Chapter 369

“Damion extended his hand, gripping Oxdalys’s hand and squeezing it excitedly. ‘You finally arrived!’”

“Has the set been cleared?” Oxdalys asked quickly.

After shaking her hand, Damion quickly let go and led her inside. The path was empty, clearly indicating that the area had been cleared. “The only people left are the main cast, the actors with significant roles, the director, producers, and other staff,” Damion explained. He was very optimistic about this project, having invested all his resources into it, even last night.

Now, Damion was just waiting for the opening ceremony to begin. Once that was complete, filming would begin. Even the makeup artists and stylists had held an emergency meeting, worried about potential issues with makeup and styling.

“That’s good,” Odalys replied softly. She stepped inside and saw a table set up in the studio. Next to it were several talismans and a bowl of clear water. Some equipment was covered with red cloth. Other staff members were keeping their distance, all standing on one side of the studio.

“Hey, Ms. Stone, you’re here,” the director said as soon as he saw her, immediately walking over.

Odalys had become a significant figure recently, her popularity soaring after several live streams. Journalists now greeted her respectfully and dared not approach too closely.

“Stellan, you all go inside. Don’t come out unless I call for you,” Odalys said, pointing toward the studio.

Freya, Stellan, and Francis quickly headed in, following her instructions. The journalists on site gasped as they witnessed this. Freya, Stellan, and Francis were all well-known actors or models, while Selah was a relatively new girl group member. But in front of Odalys, they had no airs about them and were very obedient.

“I thought their friendly relationship was just a rumor, but it turns out it’s true.”

“Of course. Selah and Francis are both celebrities under Odalys’s company. Didn’t you know?”

“This whole show was even a resource Odalys secured using star readings. I’m curious to see if she really has the chops,” some journalists whispered to each other behind her back.

Upon hearing these murmurs, Damion’s face darkened. He turned and walked toward them with quick steps.

“Today is the opening ceremony for Heroic Era. I welcome you to show your support, but if you dare gossip behind our backs, I’ll ask you to leave immediately,” Damion said sternly. He knew that there were two reporters with a bad reputation.

The journalists quickly quieted down, and the bodyguards nearby stepped forward, standing at attention and silently watching them. Clearly, if they said anything out of line again, they would be escorted out. These big-name stars had jumped at the chance to take this role, and they didn’t want to miss the opportunity for a good interview.

“Time’s up, Mr. Bouris, you stand here,” Odalys said.

Damion hurried to the indicated spot and stood where she pointed. Odalys picked up a talisman and lit it, bowing deeply. However, as she bent down for the first bow, her hand stiffened. Odalys furrowed her brow and quickly looked up at the air. Then, she bowed again, and a gust of wind suddenly whipped up. Many people were startled and instinctively held their breath.

Chapter 364

Standing there, Odalys raised her left hand and waved. The wind ceased immediately; even the leaves that had been lifted into the air were swiftly dropped back down. Bowing forward again, she completed her third bow. A long, low moan echoed from a distance, moving faintly.

The surrounding area became eerily quiet. The sound seemed to come from deep underground, and everyone froze, too afraid to move, sensing something was stirring beneath the ground. Odalys held the talisman high and took long strides forward. Damion hurried to follow her closely. He could vaguely feel something cold pressing against the side of his neck. Just as he was about to turn around, Odalys reached out and pressed his shoulder, saying, “Don’t look back.”

“Okay,” Damion said, breaking into a cold sweat, terrified. He followed her, walking toward the thurible, where she placed the recently lit talisman. As the talisman stood there, it wobbled for a moment before suddenly falling to the ground. Odalys watched the talisman drop and swiftly waved her hand. It slowly stood back up, as if nothing had happened.

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. She flicked her fingers, sending magic dust into the air, and traced a talisman in midair. She tossed it toward the nearby camera, and the red cloth covering the camera was instantly blown away. The sound of a confetti cannon went off, followed by the faint sound of music.

“Did you hear that? Oh my gosh. It’s so scary! I heard many accidents happened here when filming before. Many celebrities got crazy.”

“Did you see that! It looks like there’s a skeleton up ahead!”

“Is that sound…? Is it a woman’s laughter!”

Nearly all the staff and reporters were visibly shaken, instinctively wanting to flee, but their feet felt as if they were rooted to the ground, unable to move. Then came the sound of hooves. A figure on horseback rushed toward them, but a white mist enveloped him, making it impossible to see his face clearly. The horse galloped toward them, kicking up cold winds.

“Who are you?” the figure suddenly called out. He held a long blade, swinging it toward Odalys. But as the blade swung through the air, Odalys raised her hand, blocking the strike effortlessly. “I’m here to help you,” Odalys whispered.

As soon as she spoke, the figure burst into wild laughter, then shouted in anger. “How dare you speak so arrogantly, woman? You’re nothing but a mace hiding in the shadows, trying to take over my property? Prepare to die!”

Before he finished speaking, Odalys swung her hand again. The long blade in his hand clattered to the ground. His arm went numb from the impact, and as he tried to dismount and retrieve the blade, he found that his body was frozen, as if pinned to the horse. The horse, too, stood still, as if paralyzed.

“What curse have you placed on me?” he shouted in fury. The man struggled, trying to jump down, but his body wouldn’t obey. He remained stuck on the horse, unable to move, while the horse stood motionless as well.

Odalys stepped forward and picked up the long blade, offering it to him. He reached out to take it, but his arm was stiff, and blood began to ooze from his arm, dripping onto the ground and staining it red. He was shocked and confused, not understanding what was happening to him.

“You died over a hundred years ago, but your curse has kept you here, haunting the actors who come here,” Odalys said coldly. “Over the years, film crews in this Film Capital have experienced misfortune. Either investors have fallen ill, directors have fallen from heights, or actors have mysteriously lost their sanity, suffering accident after accident.”

“You’ve been afraid that these people would take over your family’s business, and your hatred grew. The truth is, this land was sold a century ago. Your family faced financial ruin, your estate was mortgaged and sold, and rather than face reality, you returned, mounted your horse, and slaughtered the people who bought your land.”