The Bookkeeper-Chapter 64: Twin Madness 2

A subtle silence settled over the house.

Raiden stood before the torture room—the same one where Speed had been kept when he first arrived. Ash rested on his shoulder as he stared at the door.

Soul’s aura was overwhelming. The moment she entered the house, almost the entire downstairs was covered in her dark aura. Though everyone else could see perfectly fine, Raiden could barely see anything since he and Ash were the only ones who could see auras.

As it turned out, her aura could only be partially contained in a dark room, though there were still leaks seeping out. So he’d placed her in the torture room, but when she woke, all she could do was cry.

Raiden had brought her into this situation, and he was determined to fix it properly without letting her retreat back to her scared nature.

He took a deep breath as he stood before the door. The moment he opened it, some of her aura billowed into the house like smoke.

The thickness made him cough, but he couldn’t afford to keep the door open. He stepped inside and locked it behind him.

Everything within the room was darker than he’d anticipated. Raiden’s eyes darted around, searching for Soul. Suddenly her golden eyes appeared before him, close enough to make him jump—she’d caught him off guard.

Raiden sighed. He couldn’t see anything but her golden eyes, and that made things harder since he needed to keep eye contact the entire time.

"I’m sorry I hurt you... I lost control." Raiden couldn’t see her face, but the fractures in her voice revealed everything.

"There’s no need to worry." He smirked. "This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t pushed you to face your fears without knowing what you were really going through."

Soul sank to the floor, and following her lead, Raiden lowered himself down as well.

"That isn’t it." Soul’s eyes darted across the floor. "I want to be able to help just like everyone else... I need to control my powers."

Raiden’s expression darkened. "What do you mean? You can’t control your powers?"

Soul shook her head like a baby. "I can feel them always leaking out of me... the souls."

"And when it becomes too much, any corrupt crest bearer near me goes insane."

Raiden’s eyes narrowed as he finally understood how Speed had gone berserk the day before. It wasn’t his feelings—it was because he’d been too close to Soul. But his expression darkened instantly when something clicked. If any corrupt crest bearer went insane around her, why did Seth and the Jasper family still keep her?

"How were you staying with Seth, then? Did it not work on him?"

Soul’s golden eyes darted up to his. "I was kept in a dark room... just like this one, but with enchanted stickers all over the walls."

Raiden raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Soul nodded gently.

If that was the case, did it mean Soul’s aura was similar to the Book of Ashes’ aura? They both needed enchanted stickers to be contained.

What on earth did Seth do with Soul?—he thought as he stared directly into her eyes.

But if enchanted stickers could contain her, then he needed to get some before her aura overtook the entire estate.

He sighed. "I don’t intend to keep you here long... I don’t want to recreate your trauma."

Soul shook her head, her eyes jerking from side to side in the darkness. "I don’t mind... I need to stay away from my brother after all."

Raiden smirked. "Well... I’ll get you some enchanted stickers then."

Soul nodded her head in approval, and Raiden rose to his feet and began leaving the room.

He glanced at his shoulder to see Ash fast asleep, and he shook his head in disbelief. Still, he didn’t let her unusual hibernation cloud his mind.

All the enchanted stickers he had were finished, so if he needed some, he had to return to the palace. None of the others could go.

Freya, with her recovered memories, would only be a problem in the palace. Levi was still clearly not safe in the eyes of the elders, considering she was branded as a murderer in her Kingdom. Speed’s scary mask was bound to cause commotion with his arrival. The only person who could go was he.

The moment he reached the living room, Speed hurried over to him. His golden eyes locked fiercely with Raiden’s grey ones, blame evident in his gaze.

"Did you figure out a way to help her?"

Raiden said nothing. He bypassed Speed and sat on the sofa while the others, Freya and Levi, occupied the sofa to his right, chatting quietly.

Raiden let out a sigh and gently placed Ash on the sofa to rest.

"She said her ability was leaking through her, and when corrupt people like you come near her or her aura, you go insane."

Speed sneered. "What the fuck?! I already know that—tell me something better."

Raiden turned to him, eyes narrowed. The coldness and brutality in his stare spoke volumes. He didn’t say a word, and Speed instantly knew his place.

"She’s been at number six for almost a year now, and she’s been suppressing her ability ever since she turned black four years ago." Speed walked closer and took his seat. "If we don’t help her, she might explode—and I don’t think that would be good for anyone."

Raiden blinked in confusion. Soul was number six? Now that he thought about it, both Speed and Soul wore turtlenecks, hiding their numbers from view.

Raiden raised an eyebrow. "What number are you?"

Speed stared at him for a moment, confused about how that would save his sister. After a while, he pulled his turtleneck down, revealing the number eight within his star-shaped black crest.

"I was number seven before turning black, but once I did, the ranking reset for this crest."

Raiden gave him a firm nod, but he knew he had to set his curiosity aside and focus on what was necessary. He shifted into action mode.

"She said we would need enchanted stickers."

"And do you have any?"

Raiden shrugged. "I’ll have to go to the palace."

Speed’s expression turned grim with disappointment.

But just then, Freya cleared her throat. "I can create enchanted stickers... they’re easy."

Speed’s expression shifted into a smile. "Really?"

Freya met him with a smile of her own. "Yes, but I don’t work for free."

Raiden shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he preferred the real Freya or the one with amnesia.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is free(w)𝒆bnov(𝒆)l