Ella’s POV
“This is terrifying. Who could have used such a malicious method to kill our guards?” Holly asked.
“Could it be the werewolves from the Black Moon clan?” Sophie added, her voice trembling.
“Girls, detecting isn’t our job. As physicians, our duty is to use our expertise to determine the cause of death of the guards, to prevent new werewolves from falling victim to the same fate,” Dr. Helena said sternly.
“After the examination just now, do you have any other findings?”
“Well… only the DNA of 5 missing werewolves was detected on that batch of ashes, and nothing else was found. Under the microscope, the bodies of the werewolves seemed to have been melted by something,” Lily said.
“So, perhaps other missing werewolves might still be alive?” Holly asked.
“Not necessarily. The fact that the perpetrator effortlessly abducted our guards from our heavily guarded and concealed forest, leaving no trace, indicates a meticulously planned operation,” Beta Aaron interjected, then sighed. “Now, we’ve confirmed the deaths of the werewolves. I need to provide swift answers to their families and offer them solace.”
Beta Aaron then ordered his subordinates to convey the message to the families of the missing werewolves. “Doctors, this concerns the safety of our Pack residents. In the past half month, our only breakthrough has been these ashes. To prevent our enemies from noticing, we need to find new leads as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation in these challenging times.”
“Yes, Beta Aaron.”
“Our next task is to stake out the guard post secretly tonight at 3 a. m.”
“No problem, I’ll dispatch the pharmacists to join me on patrol tonight.”
“Very well, then. I have other matters to attend to. Let’s meet at the guard post at 2 a. m. tonight.”
“Okay, Beta Aaron.”
After Beta Aaron left the stone house, Dr. Helena asked if we were willing to participate in the night patrol. Lily and Holly volunteered eagerly, while the other two new physicians declined. Sophie hesitated with her head bowed.
“And what about you, Anna?” Dr. Helena asked.
My eyes remained fixed on the white powder in the wooden box on the table, oblivious to the outside world.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that the smell was familiar, and the ashes were too white, as if they had been bleached by some liquid rather than burned by flames.
“Anna?”
It was Dr. Helena’s raised voice that snapped me out of my thoughts. “Sorry, Dr. Helena, what did you just say?”
“Are you planning to join tonight’s patrol? I must emphasize that this task is more dangerous than we anticipated. If you want to back out now, you can return to the dormitory, pack your things, and leave for the estate tomorrow.”
“No, Dr. Helena, I’m not afraid of danger. I want to join the patrol,” I answered eagerly.
I had a hunch that this incident was closely related to Rogue. I had been searching for them for five years, and I couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
“Very well,” Dr. Helena gave me an approving look before turning to the others. “So, Sophie, Ada, Eva, you can go back to the dormitory for now.”
As if she had made a big decision, Sophie said, “Dr. Helena, I… I don’t want to go back to the estate. I also want to join the patrol.”
Ada and Eva, glaring at me resentfully, stubbornly declared, “Dr. Helena, we’ve also decided not to go back.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to force yourselves,” Dr. Helena said.
“Yes, Dr. Helena,” Sophie said softly.
“We’re also sure,” Ada and Eva replied.
At 2 o’clock in the morning, we put on our black patrol uniforms and met up with Beta Aaron.
The guard post was located next to a small tower separating the Blue River Tribe and the Darkwood Forest, about 15 meters high, not very conspicuous. In the moonlight, we could see the lush and tall trees not far away, swaying in the wind, with rustling sounds coming from the forest, as if there were giant creatures moving deep within.
“Oh, shit. It’s so cold, and this atmosphere is too creepy,” Ada withdrew her gaze, frightened.
“Are we, are we still in time to back out?” Eva cautiously asked Ada.
Ada also showed fear and stole a glance at me. “Let’s not go back. We’re already here. It’s just a minor case, and we’ll solve it soon.”
I chuckled helplessly.
I knew Ada and Eva disliked me because they looked down on me. They would rather face their fears and participate in this patrol just to prove they were stronger than me.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Beta Aaron only sent out 10 of his subordinates. According to his instructions, we were divided into two groups and hidden in the bushes. Beta Aaron himself, requested to play the role of the guard on duty for the night. We remained vigilant, observing our surroundings from a distance of 30 meters from him, until 3 a. m. came and went without any abnormalities.
“Could the enemy have discovered us?” Holly said, yawning, and Dr. Helena gave her a warning look, silencing her immediately.
The surroundings were silent, and after another 20 minutes, everyone was starting to feel tired.
“Dr. Helena, I agree with Holly. It’s been half an hour past our shift. The enemy might really not come,” Ada said.
“Let’s wait a bit longer, awaiting Beta Aaron’s instructions,” Dr. Helena said.
My eyes remained fixed on Beta Aaron’s figure standing on the guard post, and strangely, he moved.
“Look, Beta Aaron moved,” Holly exclaimed with delight.
At the same time, whether it was my imagination or not, I heard a pleasant ringing sound that quickly disappeared.
“Has Beta Aaron found something? He’s leaving the tower,” I asked.
“Everyone, follow Beta Aaron,” Dr. Helena commanded.
We walked for a while, but nothing happened.
I kept staring at Beta Aaron’s figure, feeling increasingly uneasy. His movements seemed more rigid than before, like a puppet on strings.
I tugged on Dr. Helena’s sleeve.
“What?”
I paused. “According to our agreement today, if Beta Aaron had made a new discovery, he would have signaled us, but he didn’t. It’s very unusual. I feel like his movements now are very stiff, as if he’s being controlled by something.”
Dr. Helena frowned. “Are you suggesting Beta Aaron is like the missing werewolves…?”
I nodded quickly, and being reminded by Dr. Helena, I became more certain of my suspicion.
Dr. Helena understood my implication, leaving one team in place while she, Holly, Ada, and I continued walking with another team. After about 20 more minutes, Beta Aaron still hadn’t stopped, and then I heard the ringing sound again, seemingly coming from deep within the forest.
How could there be a ringing sound in the forest?
“Holly, did you hear any sounds?” I grabbed Holly next to me, she looked at me in confusion.
I shook my head, suspecting I was hallucinating again.
Wait, hallucination?
As the word popped into my head, my pupils dilated.
Everything that had happened today rushed into my mind, a sense of fear creeping in.
This might not be a hallucination. I had been a mute for 22 years, and my hearing was sharper than that of an average werewolf.
The white powder, the familiar putrid smell, Beta Aaron’s abnormal behavior, and the pleasant ringing sound…
All the pieces of information indicated one possibility,
That is, this forest harbored a killer plant – the Illusion Bellflower!