Chapter 212


    Winnie was feeling a bit uneasy about the uing study trip that the kids were about to go on. She


    called for the family’s butler, Abdul, and asked him to fetch a recent yearbook from Nadine’s ss.


    Abdul, though puzzled,plied without a word.


    Nadine overheard and curiously inquired, “Why do you need my ssmates‘ yearbook?”


    Winnie scrutinized her younger cousin, noticing that, unlike the other children, Nadine didn’t seem to be


    in immediate danger. However, a faint shadow of misfortune lingered around her, a subtle sign of


    uing bad luck.


    Ignoring Nadine’s question, Winnie gently put down Pretty, allowing it to resume its yful romp with


    the children. She couldn’t possibly share her premonitions with them, and if her concerns about the trip


    were confirmed, it would be best to speak with the parents.


    Soon enough, Abdul returned with the yearbook and even went the extra mile to pull up the kids‘ social


    media profiles, featuring their own pictures as well as those posted by their parents, including some


    recent ones.


    Winnie silentlymended Abdul’s thoroughness as she examined the photos of the kids who had


    posted updates that day. The signs were clear, and some showed hints of imminent peril, confirming


    her suspicions.


    With so many children involved, including their families, Winnie knew this was beyond her capacity to


    address alone. She headed upstairs to consult with her grandfather Bhus.


    Bhus was busy tracking her online activity when she shared her concerns. In the past, he might


    have dismissed her ramblings, but now he took her seriously. His expression turned grave as he


    reached for thendline and summoned the butler to his study.


    n for some After an hour in her grandfather’s study, Winnie made her way back to her rest. However,


    she was intercepted by her brother Springer, who seemed to have been keeping an eye out for her.


    With a look of reproach, Springer blurted out, “Winnie, when did you get another brother? What’s he to


    you? Howe I’ve never met him?”


    Winnie was taken aback by his barrage of questions. She knew Springer followed reality shows and


    must have seen Sean, but his line of questioning was baffling.


    “What’s it to you?” she retorted, not quite understanding his intent.


    Springer felt like he’d been betrayed by a heartbreaker. He had always considered Winnie his only


    cousin sister, and now she seemed to have other ‘brothers‘ and was getting impatient with him.


    He stared at her, his voice filled with a mix of usation and hurt, “Well?,”


    11:34


    Winnie gave him a cool nce, “Speak properly.”


    Springer’s bravado deted as if he were a scolded puppy, now looking at her with a mix of confusion


    and sullenness.


    “That’s not my brother. He just needed my help with something, so he’s been tagging along,” she


    exined.


    Springer’s mood lifted on hearing this, “That punk’s bothering you? Where is he? I’ll take care of him.”


    Winnie was about to tell him to stay out of it. After all, at fourteen, Springer could hardly intimidate


    anyone. But then, as if struck by a thought, she raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Actually, you


    could help with something.”


    Springer’s eyes


    lit up.


    Winnie finally needed him.


    “Winnie, just tell me what to do. I may be young, but there’s not much I can’t handle.”


    Winnie smiled, a rare urrence, “This is something only you can handle.”


    Springer was now brimming with excitement.


    An hourter, he was on his phone, instructing Sean through a video call with a deadpan expression,


    “Come on in, I’ll add you.”


    Soon, a pitiful newbie avatar appeared in the game lobby. Springer added him to the team, not without


    a disdainful snort at the screen, “A newbie scrub, huh? Watch and learn as I


    carry you.”


    This was the task Winnie had entrusted to Springer. With the nursery school trip issue still unresolved,


    and their powerful allies upied with other matters, she was too busy to entertain Sean and worried


    he might get into trouble if left to his own devices. Thus, the solution: have Springer teach him how to


    y video games. No teenager could resist the lure of gaming, especially not a young sea dragon fresh


    to the world like Sea


    With Sean upied, peace returned to Winnie’s side. The online buzz from her public disy of


    mystical arts continued to grow, but there was no sign of official intervention, which confirmed her


    suspicion that the authorities might be gradually conditioning the public to ept the existence of


    metaphysics.


    Otherwise, theck of official action several hours after the incident was telling, and the government


    seemed to be letting the idea of mysticism take root in the public consciousness.


    What Winnie didn’t realize was that her viral video had made it easier for the parents contacted by


    Bhus to heed his warning. Nadine’s nursery school was a prestigious institution attended by


    children from affluent families, many of whom had ties to the Bryant family. After witnessing the events


    at the Smith family home and Winnie’s


    extraordinary showcase on reality TV, most parents were inclined to believe her warning.


    ???


    11-34


    Chapter


    After all, no one would gamble with their children’s safety.


    Some folks remained skeptical about the whole affair, even if the buzz on social media suggested


    otherwise. They chalked it up to a publicity stunt, a bit of showbiz smoke and mirrors.


    After all, the inte is a breeding ground for tall tales and hoaxes. Remember the spate of UFC


    sightings that had everyone talking a few years back?


    But did anyone actuallye face–to–face with a little green man? Hardly.


    These doubters dismissed Winnie’s ominous warnings of “impending doom” as nothing more than


    superstition, and they saw no reason to bar their kids from joining the field trip organized by the local


    park.


    Despite receiving a heads–up from a concerned citizen named Bhus, the park had to stick to their


    guns. The trip was a joint venture with a posh European preschool, and it wasn’t something they could


    scrap on a whim. If even one parent was game, the show had to go on.


    This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    When the day of departure rolled around, the roster of eager young explorers had dwindled


    considerably.


    The kids who were left didn’t quite understand the drop in numbers, but their excitement was


    undiminished.


    Meanwhile, little Nadine was having a meltdown at home. The tr