Chapter 87

Aria Bennett never expected to encounter Silas Kane here. What shocked her more was discovering he'd become one of the leaders of the Obsidian Circle.

In her memories, Silas remained that scrawny, stubborn boy. Back in high school, she'd rescued him from bullies in an alleyway. From then on, he'd followed her like a shadow.

When she took taekwondo classes, he joined too. He'd endure every bruise during training without complaint. Within a year, he could spar with her evenly.

But when she skipped grades to enter university, Silas vanished without explanation.

He reappeared years later as a polished returnee, picking her up from campus in a luxury car. Dressed in tailored suits with refined manners, he bore no resemblance to the boy she remembered.

He started asking her out frequently, showering her with gifts. She declined every time—she was still dating Nolan Reed, and no argument would make her entertain other suitors.

After her suicide and rebirth, this new revelation about Silas's identity stunned her.

"Tobias Kane... Silas Kane..." Aria murmured, suddenly recalling the mysterious male lead from the novel.

In the book, Serena Blake had rescued an injured man in a parking lot—the same man who later became her powerful patron. The timeline matched perfectly.

Yet the novel never mentioned Silas's pursuit of her. Aria realized this world held far more complexity than the book portrayed. Every person had their own story beyond Serena's limited perspective.

Just like how the novel depicted Serena as Nolan's unattainable first love—a complete fabrication from reality.

"Can't trust everything in books," Aria massaged her temples.

The trio returned to their cave to rest before their nighttime operation.

Meanwhile, the foraging team ran into trouble.

"Professor Pierce, let's pick those wild fruits!" Serena pointed excitedly at hillside trees.

Jonah Pierce recalled Aria's warning, a chill running down his spine. "Perhaps we should gather mushrooms instead?"

"Others are already collecting mushrooms." Serena dismissed his concern. "I'm good at climbing—I'll get them!"

Before Jonah could stop her, she'd scrambled up the tree.

From the crowd's rear, Nolan flicked his fingers.

"Ah!" Serena shrieked as she tumbled from the branches.

Jonah instinctively reached to catch her but staggered backward from the impact.

"Watch out!" Caleb Monroe shouted.

Too late.

Jonah lost his footing and rolled down the slope.

"My arm!" He paled from pain.

The medic examined him and sighed in relief. "Dislocated. I'll reset it."

Jonah's agonized scream echoed through the valley.

Witnessing this, Caleb remembered Aria's prophecy. He gave Serena a meaningful side-eye, suspicion creeping in: Is this woman a walking jinx? Everyone around her seems cursed with misfortune.