Zero was unconscious for a few hours.

When he opened her eyes, he was surrounded by darkness, unable to see anything around him! ​​

He had no idea where he is right now?

The only thing he can remember is that he was in the shop together with that pregnant woman and suddenly the blinding light exploded in the room. He no longer remembered what happened after that incident.

He was now suspecting that it's the same light that took that fortune teller away.

But who masterminded the appearance of the light?

All he got right now are tons of questions that have no answer.

Then he heard movement originating somewhere.

What was that!?

He looked to the right and left but saw nothing.

"Pssst! Are you awake now?" asked the voice. "I noticed that they dumped another poor soul here. Are you dead or alive? Talk to me!"

Zero's brows knitted together. Huh? That voice sounds familiar!

He heard that voice in the shop. It's the fortune teller's voice. "Old woman! I'm here! I'm alive! I'm the guy who showed you the amethyst ring! Where are you?" he asked.

"I've been calling you for the past few hours, but you are not responding. I thought they imprisoned a dead body here! I'm imprisoned in this dark place too! The blinding light brought me here!" Menedelia explained.

"Whaaaat? Are you a prisoner of that blinding light too?" Zero asked.

"Yes!" Menedelia responded.

"Shiit! We're both prisoners of this dark place now!" Zero replied hopelessly.

"My spell doesn't work in this place. I'm sure it's the same for you. What happened after I'm gone?" Menedelia asked.

"After you are gone, I returned the next day to the shop to find you to take back my ring. But the light returned and took me away. That's why I'm here now," Zero replied.

"Wait... what happened to my pregnant companion? Is she safe? I hope the light didn't take her away..." Menedelia said worriedly.

"Don't worry, the lady is safe and back in your house in the forest," he lied.

"Really? How did you know?" she asked.

"I accompanied her in the forest to your house. I can't find you there, so I left her in the house," he lied again.

"Thank you! I'm glad that she is safe!" Menedelia's worry faded away.

"Um... did you see who is behind the blinding light? Did you see the one who is the mastermind of all this?" he asked.

"No! I'm stuck in this dark place. The culprit hasn't shown itself yet. Worst we could be dealing a deranged powerful spirit!" she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I have a feeling that there's a spirit hiding in the amethyst ring all this time, just my guess," Menedelia replied.

"And what kind of spirit?" he asked, wracking his brain like crazy, thinking who is behind all this. The fact that he can't use his power in this place made him paranoid that there's someone more powerful than him and can hurt him anytime.

"That is one question I have no answer yet. I got a feeling that we will know soon enough!" Menedelia spoke.

"What happened when you first come here?" he asked.

"Same as you, dumped in this dark place, with no idea who dumped me. I'm also unconscious when I arrive here. When I opened my eyes, I'm already surrounded by darkness," Menedelia spoke.

"Now the waiting game begins!" Zero said. He was wrong to believe that the fortune teller was interested in the amethyst ring. He thought she stole it! But the reality is, she was abducted by the bright light and so was he.

He was wondering if the fortune teller is right with her assumption that there is a strong spirit hiding beneath the walls of the ring. And whose spirit it is? What is the connection of the mysterious spirit with the missing baby? Or the spirit itself is the one responsible for the missing baby?

As of now, he can only speculate. He was hoping that the spirit or the light will show its original form soon so that the mystery will finally be revealed to him and he will know who is behind all these!

"Grandma, where is the ring?" he asked.

"I dunno... I was holding it before the light took me away. But after I was forcibly taken away from that room I have no idea where the ring has gone to. Maybe I dropped it on the floor? Or whoever behind the blinding light already took the ring away from my grasp," Menedelia explained.

"Damn!" Zero swore profanities under his breath. Bad luck! Not only that the ring was gone, but he was also held captive by the mysterious light. Things are getting more chaotic!

Not he was faced with a troubling question, when can he get out of this dark place?

Can he and the fortune teller get out of this dark place alive?

Because honestly, if somebody will kill him right now while he was in this vulnerable state, they will surely succeed. Karma is a bitch! He suppressed that pregnant woman's power. Now his power was also restrained by someone else. He finally believes in Karma!

"Grandma, can we still get out of here alive?" he asked.

Menedelia released a deep sigh. "Honestly, I dunno... unless my companion, that pregnant woman that we left behind, can find a way to help me, we might stand a chance. There's a slim chance that we will be able to get out of here alive!" she replied.

When the old woman mentioned a slim chance, he was a bit disappointed.

He needs to get out of this place... ASAP!

"Grandma, how confident you are that we can get out of this place alive?" he asked again, he's getting impatient. Somehow the idea to keep talking is an important activity for him to do so at this point.

"Honestly, the chances are slim, unless my companion will find a way. Our life and survival are now in her hands," Menedelia responded.

Damn! Zero feels guilty right now, upon remembering that he was determined to hurt that woman earlier! In a sudden turn of events, his life entirely depends on her. It's shameful and pathetic!

"Grandma, did you try finding the door of this place to escape?" he asked.

"I was about to, but I heard strange noises around here. I'm scared to move an inch, thinking that there might be dangerous animals lurking nearby. I might stumble on them, and they will eat me alive! So I think that the safest place to be right now is the area where we are currently seated. Since we're surrounded by darkness, we can't see the danger that is lurking nearby. So we better preserve our energy and sanity than trying to find that nonexistent door. We will only get hurt in the process," Menedelia uttered a lengthy explanation.

Zero sighed heavily. He finally knows now how it feels to be hopeless and powerless.

A few moments later.

When they least expected it, suddenly a blinding light appeared in the room, and they immediately closed their eyes to protect their vision.

A few minutes later, the light stayed in one place, hanging in the ceiling. It's no longer blinding as before.

This time the prisoners finally had a clear grasp of their location.

The two captives were shocked to see each other sitting on the same ground, separated about ten meters away from each other. Aside from that, they saw murky water below them. It looks like they're situated above on an elevated platform.

Zero and Menedelia looked at each other. They glanced at the dark water below them. Something sinister is moving beneath the water! Something tells them that what lays beneath will shred their bodies into pieces. Good thing they stayed in the same place! If they keep moving earlier they would have fallen into the murky water!

Menedelia raised her head and looked at the light floating in the ceiling. "Is that the same light that brought us here?" she asked, pointing her fingers to the light in the ceiling.

Zero looked at the light. "Could be, or there are many out there," he replied. He looked at the light and spoke. "Light, are you the one who brought us here?" he asked.

The light didn't move or respond. It's not showing any signs that it's listening to their conversation or can talk or answer anybody's question.

Zero roamed his eyes around the area. It looks like they're inside a secluded place, somewhere far away from the civilization. They could be in another world or a parallel universe that co-existed with the human world yet undetected by anyone.

Suddenly they heard noises, a sound of a door opening nearby. They looked around to locate the origin of the sound.

And there!

On Menedelia's right side, a door was opening. Four beings wearing black ensembles entered the area. Their faces were partially covered by black hoods. In their center was a wheeled cage that they're both pushing into the area.

In the center of the cage was a beautiful girl in her 20's.

Zero looked at the girl. She looks like a prisoner. Why would they imprison a girl inside a cage? Was she also captured by the blinding light from another place and was taken here?

"Release me at once!" the young woman demanded.

Nobody paid attention to her. Suddenly she transformed into a fat sheep wanting to leave the cage, but an invisible barrier was preventing her. Then she transformed into her human form again.

Zero was shocked by what he just witnessed just now.

The girl is a shapeshifter like him!

And what he saw in the girl's finger shocked him even more!

What the hell! She's wearing the lost amethyst ring!

Menedelia noticed the ring too. "Look at her! She's wearing the missing ring!" she told the guy.

"Yeah, I saw it too! C-could it be... that...?" he was unable to finish his words.

Menedelia looked at the guy. "Is she the missing baby girl that you have been looking for all this time?" she asked.

One of the men was holding two knives in his hands. He throws them at the prisoners' feet. "You both want the girl? Kill each other within 24 hours! The one who remained alive after 24 hours can get the girl! If no one is dead, the three of you will be annihilated! And your corpses will be feed to the sea monsters living beneath the water!" the guy said and left the area along with the others.

A wall clock made of crystals magically appeared in the air, hanging on the ceiling facing the prisoners. The cock displayed the current time.

"What the f*ck!" Zero said outrageously.

A horrified expression marred Menedelia's face while staring at the knife on the floor. Today is the worst day of her life! Without her power, she can easily be overpowered and killed by the guy!

Strength-wise, he is physically stronger than her!

Shiit! It filled her heart with dread.