In the early morning, Mrs. Jenkins was arranging the withered flowers in her flower shop when she happened to glance up and saw a familiar luxury car slowing down at the street corner just outside. She offered a warm smile, set down her work, and headed towards the door.
Inside the luxury car, Aldrich expressed reluctance. “I wish I could tell the driver to step on it and take you to the company.”
“Kind and considerate Aldrich, you better hurry off to work!” Maggie urged Aldrich. “I hope Charlie’s report on the Blood Moon won’t have significant issues.”
Speaking of which, Aldrich’s expression turned somber. “Overnight, there were three locations with wolf pack disturbances. The wolves’ condition is becoming increasingly unstable. I really hope the Moon Goddess can dispel this dark Blood Moon.”
As the daughter of the Moon Goddess, Maggie lowered her head in shame. “She will, the Moon Goddess would never want these things to happen.”
She got out of the car with a bouquet she intended to give to Mrs. Jenkins. Maggie waved at the slowly departing luxury car. She turned around and saw Mrs. Jenkins waiting at the entrance.
“Mrs. Jenkins! Good morning!” Maggie beamed with a bright smile and walked vivaciously towards Mrs. Jenkins in the sunlight. “A beautiful bouquet for you, hoping it brightens your day.”
Mrs. Jenkins accepted the bouquet, and her wrinkled hand firmly held Maggie’s wrist as she whispered, “It’s so alike. For a moment, it felt like time rewound to a long, long time ago.”
It wasn’t until they were seated inside the flower shop that Maggie understood. “You mean… my mother?”
Mrs. Jenkins’s eyes glistened slightly. “Yes, her expression, her actions, her voice, it was like an exact replica. When you turned around, the present and memory merged…”
Mrs. Jenkins was choked up, and Maggie gently embraced her. “Mrs. Jenkins, you miss the Moon Goddess so much, but we’ll find her.”
“Yes, she will come back.”
Mrs. Jenkins breathed deeply to regain her composure, and Maggie wanted to inquire further. Did her mother once wave farewell to someone, just like this? Was it her father? A permanent farewell, or a brief parting? She was eager to know, but Mrs. Jenkins got up and left.
She returned with a cup of hot milk and a cup of coffee, placing the warm milk next to Maggie. “Good child, I’ve noticed that there’s been a change in your aura. Can you tell me what happened?”
“Thanks to the Moon Goddess’s power, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here in front of you.”
Maggie proceeded to tell Mrs. Jenkins about her encounter with Grace, her use of the Energy Bead for self-defense, healing Charlie, and later, healing Grace.
Mrs. Jenkins was shocked to hear about the whirlwind of events Maggie had experienced in just a few days. “You’re growing up, my dear.”
“With Aldrich’s protection, I’ll be fine, and these Energy Beads give me self-defense abilities when I need them.”
“Maggie, I need you to understand that each Energy Bead has a limited number of uses. After releasing energy three times, it will become an ordinary bead, and you won’t be able to store energy in it again.”
“Only three times…” Maggie quickly calculated in her mind. One Energy Bead costs as much as fifty million dollars. Using it once means consuming one point seven million dollars. This staggering number made her deeply concerned.
“Yes, you need to conserve your energy, try to use the Energy Beads for self-defense, not for saving others. There are many unknown dangers ahead, and we can’t take risks. You must save your energy.”
Maggie took out three Energy Beads from her person, two from the owl statue’s eyes and one gifted by Mrs. Jenkins. Now, two of the Energy Beads emitted a sparkling and translucent glow. Mrs. Jenkins gently touched an Energy Bead, feeling the pure and abundant energy.
“Good child, have you filled the energy space of these two Energy Beads completely?” Mrs. Jenkins asked in astonishment.
Maggie sighed, “Yes, it takes me a whole night to fill one Energy Bead.”
“Goodness, you did that in one night?”
Maggie nodded in puzzlement.
“Maggie, do you know that when your mother, the Moon Goddess, first started practicing to store Moon Goddess power, it took her three days and nights to fill such an Energy Bead! You are truly amazing!”
Mrs. Jenkins was extremely excited. “Your innate ability is even more potent than that of the Moon Goddess herself. With proper training, your abilities will surpass the Moon Goddess, and the fall of the Moon Goddess Palace will come to a halt because of you!”
Maggie quickly absorbed Mrs. Jenkins’s words. “What’s happening at the Moon Goddess Palace?”
“Since the disappearance of the Moon Goddess, at first, we could maintain some order. But as time passed, some people developed rebellious intentions, and the moon’s changes became increasingly obscure. Our people are on the verge of losing their ability to sense and control the moon.”
“Can’t we do anything to stop it?”
Mrs. Jenkins sighed. “Not unless the Moon Goddess returns. The Moon Goddess Palace is currently governed by the High Elder, but she’s gradually revealing her ambitions. She’s angered by the Moon Goddess’s disappearance from the human world and her relinquishing of control over the moon’s tides, allowing the Blood Moon to expand its influence.”
“What will happen?”
“It will trigger numerous natural disasters. That’s just the surface. More importantly, the Blood Moon’s changes will lead to an imbalance in energy fluctuations. The werewolf race, guided by the moonlight, will inevitably erupt in chaos, and more unpredictable dangers will arise during this time. When that moment comes, whatever we do, it may be difficult to reverse the situation.”
Mrs. Jenkins’s words filled Maggie with deep concern. “What can I do? Just listening to your description, I feel a strong sense of responsibility. Tell me, as the Moon Goddess’s daughter, what should I do?”
“It’s a mission engraved in your blood, Maggie. While it’s still relatively calm, you have time. With the help of Aldrich Barrett, make an effort to find more Energy Beads. This is an urgent matter. There is no room for delay. You’re our hope.”
“I know, I’m not afraid.” Maggie and Mrs. Jenkins embraced tightly, united by their common mission. They marched forward into the thorny land, determined to reach out for that elusive pure white moonlight.