RESTLESS SOULS IN LONGHURST MANSION?

Gerald was speechless for a minute as he stared at the mansion that sat on the top of the mountains in front of him. He was still processing the story Reznor had just told him.

"What does that chalice do?" Gerald asked the very obvious question.

"You really want to know?"

Gerald nodded his head, without giving any sarcastic remark, which was a good sign for Reznor.

"With its help one can revive the river of elixir and bring it on the earth straight from the heaven. One drop of that holy water can bestow immortality to the one who drinks it."

"And you want that elixir to acquire that immortality so you can live for the endless time and keep on torturing people by becoming the greatest wizard of all times and get your revenge on the magic world for banishing you from there?"

"And to make Malvadogar a new centre of power for the ages to come!" Reznor added with a proud smile. "You are not as dumb as I used to think, Livingstone!" He then added.

Gerald kept staring at Reznor for a long minute, trying to figure out something.

"So?" Reznor cocked his brow.

Gerald chuckled, shaking his head. "You are seriously screwed up in your brain, Reznor! Do you really think you can get what you want? If that story is true and the Royals have put that third part of the chalice in the Longhurst mansion, do you think they have kept it there for a show without any protection that I... a human can go and get it just like that?" Gerald looked at him incredulously.

"Gerald, why do you say something to make a fool out of you when I just begin to believe that you are a smart young man?" Reznor said in disappointment.

Gerald only rolled his eyes at him. His wrists pained in those vice shackles.

"Of course, they have put that chalice in the highest degree of protection that not only a human but no supernatural creature can cross and even touch that chalice."

"So?" Gerald mimicked what Reznor did a minute ago.

"That is why I am offering you money that will be enough for you to spend a lavish life without any work. It is your responsibility to find a breakthrough and get that chalice to me. By hook or by crook!"

Gerald paused for a moment before asking with a straight face.

"And what if I steal that chalice and refuse to give it to you? I can use it for myself."

Reznor laughed at that. "I know you well enough to tell you everything truthfully, Gerald. Gerald Livingstone doesn't care about anything but money, and he can do anything to get more of it.

You are not interested in immortality and the things associated with it because, for you, this very life is intolerable punishment. So I trust you, Gerald!"

Gerald sighed. Why does everyone like to make him sound like a gold digger?

Perhaps because he indeed was!

"I will need some time to think." Gerald gave a cautious answer.

He couldn't just accept Reznor's offer no matter how tempting it sounded. Because this time, it was not only another of his magical adventures, but the royals would be involved in it too.

Gerald needed to discuss this with Oscar first.

"Don't you dare to think about discussing it with Oscar Gerald? He was actually my first choice because he had Isabella for help as she is a human and can access the place where the chalice is.

But he downright refused to help me and threatened me with complaining to the magic council. Can you believe it?!"

"Oh trust me, I can!" Gerald muttered.

Why the hell he didn't say a word about it to me? Gerald thought.

"Do you still need time to think?"

"yes."

Reznor stood up, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright then. See you in the morning. I think that much time is enough for you to think through."

And then he turned to walk away.

"Hey... hey wait! Reznor! What the hell?" Gerald thrashed in the chair, where he was restrained by Reznor's magic.

"You are not going to spill about this to your friends if you cannot give me your answer right now!" Reznor shrugged again.

Gerald cursed under his breath.

"Tick tock tick tock..." Reznor created an hourglass in the air in which the sand was slipping faster.

Gerald had never been under such mental pressure before. He watched Reznor smirking at him while tapping his foot impatiently. Gerald evaluated his all options, but none of them sounded good enough than the one that he was very hesitant to accept- Agree with Reznor!

"The time is slipping fast Gerald hurry up!" Reznor reminded, making Gerald glared at him.

He closed his eyes for a minute and then yelled. "Fine! I am ready!"

*

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Theodora was lost in her thoughts as she couldn't help but keep thinking about the conversation she had with her father in the library.

Bertha noticed her lost state. Although she didn't want Theodora to lash out at her for disturbing her, she also wanted to help her, if she needed.

"My Lady? Lady Theodora?" Bertha called her name cautiously.

Theodora looked startled at first. But soon, she recovered from it and turned her head to look at Bertha. "Hmm?"

"Is there anything I can help you with? You look deep in thought."

Theodora paused for a moment before releasing a long sigh. "Yes, I... I have something on my mind."

"Can I help?"

Theodora looked at Bertha amusingly for a long minute. The poor maid didn't understand why though. Did she make any mistake, or were those wrong words to say?

"Erm... My Lady?"

"I sometimes wonder how you manage to squeeze your way into my everything. I mean... whenever I have something to worry about, you are always there, ready to jump in for my help without a second thought.

How do you manage that, Bertha? Don't you ever think about yourself or the problems you may face while helping others?" Theodora cocked her head in curiosity.

Bertha blushed to smile a little. "When you genuinely care for someone and want to help that person you don't care about anything else, My Lady. And I believe in karma.

What we do comes back at us with interest. So if I do the good, it will definitely come back to me, bringing more goodness in my life!"

Theodora shook her head with a smile.

"I can never understand your philosophy, Bertha!" Theodora laughed, shaking her head.

And once again, without much trying, Bertha had snatched Theodora's worries from her.

*

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On the other end of the Longhurst mansion, the heavy footsteps landed on the hard ground as the person strode with confidence. He had a torch in his hand to guide him through those dark hallways that were left abandoned except for his occasional visits.

This place was at the far back of the Longhurst mansion- a part of the mansion that was untouched for centuries. No maids, servants or guards were allowed to go there. The large entrance to that section of the mansion remained locked with a giant metallic lock for centuries.

Nobody was allowed to go there even for cleaning. In the otherwise sparkly clean mansion, this part seemed very out of place.

Nobody really questioned what was in there as everybody knew that it was the oldest part of the entire structure, and during an earthquake in the past, it took a severe loss.

Since then, it was locked by the Longhurst family.

The rumours also said that in that earthquake, some people died, who were working in that section. And till this date, people feared that their unsatisfied souls roamed behind that locked door, waiting for prey to enter in there, so they could take over their bodies.

Then what was this man doing in that place at the time of the evening?

Wasn't he scared of those restless souls?

His legs carried him through the maze of hallways effortlessly as if he had been there before many times. He was well acquainted with the place that he knew where he had to be careful with the cobwebs and rats.

He finally came to a halt at the intersection of the two hallways. He looked to his right to see a door with a lock. The dust-covered its surface and the spiders had established their whole colony there.

Then his head turned to his left to see another door at the end. Though both doors looked identical and one could get confused about which one to choose, this man had no problem choosing the left one.

Because he knew for a sure that the left one was the right door. He stopped outside the door and watched it carefully under the flickering light of the torch in his hand.

The last time he came there was about three months ago. And yet it has not changed much, except for the thickening of the dust layer and the increasing population of insects and spiders.