[CONTENTID1]Calla Lily[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Thirty-two[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Baekhyun’s patience was running thin. Too much time had passed since he had last been with his soulmate. He and the clan had desperately combed the area for a trace of Yoonhee but found nothing. Many vampires had joined the search effort, even Baekyun’s parents and Taemin’s clan. Not only that, but Baekhyun had also contacted Yoonhee’s werewolf friends who had been devastated to hear of her disappearance. They, too, had done all in their power to help, but it had led nowhere.

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack—the vampire could have taken Yoonhee anywhere. She probably wasn’t in Seoul anymore and without at least a hint, Baekhyun would not find her in time. Junmyeon had contacted the council early on and search efforts in and around Seoul had been intensified, but this had not been enough either. The only clue they had so far was Kang Haeil’s name, and unfortunately, this was not sufficient.

Baekhyun was losing his mind—he didn’t know what to do. And just when he thought that all hope was lost, something unexpected happened. It was Yoonhee herself who provided the most important clues to him. Baekhyun didn’t quite understand how she managed to contact him, but the short message she conveyed to him included several hints that could potentially be useful in the future. This was the first time he heard about the Philosopher’s Stone, and he had a feeling that this piece of information could be the key to finding Yoonhee’s location.

If anyone could help Baekhyun make sense of it, it was the leader of the council. Thus, Baekhyun requested a meeting with the most influential vampire in South Korea. Every century, a council member was selected for this position by a majority vote. Baekhyun had met the current leader before, but he didn’t know much about her. Kwon Boah was a private person, who didn’t mingle much with others. She had a small circle of close friends whom she trusted, most of them being other council members. It was difficult to meet her since she was busy with her duties, but Baekhyun’s connection to Hakyeon, Wonshik, and Taekwoon turned out to be an advantage. Thanks to them, he was invited to the council’s headquarters within a single day.

The building wasn’t far from Seoul, standing alone amid a forest, tall and imposing. Ivy grew up its walls, nearly covering every piece of its façade except for the large windows and dramatic double doors. Baekhyun parked his car in front of it and was promptly greeted by Boah’s secretary, an older vampire wearing a suit and a dark red bow.

“Please follow me,” he uttered in his raspy, barely audible voice. “Ms. Kwon is awaiting you.”

“Thank you,” Baekhyun answered. His patience was running thin since he had to get this over with as fast as possible. Yoonhee needed help; she may be injured right at this moment, or worse… Ever since they had been separated from each other, he had been in a constant state of agitation and alarm. His eyes kept their bloodred shade and never returned to their natural blue. Baekhyun’s poorly concealed rage and frustration were noticed by the secretary who frowned at his attitude but didn’t comment on it. He eyed Baekhyun’s choice of clothing—ripped jeans and a casual leather jacket—with displeasure.

The thick carpet in the hallway beneath their shoes swallowed the sounds of their footsteps. Many paintings hung on the walls, depicting council members of the distant past, and heavy dark red curtains blocked the windows. They reached Kwon Boah’s office, and after informing her of Baekhyun’s arrival, the secretary allowed him to enter. The council’s leader sat behind a wooden desk adorned with hand-carved vines. Although Boah was significantly older than Baekhyun, she looked as young as thirty and bore no wrinkles on her face. She observed him with a neutral albeit curious expression, her green eyes assessing him in silence.

“Good evening, Ms. Kwon,” he said, reminding himself to be polite. After all, he was here to ask for a  favor. “Thank you for making time although it’s on short notice.”

A hint of a smile appeared when she answered, “I believe it’s in our best interest to work together in order to regain control over the situation. Hakyeon told me what happened to your soulmate, and I’d like to offer my sympathies. It must be difficult for you to endure.”

She paused and took a moment to study him, his scarlet eyes and tense posture. There was no doubt in her mind that he would do anything to get his soulmate back. “Please take a seat and tell me what you found out about the vampire we are looking for.”

Baekhyun nodded and sat opposite her, gripping the armrest of the antique wooden chair. “I need you to answer a question first. Have you heard of the Philosopher’s Stone?”

Boah’s calm and composed façade melted away. Her eyes shimmered red like the sunset. “Who told you about it?” her sharp voice asked.

Her reaction was both satisfying and concerning to Baekhyun since it proved she knew something, but it couldn’t be anything good. “It’s linked to my soulmate’s disappearance. I believe it’s the reason why she was kidnapped, and it seems like you know more about it,” Baekhyun elaborated, arching his eyebrow in a challenging manner.

Boah leaned back in her chair, a strand of her black hair falling over her shoulder. She folded her dainty hands on her desk and took her time in answering him, testing his patience. It appeared like she faced a dilemma; her expression showed hesitancy. Baekhyun’s hand curled into a fist—he needed to convince her to tell him more.

“The knowledge you’re looking for is… strictly confidential. Only a few select people are aware of it, and you shouldn’t be one of them.”

Baekhyun snarled in anger, his desperation getting the best of him. This was his only clue, and he couldn’t let it slip through his fingers, for Yoonhee’s sake.

“However,” Boah added, her features softening a tad, “Since your case is a special one and since your clan is a close ally of the council, I’m willing to make an exception for you. I can see that you’re eager to reunite with your soulmate. There’s just one condition that I have; you need to tell me exactly how you found out about the Stone. Start from the beginning.”

Baekhyun didn’t like this, but he didn’t have the time to argue. “As you know, my soulmate was abducted by the same clan who has been turning and killing humans in Seoul for the past weeks. She and other witches and wizards are being kept in a secret location, possibly the clan’s home. My soulmate was able to contact me using a spell. She told me the vampires are planning to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone,” he explained, narrowing his eyes. “The clan leader’s name is Park Taeseon, that’s all I know so far.”

A frown spread over Boah’s face at the mention of Taeseon. “I should have known he would seek revenge. He’s been far too quiet all these years.”

Baekhyun was hit by a rush of adrenaline—suddenly, the prospect of reuniting with his soulmate seemed far more realistic. “You know Park Taeseon?” he exclaimed, full of shock. This was the last thing he had expected, and it changed everything.

“I do. He used to be in the council many decades ago before I was elected its leader, but he was expelled when he became too power-hungry and broke our laws. Taeseon attempted to murder our former leader because he wanted to take his place. He had loyal followers who supported him—they posed a threat to the entire council. We took precautions and forbade all of them from participating in our assemblies. In the wake of this, he became furious and disappeared abruptly. I never saw him again and assumed he eventually accepted our decision, but I was wrong.”

Boah paused and cocked her head, watching Baekhyun with sharp eyes, studying his reaction to her next words. “Taeseon is one of the few vampires who are aware of the Philosopher’s Stone and its true purpose… Since he is abducting witches, he must have already found out how the ritual works. This puts us in a precarious position.”

“He’s doing all this to get revenge on the council for expelling him and his clan?” Baekhyun’s anger only mounted the more he learned about Taeseon—Yoonhee and her family had fallen victim to a single man’s greed and desire for revenge. He was the reason why she had suffered so much throughout her life. There was no doubt he could only be stopped once he was dead… If Taeseon remained alive, he would always pose a threat to Yoonhee, and Baekhyun couldn’t allow this.

“Yes. He’s obsessed with power—someone like him should never obtain the Stone, we need to stop him at all costs,” Boah frowned. “In fact, nobody should ever get their hands on it. To be honest, I thought the scroll describing the ritual was destroyed long ago...”

Baekhyun’s fang dug into his lower lip when he scowled. “What does the Stone do? Why is it so dangerous?”

“It grants immense physical strength and immortality to its owner, among other things. In other words, Taeseon would be unable to die. He would survive all injuries inflicted on him; he wouldn’t even need to drink blood anymore in order to live. It would turn him into a god-like being,” Boah explained.

“A god-like being? No, he would become a ing monster,” Baekhyun spat. “We have to prevent this—what exactly does Taeseon need to do to obtain the Stone?”

“The lives of seven witches or wizards have to be sacrificed and their elemental magic drained completely. All seven elements are needed for it to be successful. Nobody has ever accomplished it.”

“So that’s why he was after Yoonhee’s family. He needed a green witch,” Baekhyun growled.

Boah nodded in confirmation, her fingers ceaselessly tapping on the desk. What she had learned thanks to her visitor put her in a state of unrest—it was her responsibility to maintain stability and security among the