Chapter 34: The Host

Ronald and I let out a big sigh of relief and flopped down onto the couch.

The wind and rain outside were finally dying down, and we could even hear the neighbors downstairs chatting about when the power might come back on.

Out of the blue, three ominous knocks reverberated through the door, each strike carrying a chilling weight, a harbinger of unseen dread.

Ronald's voice, tinged with a hint of apprehension, broke the uneasy silence. "Probably the neighbors," he muttered, his words laced with a sense of foreboding curiosity, "wanting to know if I have any inkling as to why the power's gone."

We stood there, suspended in a moment of eerie anticipation. The knocking ceased abruptly, only to be replaced by the sinister sound of a key turning in the lock, each click echoing like a countdown to an unknown terror.

Amidst the dim shadows of the room, my eyes flickered to the calendar—it was Tuesday. With Ronald's son safely at school, it had to be Maria who was opening the door.

As time dragged on, our hearts raced with a sense of impending dread. Doubt crept in—was the Maria about to enter just a person, or something more ghostly?

At the height of tension, the door creaked open slowly, as if welcoming in a mysterious presence. A figure glided in gracefully, their features obscured by uncertainty.

There she was, Maria. Her entrance was eerie, making us question if she was truly alive or a ghostly presence.

"Maria?" Ronald called out.

I could hear the tremor in his voice.

Maria seemed startled, pausing for a moment before she saw us sitting on the couch. "Ronald, Dennis, I thought you guys went out because of the power outage!"

Ronald looked worried, "Where did you go?"

"I went to Mom's place in the neighborhood across the street!" Maria nodded at me in the dark as a greeting, "You forgot, Mom went back to her hometown, and I was worried she might have left a window open, so I went to check."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me?"

"I did, as soon as the rain got heavy, I went to check the windows, and I told you while I was changing my shoes. Maybe you were in the study at the time, and with the rain being so loud, you didn't hear me."

That made sense.

As long as Maria was safe now, that was a relief.

I squinted my eyes and looked at her again, still not seeing anything unusual on her.

Was I just being paranoid? Maybe Maria was just going through menopause or had some mental issues?

The sky outside gradually cleared, and moonlight shone into the room.

Suddenly, I remembered something and walked to the window, looking up.

After a few moments, I saw that white mist in the sky again, which was Cancer.

How weird.

I turned to leave but saw that Maria's head was now also shrouded in a layer of white mist. Squinting my eyes, I could vaguely see the brighter stars of Cancer within the mist, and even the outline of the Cancer Twin-Eared Cup!

A host?

I got it.

Lorenzo had once told me that some Beneware or Malifact extract their essence and power from nature. If they were taken by someone whose star sign matches, they might parasitize that person as their host.

In such a scenario, even after departing the host, their influence could persistently impact the host's life. The Cancer Twin-Eared Cup must have latched onto Maria as its vessel.

If this were true, Maria was headed towards a tragic fate, one that could entangle Ronald and the rest of the family in its grim web.

If no one stepped in, this family could be torn apart in no time.

But with my current abilities, there was no way I could take it on.

I needed to talk to Lorenzo about this.

The clock showed it was eleven at night.

The rain had completely stopped.

I gave Ronald some instructions, but of course, I didn't mention anything about Maria being the host of the Cancer Twin-Eared Cup.

After saying goodbye to them, I hurried back to the café.

Without bothering to wash up, I pulled out that old leather book and started reading.

I had skimmed through it before, and while it had Sunstrike, it didn't mention the cup.

This meant it was a rare occurrence.

Its origin was even more mysterious.

After mulling it over, I knew I had to ask Lorenzo.

The next morning, I got up early, grabbed breakfast for Fiona, and took it to the witch doctor's clinic. After eating together, I headed straight to Lorenzo's place.

After the café moved, Alicia had turned the first floor into her own little paradise, complete with fitness equipment, an e-sports room, and a home theater.

As Lorenzo's adopted child and apprentice, I had a key to his house.

I took out the key and opened the door, and as soon as I stepped in, I saw Alicia in the front hall, working out in her yoga outfit.

The form-fitting yoga outfit highlighted Alicia's graceful curves.

She gracefully bent her long legs, her upper body arching gently, her full, round chest causing me to avert my gaze. Her slender waist, supple as a willow branch, framed an oval face with closed eyes, long lashes, and enticingly delicate skin.

If Fiona had a touch of seductive beauty, Alicia had the beauty of youthful vitality.

If asked which one I wanted, I'd say both!

Alicia was wearing headphones and listening to music, with her eyes closed, so she probably didn't hear me come in.

So, I boldly took a few more glances at her. As I was about to turn eighteen, I was beginning to feel the first stirrings of emotion and desire.

Suddenly, Alicia opened her eyes, and I quickly looked away, but immediately felt it was too obvious, and my face turned red with embarrassment.

"When did you get here?" she asked.

"Just... just now."

"Hey, come over here and help me out, I have a leg cramp, help me lift it."

Lift her leg? This action, wasn't it a bit...