"So, who kidnapped your father?" Adaline waited patiently for an answer.
Benjamin cut in quickly. "Why do you think we came here?"
Something flashed behind Adaline's eyes, but she immediately drooped her eyelids so quickly that Rain thought it was just her imagination.
"I want to find my dad," Rain said. "We want...."
Benjamin again cut smoothly. "We know where Mr. Markus Orwell is," he said. "Just a problem; how to take him?"
Adaline's eyes widened. "Yes, where is he?"
"Here," said Ben in a smug voice; the three Hardys stopped from poring over the Adaline collection of books on the shelves to see what was going on.
"Here? You mean you guys came to ask me to predict where Markus is right now?"
"Not really, Madam," said Ben emphatically.
Rain was a little surprised to see the change in Benjamin's attitude toward Adaline. Slowly and slightly by little, Benjamin's character, which Rain never recognized, begins to unfold. Rain didn't expect to find a man like that—a bit of a tease.
"I mean, Markus Orwell is on you!" Benjamin said later.
Adaline's mouth closed tightly in a straight line. "That's not funny, young man!" she said sharply.
Rain is worried that this will all go wrong, and Adaline is provoked by Ben's words. "Why does Ben suddenly have to make everyone hate him?" thought Rain.
"But, technically, you did keep or hide my dad," said Rain, who immediately interrupted. "But, not really..."
Adaline, who looked motherly and very patient that day, suddenly got up from the chair and stood at her full and magnificent height. Adaline glared at Rain and the four men who were there.
"You guys are wrong!" Adaline said coldly. "You are wrong because you imagine me holding or kidnapping Markus. You guys are also wrong for daring to come here and calling me a kidnapper!"
Jonathan, who heard it all, became impatient. "Oh, my goodness!" he muttered.
Rain was confused and shook her head quickly. "No, Adaline," she said quickly. "I did not mean it. I'm not calling you a kidnapper. I'm just saying my dad is here, but you probably never noticed."
Adaline stared at Rain with a pair of questioning and confused eyes. "Tell me what you mean, Young Lady!"
"I mean, my dad probably hid or ran away using the magic abilities he has. And I'm sure he's hiding out here!" said Rain. "He never told you because he didn't want to involve you."
"So, Markus Orwell is hiding incognito at your place!" Ben explained. "Somewhere or on something no one else will suspect, including you."
Adaline's gaze shifted to her desk. There were several piles of books and scattered tarot cards.
"Book?" Instantly Adaline's eyes widened.
It was Benjamin and Hardy's three wolves' turn to be confused.
"Why do you think it's a book? I thought Rain said a painting or a drawing and something?"
Adaline shook her head. Her eyes were fixed on the pile of books on her desk.
Rain stepped to the table and took the pile of books that were there. She sifted through the books and was sure she would recognize one of them.
"Of course, it's a book!" Rain looked almost deceived. "Because the last time we came here, my dad asked you to send him some books. But, you don't do that, madam. Can you explain why? Or do you actually know something but deliberately hide it from us?"
Immediately, Ben felt betrayed and cheated by Madam Adaline and Rain. Hardy's three wolves immediately alerted. They surrounded Adalin's desk and were on high alert.
Rain checked one by one the stacks of books on Adalin's desk. She fingered the cover with a damp palm out of nervousness and stopped on one of the notebooks. She felt the power of the runes depicted on the book's spine. The energy pulsed through her fingertips.
Rain found the book in question and held it. She put the rest of the books back on the table.
"Here he is!" she said.
Apparently, it was just an ordinary notebook that looked old but not as old as Mark's other collection of books. The notebook cover was made and handwritten by Rain's father himself.
Rain was sure that the book contained the results of research on symbols and runes that had only been used for a short time. Very few people understand the meaning of these symbols. But Rain could suddenly read everything as clearly as if she could read a novel.
Everyone looked at Rain expectantly, and they were utterly speechless. Rain slowly opened the book's page and noticed her dad's work. Inside was white, almost yellowed paper in neat and beautiful handwriting.
"Are you sure it's the book?" Ben asked.
Rain nodded firmly. "I can feel the power of the runes just from the cover of this book. But I don't know which part and page my dad hid. I don't know how to get it out of this book either."
"Don't you just need to inscribe runes on the paper's surface like you did with the sketch you showed me last night?" Ben asked.
Rain looked nervous. "The problem," she muttered under her breath. "I don't remember what runes I had inscribed on the sketch paper. I need the help of someone who understands the runes that can be used."
"You mean you want to take this notebook to Jace Dauntess? I won't let that happen!" Suddenly Ben's voice hardens.
Rain shook her head as she tightly hugged the book to her chest. "Not really, Ben. Jace didn't have to do it. Maybe we can enlist the help of a warlock, for example?"
Jonathan burst out laughing when he saw all of that. "Oh, come on, Ben? Until when are you going to pretend in front of this girl? Just do your job to make things easier. What do you think you came here for?"
Ben had already opened his mouth to refute Joe's words.
"Anyone need help?" A voice suddenly appeared from the doorway. Everyone's attention was diverted to the uninvited guest.
"Jace?" Only Rain looked happy to see the man's appearance.
Jace came with Erica, Sam, and Randall. They appear soundlessly and formlessly like shadows.
Samantha materialized as a shadow and suddenly appeared behind Jonathan. She threatened the man with a silver dagger in her hand. Erica and Randall endeared Anthony and Ethan, respectively.
Jace approached Rain. However, Benjamin immediately cut him off.
"Benjamin Flynn!" Jace said with a sickening grin. "Until when will you keep hiding your true identity in front of Rain? Do you want to appear as an innocent youth, a weak mortal, or a werewolf? In fact, it was all just fake."
"Don't meddle in my business!" Benjamin hissed. "What did you come here for? You'd better go."
"I'm not leaving without my future queen." He grinned. "I came here to pick up my girl."
Adaline looked overjoyed to see and hear Jace Dauntess' words. "This is interesting! Love does make things complicated."
"What do you know about love?" Ben shouted at Adaline.
Adaline immediately covered her mouth and shrugged shoulders as if she didn't want to get involved in their business. However, Adaline's eyes kept on Mark's notebook in Rain's hands.
Rain immediately turned to Jace without being asked and told the situation.
"I know where my dad is. He was trapped inside this notebook. This book contains a collection of ancient runes that have not been used for a long time. However, I need help understanding its meaning. Can you help me open the rune that sealed this book?"
Benjamin looked displeased. He tried to hold Rain by his side, but Rain refused and preferred Jace.
"Okay, only you alone can break the seal, Rain. I'll just help you a little. Hold out your left hand."
"Your Honour!" shouted Erica, standing behind Anthony while threatening the man with a silver dagger to the neck.
"I'll be fine, Erica. Trust me."
Erica sounded like she was groaning in distaste, but she couldn't do anything about it.
Jace reached out to Rain. "Hold my hand!"
Rain held Jace's hand. While Rain's right hand opened the notebook's pages one by one. Slowly the rune energy flowed from Jace's body into Rain's left palm.
Suddenly the veil was lifted from Rain's sight. She could read all the runes and symbols her father had written in the notebook. Easily and quickly, Rain went through page after page until she arrived at one page.
"He's here!" shouted Rain.
"Are you sure?" asked Jace, who looked like he was trying to hide his pain.
Everyone just looked at Rain curiously.
Rain turned a page and ran her palm on the page. After making loops and lines on the surface of the page, the meaning became utterly different in Rain's eyes. She turned the page again. The symbol and rune images had changed subtly.
The notes on the page seemed to offer something to Rain. As if they were saying, "I am here. Pick me up!"
Rain released her hand from Jace's grasp. Even if other people saw the record, there was no change whatsoever. Only Rain could feel something calling her hand.
Rain reached into the pages of the book. It was as if Rain's hand was stuck in a big hole. Her hand gripped something, someone's hand that felt warm and strong.
When Rain pulled her hand back, suddenly Markus Orwell was standing in front of her as if Rain had just removed the man from an underground hole.
Rain felt like she heard a soft sigh. The notebook, where Markus had previously been hiding, was now blank and empty. The notebook then turned to ashes.
"Mark Orwell?" Their surprise was interrupted by Adaline's words that mentioned Mark's name.
Mark looks fine. Even he looks very fit. There was no sign that Mark was dying or sick or anything. Everyone was shocked as they stared at Mark's sudden appearance from the book's pages.
Out of all the excitement, Jace suddenly staggered. It was as if his energy was being drained away. Jace hid his arm. The black rose runes on his body were increasing and expanding. Rain might not have realized it, but Jace's three colleagues were aware of Jace's increasingly critical condition.
Rain needed to figure out what to expect. Excited cry? Clap? However, the atmosphere was too quiet to be broken by Adaline's words.
"Mark, how did you manage to hide in that notebook?"
Rain looked at her father. The man hasn't changed at all. Even now, Rain realized that her father had not aged at all. Her face and physical form had always been like that since Rain last remembered him.
Markus turned to look at Rain and really wanted to grab the girl in his arms. However, Rain backed away and dodged. It was as if she didn't want her father to touch her.
"Thank you for finding me," Markus said softly and regretfully to Rain.
"Now, can you explain to me all of this? How do you explain my lost memory? Did you really seal it or erase it?"
"All that matters now," Jonathan said suddenly. "Where is the witch you are hiding, Markus Orwell? We need it now."
Samantha immediately strengthened the threat of her dagger to Jonathan's neck so that the man would not move and act too much. However, Samantha, Erika, and also Randal wanted that answer. They wanted to know where the witch was.
Adaline stared at Markus for a moment then there was a strange emptiness in her eyes. “Well,” said Adaline. "Do not rush. The witch sooner or later will definitely appear."
Adaline's eyes shone. Suddenly she chuckled and quickly jerked the curtain hanging on the wall. The curtain fell with a soft sound. Something appeared on the surface of the wall, a wide-open black hole.
Rain heard Jonathan's choking voice behind her. "What's that?"
Rain caught a glimpse of what lay beyond the large hole. There were black clouds rolling in and lightning flashing. Also, there was a sinister dark form that was hurtling toward them at a tremendous speed.
It was Jace who noticed first. He screamed for them to fall to the floor. Jace himself dropped to the floor, pulling Rain with him.
While lying on the floor, Rain managed to raise her head to see a dark object that appeared from the hole in the wall. The black and huge figure attacked Adaline. The woman screamed while raising her hands high. Adaline was wrapped in something like a veil.
"Oh, not again!" Jace shouted.
Rain and Jace realize that Adaline will turn into a shredding monster again. As they had previously seen. Adaline's whole body was stretching and growing into the air. Her shoulders stretched and deformed. There was a cracking sound of bones being pulled apart.
Joe looked irritated and glanced at Anthony. "You said there was no devil activity here, but look!"
"I'm sure the traces of the demon have disappeared in Mark's house. But, in this house, I didn't realize that the devil was the house owner herself!" said Ethan in defense.
Adaline turned into a tearing demon and didn't want to attack them. Instead, very quickly and unnoticed by anyone, Adaline grabbed Mark's body. She carried Markus into the black hole in the wall.
"Dad!" shouted Rain.
Late. Markus had been dragged by the demon into the portal.