[Chapter 53: Brotherhood of Saints]
Tanusha, now trapped within Katherine's body, was confined in a straitjacket typically reserved for patients in psychiatric facilities. This kind of garment restrained her limbs completely, leaving her utterly immobilized. Along with this, she wore a bite guard over her mouth to prevent herself from biting her tongue. While the myth of tongue-biting as a means of suicide is false, the reality of biting off one's tongue to cause muteness was very real.
The room itself was fortified with multiple surveillance cameras, capturing her every movement around the clock. When Daniel appeared again, undisguised hatred flared in Tanusha's eyes. Her body thrashed violently, but she was firmly secured to a specialized restraint bed -- there was no chance of escape.
Daniel chose to ignore the blazing hatred and asked calmly, "Which cult do you belong to, and whom do you worship?"
A sly smile flickered across Tanusha's eyes, but the bite guard sealed her lips shut. Removing it risked her harming herself again, possibly biting her tongue. With no alternative, Daniel retrieved the Soul Separation Seal and pressed it onto her forehead. As he traced the hand seal and spoke the incantation, her eyes lost their fire and slowly dimmed into a vacant stare.
Only then did Daniel remove the bite guard and repeat, "Which cult do you belong to, and whom do you worship?"
At once, Tanusha's body convulsed with uncontrollable tremors, much like before. Her face contorted in struggle, as though an unseen battle raged inside her. The Soul Separation Seal waged a war with another force within her -- the secret buried so deeply that even under magical influence, Tanusha fought to keep it hidden.
'The previous failure wasn't due to the seal's power weakening,' Daniel thought, narrowing his eyes. 'More than that, it's the question itself -- the knowledge it probes remains fiercely guarded.'
His expression darkened. Without hesitation, he formed the seal again: "Focus!"
As he unleashed more of the seal's power, Tanusha's shaking began to subside. Daniel pressed on, "Which cult do you come from? Whom do you worship?"
The question acted as a trigger -- Tanusha trembled violently, but this time the seal's strength took control. Through the trembling, she finally answered with raw reluctance, "I belong to the Brotherhood of Saints, and I worship... I worship... Lord Satan."
Her body shook harder, white foam foaming at the corners of her mouth. Daniel tapped her forehead gently, and darkness took her -- the faint finally claimed her.
He replaced the bite guard and peeled the Soul Separation Seal off her forehead. With a snap, the seal ignited into a ball of flame and quickly burned to ashes.
"Brotherhood of Saints," Daniel muttered, a trace of recognition in his voice. The name sounded vaguely familiar -- a haunting echo from some horror movie he'd watched long ago. Since horror films here often had some grounding in reality, the appearance of the Brotherhood meant there were others tied to that cult.
If the Brotherhood learned that Tanusha and her husband had been ended by his hand, would they come for vengeance?
As for Satan himself, Daniel wasn't currently concerned. So many cults worshiped Satan that if every follower got his direct attention, he'd be worn out from exhaustion. Right now, the Brotherhood posed the real threat.
...
Leaving the confined room, Daniel spotted Charlie stationed at the entrance.
"Is she stable?" Charlie asked, glancing inside.
"She'll remain unconscious for a while."
"Lunch is ready in the kitchen. Mr. Douglas would like to invite Mr. Cross to join him," Charlie said.
"Lead the way."
...
During their meal, Daniel instructed Douglas in no uncertain terms: Tanusha was not to have any freedom whatsoever. No access to phones, computers, or any kind of communication device was allowed -- to prevent her from reaching out to the outside world. Caregivers assigned to her had to be firm and trustworthy, or risk releasing her restraints and giving her ways to contact allies beyond these walls.
Douglas nodded. "The surveillance cameras we installed are exactly for this purpose."
"Don't let your guard down," Daniel added sternly.
Douglas personally escorted Daniel to the parking lot. "Mr. Cross, how long will it take before you can swap their souls back?"
Daniel shook his head slightly. "I don't know yet. But I'll do it as fast as possible."
Douglas sighed. "I hope there's enough time."
...
Meanwhile in Hollywood's spotlight:
[Natalie Portman was injured during auditions for V for Vendetta and was rushed to the hospital,] one headline read.
[Natalie Portman's injuries are serious enough that she may need six months off to recover,] another report warned. [At the peak of her career, half a year's hiatus could stall Natalie Portman's momentum,] the article suggested.
[Natalie promises to recover quickly, determined not to disappoint her fans.]
The entertainment pages were bursting with news about three women dominating the scene: Amanda Seyfried, Scarlett Johansson, and Natalie Portman.
Amanda had surged past not only Padme Amidala from Star Wars but also the Golden Globe-nominated Scarlett Johansson and other former child star Bryce Dallas Howard to clinch the female lead in the Wachowski Brothers' latest film, V for Vendetta.
Amanda first gained fame as Karen in Mean Girls, and this new role promised to catapult her career even further.
Reportedly, Amanda learned she landed the lead while dealing with a car accident alongside her agent.
Scarlett Johansson won the lead role in DreamWorks' sci-fi commercial blockbuster The Island. However, scheduling conflicts forced her to pull out of V for Vendetta by choice, a move she framed as deliberate, implying Amanda only got the role because Scarlett stepped aside voluntarily.
Natalie Portman was subtly signaling the same: Amanda only landed the role because of her unfortunate injury.
Amanda didn't care about the criticism. Given her current status, she wasn't intimidated by the rivalry. In fact, some attention -- even if it came wrapped in criticism -- was a win in her book.
...
Daniel set down The Hollywood Reporter and asked Amanda, "Is Natalie really that badly injured? Does she actually need six months off?"
Amanda smiled knowingly. "My agent investigated. It's nothing serious. She's only creating a public image to show professionalism. She wants to get back quickly, issue press releases about working through pain, and strengthen that dedicated persona for a fresh wave of goodwill."
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "She already graduated from Harvard. Building that hardworking image is classic Oscar bait -- she'll be a favorite among the Academy's old guard. That foundation is solid for a Best Actress win down the line."
Amanda glanced at Daniel enviously. "Looks like she lost a lead role, but in reality, she's anything but."
Daniel grinned. "You didn't lose either. Scarlett's probably going to regret walking away from V for Vendetta for The Island."
"That bad, huh?" Amanda asked, doubtful.
"You'll see when the time's right."
Just then, Daniel's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and answered promptly.
"I'm out." A voice came through clearly on the other end.
*****
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