a demon who had corrupted their minds.Aria raised an eyebrow at their accusations. "What nonsense," she thought. She didn't even practice the Decatorian arts, let alone involve herself
"They all know what our lineage practices. Our senior just can't receive arcane ascension.""It's because you're all too talented. Some people are afraid you'll gain an unfair advantage and ascend.""Don't just focus on us. I saw you fighting that lizard on the mountain just to catch some fish for her.""Our mentor told us to influence other creatures without using brute force. Don't let her see you behaving like that—I'm afraid she might follow your example.""We can't afford to be lazy either. Now that she's here, we need to work harder.""You're right. I've never liked the people from Mount Dracotigris. Why don't we confront them?""They wouldn't stand a chance if you got involved. But let's not be so harsh on the younger ones. And don't forget to keep your fortune-telling skills under wraps. Your bluntness has caused trouble before—why did you perform a divination on her marriage?""She rarely asks me for divinations. I was worried she might end up with someone unworthy of h
"It was my poor judgment that led me to take in a traitor to my sect," Brian said, his voice heavy with regret. "Because of my mistake, my apprentices and I have been trapped here for hundreds of years." Resentment flickered in his eyes, but he struggled to suppress it."I don't know where he learned the Decatorian Way," he continued. "You and I are both arcane seekers, so you must understand—the resentment lingers even after Decator energy dissipates. He deliberately stoked our bitterness to ensure an Earthbound Manifestation would form after our deaths."Aria regarded him intently. "I thought his manipulation of souls would reveal his motives to you. Wouldn't that realization free you from his control?""The plaque you carry plays a significant role," Brian admitted after a pause. "But that's only part of the reason. As you said, we can't let go of our resentment."His candid words made Aria lift her gaze."He knew exactly what we cared about—our regrets—and used them to provoke
"Kairos, how can you blame yourself for this? You've always protected us, and we grew up together. Who could have known he would suddenly change like that?""Kairos, don't blame yourself. It's my fault for not realizing he had ulterior motives for practicing the Decatorian Way."Brian glanced at Aria again. "If our dying wish is truly affecting the war, we would not rest in peace."The fortune tellers had descended the mountain to save the citizens. Yet, not only were their sects annihilated, but they were also used as catalysts for the Soul Manipulating Manifestation.Now, they had become fuel for the very manifestation they sought to prevent. If Aria were in their position, she, too, would be consumed by hatred. She wished she could kill the traitor herself."Miss, I believe I know what our regret is," Brian said softly, his gaze lingering on his peers."I have an apprentice, Marek Crespo. He's only five years old and a bit mischievous. I didn't tell him we were leaving the mou
Brian looked at Aria with earnest eyes. "What's done is done. He has borne this injustice for so many years. I humbly ask for your help to clear his name and bring the truth to light."Aria raised her eyebrows upon hearing that. "Clearing his name isn't a problem. The challenge lies in finding him. "Based on what you've said, he must have been ostracized by the other sects. Everyone believed him to be a murderer and wanted him dead. He must have concealed his identity—perhaps even changed his name. Without any clues, it will be difficult to track him down."She paused, then added thoughtfully, "Perhaps you can sense which sect he was originally from? That might help me narrow it down by age."Brian chuckled. "It's not as difficult as it seems. My apprentice joined our sect relatively late, so he never revealed his ordination name to the public."However, I assigned him one. It's a secret shared only between us. Knowing his determination, he'll find a way forward even if the other
Brian's eyes glistened with tears. "That's great! With the sect's seal and my handwritten letter, no one will dare to slander him."All my peers know he didn't join any sect because he wanted to return to Mount Mystic. Please, deliver this to him. It will only be useful in the present world; it has no value here."Aria nodded. "Okay."The fortune tellers gazed at her as though they were seeing the long-lost Marek through her.Aria understood their intentions and didn't shy away from their looks. Instead, she addressed them one by one."That's right. I was confused before. You're all my seniors," she said with a small laugh.The presence of laughter during the manifestation began to influence the effect of the Soul Manipulation Manifestation.Brian didn't hesitate. "We have no more unfulfilled wishes. All we hope for now is a safe and peaceful future for our country."As soon as he finished speaking, he took the lead and sat cross-legged in mid-air. He started chanting, preparin
"The Carver family? I thought we intercepted all their information!""It was handled by the man beside me—there's no way there could've been a mistake. Besides, I have my own people inside the Carver family.""You're right. Once we find the intruder, no matter who they are, they'll be dealt with permanently! This territory is under my control!"Morlock suddenly turned to Eddy. Eddy's face went pale, and his expression twisted in terror as Morlock's own features seemed to shift grotesquely, as though shared by two distinct entities.Frozen in fear, Eddy couldn't move a muscle. His wide eyes reflected pure panic."Have Colonel Krieg investigate anyone who might've infiltrated!" Morlock instructed. With a loud thud, Eddy fell to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he stumbled out of the room, trembling violently.Morlock added, "One look will tell him all he needs to know."The door slammed shut on its own, though there wasn't even a whisper of wind.…Meanwhile, Viktor conti
"Wait, this isn't right! We haven't boarded yet, and the only ones on the plane are Colonel Krieg and his adjutant. Why is it taking off?"Viktor listened to the panicked voices around him and suddenly pieced it together. "The enemy is on that fighter jet!"Indeed, it was Aria. With her skills, taking on an entire army alone might be a challenge, but handling three or four Krowonian soldiers—snipers or not—was no issue.The most difficult part of engaging a sniper was pinpointing their location. Luckily for Aria, her time as a sniper in the Special Ops team made this task a breeze.She was determined not to leave the Krowonian military camp without something to show for it. Taking a souvenir back seemed only fair.Taking out the leader would cripple the army. And if it came to negotiations, having a commanding officer as a prisoner would provide valuable leverage.But Aria wasn't causing this commotion without reason. She was baiting a certain fortune teller into revealing himsel
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact