'What?!'

Startled upon seeing the dark energy entering his wife's chest, William had no idea what to do, but a second later his worries vanished when the older priest explained what was happening.

"This is the ability granted to Father Augustus, The Symphony of Spirits."

According to him, this ability allowed him to connect with fragments of lost elements of nature called the spirits.

Though no one exactly knew what they were and how they looked, the spirits would whisper the hidden mysteries of life in the priest's ears. Sometimes these words escaped his mind, while other times he understood their meanings.

After years of using his power, father Augustus managed to gain the trust of these spirits. Enough for them to answer his call if he needed.

"Now these spirits are telling him… what?" William glanced at the previous dark energy that was now coming out of his wife. The blob of smoke flashed as its color shifted right above her body, where it seemed to have stilled.

He could even see several motes of different colors appearing around the mass before merging and dissipating into the air.

"They tell him what he needs to know. For now, he should be asking them about your wife's condition."

Hearing Father Nelson's explanation, William did not feel at ease or happy; instead, he felt dissatisfied. Angry that the church had someone like him and they still had not sent him to check on his wife.

As if seeing through his doubts, the old man continued, "Father Augustus is a very renowned member of the order, so he is always needed somewhere. In fact, he had been traveling around the kingdom for the past few days."

"Had he been available, we would have sent him to iron out a 'wrinkle' we had before leading him here."

Before they could continue their conversation, Father Augustus's body suddenly tilted back with a jerk, his brows furrowed.

He steadied himself and placed a hand gently on Lady Herbert's forehead, eyes clouded in concentration as the spirits' voices reached his inner hearing—faint, sorrowful cries layered over the rhythm of her heartbeat.

"There is… no wound upon her flesh," he murmured, like he was repeating something he was being told instead of choosing his own words. "No illness etched into her veins. Her body is whole."

He paused. The motes of light dimmed and, one by one, began to fade—except for a few that still clung stubbornly to her chest, their glow twisting like smoke.

"But…" His voice grew quieter, heavy with unease that made William's shoulders stiff. "There is something else… A curse."

The words thundered in William's ears.

"A very dark and sinister curse that feeds on this poor woman. It drinks her life slowly—her warmth, her joy, her will to live—leaving only the shell of her former self."

Withdrawing his hands, the priest glanced at the lord of the mansion and added, "The longer it goes on, the less she wakes up, and soon there will come a time when…"

He did not need to finish his words, as this was something even William had thought of himself.

Even so, William did not panic or give in to despair. He steeled his nerves and kept himself steady and focused. "Is there any cure?"

Two priests exchanged a glance before the older one replied, "There is only one cure: destroy the thing or the person responsible for this. With their death, the curse will break, and lady Herbert will be saved."

William's jaw tightened. "Then how do we find them?"

Father Nelson stepped forward. "We'll need to prepare a ceremony. It can reveal the person behind this. But it must be done in a sacred place—the nearest church."

"How long will that take?"

"Not long," said Nelson. "But we'll need to gather a few items first. Let us go there and prepare for the ritual. Once ready, we'll return. This time we can also ask for someone to assist with the transfer of that wretched maid; we cannot leave someone like that unattended for long."

William nodded. "Do whatever it takes. I'll make sure you have what you need."

He led both priests downstairs, the air in the mansion heavy with silence. As they reached the main hall, William stopped.

Agnes was sitting on the sofa, her bags packed neatly beside her. Two maids stood behind her, ready to help. She looked up when she saw him.

"I was just about to tell you," she said calmly, her tone polite but distant. "I'll be moving to the place I rented. There's work I need to return to."

"I assume there is nothing I can say that will change your mind." Lord Herbert let out a resigned sigh before adding, "Then please wait for a moment and allow me to give you a proper farewell, Lady Inez."

"That is fine with me, Lord Herbert." Agnes smiled faintly as her eyes drifted to the stairway. "Besides," She said quietly, "I say goodbye to Tessa as well."

William allowed himself to smile a little.

He walked the priests to the main gate himself. The air outside was cool, carrying the faint scent of rain. The two priests climbed into their covered carriage, their black robes brushing against the step as they got in.

Father Augustus glanced at the grand manor looming in the distance, which no longer seemed as luxurious as it once was, and said, "We will come as soon as we can. The spirits are telling me to ask you to not let anyone from your household leave this place."

William only stood there in silence and doubt as the carriage blurred into the distance.

When he turned back inside, the mansion felt quieter than before. The faint creak of the old floorboards echoed as he walked through the hall and back toward the sitting room.

Agnes was still there, standing now, her cloak wrapped around her shoulders. The maids had taken her bags to the carriage waiting outside.

Beside her stood his daughter—Tessa. She was clinging to Agnes with a stubborn look on her face, refusing to let go.

"Sister Inez, please don't go. I don't want to stay away from you."

If it was before, Agnes's heart would have melted, but now, knowing that a demon was controlling her body to act this way, she felt disgusted and repulsed by her action.

Maintaining her smile, she patted her head and said, "Don't worry, Tess. I will come back to check up on you once I am done settling down."

Tessa's small hands tightened around Agnes's arm, her lower lip trembling as if she might cry.

"But… can't you stay just for one more night?" she asked softly, her voice almost breaking.

Agnes knelt down so their eyes met. "You know I can't, Tess."

The girl hesitated, her eyes glassy and full of confusion. She looked from Agnes to her father, hoping he would say something different.

William sighed and crouched beside his daughter. "Tessa," he said gently, "Lady Inez has things she wants to do. You don't want to hinder her work and make her sad, do you?"

Tessa stared at him, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then, slowly, she hurriedly shook her head. "I don't, Father."

Agnes smiled faintly and reached out to brush a strand of hair from the girl's cheek. "That's a good girl."

But just as she pulled her hand away, she caught something strange in Tessa's eyes—a faint, cold flicker of light that vanished as quickly as it came.

Agnes froze for half a heartbeat, her stomach tightening. Whatever it was, it wasn't something a child should have in their eyes.

Tessa stepped back, her face calm again. "Goodbye, Sister Inez," she said softly. "I'll wait for you."

Agnes forced herself to nod and smile. "Goodbye, Tess."

She turned to William, bowing slightly. "Take care of yourself, Lord Herbert."

"And you," William replied, giving her a small nod. "If anything changes, I'll send word."

Agnes said nothing more. She walked out of the manor, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the quiet hall. The two maids followed her, helping with her bags until she reached the carriage.

The driver opened the door for her. Agnes paused once more, glancing back toward the tall windows of the mansion.

Through the glass, she could faintly see Tessa standing there—still, silent, watching her leave.

That same cold flicker returned in the girl's eyes, faint but unmistakable. Agnes's chest tightened, though she didn't let it show. She turned away, stepped into the carriage, and closed the door.

The horses moved, and soon the grand gates of the Herbert estate began to fade behind her.

Inside the carriage, Agnes finally let her smile drop. Her green eyes flashed with a crimson hue, and the air around her turned cold.

'I just hope those people from the church can keep their word and save this family even though they could not avenge mine.'

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