At the Department of Supernatural Suppression, a grayish smoke streamed through the air into the central laboratory, then unfurled into a floating message. Glowing crimson letters materialized, shimmering midair:
"Encounter with an Ascendant contracted to a Great-Life-level entity. Extreme danger. Request immediate assistance from Suppression Unit."
Madam Esther, an elderly woman with snow-white hair, wearing a long black robe and a circular wheel-shaped pendant, immediately sprang up from her desk. Her grave expression revealed deep concern.
"Call an emergency meeting this instant!" she yelled. "Alert every division to prepare for deployment!"
In less than five minutes, the main conference room was filled with the department's high-ranking officers. All bore tense expressions.
Madam Esther stood at the front of the room, bracing both palms on the heavy oak table. "We have a Level-1 crisis. We've received a report that someone has made a pact with a Great-Life-level entity."
A ripple of shock swept through the assembly, some swearing under their breath.
"The special Suppression Unit must be ready to move within fifteen minutes," Madam Esther ordered. "Prepare every magical device we have, and notify all support teams to stand by. We can't predict what we'll be facing."
While everyone jotted down her commands in haste, one assistant raised a hand. "What about Edward's team? Are they still in the area, or…?"
Madam Esther shook her head. "We have no further information, so we must assume they're in danger."
Suddenly, the conference room door burst open, and a young officer hurried in, breathless. "Pardon me, Madam! The Special Investigation Unit's carriage just arrived. They're badly injured—need urgent help!"
Madam Esther turned at once. "Send the medical squad to assist! And bring anyone who can give us details here immediately. We must know everything they've been through."
Several staff members rushed out to carry out her orders. Moments later, the same officer returned, this time accompanied by Andrew, looking drained and slightly injured.
"Madam Esther," the officer said quickly, "this is Andrew from the Investigation Unit. He's the least injured and can provide a report."
She gave a curt nod, her sharp gaze fixed on Andrew. "Report. What exactly happened out there?"
Andrew swallowed hard, eyes sweeping the room full of high-ranking personnel. Then he began his account: "We… we encountered an Ascendant contracted to a Great-Life entity. It was… horrifying… She was a young woman, but she could manipulate these blood-red sinews, and there were walking corpses with her."
He paused, battling to steady himself, then recounted everything from beginning to end. The entire hall buzzed with alarm. Madam Esther raised a hand to silence them, then turned to Professor Lawrence, head of the Technology Division.
"Professor," she addressed him, "based on what we've heard, which type of Ascendant power might this be?"
Professor Lawrence stroked his gray beard in deep thought. "It sounds like a mind-control or puppet-type ability, plus those blood threads. If it matches what I suspect, it's likely a high-level Puppeteer-type Ascendant. And yes, it does match a Great-Life-level signature."
Madam Esther looked back to Andrew. "And Edward? How is he?"
Andrew's voice trembled. "He tried entering her mind, rewriting her memory, but… he was severely hurt by it."
The chief of the Suppression Unit let out a long sigh, her gnarled fingers gripping the golden wheel pendant at her neck. "We have no time to waste. Suppression Unit, deploy immediately."
She turned to the communications officer. "And contact the High Commander. Inform them we need further reinforcements. We're dealing with a Great-Life-level threat."
The conference room erupted into urgent activity again, staff scattering to fulfill their tasks. Madam Esther stood still, gazing out the window with a somber expression.
…
Rain pelted the windows of the convalescence ward at the Department of Supernatural Suppression and Protection of Hydelyn. Inside that ward, Charles lay inert on a bed, face ashen, sweat beading on his brow, his body shivering intermittently. The grisly events replayed in his mind like a nightmare that refused to let him wake.
The image of the bloodstained woman clad in white, of slithering crimson sinews like writhing tentacles, of those lifeless yet moving faces, and worst of all, that single glimpse of the Great-Life entity he saw before blacking out.
The horror was too much for a mortal mind to bear. His consciousness tried frantically to blot it out, but the more he struggled, the clearer it became. Waves of pain coursed through him, an excruciating sensation like thousands of insects devouring him from within.
A ward physician looked Charles over, worry etched in every crease of his face. The detective's pulse was frail and arrhythmic, breathing erratic—sometimes halting for seconds at a time.
On the next bed lay Edward, also unconscious. Though his face was as pallid as Charles's, he wore a calmer expression. His body had taken massive damage resisting that higher entity's gaze, but being an Ascendant of high caliber, he had endured more than his ordinary teammate.
Joseph sat between them, one hand pressed against his temple. His own eyes were bloodshot and face drained of color. Though he wasn't as gravely wounded, using his powers to stave off the woman's onslaught still had taken its toll.
Andrew hovered nearby, gently patting Joseph's shoulder. "You should rest. You don't look good at all."
Joseph shook his head. "I'm fine. I just… want to watch over them."
Andrew sighed. "I'm worried about them too, but there's nothing more we can do. All we can do is wait and pray they recover."
…
Meanwhile, outside the same house Charles's group had fled, a shroud of tense stillness pervaded. The rain drummed incessantly, but it couldn't wash away the lingering dread that clung to the walls.
All around stood members of the Suppression Unit, cloaked in black, forming a cordon. Their faces mirrored dread, eyes locked on the front entrance, expecting something monstrous to emerge at any moment.
In front of the door stood an elderly figure, her face lined with age yet her gaze razor-sharp—Madam Esther, Head of the Special Suppression Unit of Hydelyn.
She wore a man's styled black outfit tailored for swift movement, crafted from fine cloth. A golden wheel pendant hung from her neck. She clutched that pendant in one hand, her keen eyes fixed on the darkness inside the house.
Beside her stood a young man with pale complexion and cloudy blue eyes, exuding an aura of powerful authority. This was the High Commander of the Department of Supernatural Suppression and Protection.
"Raise the barrier," he said calmly.
At once, the operatives planted metal stakes in the ground, forming a translucent perimeter around the property.
"If anything emerges from that house without clearance," he continued in a commanding voice, "do not look, do not listen, do not touch. Under any circumstances."
They all nodded grimly. Their eyes were filled with fear, yet also resolute commitment.
Madam Esther paused at the threshold, closing her eyes. The hand holding the golden wheel pendant lifted to her chest, and she recited a muted prayer, her raspy voice carrying above the rain:
"O Great Scribe, Master of all that is written, Author of our destinies. Grant us victory, shield us from evil. Let the Wheel of Time cast out the malice within. And bring peace back to our land."
When she finished, she opened her eyes, a stern determination burning there. She nodded to the High Commander, signaling that she was ready.
Together, they crossed the threshold into the building.
The instant they entered, all sound of the downpour vanished, as if the outside world had been severed. Inside, the air felt icy, the pressure oppressive, clinging to the walls and floors.
They advanced cautiously, checking each room. Madam Esther's sharp gaze swept the surroundings, missing no detail. The High Commander cast his eyes about, using his powers to peer into the past. Scenes replayed like visions, echoing in his mind's eye.
He saw Edward's group fleeing in terror, their faces distorted with dread. He saw Charles's moment of hopelessness the first time they stepped inside. But that wasn't enough—he pressed deeper, seeking the root cause of this nightmare.
Beyond the present, past the illusions, the High Commander finally glimpsed what he needed: the beginning of this whole tragedy, as though he stood there to witness the original spark.