Two hours remained before the Elder Council’s ceremony. Maggie was so nervous that she kept pacing in circles, repeatedly going over the contents of her speech.
“I hope to build a new bridge between the werewolf and human societies, constructing a free and equal fusion society that enables multiple races to discard prejudices and unite…” She faltered, “Then what’s the next part?”
“To achieve free trade, open borders, peaceful coexistence, and maximize the interests within the human-wolf fusion society.”
“Yes, maximize the interests.”
Aldrich asked her, “Do you need me to remind you later, or would you like to jot down some keywords to connect the speech?”
Maggie shook her head. “I can remember.”
With only half an hour remaining until the ceremony began, there was still no sign of it starting. Maggie remained lost in the agony of memorizing her speech, unaware of the situation. However, Aldrich was the first to sense that something was amiss.
“Why is there no movement for the ceremony? We should be getting ready to enter by now.”
Thomas nodded and said, “I’ll go check on the situation.”
He quickly returned and informed Aldrich, “It seems they can’t get in touch with the Grand Elder.”
Aldrich’s expression grew serious. “Maggie, put the speech aside for now. We need to go inside to see what’s happening.”
Maggie hadn’t quite grasped the situation, but she followed them inside.
As they approached the meeting room’s entrance, they heard an escalating and heated argument inside.
“He was supposed to contact us last night. Why can’t we find him anywhere now?”
“I’ve been saying all along that we should have sent someone to bring him here earlier. He’s getting older and sometimes makes the wrong decisions, forgets important matters. He’s extremely stubborn and won’t let us near his residence. And now look!”
The elders were bickering fiercely, but they couldn’t reach a consensus.
“Apologies for interrupting your argument.” Aldrich leaned against the doorway, with Thomas and a bewildered Maggie standing behind him. “If you’ll permit Maggie and me, we’d like to go find the Grand Elder. I received teachings from the Grand Elder in the past, and I believe that at a critical time like this, I can contribute.”
The group of elders exchanged glances and couldn’t come to a better conclusion.
“This woman won’t do.” Just when they were about to make a decision, someone had to intervene and muddy the waters. “She’s a human, and her presence will anger the Moon Goddess. She must remain under our surveillance and can’t go anywhere!”
Aldrich’s patience was wearing thin. “She may be a human, but she’s also the mother of my child. If human society angers the Moon Goddess, she wouldn’t have conceived a werewolf pup. Your argument doesn’t hold.”
“But humans can’t be trusted…”
The elder with sharper eyes silenced the dissenting voice with a glance. “We’ll select someone from the Elder Council to accompany you. Right now, you’re our only hope. Aldrich Barrett, the Grand Elder had high expectations for you and your partner. Don’t let the people here make a mockery of you.”
“I will do everything in my power.”
They embarked on the journey, although it was far from a pleasant memory. They had to traverse a swamp, and the Grand Elder’s residence lay beyond that, deep within the forest. The day and night journey left them all unprecedentedly exhausted. They had no other means of transportation because these vehicles couldn’t pass through the specific barriers, forcing them to resort to the most primitive method.
“I hope he just forgot about the ceremony, and it’s not something worse,” Maggie said as they journeyed.
Aldrich, however, was far more pessimistic. “His mind is usually very clear, and there were no signs indicating a decline in his mental state. I suspect he’s been attacked.”
“But who could it be?”
Aldrich didn’t answer, but the name Ethan Frost Bourne immediately crossed his mind. He couldn’t think of anyone else with a motive to harm the Grand Elder. Nevertheless, all these speculations remained just that – speculations. Only after seeing the Grand Elder would the truth become clear.
Unfortunately, they were a step too late. When they arrived, the Grand Elder was lying on the floor of his living room, his breath faint. He appeared peaceful, as if he had slipped into unconsciousness for some unknown reason. However, no matter how the outside world changed, he couldn’t be awakened. He showed no response to external stimuli, and his face was deathly pale.
“Maggie, can you try?” Aldrich asked.
Maggie hesitantly extended her hand. “With the help of the Energy Bead, perhaps, but I’m not sure what I can achieve…”
Her confidence was still lacking. Aldrich encouraged her, “No pressure, but you’re the only one among the three of us with healing abilities. If you don’t give it a try, the Grand Elder may have no chance.”
Aldrich was right; she was their only hope at the moment. She recalled every memory of calling upon energy, took a deep breath, and gradually emitted a radiance. The person appointed by the Elder Council had rarely seen genuine healing magic. Even the Elder Council seldom truly controlled the existence of magic. He watched in astonishment as a glow surrounded Maggie.
Moonlight radiated from Maggie, and he couldn’t tell whether it was the Moon Goddess’s bestowed divine power or if her divine power created that elusive illusion. Meanwhile, the Energy Bead that Aldrich brought out merged with Maggie’s power, gradually seeping into the Grand Elder’s body. His complexion slowly regained color, and his chest began to rise and fall. But the power they had infused was still not enough to awaken him.
“Why isn’t he waking up?” Aldrich sighed internally at the Council’s depleted talent pool; they were losing patience so quickly.
“The power of the Energy Bead is limited. The Grand Elder needs a more substantial force to awaken him. Just give it a little more time.”
Maggie continued to infuse fresh energy, but though the Grand Elder’s face had regained color, there were still no signs of him waking up.
“Is it not working yet?” one of the onlookers asked loudly.
“I’ll check,” Aldrich stepped forward and closely examined the Grand Elder’s condition. He was in a much better state than when they first arrived, as he seemed to be in a deep slumber rather than severe unconsciousness. With enough energy, he was bound to wake up. The only problem was that the Energy Bead couldn’t provide all the energy needed, and Maggie couldn’t deliver a large amount at once due to her unstable state.
So they needed an Energy Orb.
“Stop, Maggie. We’ve exhausted our options here. Let’s take him back to the Elder Council for now.”