Zero checked the room at the back, it was empty! The fortune-teller woman was not there!

Where could she be? ​​

She just vanished out of the blue and took the ring with her!

Dammit! He needs to find her! ASAP!

Suddenly he heard a footstep approaching the door. He hides behind the door of the room. Who could it be? Another client?

"Granny, I'm back! I bought apples and bananas! They taste so sweet!" Rebecca said in delight but saw no one at the table. Where is she?

She put the fruits on the table. Ah, maybe Granny got tired and went to rest in bed.

She went to the room, but it was empty as well!

A frown appeared on her face.

Where is Granny?

Maybe she went outside to buy something?

She was about to exit the room.

Before she can move a step further, Zero revealed his presence to her and immediately waved his right hand, giving no time for Rebecca to react, he froze her on the spot.

Rebecca can't move her body, she was frozen in time. In front of her is a stranger that she had never seen before! But where is Granny!?

Zero went to the frozen woman's side and moved his hand.

Whoosh!

He and Rebecca vanished from the room in the blink of an eye.

Outside the shop, some of the stalls were already closing, and store owners are going home to rest for the night.

Inside Menedelia's shop, the three candles began dying. A few minutes later, the light finally went dead, plunging the entire shop into darkness.

...

A hundred miles away, at Zero's place.

Inside the basement, inside Room #5.

Sofia was knitting a beautiful basket filled with flowers. Ever since Hera had given her the knitting tools, she no longer felt angry and bored. She channels her energy in knitting by making handkerchiefs, table clothe, socks, blouses, and many more.

She realized that Zero would never release her!

So, instead of killing herself with worry, she will entertain herself by knitting, which makes her mind fully occupied. But deep inside, she's always on her guard, on the lookout for any possible escape chance that may arise later on.

She will escape if there is a chance!

A few seconds later, she heard footsteps in the hallway. Someone is coming! She quickly pressed her ears on the door. She can't hear anything! The sounds of footsteps were gone!

Hera, the white-haired woman, locked her in the room. She can no longer get out of her free will. She's a prisoner! No freedom to roam the hallway anytime she likes.

She released a deep sigh and stopped knitting. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, dreaming about home. Fresh tears emerged in her eyes.

Inside the Room # 7.

Hera stared at the unconscious woman lying on the bed, her eyes drawn to her baby bump. She looked at Zero. "My Lord, this woman is pregnant, and she is of a demon origin. Why did you bring her here?" she asked, confused.

Zero continues staring at the woman lying on the bed. Then he looked at his companion. "I went to this town and saw the shop offering palm reading, including an outrageous claim that she can see the future and the past. Desperate to find the missing baby, I went inside the shop to try the palm reader's expertise. I showed the amethyst ring to the psychic. She put the ring on her palm and start examining it. Then suddenly, a blinding light emitted from the ring, I have to close my eyes to protect my vision, and when I opened my eyes, the palm reader was no longer in front of me, including the ring! They both disappeared when I closed my eyes. That's what exactly happened out there," he said and concluded his lengthy explanation.

Hera's brows furrowed. "And who is this woman? What's her connection with the palm reader?" she asked.

"She is the palm reader's companion, I guess," Zero replied. "Anyways, we will know soon enough after she regained her consciousness in a few hours. Since this woman is a demon, she might be powerful and will create chaos later. Drop one Incapacitate Pill into the woman's mouth to suppress her power. I won't release her until that palm reader come back and return the ring to me! I will use this pregnant demoness to get the ring back!" he said, his eyes flash angrily.

"I understand, my lord," Hera said.

"Served her food three times daily just like you did with Sofia, give her clothes as well. Take care of the two prisoners! I want them alive!" Zero ordered.

"Copy, my lord!" Hera responded.

Zero vanished from the room and teleported back to the palm reader's shop that was already covered in pitch darkness during that time.

His fingers released flames and lighted the three candles on the table.

He began investigating the whole place. Nothing is worth finding inside the shabby shop. He saw a bag containing dresses in the room at the back, but nothing more to see, just useless clothes!

He went back to the table and inspected the candle and the black clothes, just useless props!

He sat on the chair and roamed his eyes around the small space.

Sooner or later, that psychic will return to the shop for her companion. He will wait for her return until midnight!

....

Back at Zero's place, inside the basement, room #7.

Rebecca's eyelids fluttered. Her eyes opened fully. The first thing she saw inside the room is the white-haired woman looking at her with bright eyes.

She immediately closed her eyes and initiated the teleportation process in her mind wanting to leave the place.

But when she opened her eyes, she's still in the same room! What the hell! She failed to teleport outside the room! Why is that?

Hera studied the demon's face and smirked. "You're trying to leave this room but failed, am I right?"

Rebecca looked at her. "Who are you? Why did you bring me here? Where is that guy who froze me? Are you planning to imprison me here in this room?" she bombarded her with questions.

Hera rolled her eyes and breathed deeply. This woman is like Sofia when she first arrived here, they asked so many questions!

"I'm your temporary caregiver. I'll take care of you while you're inside this basement. I didn't bring you here, but my lord is the one who brought you here. He is currently out there looking for your companion who stole his ring. My lord plans to imprison you until the palm reader returns the ring that she stole from my lord. There you have it! I answered all your questions. I hope you're satisfied now!" Hera said.

Rebecca finally got all her questions answered. But there is one thing she wants to ask the white-haired woman. "D-did you do something to suppress my power?" she finally asked the question that she's dreading to ask.

Hera nodded her head. "Yeah..."

"How? How did you do it!?" she asked frantically, panicking while looking for anything on her body that is holding her back from using her power, she found none!

"Don't ask. You don't have to know how we suppressed your power. All you need to know is that you're just like a common human being now. You're our prisoner in this prison room that you can never get out of your own. I advise you to behave all the time and don't try to escape. You won't succeed!" Hera warned her.

Rebecca blinks her eyes for a second. Suddenly, the white-haired woman disappeared from the room.

Where is she?

Rebecca left the bed and bolted towards the door, she tried opening it, but the doorknob won't even budge even with her repetitive trying! As if the whole room was under a powerful spell!

She finally got tired, drained of energy. She went back to bed and lay her body down. She stared at the ceiling, recalling what happened before she comes here.

Her mind went back to the shop.

She entered the shop bringing with her the fruits she had bought from the fruit stand. She found the room empty! She can't find Granny Menedelia!

Then she remembered that guy hiding inside the room at the back of the shop!

She was like a deer caught in headlights, unaware of what's going on during that time! The stranger freezes her instantly, leaving her no room to retaliate or protect herself!

Everything happened so fast!

The next time she opened her eyes, she's already imprisoned in this room. Good thing she was not thrown into a filthy dungeon. This room looks decent enough. Overall, it's clean and got a comfy bed, chair, and table in the corner. She left the bed, walked towards the closed door, and pushed it open. She saw a clean toilet!

Great!

She will survive!

Now that her power was suppressed, she won't be able to fight physically. Because if she will use excessive physical strength, she will only be hurt in the process, and her health might suffer, affecting the twins inside her tummy.

But she will investigate the woman and this room closely. If she saw a window of opportunity to escape she will go for it!

She went back to bed and fell into deep thoughts.

She recalled that the white-haired woman mentioned that she was taken into this basement as a prisoner because her companion stole a ring from her master.

That got her super confused!

Why would Granny Menedelia stole the lord's jewelry and disappeared with the ring? Then abandon her in the middle of danger without warning? She knew Granny well for a long time. Menedelia would never abandon her in the middle of danger, especially that she was pregnant with her twins!

Something must have happened to her!

One thing she's certain of, Granny will never abandon her!

But where is she right now!?

She released a deep sigh, feeling worried about the old woman's safety. She knows that her benefactor is more than capable of protecting herself, but she still can't avoid feeling worried about her safety.

"Granny, where are you? Please take care of yourself. Stay safe!" she said earnestly.

...

Midnight comes, and the fortune-teller who went missing hasn't returned to the shop yet.

Zero decided to leave the place and just come back again tomorrow.

Time to go back to his place and talk to the pregnant woman!