"Why did she always get herself into trouble?"
"I just wanted to ask her what she knows about the book."
The book wasn't just any book; it was an ancient, powerful that had gifted many gods and goddesses with supernatural powers and weapons, both for good and evil.
Rock Star Royal, that abandoned, eerie university and she sitting before Lord Lease's statue… and somehow managing to draw the book perfectly, without missing a single detail. All of it was caught, thanks to the camera he had secretly installed because of her.
"You might be wrong. No one knows what the book actually looks like," Cynthia said. "No mortal has ever seen it before," she added.
"That's right," Cynthia whispered, "no one knows what the book looks like... so how did you know?"
Henry smiled darkly. "You're wrong, Mrs. Cynthia. My grandfather is the oldest bookkeeper alive. He knew exactly what the Book looked like. There's an unfinished drawing of it hidden within the Book of the Four Most Powerful Lycan Kingdoms."
Cynthia's frown deepened. Her mother used to tell her stories about those kingdoms, but she'd always dismissed them as fairy tales. "Are they real?" she asked innocently, playing along.
"Yes," Jerry replied. "They exist. They're immortals, the strongest werewolves in history. Cursed... and empowered by the forbidden magic drawn from the Book of Aethers."
Henry's eyes narrowed. "I saw the shadow of the book in Rock Star Royal. The thrones meant for the King and Queen of the Year when merged together, form the outline of the book."
He leaned forward. "And that shadow only appears at dusk. When the sun is down and the electric lights come on... the hidden diagram becomes visible."
Cynthia frowned. That school… it held too many creepy secrets. No wonder the government banned it. The owner had been nothing short of insane.
Henry left out one crucial detail, he had seen the book in a dream. He couldn't make out its full shape, but the power it radiated… he could feel it, like smoke rising from burning firewood. It made a low, unsettling sound, like heavy industrial engines groaning in the distance.
But he couldn't tell anyone that. Not yet. His mission was clear....investigate the suspect, Kelsey.
Her presence, and that of her so called mother, had disturbed the balance. They had been living in the country for decades under forged identities. Upon all the investigations they did, there was no record of Cynthia being her biological mother, nor had Kelsey ever been adopted from any orphanage. There was no trace of her origin at all. That was enough reason for MHs to consider eliminating them before they posed a threat to the human race.
"I just want to negotiate with her," Henry muttered, mostly to himself. "I know more about that book than anyone else. That's why I'm here." He needed to play along gain their trust, and perhaps hers.
A soft voice broke the silence. "What exactly do you know about the book?" Startled, all three turned their heads.
Kelsey stood quietly on the staircase, one hand gripping the rail. Her presence sent a chill down the room. Three pairs of eyes locked on her, each with different expressions but all of them were filled with unease.
Kelsey wore a short black doll gown, her inky shoulder length hair left loose, matching the dark shade of her lipstick and her the black crow perched silently on her shoulder.
Henry chuckled at the sight. "You look so much like the Luna of the Golden Kingdom."
She raised a brow. "So, you know everything about the book and its legends?"
"Well, you're right," he replied with a hint of pride. "The only person I don't know much about is Alpha Lease…"
That caught Kelsey's attention. She stepped closer, her expression sharp. "Tell me everything in exchange for the diagram and what I know about it," she said confidently.
Jerry gave her an approving salute. This girl… one in a million. "Agreed," Henry nodded. "But you'll speak first. My story's longer than you can imagine."
To his surprise, Kelsey handed over the diagram without hesitation. "I used to see the book in my dreams,"
"I went to the statue because I saw the man in my dream," Kelsey added, she couldn't see his face clearly but she's very sure he's Alpha Lease.
Henry's heart skipped. "You saw Lord Lease?"
"Yes."
"Kelsey, don't fall for their tricks," Cynthia cut in sharply. "These mutant hunters knew what they're doing."
Henry and Jerry laughed. "You don't need to worry about that, ma'am,", trying to sound reassuring. "It's too dangerous for your daughter to go out now." Since her name was written among the suspects in their headquarter.
They were lying, and Kelsey knew it. "What did he say to you?" Henry asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"Nothing," Kelsey replied coolly. "He gave me the book." She crossed her legs calmly, her cheeks flushing slightly. She chose to skipped the part where the man kissed her, where he told her he want her.
What confused her most was when he said he want her back. Back? How? He claimed she was trapped in a powerful dark magic cast by a witch and her servant...
Kelsey's eyes drifted to Cynthia. This woman… she didn't look like her at all.
Henry stared at the diagram in his hands, satisfied. For the first time, the full image of the legendary book was clear.
"You're the first person to see that man in your dreams," Henry said, smirking. "You talk to trees, snakes... and I heard your little pet can speak like a human."
"Shut up!" Cynthia snapped. "I said my daughter is not a mutant!"
"Then why does she look exactly like the Luna of the Golden Pack?" Henry pulled out an old faded photo.
The woman in the picture was stunning and mature, elegant, and powerful. But her face... it was identical to Kelsey's.
Kelsey glanced at it without a hint of suspicion. "Maybe that's my great grandmother,"
Henry frowned. "This is you," he said firmly. "The photo may be old, but that doesn't change what we know. Technology was already highly advanced at that time. When the MHS was established, we had surveillance systems everywhere. This isn't the only image we have several of you, even with a child."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "There's only one explanation," Henry continued. "You're a time traveller."
Jerry gave a slow nod. "They taught us about the ancient legends, about mythologies. How beings like you move through time… sometimes unaware."
Kelsey went quiet, stunned but not surprised. Deep down, some part of her had always known.