Chapter 171
Sophia pointed a finger at Odalys’s nose while her face was distorted by fury.
The others were dumbfounded by her being unreasonable.
When they intended to pull her away, Odalys grabbed her finger and bent it hard. After a crack, Sophia’s finger was backward.
“Ouch!” Sophia cried out in pain.
With horror, she stared at Odalys.
“How dare you break my finger? Odalys, are you out of your mind?” Sophia roared with rage.
Sneering, Odalys gripped Sophia’s finger.
She said, “You are out of your mind. How dare you slander me? I know you well, though others don’t.
“Don’t you want to throw dirt on me? Who do you think you are?
“Listen, don’t point your finger at me again unless you don’t need it anymore.” Speaking, she exerted some force.
After another crack, Sophia’s finger was back in place.
The sharp pain brought a flood of tears down Sophia’s cheeks.
Odalys’s push made Sophia stagger backward, lose her balance, and fall to the ground.
“Get out of my way! If you don’t, I’ll break your neck,” Odalys warned coldly.
Scared, Sophia instinctively moved aside, watched Odalys walk past her, and then got back on her feet.
“You…” Her lips moved, but she swallowed her curses in the end.
She noticed that the cameraman not far away was holding a camera on his shoulder and aiming it at her face.
“I’m so sorry for my slip of the tongue. Odalys misunderstood me.” She forced a smile.
She had run out of her room right from her bed, so she didn’t wear any makeup now. Because of anger, her face had been distorted.
Instantly, her public image was ruined.
[Is she a madwoman? I’ve never seen such a shameless person.]
[How fiery Odalys is! I love her! I fell for her for breaking Sophia’s finger and then getting it back into place.]
[Don’t tolerate any slander, or only you will suffer.]
[Wait, I will call my daughter over to watch the show with me. It is a good chance for her to learn how to confront the angelic bitch. Odalys set a good example for her.]
[I’m curious about the stuff on Sophia. What is that?]
[Group B can help with your curiosity. Follow them!]
Early in the morning, the almighty netizens woke up. They unlocked their phones, joined the channel, and watched the show while washing up.
Some watched the show on the way to work.
The show appeared wherever there was a large screen, so the viewers didn’t have to use their phones to watch it.
Odalys led her group members away after ignoring Sophia. They took the path trodden yesterday, went past the woods, and arrived at the cliff.
“The air here is so fresh!” Freya stretched.
Inhaling the fresh air, she casually picked a flower and pinned it to her hair.
The pale yellow flower made her look vital. She then picked another two flowers and put one each on Odalys’ and Selah’s hair.
“By the way, what was that sticky liquid on Sophia?” Selah asked curiously.
Hearing this, Freya trotted over and pricked up her ears for the answer.
“What was it? It was thick and smelly,” Freya said.
With a rope in his hand, Stellan couldn’t help but move his feet towards his companions because he was interested in the answer, too.
“It looks like the saliva of the toad. Given the mountains and water here, there must be toads wandering around at night. Usually, the toad doesn’t take the initiative to attack humans.
“That slime did smell like the saliva of the toad. When she pointed her finger at me, I saw some blister-like things on it,” Odalys explained.
“What? Does that ugly thing have such a long tongue? If that slime was the saliva of the toad, didn’t it mean the toad had jumped on her body and licked her clothes?” Selah’s scalp tingled for the terrible picture.
“As I said, everything has a soul. Yesterday, she stole the eggs, attacked the python with the snake-repellent spray, and tried to burn it with wine.
“Animals will take revenge, especially the snake,” Odalys explained in a low voice.
Stellan listened quietly till now. “The toad took revenge on her last night because she angered the python. In other words, there may be other animals visiting her. Does it mean she will be attacked as long as she lingers here?”
Odalys nodded in response. The breeze refreshed her, and the fresh air had a positive effect on her mood.
She added, “You are right. There might be no retaliation if she didn’t use snake-repellent spray or wine.
“Sophia is proud. She was determined to get back at the python because she thought that it had hurt her. She is unaware of her mistake,” Odalys whispered.
The worst thing was that one couldn’t be aware of his mistakes.
Freya rubbed her wrist. Picking up a piece of gravel, she said, “I don’t mean to turn on her. We were once in the same crew, and she deliberately added something to my coffee.
“It was a tissue she had used. She even provoked me after her dirty trick was exposed. How outrageous!” Freya sneered.
Since then, she and Sophia had been at odds.
Hearing this, Selah moved her lips and said, “It is said that she broke the leg of a walk-on part in the film. The director didn’t need her to use violence, but she insisted.
“As a result, the leg of that victim was broken. The victim was powerless and got only four thousand dollars as compensation.” Speaking, Selah had a flash of sadness in her eyes.
In this world, only the powerless suffered.
The poor were bullied by their colleagues from respectable families.
“Enough of Sophia. I’ll go down first. I’ll give you the signal if it is safe down there.” Speaking, Odalys took Stellan’s rope and tied it around a rock nearby.
She grabbed the other end of the rope, turned around, and jumped down after the rope was fastened on the rock.
“Odalys, be careful.” Freya’s heart almost jumped out of her chest.
Never had Freya seen such a reckless person.
Chapter 172
Odalys jumped off the cliff without hesitation, and the others were terrified. Aghast, the cameraman instinctively ran over with his camera.
He zoomed in and timely captured the exciting scene of Odalys jumping off the cliff. Odalys nimbly tiptoed on a rock, turned around in the air, caught hold of a protruding rock, and looked around.
“Are you inside?” Odalys asked in a low voice.
Last night, she had cast a spell on the python, so it became invisible to others and the cameras.
After a gust of wind, the python popped up and pulled Odalys into the cave by its tail around her waist.
Odalys landed on the ground of the cave and saw the injured snake. The snake raised its head, looked Odalys in the eye, and quickly flopped down to play dead as if it didn’t want to scare her.
Seeing this, Odalys was dumbfounded.
The python coiled itself into a ball, raised its head, and looked at Odalys.
“I brought you some food,” Odalys said, taking out a few toads she had caught during her morning exercise, as well as some wild fruits.
The toads might have been in Sophia’s room because Odalys had caught them not far from it. As planned, they became her present to the python.
At the sight of the toads, the python was taken aback.
The snake loved stuff like frogs, so the python felt tempted. However, the python didn’t eat the roads. It pushed the injured snake with its head. Obediently, the snake opened its mouth and swallowed the toads in one go.
“I have a few questions for you,” Odalys whispered.
The python couldn’t speak, but it intelligently expressed itself with body language. Odalys was patient in this special conversation.
“Do you mean that the man injured it because he intended to tame it as the lure for you?” This information took Odalys by surprise.
She knew that the python was the goal of that man, but his method was beyond her imagination.
The python nodded.
“Does he want your blood?” Odalys asked with uncertainty.
It was new to her that there were people interested in the python’s blood.
After a nod, the python growled to show its anger. It might have killed that bachelor if the snake hadn’t been injured.
“Got you. I will bring my friends into this cave. Is it okay with you?” Odalys whispered.
She vaguely heard the sound of running water in the distance and guessed that there was a waterfall not far away. Based on her experiences, there would be surprises wherever there was a waterfall.
Hearing this, the python quickly turned around, wrapped up the injured snake, and ran away.
It was gigantic but agile. Soon, it disappeared from Odalys s sight.
Odalys turned around and walked to the entrance to the cave. Pulling the rope, she shouted, “I found a cave here. There may be a waterfall at the end of it. Slide down one by one, and I’ll catch you.”
Her companions lay on the ground, restless.
Hearing this, Freya climbed down without hesitation.
The cameraman was the last member to reach the cave.
“No snakes, are there?” Selah was worried.
The cave was pitch-dark and looked creepy.
“No, I think. Even if there are, just don’t provoke them.” Freya comforted Selah, though she was agitated herself.
Stellan lit a wooden stick. He held it up as the torch and led the way. “Come, follow me.”
As the only man in Group B, he braced himself to lead the way, though he was afraid. He didn’t want to hide behind his female companions, and he tried his best to protect them.
“Be careful,” Stellan said.
Holding the torch, he walked forward. It was dark wherever there was no sunshine. Selah and Freya closely followed behind Odalys and found her quite calm. Her calmness was infectious, so they gradually relaxed.
“The waterfall,” Stellan said with shock.
The cave was on one side of the waterfall. The water seemed to pour down from the sky, and the wind wafted the water vapors far away.
The air became cool and pleasant.
“My first visit to the waterfall.” Selah trotted forward with joy.
Freya did the same.
Odalys took out her phone and said to her female group members, “Look back at me, and I’ll take a picture of you two.”
“Great. One second, please.” Freya was beautiful, so she loved to take pictures of herself.
She quickly posed for photos, and Selah moved close to her for the shooting.
After a few pictures of Selah and Freya, Stellan said to Odalys, “Go over.”
“Fine.” Odalys walked over, put her hand on Freya’s shoulder, and looked back at Stellan.
Thanks to the sunshine, she seemed to be in a halo.
“Come.” Freya beckoned to Stellan.
The cameraman zoomed in and then took a few pictures of Group B with Odalys’s phone. The four people kept changing their postures for photos.
“The wind is so cool. Are there fish in the water? It’s too high to go into the water.” Freya craned her neck and watched the water hit the rocks not far away.
Selah looked around.
“Is that a herb?” Stellan pointed to a spot not far away.
Odalys followed Stellan’s finger and saw several tall herbs whose leaves swayed in the wind.
“Let me pull them out,” Odalys said. Odalys strode over.
She reached for the herbs with one hand after Stellan gripped her hand to prevent her from falling. With the help of Stellan, she pulled the herbs out of the soil in one go, and the air was instantly full of herbal aroma.
Not far away, there were a lot of herbs among the weeds. Odalys was busy collecting herbs. Her companions knew little about herbs but were enthusiastic to help her.
“What’s that noise?” Selah suddenly asked.
Group B pricked up their ears and found the noise getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a shadow dashed out of the weeds and rushed towards Odalys. Instinctively, she stretched her hand and caught it.
“A turkey.” Freya recognized the turkey and quickly jumped away.
Turkeys liked to attack people, especially children. It could chase after the children for a long time, which impressed Freya.
[Odalys is a good guide. Given the waterfall and the herbs, I feel this place will become a tourist attraction.]
[How amazing that she grabbed the turkey by the neck in one breath!]
[It seems she likes jungle adventure. How exciting! She is brave enough to go anywhere.]
[Stellan is so thoughtful. He took the initiative to lead the way for the girls and take pictures of them.]
[Anyone in? I want to jump off the cliff too.]
Chapter 173
Netizens became excited. They went weak at the knees with their hearts in their throats when Group B climbed down the cliff one after another.
From the cameraman’s perspective, the hole appeared deep, and it was hard to spot. Even so, Odalys went down the cliff without casing it.
She brought the viewers good surprises from time to time and seemed mysterious.
“The water beneath the waterfall is black, so I think the pit is bottomless. The fish from the pit is delicious. Do you want to taste it?” Odalys asked with her hands behind her back.
She squatted and looked toward the pit.
Interested, her companions followed her gaze.
Some of them went weak at the knees because of acrophobia.
“Can the cameraman come over?” Odalys asked.
Hearing this, the cameraman hurried over, aimed the camera in the direction Odalys’s finger was pointing, and zoomed in.
Odalys explained, “Clear water means shallow, blue water means deep, and black water means abyss.
“The water is clear, but we can’t see the bottom. Therefore, this is black water, and there is a pit. The other outlet of this pit may be in other places. For your safety, stay away from the water like this.
“Especially the one which has no echo after you throw one stone into it. Don’t swim in the water like this, even if it is burning hot now.”
Speaking, she spotted a fish in the water.
The fish was big. Swimming above the water, it flicked its tail provocatively. Without hesitation, Odalys picked up a stone and hit it at the fish quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly.
Her move seemed casual, but the fish got hit.
Instantly, blood gushed out while the fish struggled.
When the others gaped with surprise, Odalys rolled to the grass not far away.
She picked up a wooden stick, pulled the dead fish over with it, and then flung the fish towards her companions.
“Stellan, catch it,” Odalys shouted.
All had happened in one moment, so her companions were astonished.
The pit was 10 meters away from where they were, but Odalys succeeded in flinging the fish over.
With shock, Stellan reached out to catch the fish, but it landed on his face. His hands froze in the air, and he took half a step backward because of the weight of the fish and slumped to the ground.
He subconsciously held the fish, and Selah and Freya went over to help him.
“Damn, the stone left a hole in the fish! How strong Odalys is! She could hit the fish from such a distance.” Selah was startled.
She stared at the hole in the fish’s belly and put her finger into it.
The fish was so big that she failed to see her fingertip on the other side of its belly.
“Oh no, how will Odalys come up now? With a rope?” Out of worry, Freya quickly turned around and looked downwards. She found that Odalys was flying towards her with the help of a vine.
Alert, Freya hurriedly stretched her hand to catch Odalys, but fell into the arms of the latter.
Hearing Odalys’s strong heartbeat, Freya felt a bit unreal. She pinched herself hard while whispering, “Oh god, I must be dreaming.”
“Then wake up,” Odalys teased while rubbing Freya’s face. Freya gazed at Odalys with admiration and whispered,”
Odalys, you can fly, can’t you?
“How could you kill the fish with one stone?
“From such a long distance! Teach me, Odalys, I want to learn that.” Freya was so excited that she began to sputter.
How amazing Odalys was!
What had just happened was like a dream to Freya.
“I will teach you when you can lift a cow with one hand,” Odalys said blandly.
Wide-eyed, Freya stretched out a finger and asked with disbelief, “Pick up a, a cow with one hand?”
Speaking, she saw Stellan try to pick up the fish with one hand, but it fell to the ground.
Stellan had to lift the fish with both hands. He then found Freya looking at him with a weird expression.
“What’s wrong?” Stellan was confused.
Freya swallowed and then said, “You can’t carry a fish with one hand, so how can I lift a cow with one hand?”
“Only when you are strong enough,” Odalys explained.
That explained why Odalys could kill the fish with a stone from a long distance and fling it upward with one hand. “Fine. I think it is easier to learn how to fly with the help of the vine.” Freya gave up easily.
Amused, Odalys said, “Yes, relatively.”
The corner of Selah’s mouth twitched. Shaking her head, Selah said, “It is said that sandbags can help if you want to be agile. Tie the sandbags, dozens of pounds, to your legs and walk for an hour every day. Two legs, 100 pounds at least.”
Freya fell silent.
Odalys quickly put her arm around Freya’s shoulders and said, “Relax, you can learn something else.”
“Great!” Freya nodded.
Odalys stuffed into her bag the herbs her companions had sorted out. Together with Stellan, she carried the fish to the other end of the cave. Odalys climbed up with the help of the rope.
Stellan then tied the fish to the rope and let Odalys pull it up.
The cameraman was the last person to leave the cave. He felt a pull and found himself landing on the ground of the cliff the next second.
“Thank you.” Speaking to Odalys, he broke into a cold sweat at this unexpected adventure.
Stellan put the fish on his shoulder. He insisted on carrying the fish himself, even if his clothes became dirty.
“Hey, it’s Stellan.” Finnian saw Group B from afar.
Agape with astonishment, Group A watched Stellan carrying a big fish parade.
They marveled at the big fish on Stellan’s shoulder.
“It’s about 50 pounds,” Stellan said suddenly.
Francis’ lips moved when Stellan added, “It’s okay. Not that heavy. Just 50 pounds.”
Francis fell silent.
It was clear that Stellan was showing off.
Chapter 174
Finnian gazed at Stellan with a complex look in his eyes, fixated on the fish draped over his shoulder. A sharp pang tugged at his heart.
He used to think he could outdo Stellan, but now he saw that Stellan was more daring than he had imagined.
Stellan wore nothing but high-end luxury brands, yet he didn’t care one bit, casually slinging the fish over his shoulder. He seemed to have thrown all notions of image aside.
“You guys don’t need to envy me,” Stellan said, casually waving a hand. “It’s only a 30 or 40-pound fish, caught by Odalys. If you want one like it, just have Sophia catch you one.”
He kept repeating the “30 or 40 pounds” like he was afraid no one would realize the fish’s size.
It seemed like all fishermen liked to show off their catches, but Stellan was no exception.
In fact, he was almost showing off his fish-catching skills.
“Well, forget it.” Francis shook his head and muttered, still envious of Stellan, but feeling helpless. There was nothing he could do except to envy him from afar.
As for Sophia, he had already given up on her.
She didn’t drag him down, and that was good enough.
He only hoped she would stay out of sight-otherwise, they might starve.
“We should go, see if we can catch another fish and roast it later,” Francis said as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to dive into the task.
Finnian’s eyes darkened as they followed Odalys.
He noticed her clothes were soaked, her hair slightly damp, but she still walked with an air of freshness, chatting and laughing with the others in the group.
It left him with an uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why is she so friendly with everyone else but so cold towards me? She won’t even spare me a second glance.’
“Odalys.” Finnian stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
The moment he appeared, Odalys’s smile froze. She gave him a cold glance and asked, “Is there something you need?” “Is there any chance for us?” Finnian’s voice was hoarse, his heart heavy with the weight of the question that had been gnawing at him for so long.
He knew it was pointless, yet he still asked.
“Not before, and not in the future,” Odalys responded sharply, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
Finnian’s smile turned bitter, and his fist clenched involuntarily.
He watched as she walked away with long, purposeful strides, her face tilted slightly to the wind, her damp hair fluttering. The sight of her pale, exquisite face, filled with quiet pride, was blinding.
She never looked at him-not even once-when she spoke. It was as if he didn’t exist in her world at all.
Finnian staggered slightly, feeling as though something had been ripped out of him. He regretted everything.
He thought, ‘If I had known this would happen, I never should’ve made the deal with Sophia, never should’ve schemed for the Stewart family’s wealth. I should’ve never tried to brainwash her into taking my place. He thought to himself bitterly!
It was all too late.
‘Has she slept with that man? Is that why she’s so completely devoted to him? How can she be so obsessed with a man who’s dying? Why? Why?’ The voice in Finnian’s head screamed, but there were no answers, only empty silence.
Odalys, meanwhile, was oblivious to Finnian’s turmoil. She walked briskly back toward the others, overhearing Stellan proudly bragging about his fish’s weight to everyone around him.
She couldn’t help but laugh.
Stellan, who usually came off as aloof and quiet, now seemed like a child, reveling in his childish excitement over the fish.
Even Freya and Selah were chasing after him, their voices full of excitement.
“Slow down, you’ll drop the fish!”
“This fish head is so big, how are we going to eat it later?” “Do you want to roast it?”
“Oh, wait, don’t we have pickled cabbage? We could make spicy fish slices.”
The two women were chatting eagerly, practically drooling at the thought, forgetting completely that they were supposed to maintain their figures as celebrities.
They were so caught up in the moment that the usual pressure to stay slim and eat lightly faded away, replaced by pure, unrestrained joy.
Odalys smiled, clearly delighted.
As she walked back, she noticed some wild chili peppers growing near the bamboo grove.
Turning, she swiftly plucked a handful of small chilies and resumed her brisk walk, completely unaware that Finnian was following her from a distance, never too far behind.
But it didn’t matter-she didn’t even look back, as if he no longer existed in her world.
[See? This is how a woman should be-decisive, not wishy-washy like Finnian.]
[Finnian’s really hopeless. It’s clear Odalys doesn’t like him at all.]
[By the way, did you see how Odalys threw stones to knock a hole in the fish while they were on the mountain? How many years of practice did that take?]
[She’s not just good at star readings-she could probably open a boxing school.]
The viewers, sipping their smoothies and watching the livestream, seemed to be living for these exciting moments.
The variety show had become a staple of their lives, with its frequent drama and thrills adding spice to their otherwise boring days.
Now, the entire internet was ablaze with hot topics related to the show. No need for paid promotions-just the spontaneous buzz from netizens was enough to keep it trending.
As Odalys walked back with the freshly picked chilies, she saw Freya grabbing a cleaver and slamming it down on the fish, while Selah used a dagger to gut it.
The scene was a bit bloody, as the two of them enthusiastically hacked away at the fish.
They had no clue how to properly handle it, but were determined to do it themselves, the chaos making it look almost comical.
“Be careful, you two,” Stellan said as he stepped back after setting the fish down. He watched them chop at the fish with reckless abandon, one aiming for the fillets, the other for the fish’s head.
They made several attempts, but the fish wasn’t breaking apart. Blood splattered everywhere.
“Turn on Bluetooth sharing,” Odalys said, setting the chilies aside and turning to Stellan.
Stellan looked confused but did as she asked.
He opened the app and saw that Odalys had shared over twenty photos with him, each one a candid shot of him proudly parading the fish back toward the group.
“You actually took these for me? Thanks,” Stellan said, his voice filled with excitement.
Men and their obsession with big fish-it was almost like a kind of madness, this satisfaction that came from catching something so large. It seemed to fulfill something deep inside.
He scanned the photos, impressed by how well Odalys had captured each moment. Every angle was perfect-so perfect, he could post them on Instagram without any need for editing.
“I knew you’d like them, so I snapped a few while we were on the way back,” Odalys said with a smile.
Stellan couldn’t help but blush, his fair skin turning pink.” Who wouldn’t like a fish this big?”
“This is a 40-pound fish, not something you can just catch whenever you want,” Stellan added, turning toward Sophia and Atlas, who were standing nearby.
Sophia, freshly showered and dressed, stood glaring at them. T
o her shock, they’d only been gone for two hours, and yet they had returned with a massive fish.
Sophia was so furious, she could barely catch her breath. She had felt disgusted earlier when her clothes had stuck to her skin, but after taking a long shower and throwing everything out, Atlas had coaxed her into a better mood.
Chapter 175
It was rumored that Odalys had headed towards the cliffs, and Atlas, always quick to act, eagerly wanted to follow. But as soon as they stepped outside, they saw her returning-completely unexpected.
Their plan to ambush her near the cliffs evaporated in an instant.
She couldn’t just come back like that.
They couldn’t let it go. ‘I won’t be able to relax until Odalys is out of the picture.’
“Odalys, where did you catch that fish? Could you take us there?” Atlas approached her casually, ignoring the coldness in her response.
He tried to engage her, hoping she would lead them to the spot.
Once they reached the deep waters near the cliffs, they’d have the perfect opportunity to push her off.
“No,” Odalys responded flatly, refusing before Atlas could finish his sentence.
The blunt rejection shocked Atlas. His smile faltered, and he stared at her in disbelief, as if he had misheard.
“What? You’re doing the mission, and now you want to rope us in? We went out early this morning, and wehave already found the ingredients. We’re just waiting to cook now,” she continued. “You’ve been standing here watching us the whole time. Don’t tell me you’re hoping for a free meal?” Her biting sarcasm made Sophia bristle. She quickly stepped forward and tugged at Atlas’s arm, whispering, ” Let’s go.”
Atlas, burning with anger, snapped, “Who needs it?”
He felt humiliated by Odalys’s obvious disdain. ‘Why should she look down on me? Who does she think she is?’
Despite his irritation, Atlas allowed Sophia to lead him away. He jerked his arm free, and noticing the camera crew trailing behind, he quickly tried to calm his emotions. He fell into step beside Sophia, heading toward the village’s outskirts.
But Sophia wasn’t entirely present. Her mind kept drifting back to last night’s unsettling events-Rafael sneaking into her room and stealing her clothes.
To prevent any future surprises, she had even set up her phone by her bedside to record videos, terrified someone would enter her room in the middle of the night.
No one had entered, but that didn’t mean the night had been uneventful. A horde of toads had crawled under the door, covered her body with their slimy, sticky tongues, and left a disgusting mess.
Some had even urinated on her. The foul odor lingered even after a shower.
“Sophia, are you okay?” Atlas noticed her pale face and asked in concern.
Sophia forced a smile and nodded, brushing it off. “I’m just thinking about how strange Odalys is. How does she seem so familiar with this place?” She put on an air of casual suspicion. “She can find food so easily and knows the village like the back of her hand. It’s almost like she grew up here.”
Her words were a thinly veiled attempt to tarnish Odalys’s image, but Atlas, unaware of her intentions, responded, ” That’s not possible. She grew up in the mountains, far away from places like this.”
Sophia felt the frustration rising in her chest.
She shot him a venomous look, her patience wearing thin. Why can’t he see what I’m trying to say?’ She was nearly furious, but she kept walking.
However, as they entered the woods, something felt off. It was as if something-or someone-was watching her. She spun around, but saw nothing. Her heart raced as she quickened her pace.
“Ah!” Sophia stumbled as something tripped her. She crashed to the ground with a painful yelp.
Looking up in panic, she saw a snake slithering through the grass, staring at her with flicking tongues.
“Ah, a snake!” she screamed in terror, her body shaking with fear.
She scooted backward, her eyes wide in horror. But it wasn’t just the snake on the ground-she turned to see another snake hanging from a tree above her, its cold eyes locked onto hers, moving towards her with deadly intent.
Sophia panicked, swinging her arms wildly to try and ward off the snake. But as she backed away, she saw more snakes surrounding her.
She stumbled again, landing hard on the ground. Her eyes locked onto a snake that was positioned right in front of her, lifting its head to meet her gaze, its eyes piercing and cold.
“Why are there so many snakes?” she screamed in fear, scrambling to her feet and darting back in the direction she had come.
Atlas stood frozen, utterly confused by her frantic escape. He scanned the surroundings, but as his gaze swept across the area, all the snakes immediately shrank back into the grass, as if they had never been there.
It was as though they were gone in an instant, vanishing into thin air.
Sophia, however, was still shaking with fear. She had never encountered so many snakes in her life. And then it hit her. The toads last night… Could it be the giant python’s doing?’ She muttered to herself, “It has to be the giant python. It’s getting back at me for what happened last night. It sent all those toads to torment me, and now these snakes… It’s like they’re its personal henchmen.”
Sophia had a theory.
She was certain that the giant python, the undisputed king of the forest, could control the smaller animals in its domain.
‘I should have acted faster when I had the chance, she cursed silently. If only I’d killed that snake earlier… then Odalys would never have arrived, and the python would be dead by now.’
“Ms. Bennett, are you alright?” The photographer, watching Sophia’s distressed state, asked with a concerned tone. Sophia managed a weak smile, trying to pull herself together. She glanced down at her foot, which had been bitten, and said, “It’s fine. Just a little bite from a non-venomous snake. I probably stepped on it, and it bit me in defense. I’ll be fine.”
She seemed oddly calm, almost detached from the severity of the situation. If the photographer hadn’t witnessed her earlier panic, he might have believed her.
“You should be more careful when walking,” the photographer advised, his tone tinged with subtle judgment.
He had come to understand her better over the past days and found himself quietly scornful of her true nature.
“Thanks,” Sophia said with a forced smile, then limped forward to rejoin Atlas, still determined to go on with the task at hand.
Despite the pain in her foot, she pressed on, determined to gather what they could. After some searching, they found a few wild vegetables and bamboo shoots.
Excited, Sophia skipped ahead, plucking plants along the way and exclaiming, “Wow, the forest is full of treasures!” “In the wild, we can be self-sufficient. There are so many animals around, but I don’t believe in killing them. After all, they have lives too. Just because we’re hungry doesn’t mean we should hurt them.”
She turned toward the camera and winked, adding, “So, fans, remember to protect small animals and avoid killing them, okay?”
The camera zoomed in on her, and she grinned, satisfied with her performance. The online community, however, was not as impressed.
[Ugh, I feel sick. Does she not realize how fake she looks?] [So eating meat is called killing, huh? Didn’t she drool over the food Odalys and the others made earlier?]
[Lol, now she’s preaching about protecting animals. She couldn’t find any game, so now she’s picking bamboo shoots instead.]
[Did you see all those snakes earlier? They were clearly following her. I bet the giant python sent them. Looks like Sophia’s not having a good time.]
[I’ve heard that snakes take revenge-it could be ten years. later. Watch out, Sophia. If you sleep with your eyes closed, you won’t even know how you die.]
Sophia had hoped for some praise from her fans, but instead, they ridiculed her. Even worse, her followers seemed to be disappearing.
She lost a million followers on Twitter overnight, and now, it seemed like no one was defending her anymore-just a sea of mocking comments.
Chapter 176
Finnian and Francis returned from their hunt with a wild rabbit, only to encounter Atlas and Sophia along the way. Reluctantly, they turned back together.
As they arrived, the delicious smell of spicy food immediately filled the air.
They glanced toward the neighboring house and saw Freya grinding small chili peppers, Selah washing fish, Stellan tending the fire, and Odalys cooking.
The table was piled high with dishes: fish head stew, spicy fish fillets, pickled peppers, steamed mushroom soup- everything looked mouth-watering, a feast for both the eyes and the nose.
“Time to eat,” Stellan called as he brought out bowls.
Everyone sat at the stone table, trying to shield themselves from the scorching afternoon sun by sipping on hot soup. But as they ate, they couldn’t help but notice the others still standing outside, staring at them. Selah raised an eyebrow and asked, “Aren’t you going to cook?”
“With all that food, do you think you’ll finish it?” Atlas asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Freya smirked, chewing on a piece of fish head as she retorted, “If we can’t finish, we’ll just heat it up later. Are you really so squeamish about leftovers?” Her tone was teasing, but it also made a clear jab at Atlas and Sophia’s inability to cook.
“After all, we’re not into dieting here,” she continued, glancing at Sophia, “but it looks like Sophia’s lost quite a bit of weight. Are you okay, Sophia?”
Sophia’s stomach growled loudly in response, and she forced a smile.
She realized she had indeed lost weight, and the hunger pangs were starting to get unbearable.
The feeling of starving and thinning out was not pleasant at all. She quickly turned her face away.
“We should go make something ourselves,” Sophia suggested, trying to avoid the uncomfortable conversation.
Atlas, noticing that the others had no intention of inviting them to join, cast Odalys a resentful look before turning to help. They had little skill in the kitchen, though.
Normally, their meals were prepared by their parents or assistants, and if they were out, they’d either have a manager take care of it or order takeout.
Cooking from scratch was an entirely different challenge, and after hours of struggling, they only managed to make a few mediocre dishes.
They brought their creations to the table, but no one was particularly excited about it. Looking at the food the others were enjoying, a sense of envy mixed with frustration settled in the air.
“I’m so full. I’ll probably have a little belly now,” Freya said, rubbing her stomach. “My manager’s going to kill me.” “Before she does, you should eat more!” Selah teased with a grin, thoroughly enjoying Freya’s predicament.
But Odalys, who had been sitting silently until now, suddenly looked grim. Her expression darkened, and the playful atmosphere quickly turned serious.
“Odalys, what’s wrong?” Freya asked, noticing the change in her mood.
Odalys’ gaze sharpened as she replied in a low voice,” There’s bloodshed in your future.”
The air seemed to chill instantly. Everyone fell silent, staring at Odalys, their eyes widening.
“What? Me?” Freya asked, pointing to herself, a nervous laugh escaping her lips.
Selah, equally unsettled, leaned forward and asked, “What about me? Do I have it too?”
Odalys shook her head, her voice solemn. “Only Freya. And it’s connected to romance.”
The group fell still, a deep sense of unease spreading among them.
“Freya, wherever you go today, you stay close to me,” Odalys ordered. “We have enough food, and we’re not going anywhere today. You three stay close to me as well. Even though you’re not directly involved in the bloodshed, we are a team, and you might still be affected.”
Stellan, hearing this, stood up immediately, his voice deep with concern. “If it’s related to romance and a man, that means it’s me, right? I’m the only man here. I’ll keep my distance, and it should be fine, right?”
Odalys met his gaze, her expression unchanging. “This has nothing to do with you. Stay close to Freya. If something happens, you’ll be there to help.”
Stellan nodded, clearly unsettled, but he respected Odalys’ authority.
Freya, though frightened, stayed by Odalys’s side, her fingers trembling as she softly asked, “Odalys, am I going to die?”
Selah, equally anxious, looked at Freya with wide eyes, clearly worried for her friend.
Odalys shook her head, but her eyes held a depth of concern. She gently poked Freya on the forehead, trying to calm her. “Don’t be silly. It’s just a small misfortune, you won’t lose your life over it.”
Her words were reassuring, but the worry in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. This bloodshed wasn’t just a minor threat. It was something serious.
Odalys reached out, took Freya’s hand, and bit her own. finger, drawing blood. She wrote a character on Freya’s palm, watching as it spread across her skin, then faded.
“Remember, don’t wash your hands today. Don’t let it come into contact with water,” Odalys warned sternly.
Freya nodded quickly, clenching her fist tightly, determined not to let her guard down.
Selah rushed inside the house, returning quickly with a bandage to tend to Odalys’s bleeding fingertip, applying it with care.
The group sat in the courtyard, trying to stay calm under the intense midday sun, which was starting to feel oppressive. But the shade from the trees was a welcome relief.
“Don’t worry too much. Nothing serious will happen,” Odalys tried to reassure them, though her own unease lingered in her eyes.
Freya forced a smile but seemed far from at ease. She looked over at Odalys and said, “How about we play some cards? I could use a distraction.”
“Good thinking, Odalys. I see you brought some cards!” Freya said as she got up and dashed inside to grab the deck.
Selah, still uneasy, watched Freya hurry inside. “Freya’s trying to act casual, but I can tell she’s really scared,” she murmured, her voice tinged with worry.
Before anyone could respond, a piercing scream came from inside the house. Freya’s terrified scream echoed through the walls.
Everyone sprang to their feet, rushing toward the source of the sound. But the door to the room was locked, and no matter how hard Stellan pushed against it, it wouldn’t budge.
Without hesitation, Odalys kicked the door with all her strength. It crashed open with a loud bang.
Inside, they found Freya sitting on the floor, her forehead covered in blood. Her face was pale, and she looked completely shaken.
“He ran,” Freya stammered, her finger pointing toward the window. “He ran out the window.”
The group followed her finger to the open window. They were all shocked. When they first moved in, Odalys had locked all the windows.
They never opened them. But now, the window was wide open. It was clear that someone had been inside the room. “I’ll go check,” Stellan said, his face hardening with anger. He was the only man in the group, and the sight of Freya injured, especially under such mysterious circumstances, filled him with rage. He had to find out who did this.
But before he could take another step, Odalys grabbed his arm.
“Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice low and urgent.
Stellan was puzzled. He looked at Odalys with a scrutinizing gaze and said in a low voice, “Odalys, the person ran out through the window. They must have jumped when they climbed out. It’s not that high, but in a panic, their legs would’ve gone weak. They wouldn’t have gotten far.”
He added, “If I go now, I should still be able to catch up.”
He couldn’t understand why Odalys was stopping him from going after the person.
Odalys gently released his arm, her voice soft yet firm. Aside from us, the only people here are the villagers. Group A is busy cooking, so the only ones hiding in the rooms are the villagers.”
Chapter 177
“They know their village and its surroundings like the back of their hand,” Odalys replied, her tone sharp. “You go running after them, spot someone, and grab them, but if they deny it, what will you say?”
Stellan fell silent, his mind turning over her words.
“Yeah, even if we see someone, it doesn’t prove that they were the one who attacked Freya earlier,” Selah added, voicing the doubt that had settled over all of them.
Odalys didn’t respond. Instead, she picked up some medicine and began treating Freya’s wounds.
Stellan and Selah stood by, concern evident in their eyes.
“Did you touch him?” Odalys suddenly asked, her voice cool and probing.
Her question came out of nowhere, and both Stellan and Selah looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what she meant.
Freya, however, broke into a playful grin and winked at Odalys. She lifted the hand that had been marked with Odalys’s blood-written talisman. “I pushed him with this hand,” she said, her voice light.
“Good, that’s all you need to do,” Odalys replied, smiling and lightly tapping Freya’s forehead. “Weren’t you scared earlier?” “What’s there to be scared of? You’re here, right? You wouldn’t let anything happen to me,” Freya responded with a confident smile, the trust she had in Odalys evident in her words.
Stellan and Selah exchanged glances, realization dawning on them slowly.
“So you knew someone was in the room,” Selah said, her voice tinged with surprise. It was as if she’d missed an important detail that was now unfolding in front of her eyes.
“And you were aware of it the whole time?” Stellan added, his tone more of an accusation than a question. He had figured it out just as quickly-Odalys had been one step ahead of everyone else.
“From the moment we came back, I sensed something was off,” Odalys explained coolly. “I heard faint breathing sounds coming from the room, and Freya had a bloodshed warning tied to her, which meant whoever was there was targeting her.”
“That’s why I marked her hand with the talisman. As soon as they tried to hurt her, the magic would trigger. They wouldn’t even know what hit them.”
“Don’t worry,” she continued with a sneer, “We don’t need to chase them. They’ll come to us on their own, begging for me to save them.”
Her confidence was chilling, and the rest of the group remained silent, processing what had just been revealed. In the meantime, online viewers were starting to panic as well.
[What did I miss? I just went to the bathroom and came back, and everything’s gone crazy!]
[Was there a live feed inside the room? Who was in there?] [Is it really targeting Freya? Please protect her!]
[I’m scared!]
The shift in the atmosphere was undeniable. What had seemed like a casual, lighthearted meal had turned into something much darker. The tension was palpable, and no one knew exactly what to expect next.
Some were terrified, others more curious about what would happen.
As they were processing all of this, they heard footsteps approaching from the next room.
Sophia’s voice rang out, filled with fake concern. “What happened? Did you guys have a man in your room?”
Her question made everyone stop and turn to look at her. Sophia, realizing how her words had sounded, quickly waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, I was just joking! I thought I heard some screams, and I got worried. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She forced a nervous laugh but retreated to stand behind Atlas, trying to hide her anxiety.
However, there was a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes that didn’t go unnoticed.
Odalys’s gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. Sophia’s sudden shift in behavior only made her more suspicious.
Sophia, clearly uncomfortable under Odalys’s piercing stare, stammered, “I’ll just go wash the dishes.”
She turned and left in a hurry, Atlas trailing behind her.
But Francis and Finnian stayed behind, both exchanging a look of quiet understanding.
“There’s something off with what Sophia just said,” Francis remarked, his voice low but clear.
He didn’t have the rose-colored glasses when it came to Sophia. He had always been a step outside the group’s dynamics and had observed more than the others.
“You know she’s part of your group, right?” Odalys asked, her voice hardening. “If she’s going around making comments like that, it’ll look like we’re causing trouble, stirring up drama for the audience.”
Finnian, his expression solemn, met Odalys’s gaze. “I know Sophia is manipulative. I’m just telling you, I’ve had my own run-in with her. A few days ago, I drank some water she gave me, and I ended up getting sick.” He paused, shaking his head. “Be careful with her. I’ll be leaving now, but you need to watch your back.”
Finnian gave a quick nod before walking away. But Francis lingered, clearly weighing the situation in his mind.
“Is there anything I can do to help? I mean, I’m a man, so maybe I can help distract or keep watch,” he offered, more out of a sense of duty than a true desire to assist.
Odalys gave him a long, assessing look before gesturing for him to come closer.
Francis stepped forward, intrigued but not sure what to expect. After a brief conversation, his expression shifted to one of surprise. “Alright. I understand. I’ll go do that.”
Without wasting another moment, Francis left, leaving the others feeling more uncertain than ever.
Freya, trying to lighten the mood, jumped up from the bed and declared, “Let’s play cards! We never finished the last round.”
She made a move toward the table, but Odalys stopped her. “Not today,” Odalys said, her voice darkening.
Just as her words hung in the air, a loud rumble of thunder sounded from outside. The sky had darkened quickly, clouds rolling in as if an impending storm was about to break.
“Is it going to rain?” Selah asked, peering out of the window. “It was just sunny a moment ago.”
She moved to the window to take a closer look, but the moment she did, she froze.
“Come look at this!” she called, her voice tense.
The others rushed over to the window, where they saw what Selah had noticed-bloodstains on the side of the window.
Stellan stepped forward, his expression grim. “So, the person who was hiding in your room got injured?
Freya paused, looking at the blood, her mind working through the possibilities. “Wait, maybe it was the talisman,” she murmured. “Maybe it turned into a weapon and actually injured them when they tried to attack me.”
Before anyone could respond, the door burst open, and in walked Rafael Nielsen. His face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot with anger and fear. He stopped in the middle of the room, his gaze locking onto Odalys with an unsettling intensity.
“What are you?!” Rafael’s voice was thick with fury.
Selah couldn’t help but recoil slightly.
The memory of his actions-the way he had tried to forcibly drag Sophia into a room and the disturbing late-night incident with her clothing-flooded back to her. The disgust was undeniable.
“What are you talking about?” Odalys responded with a cold laugh, stepping forward. She casually pulled out a chair and sat down, seemingly unfazed by his presence.
Rafael stood before her, staring at Odalys with a look of confusion. Her calm, almost indifferent expression made him uneasy, and for some reason, the sense of dread gnawing at him only grew stronger.
Blood continued to seep from his chest, soaking through his clothes until they were stained red.
After being wounded earlier, he’d returned home to tend to his injury. But just as he finished dressing the wound, it had torn open again. He couldn’t believe it, but he applied more medicine, hoping it would help. Yet, as the medicine absorbed, he was forced to rebandage it.
Each time he treated the wound, it only seemed to get worse.
Twice he’d tried to fix it, but what had started as a small cut was now the size of a bowl. Only then did he realize something was seriously wrong.
Normally, a simple application of medicine would stop the bleeding. But not this time.
The more he treated it, the worse it became, and a deep, inexplicable panic took hold of him.
That was when he rushed to find answers.
“My wound-this was you, wasn’t it?” Rafael’s eyes glinted with malice as he fixed his gaze on her. “You and your people, you’re behind this, aren’t you? You’re the one calling the shots.”
Chapter 178
Rafael’s thoughts raced as he recalled the events of the previous night. Odalys had exposed his dirty secrets-how he had been stealing women’s intimate clothing.
His reputation was tarnished, and now, he found himself at the mercy of Odalys again.
He, a man who had instilled fear in many, had never encountered a woman who wasn’t intimidated by him. Yet, Odalys dared to look him in the eyes without flinching.
“What injury? Why are you here looking for me? We haven’t even met today,” Odalys teased with a smile, her tone mocking.
She paused as if realizing something. “Oh, wait-you’re not still obsessed, are you? A few days ago, you tried to drag someone into a room, but you were interrupted. So, you came here to steal others’ intimate clothes out of spite?” “Last night, I stopped your little scheme, and now you’re holding a grudge, trying to frame me?” Odalys mused, as if she were piecing everything together.
Each word from her lips fueled Rafael’s anger, but he couldn’t speak-he was choking on his own rage.
“You…” Rafael sputtered, unable to hold it in. His fury built up so rapidly that he collapsed, his vision going black as the rage consumed him.
“You better not try to frame me,” Odalys continued with an innocent expression. “Lucky for you, it’s broad daylight. If it were nighttime, I’d probably be scaring you to death.”
With a dramatic, almost mocking sigh, Odalys stood up, walking toward Rafael with a slow, deliberate pace.
She towered over him, her voice lowering, full of menace. You’re probably lonely in this village, aren’t you? So old, yet you can’t even find a wife. Isn’t it frustrating, staying in this desolate place? Why don’t you go out to the big city? There, you’ll find beautiful women everywhere. If you’ve got money, you can have any woman you want.”
Her voice was quiet, but it was laden with a kind of seductive malice that immediately made Rafael’s eyes flash with desire and envy.
Nobody wanted to stay in a place like this. The village was dreary, and the air felt stagnant.
But when the crew arrived to shoot a program, Rafael’s attention was piqued. These women were stunning-not only were their skin and bodies perfect, but they also represented a world he could never touch.
“I can’t leave,” Rafael muttered to himself, caught between his dreams of escape and the grim reality that held him in place.
Odalys, sensing his frustration, smiled sweetly. “We’ll be leaving in a couple of days. I thought you might want to see the world, so I was thinking of talking to the director. Maybe you could come with us.”
“Since you can’t leave, why not just go back? It’s really not convenient for you to stay with us. If anyone sees you here, they might misunderstand,” Odalys added with a sly grin. Just as Rafael’s anger flared, Odalys’s expression changed abruptly. Without warning, she kicked him in the chest. Rafael was sent flying back, his wounds reopening with the force of the blow. Blood gushed from his body, soaking his clothes. The pain was unbearable.
Rafael groaned in agony, struggling to rise, but before he could move, Stellan was on him, pinning him down and forcing him to stay put.
“You dare harass us in broad daylight?” Odalys shouted, her voice full of feigned anger.
Stellan’s face was taut with fury as he dragged Rafael to his feet, his grip tight. Seeing the blood staining Rafael’s clothes only made Stellan more disgusted.
“I’ll take him back to his place,” Stellan muttered, his voice cold. “Don’t even think about laying a finger on any of the women here. If you try, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
“We’re here to film a show, not to let men like you mess with us. Stay away from them, or I’ll show you what happens when you don’t listen.”
As the rain began to fall, Stellan walked away slowly, his mind heavy with frustration.
As he turned the corner, he spotted Francis standing nearby, clearly waiting for him.
“What are you doing here?” Stellan asked, surprised to see him.
Without saying a word, Francis grabbed Stellan’s arm and pulled him out of the rain, guiding him toward the side of the building.
“We weren’t exactly on the best terms before, but we can put that aside for now. Let’s see how this plays out,” Francis whispered, his voice low and tense.
The two men, tall and broad-shouldered, stood out even in the shadows. As they peered into the window, they saw Rafael, having removed his shirt, pacing angrily back and forth.
“Shit, that woman… How did she know I was hiding in here? And why the hell is my wound still bleeding?!” Rafael muttered to himself, frustration seeping into his words.
He was trying desperately to stop the blood flow, but nothing seemed to work.
His hands trembled as he took out a needle and thread, attempting to sew up the gaping wound without any anesthesia. The makeshift stitching was painful, but it didn’ t stop the blood from flowing.
Rafael pulled out some hemostatic powder and poured it onto his wound, gritting his teeth.
“Damm it, a bunch of ungrateful women, daring to refuse me. I’ve never been humiliated like this, and they think I’ll just leave in a few days?” He muttered, his voice a low growl.
“Since I’m here, there’s no way they’re getting out of my grasp. All of them will be mine. I’ll make them all my wives.” He clenched his fists, the thought fueling his anger.
The words Odalys had said kept echoing in his ears. In big cities, there were beautiful women everywhere, yet here he was, stuck in this remote mountain village with hardly any women to be found.
His desire for them burned-he wanted them, wanted them to bear his children.
His longing to get out, to escape, grew more desperate by the minute.
“No one can stop me.” His voice was steely, as he slumped into a chair, exhausted but determined.
But as soon as he sat down, he realized the bleeding had started again, much worse than before. Blood poured from his wound, soaking through his clothes, flowing down in a steady stream. He pressed his hand to the wound, but the bleeding wouldn’t stop.
“What the hell is happening?” Rafael’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Did that bitch coat her weapon in poison when she stabbed me?”
Panic began to rise in his chest. He sprang to his feet, panic-stricken, and rushed for the door.
Even someone as stupid as him knew-if the bleeding didn’ t stop soon, he’d die right here in this damned village.
Fear gnawed at him. He had been in control of this entire village, but now… he couldn’t even control his own fate. His life was slipping away.
“I’m going to find her. If she doesn’t give me the antidote, I’ll kill her,” he muttered, grabbing a cleaver from the counter.
Just as he was about to charge out of the door, he yanked the handle-only to find it wouldn’t budge.
“What the hell?” Rafael was stunned.
He kicked the door with all his might, and after a few moments, it finally creaked open. But the second he stepped outside, he found himself running in circles, his legs carrying him in a direction he didn’t recognize. It was like he was trapped in some kind of maze-like a ghost was messing with him.
“What did you do in his room?” Stellan asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and awe.
This was the first time he had witnessed something like this, and he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
He had heard of people getting lost in loops like this, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.
It was far more intense than anything he had seen in a movie.
“Odalys must have set up some kind of spell before she left his house,” Francis explained quietly. “When she came earlier, she must’ve made sure the stones in front of his door were displaced. I just followed her lead and kicked them out of the way.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. It was just a little task, but who would’ve guessed it would trap Rafael like this?
“You mean she set this up before? So, she knew exactly what would happen when she saw him dragging Sophia into his room that night? And she had already placed the spell without making a sound?” Stellan’s voice dropped to a murmur, his awe turning to admiration.
For a brief moment, Stellan couldn’t deny it-he was impressed. His mind raced as he processed how skillfully Odalys had set everything in motion.
The two men stood there in the rain, watching Rafael’s desperate attempts to escape. For the first time, they both secretly relished the sight of his suffering. It was like witnessing someone finally get what they deserved.
Suddenly, Rafael whipped around and charged toward them.
“Shit!” Francis jumped back, his heart pounding.
Rafael’s face was contorted with fury and terror. He stormed toward the window, locking eyes with Francis and Stellan, his gaze wild and full of rage.
Chapter 179
Rafael’s voice boomed, “Who’s out there? Get out here! What the hell do you think you’re doing, scheming against me? Do you think I won’t destroy you? Get rid of all these damn things right now, or else…”
His threatening words echoed ominously.
Francis stood frozen, watching Rafael’s furious, bloodshot face with a mix of confusion and surprise. He quickly stretched his arm out in front of him, trying to calm the tense situation.
“Wait, does he… not see us?” Francis swallowed nervously. Before he could process the situation, Rafael suddenly opened his mouth wide and lunged at his hand, biting it ferociously.
“Shit!” Francis pulled his hand back in time, heart racing, barely escaping the snake-like bite.
Rafael glared at him with a twisted expression, his face contorted with rage. He was about to speak when Stellan stormed forward and slammed the window shut with a resounding bang.
Rafael’s nose collided with the window frame, and he let out a muffled grunt of pain, blood beginning to ooze from his nostrils.
“These damn women, trying to set me up… Damn it, my wound is reopening!” Rafael panicked.
The wound on his face had split open again, and blood flowed freely. If this continued, he might end up shredded. What kind of weapon could cause such a deep, relentless injury?’
He was beginning to doubt everything. ‘Was this whole variety show a setup? The stars here seemed more like ghosts than real people, capable of things ordinary folks couldn’t even fathom.’
“Why are you guys going after him?” Francis asked, rubbing his hand. He was relieved that Rafael hadn’t actually bitten him, though his fingers felt weird, as if touched by something foul.
Stellan, initially uninterested in answering, hesitated. He didn’t want to explain everything, but realizing Francis might misunderstand, he decided to speak up.
“When we left this morning, he hid in the girls’ room. Just now, Freya walked in, and he tried to take advantage of the situation. She resisted, and he pushed her, causing her to hit her head on the doorframe. He panicked and tried to escape through the window. I think he’s injured himself, but he’s trying to pin the blame on us,” Stellan explained, his voice low.
“Luckily, the whole thing was caught on camera. We didn’t have any contact with him while we were out,” Stellan added, trying to minimize the involvement of the girls. He didn’t want them to be implicated in any way.
Francis frowned, still puzzled. “But I thought he had his eyes on Sophia. Why the sudden switch to one of the girls from Group B?”
He knew Rafael well enough to be sure this wasn’t like him.
The guy had been obsessing over Sophia, even sneaking into her room late at night to steal her personal items-he was kind of a creep.
“I don’t know,” Stellan replied thoughtfully, but he didn’t press the issue further.
As they walked back to their quarters, the sound of Odalys’ s voice reached their ears.
“So, he managed to hide in our room and avoided being caught before we returned? He clearly came prepared. We’ve had no contact with him, and now he’s trying to target us. I suspect someone has been guiding him,” Odalys said, her tone cold and calculating.
Selah’s eyes widened as she suddenly shot up from her seat.
“So, you were deliberately trying to provoke him, to trigger his greed and desperation, so that he would slip up and reveal his true intentions?” Selah asked, her voice tinged with realization.
Freya, holding a cloth to her forehead where the cut had been bandaged, winced. She had been scared earlier, but now, she was starting to feel calmer.
“When Odalys turned around, she kicked him out. It was all part of the plan. First, she lured him in, then dealt him a blow to throw him off balance. When he was panicked and confused, that’s when he showed his true colors,” Freya explained in a hushed voice.
Odalys, sitting calmly with a glass of water in hand, nodded. “Exactly. The goal was to throw him into a state of confusion. When a cornered animal panics, it shows its true nature. He would never have targeted us unless someone had pushed him into doing so.”
So, she had deliberately struck him.
The wounded man, already filled with rage, was further enraged when he was kicked out of the room.
His anger reached its peak, and when Stellan dragged him back, he realized he couldn’t even step out of the house. His injuries kept bleeding, and no matter how hard he tried to remain composed, his rationality had shattered.
But Odalys didn’t just want to protect Freya-she wanted to throw Rafael off balance, make him reveal his true
intentions, and unearth the real reason he was here, as well as the shadowy figures behind him.
This man had severed the tendons of villagers, imprisoning them in their homes without killing them.
It was clear that this village held something he desperately wanted-besides the giant python, what else could it be that his masters were after?
And the fact that the old tailor had connections to the Stewart family meant that Percival’s father’s death might very well have something to do with this man too.
A ruthless glint flashed in Odalys’ amber eyes as she thought of it.
She had never imagined that a simple variety show would lead her to cross paths with these dangerous people. It seemed that her connection to the Stewart family ran deeper than she had thought.
“Then, it’s clear. Someone must have been deliberately guiding him. The villagers hardly ever leave their homes, and they don’t know us. So, the only suspects left are the people from our production team.”
“The crew operates as a tight-knit group; they wouldn’t target the artists.”
“And you four are always together, so it must be someone from Group A?” Francis’s voice came from outside, interrupting the thought process.
He and Stellan had just returned, soaked to the bone from the rain, though they didn’t seem to mind.
“Finnian and I have been sticking together,” Francis continued. “He hasn’t left my side, so that leaves Atlas and Sophia.”
A heavy silence fell.
Everyone was still, processing the possibilities. Francis’s theory felt like a punch to the gut, but no one was quite ready to dismiss it.
[What happened to Freya? Is she hurt?]
[Odalys predicted this! She said there would be trouble with a man, and look-it’s happening now!]
[Who just jumped out of the window? Someone needs to track this guy down!]
Freya’s fans were in an uproar, and Stellan’s supporters echoed their outrage. After all, if Rafael could hurt Freya this time, who’s to say he wouldn’t target someone else next?
But Odalys’ fans, ever the rational ones, kept their focus on her. They weren’t distracted by the chaos; they were keenly aware of who was truly in control.
[Why did the screen flicker a few times? I couldn’t see it clearly, but that scoundrel came over injured, trying to cause trouble, and Odalys kicked him out-after that, we couldn’t see anything.]
[I really want to see how Group B handles this.]
[I’m curious about what Odalys said to Francis just now. Why did he go out in the rain, only to come back with Stellan?]
[The show better release the full footage! What’s going on? Why was the screen glitching?]
Fans were furious, demanding answers, speculating on every detail of the broadcast.
The key moments seemed to be missing, and the interruptions only fueled the viewers’ curiosity. Everyone was on edge, waiting for the truth to be revealed.
Odalys sat in silence, her gaze locked on the rain outside the window. She took a deep breath, then spoke, breaking the silence.
“Let’s wait until the rain stops,” she said softly.
Everyone paused, holding their breath. Freya and Selah, still on edge, didn’t dare stray too far from her.
“You two should rest. I’ll go check on dinner and see what we can eat,” Odalys murmured.
Selah and Freya started to get up to help, but Stellan immediately stopped them.
“You’ve been through enough. Rest here. I’ll help out,” Stellan said, his tone firm. He turned to leave, then paused.
A sudden thought crossed his mind, and he glanced back at Francis.
Chapter 180
“If you’re free, why don’t you stay and chat with them? You can have dinner with us later,” Stellan said, extending an invitation.
Francis, taken aback, didn’t expect that a simple task of kicking a rock would result in an offer for dinner.
Of course, he wasn’t about to turn down such an offer. At this point, food was a problem for him-he hadn’t had a decent meal in days.
“Alright, I’ll stay,” Francis nodded quickly.
Stellan knew he couldn’t leave the girls alone in the living room. He was worried that if they went out, someone might barge in again, putting the two women at risk.
“Good,” Stellan said, nodding in agreement.
He turned and headed outside, where he saw Odalys picking through some wild game.
Stellan walked up to her but overheard Odalys chuckling softly. “Did you make up with Francis?”
“There was no real grudge, just some conflict over
resources,” Stellan replied nonchalantly, accepting the wild game she handed him.
He glanced at her curiously, as if he wanted to ask something but wasn’t sure if he should.
“If you’re wondering something, just ask,” Odalys said, her voice light, though she didn’t turn around. It was as if she already knew what he was thinking.
Stellan hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a low voice,” Why did you let Francis go? What if he doesn’t help you? If I send him back and he runs away, won’t that ruin everything?” “He won’t,” Odalys said firmly, her confidence surprising him.
Stellan raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected her to understand Francis so well.
“He knows exactly what he’s doing and what he wants. Crossing me isn’t in his best interest. Plus, I told him to kick the rock. Whether he does it or not doesn’t matter. The
formation is already in place. Once it’s set, it’s beyond the reach of the outside world, but still… connected,” Odalys explained in a calm tone.
Stellan’s eyes widened in realization. “So, you’re testing him?”
“It’s not really a test,” Odalys corrected. “If he kicks the rock, it’ll make the formation last longer. Besides, we need all the help we can get.”
Stellan chuckled quietly. “Alright, I get it now.”
“Good. I invited him to stay for dinner,” Stellan added, eager to keep the conversation moving.
Odalys had no objections. The two of them, with their catch of wild game, began cleaning and preparing the food, including the pickled vegetables that had been given to them earlier by the giant python. The rain soon stopped, leaving behind a damp, cool air.
After a long afternoon of work, dusk fell.
The sky, heavy and overcast from the recent rain, cast a muted light over everything. In the kitchen, Odalys and Stellan worked together to prepare the meal, though most of the cooking was done by her while he focused on the side dishes.
Within no time, they had laid out a spread of five dishes and a soup, each plate a colorful mix of flavors.
Francis, when he saw the spread, couldn’t hide his amazement. Since arriving in the village, he hadn’t tasted anything this delicious.
“Well, I won’t be polite then,” Francis said, grabbing his fork. He quickly returned to grab his own bowl and seamlessly joined the Group B crew.
The atmosphere felt warm and welcoming.
From a distance, Finnian watched the scene, a pang of bitterness in his chest. ‘If I hadn’t fallen out with Odalys… he thought bitterly. ‘I should be sitting next to her, not him.’ “Sophia, are you okay?” Atlas’s voice interrupted Sophia’s daze. His eyes never left her face, and he noticed that she seemed lost, as if trapped in a wave of panic.
Sophia jumped when he called her name, snapping out of her thoughts.
“What’s wrong? Is something happening?” she asked, sitting up quickly.
She looked around, noticing that the rain had stopped outside.
The laughter from the next room was unmistakable, and the tantalizing smell of food wafted into the air. It was clear that dinner was being served next door. The contrast between the lively atmosphere there and the cold silence here felt stark.
“It’s nothing,” Atlas said, his concern deepening. “But I’ve been watching you. You’ve seemed off. Are you worried about something?”
Seeing the once confident, sunny, and kind-hearted Sophia now reduced to someone constantly filled with fear and insecurity, with eyes that flickered with doubt, Atlas felt a sharp pang in his chest.
It was painful to watch her unravel this way. If it weren’t for the emerald pendant, they wouldn’t have ended up clashing with Odalys like this.
His thoughts twisted uncomfortably as he glanced over at Odalys, who sat across from him, smiling as she ate her meal with a carefree expression. She had even invited Francis over to join her at the table, yet… not once had she asked him or his sister to join.
The contrast was stark, and it stung in a way he couldn’t quite describe.
“I… I feel guilty,” she confessed quietly, her voice shaky.
“Since we started this show, I haven’t been much help. I’ve been dragging everyone down. If I were as capable as Odalys, maybe you wouldn’t have had to go through all this. We’re just barely managing with what we’ve found. The food we got today… It’s enough to keep us from starving, but it’s not ideal,” she said.
Sophia paused, her voice breaking slightly. “I know there’s been a lot of negative attention around me lately. I can see the comments online, people mocking me, not
understanding what’s been happening. But if it were you, would you have done any better?
“I can’t help but wonder if I’ve really made a mistake… but where did I go wrong? What did I do to deserve all this criticism?” Her voice cracked with emotion, and tears blurred her vision, though she fought to keep them at bay. Finnian, who had been standing nearby, heard her words and felt a twinge of frustration.
“Silly girl,” Atlas murmured softly, his voice warm. “Who cares if people misunderstand you? I’ll always believe that you’re the kindest, most genuine person out there.”
Sophia managed a weak smile, her eyes still welling up with unshed tears. She bit her lip, trying desperately not to let herself cry, but she knew deep down that she was afraid. If everything came to light, she felt like there would be no turning back. ‘I regret it, but if I had to do it again, I’d still choose this path.’
“Let me check if there’s anything left from lunch. I’ll make you something,” Atlas said, his voice soft and caring.
He wasn’t a good cook, but he wanted to help her.
Atlas quickly went outside to check the leftovers. Moments later, he returned, looking stunned. He had accidentally knocked over all the food, sending it crashing into the fire, burning everything.
“How did this happen? I saw how Odalys did it, I even paid attention…” Atlas muttered in frustration. “I held the pan like she did, but I must have missed something.”
Sophia rushed outside when she heard the noise, only to freeze in surprise at the sight. The food was ruined, blackened, and burnt in the flames.
She was upset, but she didn’t show it. With a strained smile, she walked over to Atlas. “It’s okay. I’m not hungry anyway. I don’t usually eat dinner because I’m trying to lose weight.” She tried to lighten the mood, but it was clear that her heart wasn’t in it. “You and Finnian must be starving, though.
Should I go ask if we can borrow some food from next door?”
Atlas reached out and grabbed her arm gently, shaking his head. “No, it’s fine. I’m not hungry either.”
But just as he spoke, his stomach growled loudly, betraying his words.
His gaze shifted toward the next room, where he could hear the sounds of people enjoying their meal.
His jealousy boiled over as he watched Francis, oblivious to his earlier stoic behavior, happily joining in with Group B, eating with gusto, and drinking down the meat soup without a care.
“Atlas,” Sophia said suddenly, his voice low. “Do you think the emerald pendant is still in her room?”
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