Chapter 292

Chapter 292
Lira's POV

"We haven't told everyone the full story yet," Nathan explained. "A few days ago, we discovered that Linda might not be who she appears to be."

"She's connected to Bruce," I added, my tone heavy, "and we suspect she's using mind control on my father."

A wave of shocked murmurs circled the table. Lily put down her fork, frowning deeply. "Like what Bruce did to us?"

"Very similar," Stella nodded, her gaze serious, "but different in method. This is magical control maintained through an object."

"What evidence do you have?" Austin asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

I took a deep breath, composing myself before explaining: "I saw her in town today."

Everyone froze, all eyes turning to me. "WHAT?" Lily exclaimed.

Nathan's brow furrowed, his eyes filled with concern: "Why didn't you tell me sooner? What if she had hurt you?" His hand instinctively tightened around my arm.

I gently patted his hand, reassuring him. "I'm fine, really. It was just a brief conversation."

Stella's expression grew even more serious as she stared at me. "What did she say?"

"She threatened me," I continued, recalling the disturbing encounter. "She said if I kept 'talking trash about her' to my father, we'd have problems. More importantly, I noticed she was wearing a strange ruby pendant."

"That must be the control object," Stella sat up straight. "As I said before, the spell on your father is the kind that doesn't disappear when the caster dies because it's anchored to an object. Even though Bruce is dead, as long as Linda possesses that object, the control continues."

"But wait," Lily interjected, frowning. "If Bruce set the spell, how can Linda use it? That kind of powerful magic isn't something just anyone can control."

Rebecca's eyes suddenly grew distant, as if searching through buried memories. "Bruce did have an assistant... a blonde woman... we only saw her a few times. We thought she was just his apprentice, but now that I think about it..."

"They must have been working together," Nathan picked up. "After Alexander died, Linda needed help to fulfill her father's plan. She found Bruce, who saw an opportunity to use her for revenge. A perfect partnership."

"And she's definitely a werewolf," I said firmly. "When I mentioned calling my dad, her eyes flashed gold—not like the controlled flash in my father's eyes, but real werewolf eyes." Like a beast ready to lunge and tear me apart.

"Just like her father," Nathan nodded in confirmation. "Alexander was a powerful pureblood werewolf, and she clearly inherited his abilities."

"So what's her plan now?" Austin asked, his voice tight with tension. "Just kill Lira's father?"

"That's only the beginning," Stella said gravely. "Based on what we know, she's still trying to obtain the power of the magic stone. To get it, she needs the heart of the stone's bearer—which is Lira's heart."

"Shit, that's disgusting!" Lily blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry, but this is insane."

"The issue is," Margaret pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest, "accessing the magic stone requires magical support from a powerful coven. Bruce is dead, so where's her coven?"

"Unless she's trying to break the forgetting spell my mother set," I suddenly realized, cold sweat running down my spine. "To reignite the war between witches and werewolves, then exploit the chaos."

"Can the control stone control others?" I asked, a terrible idea forming in my mind. If she could control more people...

"With the right spell and enough DNA," Stella nodded gravely. "She could even control multiple people simultaneously."

"Oh God," I gasped, suddenly understanding everything. "So her supposed visits to relatives... weren't to relatives at all! She's been collecting DNA samples! She wants to break the spell to start a war, then manipulate the situation with the control stone, ultimately killing me to get the magic stone!"

"Not only that," Nathan added, a cold gleam in his eyes. "She also wants revenge for me killing her father."

"But my mother's spell was incredibly powerful," I shook my head in confusion. "How could Linda possibly break it?"

"She needs five elemental crystals," Stella explained, lowering her voice further. "Water, Fire, Earth, Air, and Spirit—each guarded by a powerful witch. With all five crystals together, she could reverse Ivy's spell."

The room fell into dead silence, broken only by the crackling of logs in the fireplace.

"Linda's been gone for weeks," I whispered, a bone-deep fear gripping me. "She might already have collected those crystals..."


Third Person POV

Sophie sat on a couch in the student lounge, a textbook open before her, but her eyes merely stared at the pages without absorbing a single word. Lily sat across from her, watching with concern.

"You've been distracted all day," Lily pointed out, closing her notebook.

"Just worried about Lira," Sophie managed a weak smile, trying to hide her inner turmoil.

Suddenly, a strange sensation hit her—a tingling that started at the back of her neck and quickly spread throughout her body. No, not now...

"Sophie?" Lily's voice became distant, as if through thick glass.

The lounge walls, sofas, and tables began to melt and twist, replaced by an entirely different scene—a bedroom with photos of Alan Anderson and young Lira hanging on the walls. Sunlight filtered through curtains, casting the floor in gold.

Linda entered the room, heading straight for a wooden chest in the corner, from which she retrieved a small black pouch. Her face showed a twisted joy, her eyes glimmering with sick delight.

"I only need one more... the purple one," she muttered to herself, greedily eyeing the faint glow from the pouch.

Alan's voice came from the doorway, causing Linda to quickly close the chest. "Linda? You're back early. I just spoke with Lira and Nathan. They had some... strange ideas about you."

Linda's expression instantly changed, becoming cold and focused. Her fingers gripped the pendant, her eyes fixed on Alan. "You don't believe anything she said... she's lying to you... you love me more than anything... including your daughter."

Sophie watched a shadow pass over Alan's eyes, his expression becoming hollow, his voice mechanical and flat. "Yes, of course... I love you very much, Linda."

As Linda began unbuttoning Alan's shirt, smiling with satisfaction, the vision suddenly shattered. Sophie gasped back to reality, breathing heavily, her head pounding.

"Sophie!" Lily frantically shook her shoulders, her face filled with fear. "My God, are you okay? You were convulsing!"

The lounge door suddenly opened, and training camp instructor Robert walked in, his sharp eyes immediately locking onto Sophie.

"Miss Wilson," he said seriously. "Please come with me immediately."

"She just had an episode," Lily protectively stood in front of Sophie. "She needs rest!"

"I understand visions can't be controlled," Robert said calmly. "But someone needs to speak with her urgently. It's extremely important."

In Robert's office, a tall woman stood by the window, her back to the door. When she turned, Sophie noticed a shimmering purple crystal pendant hanging from her neck.

"Hello, Sophie," the woman said, her voice painfully familiar.

Sophie trembled, her voice shaking almost beyond recognition.

"Mom?"