361-365

Chapter 361: Before Everything  

One Hour Ago, Port-au-Prince, Inside a Hotel  

“There are more people attending the festival than I expected.”  

Agent Zhou frowned as he glanced out the window at the bustling crowd.  

In fact, for the past day, Vodou followers from all over Haiti had been arriving one after another.  

As the country’s most significant festival, the Vodou Festival carries a strong air of mystery. Its primary purpose is not celebration but rather devotion—an offering of faith to the Loa, the spirits of Vodou. Originally, the rituals were gruesome and terrifying.  

However, over time, some aspects of the festival have changed. The bloodiest sacrificial ceremonies have been toned down.  

Animal sacrifices have gradually replaced human offerings, and the once-dreaded ritual has slowly evolved into more of a cultural event.  

Over the past few decades, Vodou’s influence in Haiti has expanded significantly. The local government officially recognized the once purely religious ceremony as a national festival—both as a tribute to Vodou and as a means to boost the country’s economy. A key figure in this transformation was former President Duvalier.  

It was also under his rule that Vodou became even more feared by the Haitian people.  

Many locals believe that if they do not participate in the Vodou Festival, they will incur the wrath of the spirits, bringing them misfortune for the rest of the year.  

“Perhaps it has something to do with the presidential palace’s announcement.”  

“The Vodou Festival has always been an important event here, but aside from former President Duvalier, very few presidents have ever participated in the parade. This year, however, the new president plans to deliver a speech during the festival—offering prayers for the Haitians who perished in the earthquake. That alone has drawn a massive crowd.”  

Regardless of his true intentions, the president’s decision to attend the Vodou Festival has undoubtedly added a layer of political significance to the celebrations.  

It also complicates the upcoming operation for Amanda’s team.  

“Zhou, I need you to keep an eye on the presidential palace’s movements.”  

Frowning, Amanda issued her orders to Agent Zhou.  

He nodded in response, pulling his headscarf up to cover his face.  

“From now on, follow the plan. Zhou, you monitor the presidential palace. Phil, you…”  

Taking a deep breath, Amanda swept her gaze across the room.  

Her eyes lingered on the fortune teller, Joey, for a moment. Since that morning, he had been unusually silent. Was he anxious about the prophecy he had foreseen?  

Pushing aside her thoughts, Amanda refocused on her team. As they prepared for what was to come, tension was written all over their faces.  

They already knew from Joey’s prophecy that they were about to face an unimaginable disaster.  

Sitting in a chair, absentmindedly fiddling with his ring, Spike glanced over at Joey.  

Compared to Amanda, he could sense Joey’s deep unease more clearly.  

This made the medium’s heart grow heavier.  

“Tell me, Joey. What did you see?”  

Joey, who had been motionless and silent, seemed startled back to reality by Spike’s question.  

He looked up, his eyes meeting Spike’s weary gaze. A strained, almost painful smile tugged at his lips.  

“Trust me. You don’t want to know.”  

Their conversation immediately drew the attention of everyone in the room.  

Amanda paused her preparations and turned toward Joey and Spike.  

They weren’t making any effort to lower their voices.  

“I’ve been through worse,” Spike replied calmly, still toying with his ring.  

Faced with Spike’s response and the expectant stares of the team, Joey took a deep breath before finally speaking.  

“Not long ago, I had another vision of the future.”  

“But this time, what I saw was even worse than before. Maybe… maybe my presence has already changed what was supposed to happen. In my earlier visions, I wasn’t even there…”  

“I shouldn’t have come. I thought I could change things, but clearly, I’ve only made them worse.”  

Regret and frustration filled Joey’s voice, as if he deeply regretted everything he had done.  

“Tell me, Joey. What exactly did you see?”  

His words sent a wave of unease through the room.  

Judging by his reaction, their fate in the predicted future was anything but hopeful.  

“I saw everyone die.”  

“The Vodou Festival was a ritual from the very beginning. Vodou practitioners used it to open the spiritual realm, summoning the Vodou Queen—becoming the medium for Vodou and the Loa to descend upon the real world. The entire world was consumed by Vodou’s power.”  

“This is the rise of darkness?”  

Hearing Joey’s revelation, Amanda instinctively connected it to the Dark Uprising.  

After all, Vodou is a religion built on fear. If the spirits they worship were to manifest in reality, it would certainly be fitting to call it an era of darkness.  

“No, the true Dark Uprising has to be more than just this.”  

Spike shook his head. He wasn’t convinced that the Loa alone would be enough for the Collective to label this as the rise of darkness.  

“But this is definitely the beginning.”  

“If we don’t stop it now.”  

Looking at Amanda, Spike’s usual calm voice carried an unusual weight of urgency.  

Even though the full truth behind the Dark Uprising remained unclear, one thing was certain—if Joey’s vision came to pass, the world would face an unprecedented catastrophe.  

That would be a disaster for both BSI and Spike himself.  

For BSI, Haiti is too close to the United States. If the Vodou Queen descends, America will undoubtedly be one of the first to be affected.  

And given America’s history, if it perceives an existential threat looming on its doorstep, its response will be swift and overwhelming. With the exception of the Civil War, almost all of America’s major wars have been fought overseas. It would never allow such a colossal danger to remain unchecked next door.  

The most likely outcome? The entire world would be dragged into the abyss as America sought to eliminate the threat—no matter the cost.  

As for Spike himself… he had no intention of dying before fulfilling his revenge.  

“But if Joey’s vision is destined to happen, then no matter how much we struggle…”  

Frowning, Agent Zhou glanced around the room before touching his wooden prosthetic arm. His voice was heavy.  

If the future was unchangeable, then everything they did would be in vain.  

Chapter 362: The Prophet's Notebook  

"……"  

Agent Zhou’s words made the atmosphere in the room grow heavier.  

The feeling of knowing the outcome yet being powerless to stop it left everyone with a deep sense of helplessness.  

Crawling out of a pocket and climbing onto the table, the Voodoo Doll looked up at the somber-faced diviner.  

Extending its tiny trident, it cautiously poked at his palm, as if trying to offer some form of comfort.  

The slight sting from his pinky finger brought Joey back to his senses.  

Glancing down at the Voodoo Doll on the table, the diviner reached out and gently patted its furry head. At that moment, he seemed to have made a decision.  

"The future cannot be changed because it is destined to happen."  

"Then we’ll make it happen!"  

Joey’s words left everyone in the room slightly confused.  

Agent Phil and Angela exchanged a silent glance, while Amanda frowned and asked, "Are you saying we should do nothing?"  

"Of course not."  

Shaking his head, the diviner knew that mere words wouldn’t be enough to make everyone understand his thoughts.  

Carefully, he reached into his coat and pulled out a notebook that had been kept close to his body.  

The notebook looked old, its surface bearing yellowed handwriting and scratches. At first glance, there was nothing particularly special about it.  

However, Joey treated this notebook with great importance.  

As his fingers brushed over the cover, hesitation flickered in his eyes, but soon, as if making up his mind, he spoke again.  

"What I mean is, once the future happens, it is no longer destined. As long as we experience the future—no matter how—we erase it, because it ceases to be inevitable."  

His words were cryptic, almost mystical.  

Yet, as Spike's gaze fell upon the notebook in Joey’s hands, his deep blue pupils instinctively constricted.  

From that old, yellowed notebook, the medium sensed an immense spiritual energy.  

Noticing the astonishment in Spike’s eyes, a fleeting smirk crossed Joey’s face before he quickly concealed it.  

Holding the notebook with utmost care, he slowly spoke under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room.  

"This notebook is no ordinary object."  

"It is the Prophet’s Notebook, left behind by the spiritualist Marilyn LaFaye. It records her conversations with the prophet Moses in the Higher Spirit Realm and possesses the extraordinary ability to foresee the future…"  

"Marilyn LaFaye?"  

"The Prophet Moses?!"  

Hearing these two names from Joey’s mouth, the members of the BSI squad were stunned.  

They were no strangers to Marilyn LaFaye. During the New York incident, Spike had used a fragment of her remains to open a spiritual gateway and banish the entity possessing "Steve" back into the beyond.  

As for Moses—the legendary prophet recorded in the Bible, the leader of the Israelites, and the founder of Judaism—he was a historical and religious figure known to anyone familiar with the scriptures.  

According to tradition, Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in ancient Egypt and guided them to the Promised Land of Canaan, enduring a grueling 40-year journey.  

His name was impossible to overlook.  

Although everyone was curious about the content of Marilyn LaFaye’s conversations with the Prophet Moses, now was not the time for such discussions.  

Joey hadn’t taken out the Prophet’s Notebook to show off—he intended to use it to help everyone escape their predestined future.  

"…The Prophet’s Notebook has incredible power. It can enhance a diviner’s intuition and allow them to foresee events even further into the future. In fact, it was thanks to this notebook that I was able to foresee the impending catastrophe in Haiti. However, that is not its most important ability."  

As he spoke, Joey carefully opened the Prophet’s Notebook.  

Amanda and the others could clearly see the densely written pages filled with notes.  

Amanda managed to catch glimpses of some of the content:  

"…Through countless explorations, I have become increasingly fascinated by the world of spirits. During one such journey, I encountered James, the younger brother of Joshua, who has reincarnated at least sixteen times. With James' help, I traveled to the Higher Spirit Realm—the place the mortal world calls 'Heaven.' There, I met the great Prophet Moses…" 

"…It seems Moses knew James, though this is not surprising…"  

Although Amanda could only skim the text, she saw enough to pique her curiosity.  

"Despite my many expeditions into the spirit realm, meeting the Prophet Moses for the first time still filled me with awe. After all, this was a legendary figure—one recorded in the Bible itself. Moses did not seem surprised by my arrival. Perhaps he had already foreseen it. Through my conversation with him, I learned many secrets of the Higher Spirit Realm…"  

"Moses told me that in the future, the spirit realm will undergo an unprecedented transformation. I was curious about what he meant, but the Prophet Moses refused to elaborate further…"  

Joey flipped through the pages quickly, and Amanda barely had time to register the snippets before they passed by.  

Soon, as Joey continued turning the pages, he reached the latter part of the notebook—where there were clear signs of torn-out sections.  

"What’s this?"  

Noticing the missing pages, Amanda momentarily forgot what she had just read and couldn’t help but ask.  

"This is the Prophet’s Notebook’s most powerful ability: tearing out a recorded page allows the user to personally experience a brief journey into the future, thereby altering what was once inevitable."  

"A journey into the future?!"  

Hearing Joey utter those words, even Amanda—who had experienced numerous supernatural events—was visibly shaken.  

In fact, everyone in the room, including the medium Spike, was equally astonished.  

This wasn’t just an ordinary paranormal phenomenon—it was actual time travel into the future.  

"If we think of the future as a massive tree with countless branching possibilities, then the Prophet’s Notebook allows us to prune those branches. By experiencing a recorded future, we replace it—because it has already happened. In doing so, we can avoid the worst possible outcomes and find the safest path forward. However, there is a cost…"  

Naturally, altering the future didn’t come without consequences.  

Everyone looked at the Prophet’s Notebook in Joey’s hands, particularly at the many missing pages that had already been torn away.  

Chapter 363: Traversing the Future  

Reaching out, Joey grabbed a page from the notebook, a fleeting expression of distress flashing across his face.  

However, as he recalled the catastrophic disaster foretold in the prophecy, his expression grew significantly more serious.  

Looking up at everyone in the room, he issued a solemn reminder:  

"Because the future recorded in this notebook is already predetermined, all we can do is experience it—we have no ability to change it in any way."  

But then, as if suddenly remembering something, he shook his head.  

"I almost forgot. You might not even realize that you’re experiencing a 'future.' The power of the notebook will make you subconsciously ignore that fact."  

"Wait a minute—what do you mean?"  

Amanda furrowed her brows upon hearing Joey's words, preparing to ask another question.  

"Let's begin."  

Yet the fortune teller before her didn’t give her time to react. Clenching his teeth, he tore the page from the notebook.  

Rip—  

With a sharp tearing sound, a page of the Prophet’s Notebook was torn away.  

Under the watchful eyes of the team, the page transformed into a golden radiance that instantly enveloped everyone in the room.  

Within the glow, Amanda seemed to catch a glimpse of a blurry image forming before her eyes.  

“Prophet Moses, if the Higher Spirit Realm is so powerful, why does it still allow the existence of the Lower Spirit Realm's hell within the world of the [Spirit Realm]?”  

“Because it is also a part of the [Spirit Realm]. The Lower Spirit Realm may be ugly and evil, but it is inseparable from the Spirit Realm itself, just like the roots of a great tree. Sinners who do not believe enter the [Spirit Realm] after death, and without the restraints of the material world, the evil they have long concealed in their hearts is fully revealed.”  

“Then is there any way for spirits from the Lower Spirit Realm to ascend to the Higher Spirit Realm?”  

“Impossible. The moment they fall into the Lower Spirit Realm, their fate is sealed. They are doomed to suffer eternal torment in hell.”  

…  

The vision was brief, a fleeting moment in which Amanda could make out a woman with curly brown hair questioning an elderly man in a robe.  

This must have been the conversation between Marilyn Raphael and Prophet Moses recorded in the page Joey tore from the notebook.  

As Amanda pondered this, the woman in the vision suddenly turned around, as if sensing something.  

The last thing Amanda saw was a pair of amber eyes.  

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock—  

The next moment, golden light wrapped around her body, and as the ticking of a clock echoed in her ears, she completely lost consciousness.  

Port-au-Prince, Inside the Inn 

“Hah…”  

Holding her head, Amanda exhaled deeply as she recalled everything she had just experienced.  

Although what they had just gone through was merely a 'future' recorded by the Prophet’s Notebook, the deaths in that future had been very real.  

In other words, if Joey hadn’t used the notebook’s power to take them through a glimpse of the future, they might have soon faced the exact same fate.  

Suppressing the lingering sense of relief at narrowly escaping death, Amanda refused to be defeated by this ‘future.’  

“This glimpse into the future from the Prophet’s Notebook confirms something.”  

Meeting her gaze, Agent Zhou quickly followed up with an analysis.  

Even though the future they witnessed was far from ideal, the team had still uncovered a great deal of useful information for their investigation.  

Compared to the painstaking efforts they had made in Haiti so far, this method of gathering intel through glimpses of the future was far more efficient—and left no room for error.  

After all, everything they saw had already happened.  

"The goal of the Vodou cult is to open a portal to the Spirit Realm through a ritual and summon the Vodou Queen."  

"Based on the figure we saw in the church, I looked up information on the Loa gods of Vodou. The one that appeared in the church should be Papa Legba, a deity in Haitian Vodou. He serves as a mediator between humanity and the great Loa spirits and is the gatekeeper of the [Spirit Realm]. He holds the keys to its doors.”  

“In Vodou, no ceremony can begin without first paying tribute to Papa Legba, and after the ritual ends, he must be honored again. In reality, Papa Legba is a variation of Saint Peter or Saint Lazarus. In Haitian beliefs, he is the god of crossroads, often depicted as a cunning old man in tattered clothes, leaning on a cane, imparting divine messages at rural crossroads.”  

Angela read aloud from her research, then turned her laptop screen toward the others in the room.  

On the screen, they saw an image of Papa Legba—a frail figure leaning on a cane, dressed in ragged clothes, standing at a crossroads. The resemblance to the entity they had seen in the church was undeniable.  

After their encounter with the circus incident, the team had become far more accepting of the supernatural.  

After all, if even the legendary 72 demons of Solomon had appeared, then the presence of a deity like Papa Legba from Haitian Vodou hardly seemed unbelievable.  

"More than Papa Legba, I think the other figures in the church are even more crucial," Amanda pointed out.  

"The Demon Hunter."  

BSI’s records on demon hunters were scarce, and what little information they had was classified as top-priority confidential.  

As the first supernatural case BSI ever encountered before its official formation, the existence of demon hunters had played a pivotal role in the agency’s creation.  

"Honestly, seeing a demon hunter in Haiti isn’t surprising. Let’s not forget—we only discovered this location because of him."  

Amanda wasn’t shocked by the demon hunter’s presence in the church.  

From his conversation with [Saigon] in the bar, it had been clear that ever since the Forest of the Damned incident, the demon hunter had been tracking the whereabouts of the little she-wolf and the Twisted Man.  

"Judging by what we saw in the church, there’s no doubt that the demon hunter is on our side. He used his weapon to injure the Vodou Queen during her descent. If it hadn’t been for the Twisted Man interfering…"  

Due to the timing of their arrival, Amanda and the others hadn’t witnessed the earlier battle between Geralt, the little she-wolf Vivian, and the Twisted Man.  

Nor did they know that Geralt’s exorcism bullets, capable of harming creatures like the Twisted Man, were in very limited supply.  

Chapter 364: The Secret of the Lower Spirit Realm  

"Perhaps we can try to find the Witcher first. Since he appeared in the church, that means he should already be in Port-au-Prince, or he might be hiding somewhere near the Vodou church."  

In the 'future,' Geralt failed because he was unaware of the Vodou cult's plans, ultimately leading to his tragic death at the hands of the Twisted Ones' power.  

So, if they told the Witcher everything that would happen in the future, could they prevent the Vodou Queen's arrival in reality and banish her back to hell, thus stopping the catastrophe from occurring?  

"There’s only one way to be sure."  

In response to Agent Phil’s suggestion, the diviner tore a page from her notebook.  

The familiar golden glow once again enveloped everyone in the room. As the ticking of a clock echoed around them, the contents of yet another note materialized before Amanda's eyes.  

"…You don’t actually believe Moses’ claim that nonbelievers are condemned to hell, do you?"  

"Do you know something, James?"  

In the newly revealed vision, the conversation was no longer between Marilyn Raffay and the previous prophet, Moses. Instead, a different figure dressed in a gentleman’s suit appeared.  

He let out a soft chuckle at Marilyn Raffay before saying, "In truth, those so-called 'sinful words' are nothing more than religious rhetoric meant to persuade the masses. The real reason they end up in the Lower Spirit Realm—Hell—is because they willingly embrace the darkness in their hearts. The Spirit Realm is a world formed by the memories of countless spirits. The existence of the Lower Spirit Realm represents the most evil and twisted memories within these spirits. Unlike the Upper Spirit Realm, which is pure and beautiful, or the Middle Spirit Realm, which is chaotic and ambiguous, the Lower Spirit Realm is filled with hatred and malevolence. Those who enter it do so because their hearts are consumed by hatred and evil. They resent the Spirit Realm just as much as they loathe the real world..."  

James' description of the Lower Spirit Realm was entirely different from what the prophet Moses had said earlier.  

However, Amanda had no time to dwell on the difference, as her consciousness was once again pulled into a new 'future.'  

Port-au-Prince, in front of the Vodou Church 

Hiding beneath his cloak, the Witcher, Geralt, lifted his head slightly, his concealed gaze scanning the vigilant guards stationed around the church.  

The level of security was even tighter than he had expected. Even at the corners of the surrounding streets, Vodou cultists could be seen patrolling.  

Among them, a few members of the Haitian military were also present, seemingly stationed there in preparation for the new president’s upcoming speech.  

After all, given Haiti’s chaotic political climate, a public assassination of the president wouldn’t be all that surprising. In fact, bounties for assassinating the president were constantly being posted.  

Despite the nation's dire state, the position of president was still highly coveted.  

With over a hundred million dollars in international aid pouring into Haiti every year, securing the presidency meant instant access to immense power and wealth, turning the president’s family into one of the most influential in the country.  

Although the patrols surrounding the church were troublesome, they were nothing more than a temporary obstacle.  

Geralt’s eyes flickered as he set his sights on a large tree beside the church. He rolled his shoulders, preparing to take action.  

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps made him pause.  

Reaching for his Witcher’s firearm beneath his cloak, he maintained a calm and composed appearance on the surface.  

"Relax."  

A short distance away, Agent Zhou stopped in his tracks, raising both hands in a gesture of peace.  

"We are not your enemies."  

However, his words did not lower Geralt's guard.  

Keeping his firearm concealed beneath his cloak, he aimed it at Agent Zhou and spoke in a deep voice: "That doesn’t mean we’re friends."  

"Now, give me one good reason not to pull the trigger."  

Agent Zhou’s gaze briefly flickered to the bulge beneath the Witcher’s cloak. Having experienced the 'future,' he knew all too well how powerful that weapon was.  

It was strong enough to wound the Vodou Queen herself. He had no illusions that his own body—even with his partially wooden arm—could withstand a shot from it.  

"I know why you're here, and I also know what’s about to happen inside that church. You will die at the hands of the Twisted Ones—not just you, but my entire team and I will perish as well."  

This was the conclusion the team had reached after much deliberation. Rather than being evasive and raising unnecessary suspicion, they decided to be upfront and lay everything on the table.  

Agent Zhou’s words made the Witcher’s cold expression shift slightly.  

Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at the equally cold-faced agent and asked, "So, are you a diviner?"  

"No."  

Agent Zhou shook his head in response to Geralt’s question.  

"I just lived through that 'future.'"  

At this, the Witcher’s frown deepened.  

"It seems that this future ended in failure as well." 

"Once again."  

Back in the hotel room, Amanda slowly regained consciousness.  

She looked at the now noticeably thinner notebook in Joey’s hands, her expression growing increasingly grim.  

Using the power of the Prophet’s Notebook, the BSI team had experienced multiple 'futures.'  

Yet, no matter which future they entered, every single one ended in failure.  

In one timeline, they successfully found the Witcher and informed him of everything that would happen.  

Using the Exorcism Bullets in his possession, the Witcher managed to banish the summoned Vodou Queen back to hell. However, this only enraged Papa Legba. In retaliation, he forcefully reopened the sealed Spirit Realm gate, unleashing the spirits of the Lower Spirit Realm and engulfing all of Port-au-Prince in chaos.  

Thousands of Haitians were possessed by evil spirits, turning the entire country into a playground for demonic forces.  

Naturally, as the ones responsible for all of this, Amanda and her team didn’t meet a good end either.  

And that was just one of the many futures.  

In another scenario, they stormed into the church even earlier, attempting to stop the Vodou Queen’s descent before the ritual was completed.  

But the outcome was even worse.  

Baron Samedi, the Vodou god of death, emerged from the Spirit Realm gate.  

Revealing his pale, skull-like face, he took their lives in an instant.  

That timeline turned out to be the shortest-lived future of them all.  

Chapter 365: Black Clouds  

Inside the hotel, Amanda's expression showed signs of exhaustion.  

Using the power of the notebook to traverse the "future" seemed to be without issue.  

However, repeatedly experiencing death in the "future" had inevitably taken a toll on everyone's mental state.  

After all, these deaths were not illusions but real occurrences in the "future."  

The team members had genuinely been killed in the "future," whether by the Voodoo Queen, Papa Legba, Baron Samedi, or the Twisted Man. The sensation of dying was undoubtedly dreadful, and what made it worse was that they hadn't just died once—but multiple times.  

Controlling his trembling hands, Agent Phil took a sip of water. He considered himself someone who was not afraid of death, yet the torment of repeatedly dying in the "future" left him with a lingering fear.  

Especially since this cycle of death seemed endless.  

Each time they traveled into the "future," it felt like walking through a dark, never-ending tunnel with no glimpse of hope.  

Agent Zhou furrowed his brows, recalling the cause of their previous deaths in the "future."  

In one of their past "futures," they had exhausted every available resource. They had even used the U.S. embassy to pressure the Haitian government in an attempt to stop the Voodoo Festival. Unfortunately, the president firmly rejected their request, allowing the festival to proceed as planned. Papa Legba once again opened the Spirit Realm's gate and summoned Baron Samedi, who granted him the soul coin of the Voodoo Queen, Laveau.  

Zhou himself had been killed by the claws of the young werewolf girl, Vivian.  

Though she seemed weak against demon hunters, her true strength far exceeded their expectations.  

Especially after transforming into a werewolf—their weapons could do nothing to harm her.  

"How many chances do we have left?"  

Outside, the sounds of festival celebrations grew louder. Even inside the hotel, Amanda and the others could hear the joyous laughter from the streets.  

Her gaze fell on the Prophet’s Notebook in Joey’s hands as she asked her question.  

Compared to when they had first obtained it, the diviner’s notebook was noticeably thinner.  

This was proof of just how many times they had experienced different "futures" in a span of mere minutes.  

"Three times," Joey replied.  

Looking down at the nearly weightless notebook in his hands, his face paled slightly as he turned to the group.  

"We must find a way to change things within these final three attempts. If we don’t…"  

Though he didn’t finish his sentence, everyone in the room already understood.  

If they couldn't change the outcome, then the future they faced would be no different from the ones they had already witnessed—perhaps even worse.  

Tear—  

With the sound of a page being torn, the familiar ticking of a clock echoed once more.  

Bathed in golden light, Amanda saw the figure of Marilyn Lafayette.  

This legendary medium possessed an undeniable charm. Under different circumstances, Amanda would have liked to learn more about her.  

Unfortunately, the situation was dire, and time was running out.  

“…Why is it that most people are unable to perceive the Spirit Realm’s existence? I have told the public many times that the Spirit Realm is real, yet many still refuse to believe me, thinking it’s all just a lie.”  

“That’s a good question. Simply put, human life is defined by the body’s restraint on the soul. The body protects the soul, allowing it to exist in the real world and enjoy all its wonders. But at the same time, it forms a cage, preventing ordinary people from perceiving spirits or the Spirit Realm—except for a select few who manage to break part of this restraint and glimpse into a world beyond normal sight.”  

“But that’s not necessarily a good thing. This ‘breakthrough’ is a double-edged sword. When you can’t see spirits, they can’t easily affect you. But once you acknowledge their existence, they, too, will notice you…”  

“Lately, I’ve observed changes in the lower Spirit Realm. Many evil spirits seem far more active than before. Why is that?”  

“Have you seen the black clouds drifting over the lower Spirit Realm?”  

“They block the Spirit Realm’s sun. These black clouds are actually the condensed will of malevolent spirits.”  

“The will of evil spirits?”  

“A small gathering of evil spirits can create a cloud that shrouds them from view. But when a large number of them amass, their combined will forms a massive black cloud that obscures the Spirit Realm’s sun. The sun always attempts to dispel these clouds so its light can reach the underworld. At times, the Spirit Realm’s sun prevails, and its light pierces the depths of hell, causing immense pain to the evil spirits. To escape this suffering, they intensify their collective will to strengthen the black clouds—or migrate elsewhere. This battle repeats endlessly in the Spirit Realm…”  

“What if the black clouds completely block out the Spirit Realm’s sun?”  

“……”  

Faced with Marilyn Lafayette’s question, James fell silent for a moment before replying:  

“The Spirit Realm’s sun is eternal. But if it were ever completely covered, there would be only one possibility…”  

“The darkness of the lower Spirit Realm would consume the entire Spirit Realm. Darkness would rise.”  

…  

Amanda never expected to learn the true reason behind the rise of darkness in this way.  

Spike had once explained that the Spirit Realm and the real world were like two sides of the same coin.  

Now, it seemed that something was wrong with the sun in the Spirit Realm, and this was beginning to affect reality.  

The information in this notebook was invaluable to the BSI’s investigation into the rise of darkness.  

But given their current predicament, Amanda couldn’t help but smile bitterly.  

If they couldn’t find a way to change the "future," then no matter how important their intel was, it would all be meaningless.  

"Interesting…"  

As this thought crossed her mind, the golden light surrounding Amanda intensified, and she closed her eyes, preparing for yet another trip into the "future."  

However, the expected vision did not appear.  

Instead, a familiar voice suddenly echoed in her ears.  

As the voice spoke, the ticking of the clock seemed to slow.  

Amanda was not unfamiliar with this voice.  

In fact, she had heard it multiple times while traveling through the "future" via the notebook.  

It was the voice of the Prophet’s Notebook’s owner—Marilyn Lafayette.  

(End of Chapter)