Derek, who had been lost in thought about whether Florence might also be a demon, was startled by her sudden reaction.
’Why is she so surprised? Is it because my bloodline power is sealed now?’ he wondered silently.
Meanwhile, Florence could hardly recover from her shock. ’What happened? That monstrous power I once sensed in him... how can it be gone? Vanished, as if it never even existed?’
Seeing her dazed expression, Martha quickly spoke up. "Miss Elowen, are you alright?"
"Ah... yes." Florence blinked and forced herself back to reality. She turned toward Martha, hesitation flickering in her eyes, as though she wanted to say something but was unsure if she should. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Martha... did something happen to Derek? I mean, some sort of accident?" She glanced at the boy as she asked.
Martha was caught off guard. "Accident? No, Miss Elowen. Why would you ask that?"
"It’s nothing... just wondering. But are you certain? No accident, no strange incident, no difficulties he might have faced recently?"
"Why, Miss Elowen? Please tell us. Did you notice something wrong with him?" Even Daisy, who had been listening quietly, was worried now.
Florence hesitated, her brows knitting together. ’What should I do? I need to know what happened to him... but I can’t ask directly, not without raising suspicion.’
Her silence only made the others more anxious. Martha leaned forward, unable to contain herself. Miss Elowen, you’re really starting to scare us. Please, just tell us what’s going on! Even the last time I came here with Derek, you acted strangely. I still haven’t forgotten about that orb incident."
Derek kept his eyes fixed on Florence. "I wish I could just ask her directly..." he thought.
Florence meanwhile looked troubled. After a moment of silent pondering, she let out a long sigh. "You can both relax. It’s not as if Derek is in any danger. But..." She trailed off, her words hanging in the air.
"But?!" Martha and Daisy blurted out at the same time.
Daisy’s heart tightened. She loved both her younger brothers too much, so much that she had never even wanted Arthur to become a hunter. So the way her master was acting now only made her more anxious, and her worry for Derek grew even heavier.
"Last time you came here, I sensed a strong power inside Derek," Florence began slowly. "That’s why I wanted to test his magic aptitude, even when you told me he was only a cultivator." Her gaze shifted back to Derek. "But now... I can’t feel that power anymore."
Her words left both Martha and Daisy baffled. Daisy had been so little back then... after all, it was ten years ago, but fragments of that day still lingered in her memory. She remembered Derek touching the orb. At first, nothing happened. And then... it shattered. That scene was etched into her mind forever.
"So you mean... when that orb broke back then, it wasn’t because it was old or defective?" Daisy asked, eyes widening as she turned to Derek.
Derek stayed silent, though his mind spun with thoughts. ’Just as I suspected... she truly sensed it back then. And now she’s shocked because it’s sealed.’
"Yes," Florence confirmed firmly. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI~Fire.net
Daisy quickly looked at her brother. "Little one, have you ever felt it? The power Master is talking about?"
"No," Derek answered hesitantly. Inside, guilt twisted in his chest. ’I’m sorry for lying, Sister. But if I say yes, you’ll only keep asking questions and that will just make you and Mother worry even more.’
"Perhaps he didn’t know how to use it, which is why he never felt it," Florence interjected. "But it was there. I can even bet on it."
"And now you’re saying that power isn’t there anymore? How can that be?" Martha asked, staring at Florence in disbelief. "These things don’t just... change over time, do they?"
Florence shook her head slowly. "No, it doesn’t change. That’s why even I am shocked right now. Once a child is born, he was born with a specific kind of power, and that kind of power doesn’t simply vanish into thin air."
Her words settled over them like a heavy weight. The room grew silent. No one spoke. The only sound was the faint crackle of the lantern light in the corner.
Suddenly an idea popped into Daisy’s head. "Then... should we check again? With the aptitude orb?" Her voice was hesitant, but her eyes burned with determination. "If we test him now, at least we’ll know for sure."
Martha hesitated, clearly torn, but Florence’s gaze lit up with realization. "Yes. That’s a brilliant idea." She reached into her storage pouch and carefully drew out a crystal orb, its surface faintly glowing with a pale silver light.
Derek’s eyes narrowed as he watched her place it on the table before him. He felt an odd tightness in his chest.
Florence pushed the orb toward Derek. "Derek, place your hand on it. Don’t be nervous."
Martha and Daisy leaned forward unconsciously, both of them tense, while Derek stared at the orb in silence. His heart pounded. ’How will anything happen? My power is sealed. No matter what I do, nothing will show.’
Still, under the weight of their expectant gazes, Derek raised his hand slowly and pressed it against the orb.
And as Derek expected.... Nothing happened.
The orb sat lifeless, as if it were just a piece of dead glass. Seconds ticked by, stretching endlessly. Daisy’s breath hitched, and Martha’s hand gripped her dress tightly. Florence’s brows furrowed, confusion clouding her face.
And Derek thought, almost bitterly, ’See? As I expected... nothing. This power is sealed forever.’
But just as that thought crossed his mind....
A faint line ran across the orb’s surface.
Everyone’s eyes widened.
The lines spread faster and faster until....
The orb exploded in a burst of light, fragments scattering across the table before fading into nothing.
The room fell into utter silence.