A strange, twisted, faint ripple flashed by, so swift that Caine almost doubted he had imagined it. Hadn't he mastered his inspiration to a near-proficiency, he might very well have overlooked this anomaly. Thinking of his sister upstairs, Caine furrowed his brow, tightened his staff, passed the bathroom, and turned toward the Wood family stairs. He hurried upward, guided by the lingering traces of inspiration, and reached the door of the living room near the balcony. It should be here, he murmured, raising his hand and lightly tapping his brow twice. One by one, "fields" seeped through the walls and wooden doors into his vision—most of them displaying normal hues, though their outlines remained blurred. Yet one stood out: its surface shimmered with an eerie blend of black and green, slowly spreading inward. "There's definitely something wrong," Caine said, his expression now deeply serious, as he reached out with his right hand to unlace the silver chain wrapped around his left wrist. He held the silver chain in his left hand, allowing the yellow crystal pendant to hang naturally before him. When the swaying settled, he traced the luminous sphere and silently murmured to himself: "There exists a supernatural hazard within the room directly in front of me." — Typically, the "soul-swing method" is suited only for divination concerning personal matters or localized, objective conditions. Thus, Klein's phrasing is notably precise: "hazard" implies an impact on himself, while "the room" is immediately before him. ... "There exists a supernatural hazard within the room directly in front of me." He repeated this phrase seven times in succession, and upon opening his eyes, he observed the yellow crystal pendant rotating clockwise at a swift pace. This clearly indicates that a supernatural hazard indeed exists within the room—and one of significant intensity! Serena, a devoted enthusiast of the occult, had encountered serious difficulties during a ritual she led with her friends—what now? Klein rubbed his brow, rewrapped the pendant neatly, and then knocked gently on the door. Knock. Knock. Knock. He tapped three times with a steady rhythm, his face bright with a warm smile. With a soft creak, the door opened, and Melissa, dressed in a new dress, appeared before Cline. "Clay, what's up?" The girl was surprised to see her brother arrive. (Please remember 101??????.?????? website to watch the fastest chapter updates) Cline smiled freely, without any trace of cloudiness, and replied, "I heard you were having a great time—I just wanted to see how things were going." "Sorry to have disturbed you," Melissa apologized, lowering her head modestly. "We're playing mirror divination, and Selena knows a lot about it—she really enjoys it." Mirror divination... Sisters, why don't you try pen-and-paper spirit writing or table-tapping instead? Cline shook his head, both amused and exasperated. His gaze passed over Melissa and settled on the living room, where he saw Selena, bright-eyed and cheerful, with deep dimples in her cheeks. Yet in his spiritual vision, the young girl with wine-red hair carrying a silver mirror was being eroded more severely by that strange black-green aura. Rapidly shifting his thoughts, Caine carefully weighed his words: "Ah, I won't disturb your game anymore. By the way, where is Elizabeth? I just spoke with her about the grammar of the Gufsaq language—she had some questions she'd like to discuss with me." "Elizabeth?" Melissa studied her brother from head to toe, speaking with an odd emphasis, "She's only sixteen herself." Huh, what do you think you're trying to say? Caine immediately explained: "This is a perfectly normal academic conversation—Elizabeth has always been deeply interested in history and ancient languages." Melissa then gazed at her brother with a more thoughtful intensity before saying, "She's inside—I'll have her come out." "Very well." Caine stepped back, stepping away from the doorway. As he watched his sister turn around, he unconsciously exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful that the danger had not befallen Melissa. He had only waited a few seconds when Elizabeth, looking puzzled, stepped out and asked, "Mr. Moretti, what exactly is it you need? I never said I was particularly interested in history or ancient languages..." Just then, her words were interrupted by Mr. Crane's serious and solemn expression, causing her entire body to stiffen as though she had sensed an unpleasant 'taste' in the air. Elizabeth nearly raised her voice and quickly reached out to cover her mouth. After thinking for a moment, Caine said, "I know that simple words may not convince you. Now, return to the sitting room and, while Selena is not looking, secretly glance at the front side of the mirror she's always kept hidden from you." "How do you know she hasn't shown us the front of the mirror?" Elizabeth asked immediately. According to our night-watch records, in over ninety percent of cases involving evil 'mirror divination,' such a situation occurs... Caine smiled slightly. "Common sense." When Elizabeth reentered the room, puzzled and apprehensive, the calm, composed smile on his face vanished, replaced by a look of deep concern. Though both were in the northern district, it would take at least 15 minutes by public carriage from Fania Street to Zothlan Street—one way, and the return trip—so by the time the captain and his team arrived, the situation would likely have deteriorated beyond repair. If only Bensun and Melissa were here... But I simply can't handle these hidden, unknown entities. Is there any way to temporarily contain them? Ah, yes—Serena is a devotee of mysticism. Her room should be well stocked with distilled waters, essential oils, and herbs. While Caine was desperately thinking of solutions, Elizabeth casually invented a reason to discuss matters with someone and settled beside Serena. "Could you please cast a spell to tell me when I will meet a romantic, handsome gentleman?" the young woman across from her sipped her wine, her cheeks flushed and her voice trembling slightly under the amused glances of the others. Serena cleared her throat twice, seriously running her fingers along the back of the mirror and asking, "Mirror, mirror, tell me when the gentleman in Unina's heart will finally appear?" She repeated the phrase three times. Then, she picked up the mirror and brought it close to her face. Seizing the opportunity, Elizabeth suddenly leaned sideways and peered over. As expected, she thought she would see Serena's face reflected in the glass, along with her own half-face. Yet, all she saw was Serena—only Serena. In the small mirror, Serena stood fully framed, and the entire scene was dark, with Serena standing at the center, her expression cold and stern. Elizabeth froze, suddenly stepping back, leaning against the sofa backrest, and for a moment forgot to breathe. She trembled uncontrollably, unable to find an excuse, and quickly rose, stumbling toward the door, refusing to look back at the radiant Serena. "The gentleman from Uniña will appear on the Sunday of the second week six months from now..." Elizabeth's cheerful voice opened the door, and there, in the shadow of the wall lamp, stood Crane, dressed in a tailcoat and wearing a half-high silk hat. "Mr. Moretti, I—I..." she stammered, unable to speak. Crane smiled calmly. "Please don't disturb the ladies inside." Infused by his smile, Elizabeth found herself calmer. She reached for the door handle and quickly stepped toward the wall lamp. "I saw it—I saw only Celine in the mirror, that Celine, so like a demon..." she whispered. Indeed... Crane grew more serious, his voice steady. "Do you know which room is Celine's bedroom? Do you know where her occult items are kept?" "There it is—the occult items are also there," Elizabeth said without hesitation, pointing to the room across the hall. Caine held his staff and walked forward, turning the wooden door that wasn't locked. With the roadlights streaming in from the window and the deep crimson moonlight above, he opened the valve and lit the gas lamp. "Calmer, don't worry," Kline said with a gentle smile. "You simply need to return to the sitting room, sit beside Serenela, and after five minutes—yes, five minutes—use the excuse that you'd like to surprise her, and bring her here. Gently knock on the door—long, then two short. After that, everything will be up to me." Elizabeth silently reviewed the instructions, then nodded seriously. "Understood." Watching her return to the sitting room, Kline glanced at his watch, closed the door to Serenela's bedroom, and then swiftly cleared the desk, placing the items he needed one by one onto the chair. Next, he took two candles with a subtle fragrance and positioned them in the upper left and upper right corners of the desk. These were the symbols of "The Red Lord" and "The Queen of Trials and Fear." Klein will hold the ritual here, drawing upon the power of the Night Goddess to counter the mysterious, unknown entity affecting Selena! Since he is only a Sequence 9 and his ritual magic is not yet powerful enough, he must ensure that Elizabeth brings Selena into the "Sealing Circle" and into the "Altar" zone for success. Therefore, he must also anticipate and prepare for the possibility that Selena becomes aware and resists. Based on these considerations, Klein has decided to employ a "disruptive" ritual magic.