CHAPTER 100: 100. EMERGENCE OF DOOM

It was early in the morning, around 8:30 a.m., when Laura arrived at Mrs. Spencer’s apartment.

She had come to urgently discuss what she discovered during her visit to Maria and what Beta Gilbert was secretly plotting against her friend.

The moment Laura stepped into the living room, she met Hadizah, the witch, already prepared to leave.

Mrs. Spencer was standing beside her, and both of them were just about to walk out of the house when Laura suddenly appeared.

They were both surprised to see Laura so early, especially since she hadn’t informed Mrs. Spencer about her coming.

"Laura, what are you doing here this early? Is everything alright with you?" Mrs. Spencer asked, concern written all over her face.

"I’m fine, but I don’t think Maria will be okay if we don’t act quickly to help her," Laura said, her face tight with worry.

"Calm down, Laura. Come, sit here and talk to us," Hadizah said gently. The three of them returned to the living room and took their seats, waiting for Laura to explain further.

Once seated, both women watched Laura curiously, eager to hear what had brought her here in such urgency.

"I was at the Gilbert mansion yesterday, with Cassandra. I managed to listen to Beta Gilbert’s thoughts, and he’s planning to dig into Maria’s life and mine. He feels threatened by me, and now he’s bent on investigating me. I’m not bothered about him coming after me, but I’m really worried about Maria," Laura confessed, the tension in her voice clearly showing.

Mrs. Spencer sat forward, her brows drawn together. "Okay, I hear you, Laura. But what exactly does he want to know about Maria?"

Laura sighed. "He kept thinking about quickly getting his hands on the staff of office. But how Maria connects to that is what I don’t understand."

"That has always been his target," Mrs. Spencer said with a small chuckle, her voice calm but firm. "Don’t worry. As long as they don’t have access to the staff of office, they can’t harm Maria."

Laura looked at her in confusion. "What is the staff of office, ma’am?"

"The staff of office is what gives an Alpha the highest power and authority. Only someone from the Alpha bloodline or someone connected to the last Alpha by blood can handle it and pass it on to the next Alpha. That’s why they need Maria—to pass it to Bernard so he can gain the full power of the Alpha," Mrs. Spencer explained patiently.

The explanation made Laura’s eyes widen in realization. "So nothing can happen to Maria, right?"

"Yes. And if there’s anyone to worry about right now, it’s you, not Maria," Mrs. Spencer said with a sharp, meaningful look.

"Me? Why should anyone be worried about me, ma’am?" Laura asked, shocked by Mrs. Spencer’s words.

"You said Beta Gilbert is planning to investigate you. He is not the kind of man who gives up easily. Once he starts something, he will push until he finds what he’s looking for," Hadizah said, her voice steady and clear.

"Yes, I know that, ma’am. But I’m not afraid of him," Laura said firmly, her voice filled with determination.

"My dear child, this isn’t about fear. It’s about protecting the quest. Maria is your quest, and no one must discover your abilities. If they do, your quest is in danger, and that’s not something we can allow," Mrs. Spencer said carefully, her tone calm but serious.

Laura nodded quickly, her concern deepening. "So, what should we do now, ma’am?"

"Don’t worry, we have people in place to handle that. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing. And most importantly, act like you don’t know anything. I believe you must have said or done something to make him suspect you in the first place," Mrs. Spencer advised, staring deeply into Laura’s eyes.

"Okay, ma’am. I’ll be more careful from now on and try to keep everything looking simple," Laura promised, her voice low with remorse.

After their discussion, Hadizah stood up to continue her journey. Her small travel bag rested by her side.

Just as she reached to pick it up, she suddenly heard a loud, sharp noise ringing in both ears.

"What’s that noise?" Hadizah asked, turning quickly to face Mrs. Spencer and Laura, her eyes wide with alarm.

Both women were shocked by her question. They had heard nothing.

"What noise, my friend?" Mrs. Spencer asked, growing concerned.

"I heard a very loud noise in both of my ears," Hadizah said again, clearly disturbed by the experience.

Still shaken but ready to leave, Hadizah picked up her bag and walked toward the door, while Mrs. Spencer and Laura followed closely behind.

Just as she stepped outside, a deep, echoing voice boomed directly into her ears:

"We, the dark beasts, have come out in our legions... we will surely unleash ourselves on her!"

Hadizah froze, her heart pounding. She shouted in terror and stumbled backward.

Mrs. Spencer and Laura were immediately alarmed by her reaction. The fear on Hadizah’s face terrified them both.

"What is it? Why did you scream like that?" Mrs. Spencer asked, her curiosity now mixed with growing fear.

"We forgot to seal the path we opened when we brought Maria back. The dark beasts have come out in their legions to possess anyone they can find. We’re in serious danger now!" Hadizah cried out, her face pale with fear.

Laura stood there, completely confused. "What are you both talking about?" she asked, desperate for clarity.

Mrs. Spencer and Hadizah exchanged a quick glance, then looked back at Laura.

In one breath, they both shouted, "We are in great doom! Everyone is now in serious danger!"

***

At the mansion, Maria woke up later than usual, feeling well-rested from a peaceful night’s sleep. As soon as she opened her eyes, she headed straight to the bathroom to relieve herself, wash her face, and brush her teeth.

When she returned to her room, she was greeted by something that instantly froze her in place.

A mobile phone sat quietly on her bed.

Maria’s heart raced. She hadn’t left a phone there. She hadn’t even brought one to the mansion.

She stared at it, unsure of what to do, her mind racing with a thousand questions. How did the phone get here? Who brought it? When?

Her shock deepened when the phone suddenly started ringing.

Goosebumps crawled over her skin.

The phone rang again, and this time Maria decided to summon her courage. She walked cautiously toward the bed and picked it up, hands trembling.

A familiar voice came through the other end.

"Hello, Maria... this is Mr. Frederick. I wanted to check on you. How are you doing?"

Maria stood frozen, her heart pounding. She could barely speak.

"Maria, are you there? I know this must be a shock, but I need to speak to you about something very important, and I can’t let the day pass without this conversation. Please, speak to me," Mr. Frederick urged.

Maria forced herself to speak, though her voice was soft. "Speak on, sir. I can hear you."

But even as she answered, one question consumed her mind; ’How did this phone appear in my room, with no sign of anyone breaking in or leaving a trace?’