"Good morning, priestess!"
That was the greeting that Zira woke up to. Her gaze went to the person seated on the chair beside her bed.
"Who are you?" she asked and looked around the room.
She felt as if she had slept for a very long time, and she awoke in a place that appeared familiar but felt strange at the same time.
The girl jolted from the chair, her gaze fixed on the floor and her hands on her back. Zira rose slowly and put on the robe she had summoned with her hand.
"Pardon me for my rudeness, priestess. My name is Zel, and I'm the head's new apprentice. It was an honor to be assigned to and serve our lady Héloïse."
"How long have I been sleeping?" Zira asked as she left her bed and gestured her hand to open the window. As the curtains parted, the early morning sun streamed into her room.
"You have been asleep for a week, priestess."
Zira furrowed her brows and looked at Zel, who avoided her gaze. "A week?"
Zel nodded.
How?
She tried remembering what had happened before falling asleep but could only recall the ritual night. Her memories were still foggy, and she couldn't recall what else followed.
"I have prepared a warm bath for you, and breakfast awaits you at the dining table, priestess."
Something feels very different.
"All right, thank you. You're free to leave," she said, and the apprentice ducked her head before exiting the room.
Zira sat in the chair and tried to figure out why she had been asleep for so long. Lianna is also nowhere to be seen. Even though she had questions, she took off her clothes and walked to her bathroom. Today would be her last day at her cabin before transferring to the tower next to Kianna's house.
When she sat in her bathtub, memories of events flashed through her mind: her Nana's death, the departure from their cabin in Lunaville, and the arrival in the village.
She slowly submerged herself in the water by laying her back in the tub. As she closed her eyes, new memories flooded her mind. They were everything she did in the village with her whole clan, her parents, the elders, Kianna, the Asteria clan, and Keon. From one scene to the next, they showed up very quickly.
She gasped for air as she sat up and wiped her face.
Is this an after-effect of the ritual?
When she woke up, she felt very uneasy and knew only one person could help her find answers.
I need to meet Kianna.
*
Kianna walked from one of her magical plants to the next, tending to the leaves and feeding them a little mana. The plants, which were black and purple, made a soft screeching sound as they asked for more.
"You're becoming so greedy," she chuckled, showering them with her mana again.
She turned around and walked to the table where her familiar Magnus was drinking tea while looking at the shiny marbles he found during travel.
Crow things.
Kianna sat across from him, pouring herself a cup of tea. "How did it go?"
"Such a pleasant tea, by the way," Magnus said after taking a sip and setting the cup on the table. "It went very well. The Ministry of Mages has identified Lianna and me as two of the few familiars capable of assuming human form. She only recently discovered this ability; not even her master knew it. Because of this and her healing abilities, she will be sent to another dimension to assist the other mages in that special mission."
Kianna stirred and sipped her tea.
"Lianna is quite stubborn, just like Zira. How did they make her agree to take the mission if it meant she would be away from her master for quite a long time?"
"Oh, she was told that this would be her last mission for a while and that she would have a year off. She took it in a heartbeat."
"Hmm. Then that takes away one of our problems for now. I need Lianna away as much as possible from Zira while I try to figure out how we can talk about her master's memory soon without shedding blood," Kianna said and glanced at the door, where her apprentice was signaling that she had a visitor waiting outside.
"Let her in."
"Is this something I shouldn't hear?" Magnus asked.
"No, you're fine," Kianna replied, watching Zel enter the room.
"Greetings to the Clan Head," Zel paid courtesy to her and did the same to Magnus.
"Is Zira awake now?"
"Yes, Lady Kianna," Zel muttered, moving to Kianna's side. "I needed to use my magic on her so she'd wake up. But I did as you told me."
"Did she ask any questions?"
"The priestess only asked how long she had been sleeping. But more than that, there's none."
"Good," Kianna said. "Zira will be looking for me soon, so you may return to her cabin and take her belongings to the tower."
"Yes, head. I will," Zel bowed her head and left the room.
Once the door was shut, Magnus leaned against his chair with his legs and arms crossed. He clicked his tongue several times.
"The lengths you've gone to keep her away from the werewolves. You even had one of your mages implant false memories or illusions in her mind."
"You know I had to do it," Kianna said nonchalantly. "However, breaking through her mind's natural shield took a few days. Consider if she were awake. We wouldn't have erased her memories of the werewolves and replaced them with fictitious scenarios."
"Phew. So cruel," Magnus said as he picked up his cup again.
"It's for the future of our clan," Kianna met his obsidian eyes that went along well with his ebony shoulder-length hair. "Why? Do you think I was wrong?"
Magnus couldn't help but chuckle at his master's expression while asking that question. That knowing look with the arched brows. It wasn't a question but rather a statement or a challenge to prove her wrong. He hummed while rubbing his chin with his fingers.
"Master has always thought of the clan's best interest, so you did the right thing," he paused and pondered about something for a bit. "It's just too bad that we needed to keep her real identity away -"
Magnus stopped when Kianna cleared her throat.
"I don't understand what you're saying," Kianna said, which meant he should shut his mouth.
"Alright, alright," he said, raising both hands, "Forget I said anything."
Kianna rose to her feet. "You may leave now," she said, approaching the door. Before turning the knob, she looked over her shoulder. "Keep Lianna distracted for as long as you can."
Magnus rose from his chair and bowed his head to her. "Aye, master."
Kianna exited the room, leaving Magnus to shapeshift into a crow and fly away through the open window.
As she walked in the corridors, Kianna met one of her servants, and she told her that Zira was waiting for her in the living room.
She might have been wondering what had happened.
She went into the living room to find Zira. As expected, she was there waiting for her on the couch.
"Did I make the priestess wait for too long?"
Zira turned to face her and stood to pay her respects. "No, it's fine. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
"Please be seated," she said, sitting on the chair across her. "Do you need anything from me?"
"Yes," Zira replied without hesitation, and she could see the eagerness in her eyes.
"But would you like a drink? Perhaps a tea, juice, wine?"
Zira shook her head, rather impatient to get into why she came.
"Do tell," Kianna muttered. She looked into her emerald eyes and waited for her to speak.
"Zel said that I was asleep for a week?"
She nodded. "Yes, you were asleep for a week. Why, is there something wrong?"
Zira paused a bit before replying. "I just.. I just feel disoriented and.. And some memories keep flashing in my mind. Did something happen before I fell asleep? I feel like some things were missing, but I can't put my finger on it."
Sensitive as expected. I need to be careful.
"That is an after-effect of the ritual," Kianna responded. "It's completely normal. Give it a week, and some of your memories will return."
"How did you know I'm talking about missing some of my memories?"
"She is quick."
She heard Magnus speak in her mind.
Get out of my head, Magnus.
"Because.. That happened to me, too, after the ritual," she replied to Zira, with a straight and confident expression possible. "As I've said, completely normal. You don't need to worry about it."
Zira stared at her, then contemplated what she had said. After a minute, she could see her relax and slowly nodded.
"Okay. I think I'm worrying too much."
Kianna felt a deep sense of relief. She sighed. "I know how you feel since you were newly elected as a priestess. Just take it easy. Your duties here in the village will not be that much. However, you should expect the Ministry of Mages to request your presence soon."
"I understand," Zira stood up. "I'll return to my cabin to pack my things."
"Then, let me walk you to the door," Kianna got up and showed the way.
They walked silently into the door, and she reached into the knob to open it for Zira.
"Kianna."
She turned to face Zira. "Yes?"
"When can I have Lianna back?"
Of course, she'll ask about her familiar.
"Have you not received a letter from the Ministry of Mages yet?"
"N-no. What happened?"
Kianna opened the door and stepped into the porch, with Zira following her.
"Magnus said that they were sent on another mission."
Zira's brows knitted together. "Without consulting me?" her tone a bit agitated.
Kianna placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled gently.
"That really happens once a mage has awakened her full powers. Sometimes their familiars will be summoned for missions, and they can only return earlier than scheduled if their master is hurt or in great danger."
Zira kept quiet for a bit, looking disappointed by the news. She let out a sigh. "Alright. Thanks."
"The good thing is that they acknowledged Lianna's capability and knew who her master was. That's why they have confidence in giving her high-level missions."
Zira replied with a small smile.
"Then, I'll go now. Thanks for your time, Kianna," she said and waved goodbye.
Kianna watched Zira walk out of her porch and disappear through teleportation. Magnus flew and landed on a tree branch planted close to her porch. He cawed.
"I don't want to hear your comments, Magnus," she said and entered her house.
-x-
"Sorry for being late."
Zira sat beside Kianna at the long table, surrounded by their clan's elders and high-ranking mages.
Though she had been their Priestess for almost nine months and was recognized by the Ministry of Mages as the only white mage present at this age, her aunts continued to act as though she was an unwanted guest at the meeting, giving her sidelong glances.
Everyone stood up to pay respect by bowing their head, a custom that only made Kianna the exception.
"So, what should we do now? We cannot just stay here and watch everyone in Zille be attacked by the dark mages," said one of the elders.
Dark mages?
Zira looked at Kianna, awaiting her response to one of the elder's statements.
"Also, there were reports from the mage clan in the neighboring country that beasts caused deaths. They said it was the doing of the hybrids," another council member spoke.
"I agree that we should do something," Kianna replied. "We can start by putting spells and charms surrounding Zille. This will keep the low-level hybrids, vampires, and werewolves outside the city from entering," she turned to face her. "What do you think, priestess?"
Zira was slightly caught off guard, as this was the first time Kianna had asked for her opinion on important matters like this.
"I think we should do it as soon as possible. We don't know when they are going to attack the city. We should do it in groups," she said, which everyone seemed to agree with.
Kianna nodded at her. "Then, I will assign groups to cast spells on each border," then she looked at everyone. "As you know, we once fought Lherys, and though he disappeared, we discovered he was still alive. I'm afraid that one of the reasons why he is targeting Zille and possibly the surrounding areas is because of us. We need to get prepared."
"Is it confirmed that the dark mages created the hybrids?" Felicie asked.
There were whispers in the room.
"Yes," Kianna confirmed. "The breeding between the vampires and the werewolves could only be made possible with a magic intervention. They were made to eradicate the Zille werewolves. Or at least that's what I believe so."
Zille werewolves. I almost forgot that they exist.
Zira reached out for the grape from the bowl and tossed a piece in her mouth. Before she returned to the Agnes Clan, and when her Nana was still alive, she remembered her warnings about them. She thought it was an empty warning, but her Nana was right to avoid them at any cost. They have lived with humans for many years and even become influential families in the country. Now, they are luring hybrids in, endangering the people around them.
She spoke up again, "Let's just focus on protecting the city and the people. Let's leave the hybrids in the hands of the werewolves. It's better not to do anything with them because we have our own problems. We need to prepare for the dark mages and Lherys."
The elders and the council members talked among themselves and agreed with her.
"Very well," Kianna said, contented with what she heard. "We are allied with the Asteria clan; they have archmages to help us in case a war breaks."
They continued to talk about their preparations for the possible attack of the dark mages, and after another half an hour, they were dismissed, and Zira walked back to the tower.
As she approached, she saw Zel standing by the door, opening it for her. While she was walking toward the stairs, she heard her call.
"Priestess."
Zira looked back and saw her coming with a letter in her hand.
"Your mother left this letter for you," she handed the envelope with both hands.
From mother?
She took the letter from Zel's hands. "Thank you."
Zira continued up the stairs without opening the letter, reasoning that whatever it was, it had to be a favor or a request.
And she was not wrong. When she entered her room and opened the letter, she immediately saw that her mother was recommending someone to be her apprentice.
Apprentice or someone to spy on me? She pondered as she watched the letter float and then burn to ashes.
It had started to snow, and night had fallen. With a flick of her wrist, a fire appeared in the fireplace and began eating away at the logs. She felt at ease listening to the crackling of the wood as the fire consumed it. Her gaze remained fixed on the flickering fire as she drew the blanket closer.
Her eyes grew heavy, and she yawned. The cold of the snow outside the tower and the warmth of the fireplace had put her to sleep.
*
The next day in the evening, Kianna's instructions were heard by a group of fifteen mages split into five groups of three.
Zira approached them, and they all turned to face her, surprised she was there.
Kianna gave her a puzzled look and raised her hand to the other mages, excusing herself to go to her.
"Where are you going, Héloïse?" Kianna asked, addressing her by her mage name.
"I am coming with them," she replied. "I want to go with our people."
"They are enough. You should stay here, plus you are our priestess. You don't need to go out for missions like this."
"I can see things that other mages don't. I'm going with them," she insisted.
Kianna pursed her lips in her adamance.
"Why would I not go? They need me, Kianna."
Zira noticed the other mages staring at them and bowed their heads in her direction.
"Priestess, do you realize you are directly challenging me now?" Kianna said, but this time she spoke softly so no one else could hear.
Zira stared at her without breaking eye contact.
"I'm a priestess, so let me do what I'm supposed to do. We have a duty to care for everyone in Zille," She passed Kianna on her way to the other mages.
Without much choice, Kianna eventually allowed her to go to the city, putting her with her cousin Divya and her servant Zel.
Their unit traveled to the border between Zille and the south, then teleported to the city to investigate the underground tunnels for anything suspicious.
"How is it?" she asked, watching Divya feel what was beneath her palms.
Divya closed her eyes and focused on the water flowing through the tunnel. She stood up and shook her head after a few moments.
"Nothing for the time being," she said as she stood beside her.
They were in a less crowded place, a path most people don't walk on because it's narrow and next to the dark alleys.
"Let's cast the spell and travel to the ports," Zira said, then moved her foot forward, where her magical circle opened on the ground, traveling and extending as far as it could, followed by the spells of the two mages.
"Let's go," Zira said, walking towards the alley to teleport when they heard a crash from a distance.
They took a halt and looked in the direction where the loud noise came from.
"It might just be a car crash," Zel muttered, to which Divya agreed.
"It must be," Zira said and entered the dark alley.
Once they had moved into the alley, they heard another crash. Zira took a second look behind her and noticed something unusual.
Dark Mana.
She turned to face Divya and Zel.
"They're here."
The two exchanged glances while she opened a portal to move to the location instantly.
"Zira, wait!" Divya called out to her, but it was too late, as she had already stepped into the doorway and disappeared.
*
Zira appeared on top of a building and saw that two cars crashed into each other and another into another building. Her brows furrowed at the scene.
I'm sure I've felt a dark energy in this area earlier.
She decided to teleport below, and as soon as her feet landed, she saw a car emerge from the building. That's when she spotted someone casting magic toward the vehicle, hitting it successfully and making it explode.
Zira hurried over there and saw a guy she assumed was driving the car. She considered it a miracle that he hopped out of the car fast and unscathed.
Her eyes darted around as she searched for the attacker, and she caught sight of a figure hovering above the man with their hands raised in an aggressive stance. She quickly swooped over him and flung open her shield. She looked at the dark mage, still floating, with red eyes glaring through the black hooded cape.
The dark mage looked bewildered as the attack vanished the instant it made contact with her shield. Their eyes met for a moment. The dark mage gritted his teeth as she appeared unconcerned and did not lift a finger to protect herself and the person behind her.
Zira raised her hand to capture the dark mage, but he had already vanished. She hissed and thought about going after him, but she could no longer feel the dark mana.
She turned around and looked at the guy with gray streaks in his middle-length black hair. "Are you okay?" she asked.
He gave her a look. His golden irises were so intensely focused on her that she felt them pierce her soul.
"Zira?"
Her heartbeat quickened. Not only did the guy in front of her know her name, but a silver aura also surrounded him.
A werewolf...
She gulped and tried to maintain a neutral expression.
"How did you know my name?"
He looked astounded when she asked that. Zira looked into his eyes, puzzled that his gaze made her feel something, an odd emotion she was trying hard to shake off. He was a werewolf, and she shouldn't feel any sympathy or any kind of emotions for him.
They shouldn't be in each other's business. But somehow, she felt obligated to help this person she had never met.
"Anyway, hold my hand. I'll bring you somewhere safe," she said, almost hearing her subconscious scolding her. But the surrounding was in chaos, and the dark mage seemed to target him, so she had to help him no matter what. Regardless of what he was. "No matter what happens, don't let go."
The werewolf walked closer to her.
"Yes," he said, his grip on her hand firm enough for her to feel his warm palms. "This time, I won't let you go."
Zira looked at their hands and then back at him.
What is this feeling? She pondered, conflicted by the fact that holding hands with the werewolf felt both strange and familiar.
Focus, Zira. Focus.
In a few seconds, she teleported with him into the city park. The surroundings were safe, without any trace of dark mana, so she decided to settle.
She retracted her hand and stepped back from him.
"Zira-"
"How did you know me? Why do you know my name?" she asked, demanding answers.
Incredulous, he knit his brows in response to her questions.
"What's going on with you, Zira? This is Khan. Is something wrong? Is there a problem?"
Khan..
"Don't get any closer!" she said as she saw Khan approaching. "I don't know who you are. I don't.."
Her head throbbed, and she began to see flashing visions when she closed her eyes.
Sitting on a bench, she saw herself in what appeared to be a school. Someone with a silver aura passed by her. That expression, those eyes. There was no doubt that it was the werewolf she was with.
"Zira, what's happening?"
She could hear Khan's worried question in the background, but another scene flashed in her mind.
She saw herself looking at the fireflies in the woods... Clouds slowly covered the moon. A figure attacked her and pinned her to the ground with his hands... She tried to escape, but the man pushed her against a tree and grabbed her shoulders so hard she thought they would break... The clouds moved out of the way of the moon, letting in enough light for her to see who it was. She looked at the gold eyes that were staring at her...
As soon as the vision stopped, Zira opened her eyes and pushed Khan away. "Don't touch me!" she snapped at him, the electricity whirred in her hand.
Khan looked at her, not knowing why, but he appeared to be in pain after hearing her words.
"I don't get it," He stopped just as he was about to take a step. "Why don't you remember me? How about Tahel? Enzy, Najak?"
"What are you on about? If this was one of your tricks, don't even try it on me," Zira said as she opened her portal to the port. "I know what you are," she looked at him from head to toe.
"Zira, don't go."
She glared at him, "I don't know what game this is, but I'm not here to play it. Let's not meet again."
Zira stepped into her portal and appeared at the port where Divya and Zel stood, waiting for her arrival.
"Priestess, where have you been?" Zel asked as she walked toward her. "We tried to find you, but the only people we saw in the accident area were firefighters and police officers."
"Did you find out anything?" Divya asked.
Still baffled from meeting the werewolf, she paused and thought about whether or not she should tell them.
"There was a dark mage, but I couldn't catch him. We need to return to the city and plant more spells tomorrow."
"Already?" Zel reacted.
Divya gave a nod. "I didn't expect them to arrive sooner than expected. I've cast a few spells here. I'll proceed to the docks."
"Okay," she said, and the three of them began to do what they had come for.
After a while, they all returned to the village with other mages and reported to Kianna what had happened as they went for their mission.
Zira chose to keep the encounter with the werewolf a secret, as she didn't want Kianna to worry about it, especially now that they were working to protect the city and its people.
Once she went to her room, she thought about Khan, the werewolf she had met, more than she should have. The visions, too, had her thinking, and she wondered if it was from the past or the future.
Nonsense. I never met him, so it must be a warning.
She relaxed in the chair by the window and watched the dawn break. A new day had begun, and she was still up.
To stop that from happening, I only need to avoid them—especially that werewolf.
-x-
Khan drove the car he kept in his penthouse in the city on the way to the Héroux mansion.
His thoughts were filled with the news about vampires, the rumors about werewolves in the military, which seemed to target Enzy's family, and now he had just met Zira again, who seemed not to recognize him. There were a lot of things going on at the same time.
He bit on the side of his index finger while his other hand stayed on the steering wheel. Someone was trying to pull the Héroux family from the field that protects the entire country.
But who? Khan asked himself.
If there was anything, he was sure it was someone that worked with them.
Everything was planned, and they knew that removing the Héroux clan would make things easier for them. But, if they knew them personally, did they also know their secret?
"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked as soon as he entered the vast guest room.
Enzy was sitting on a single leather couch with one hand on his head, holding an ice pack.
"I'm fine," Enzy said, "There was an accident in front of me earlier, and my head just hit the steering wheel. I had to stop my car quickly."
Khan sat on the long couch across from Enzy and was offered a drink from Héroux's butler, which he declined.
"Did you hear anything from Najak?" Khan asked.
"Nothing yet," Enzy stood up. "They were trying to locate the IP address of the video uploader, but I think it would be useless. The mastermind wouldn't do it themselves."
He walked over to the cabinet and pulled the first drawer open. There, he pulled a folder out and handed it to Khan.
"That's the Florescu family information. It has all of their personal information that we can find. Their whereabouts and the quarterly report of their charity works."
Khan flipped open the folder and quickly scanned its contents. As he flipped through the pages, he furrowed his brow over the report on the number of orphans they had taken in over the previous three months. Twenty-one kids in total, including three infants. Either their ancestry was untraceable, or their families had been presumed to have died.
"This is ridiculous. How can every child have no family information or even close relative data?" he muttered as he examined the page more.
Enzy sat back on the couch, a mirror and an open canister of cream on the table beside him. He applied the thick white cream to his brow gently.
"Exactly. But I've dispatched an inspector to check on the children and collect blood samples. Then we can search the national DNA database for matches. That will help us find their families."
"How soon can we get the results? Have you received any report for missing children?"
"Two to five days for all children. To answer your second question, there were none. If they have a gifted vampire, they could hypnotize the family and make them forget," Enzy replied. "Also, father and uncle got some of our people to investigate where the rumor about the werewolf in the military came from."
Khan nodded, "Sounds good," and leaned back against the couch, his eyes on the ceiling.
Enzy looked at him knowingly. "Is something else bothering you?"
Khan raised his head and stared back at him.
"What's it about?" Enzy asked as he closed the canister. "Do you need something to drink?"
"No, thanks," Khan straightened up. "But... I saw Zira earlier."
Enzy's brows raised. "Okay.. then, good. Your long-distance relationship and the drought have both ended... That is, assuming there ever was a relationship, to begin with."
Khan shook his head. "It's not that," he sighed. "You know what, can I just have a coffee?"
"Sure," Enzy pressed the small button at the edge of the armrest of his chair, and his butler entered the room. "Please bring us two cups of black coffee."
"Yes, young master," and the butler left the room.
Enzy drew his gaze to Khan. "So, what's the problem?"
Khan combed his hair back, then leaned over, with his hands clasped and resting on his lap as he fixed his eyes on the tree outside the window. "Well.."
"Hold on for a sec," Enzy raised his hand to him and glanced at his watch. "It's 10:56 pm right now," he muttered, taking the notepad and pen from the table.
"What's that for?" Khan asked, his eyes watching Enzy's hand as he scribbled some notes.
"This is for the fee," Enzy replied, resting his chin on his fist. "It's about time to charge you for dumping all your other problems outside of work to me."
"It's called being a good friend. You don't need to charge me for that," Khan complained and saw Enzy looking at him blankly. "Really? You're serious about this?"
"Yes."
Khan stared at him and then blinked a few times. He mouthed a silent 'wow' when he realized Enzy was not joking. "Fine. How much?"
"One hundred ciels per minute," Enzy said.
Khan widened his eyes at his rate. "That's expensive. Fifty."
"Seventy ciels."
"Sixty-five?"
Enzy clicked his tongue. "Fine."
"Check?" Khan asked.
"Wire transfer."
"Deal," Khan smirked. "Are you getting money advice from Najak?"
The butler entered while pushing a trolley with their coffee and sugar cubes in a porcelain jar.
"Perhaps, I did," Enzy said.
They thanked the butler and waited for him to leave with the tray before speaking again.
"So, what happened when you met her?" Enzy inhaled the aroma of his coffee. "We haven't seen her in a long time. When is she coming to visit?"
"She can't remember me," Khan replied.
Enzy gave him a confused look. "Only nine months have passed. How can she forget about you?"
"I thought it was weird, but it doesn't look like she was acting. She doesn't remember anyone of us. It's like something happened that made her lose memory."
"Are we talking about the same girl?" Enzy leaned in. "The mage, the priestess that can destroy the city if she wanted to? Who dares?"
Khan shook his head and put the coffee back on the table. "I wish I knew the answer," he said. "And it seemed like she was mad at me."
"I'm very confused, but let me write that down," Enzy said as he picked up his pen and resumed writing. "But what if you were correct, and something happened that caused her to lose all her memory?"
"I don't know. It better not be her clan's doing," Khan said, drinking his coffee.
Enzy hummed. "Must be hard for you," he said as he wrote something in his notepad again.
"Yeah. It's embarrassing to admit, but I missed her. So bad."
Enzy adjusted his eyeglass. "Just so you know, I'm charging an extra twenty ciels when the topic gets cheesy," he said.
"Nevermind. I'll deal with this later when we meet again," Khan said. "First, let's take care of the Florescu family and figure out who started the rumors in the military."
"Indeed," Enzy agreed. "How's the coffee? This was brought in from Belieze, from Aries' farm."
"I liked it," Khan said, licking his lips after taking a sip. "And stop the timer. That was all I had to say. Send the bill to my secretary."
Enzy gave a soft laugh. "You're getting frugal."
The door suddenly opened, and both turned their heads to check who had entered. Enzy was about to stand up when he saw Gallahan walk in with some files in his hands.
"What happened to knock before entering?" Enzy expressed his displeasure.
"Not right now. This is critical," Gallahan replied, looking at Khan. "I'm glad you're here, Khan," He sat on the other single couch, tossing the papers onto the table.
Khan and Enzy shared a look, and each picked up a piece and read it.
"What the heck is this?" Enzy gave Gallahan a knitted-browed glance. "This fast? When did they even start to investigate us? How did they point out that it's our family?"
Khan couldn't believe what he was reading. It was about the Héroux military and local government members being temporarily suspended. He set the sheet of paper back down and reached for another.
"They did it so quickly because people don't like the idea that the people in government are, as they say, 'monsters,'" Gallahan said, "A proof came out about twenty minutes ago, and it was a werewolf breaking into one of our villas. We're still verifying its authenticity."
Enzy scoffed. "That is not enough evidence. I could just pay someone to rip their clothes and stick some hair to their body, and they're already a werewolf," he rose to his feet and combed his fingers through his long hair. "Where's father?"
"Don't disturb your father," Gallahan glanced at him. "He argued with one of the generals, so I don't think it's a good time to talk to him now."
Enzy paused, puffing his cheeks, and slowly exhaled. "Fine. We'll step back to avoid further suspicions and look for the perpetrator. We must also examine the surveillance footage to determine who that 'werewolf' is."
"Let's remind everyone to be extra cautious," Khan suggested. "Whoever was behind all this will go to extreme lengths to prove that what they accused your family of was true."
Gallahan nodded and looked at Khan this time. "You should be extra cautious as well. Your family could be next."
Your family could be next. Khan pondered at Gallahan's words.
He was about to respond but stopped himself. Gallahan has a point, though he still thinks the next target would be the Gallardis, the family in finance and have media connections. Taking away their financial and media power can benefit whoever plots against them.
"Thank you," Khan gave a short reply. Deep inside, he admits that he has gradually distanced himself from Gallahan since the day he challenged his clan position.
"Then I have to go," Gallahan said, pulling his suit together. "I'll let you know when we find out more. Goodnight, gentlemen."
He walked out of the room without looking back. As soon as the door clicked, Khan stood up while finishing the coffee from his cup.
"I'll talk to the four of you tomorrow."
Enzy glanced out the window and saw that the snow had started to fall again. "Why don't you stay for the night? If you drive back to the city, the snow will probably be deeper on the roads."
Khan considered what Enzy said and moved closer to the window. The howl in the wind was a warning that a hailstorm was coming.
"Yeah, I think I'll stay," he said, watching the snowfall whiten the flowers in the gardens.
-x-
Early than usual, Enzy made his way to UZ through the hallway, where students stood staring silently at him as he made his way through the building with his characteristically long strides and quick pace.
Even as a university student, he had grown accustomed to people staring at him, but this time, he knew that people were casting gazes because they had seen the news on TV.
"Hi, Sir Enzy!" A senior student greeted him, to which he responded with a small smile.
Enzy rushed into his office, and as soon as he opened the door, he noticed the vice president, Vestian Abernathy, sitting in his chair. He closed the door and walked over to his desk.
Vestian was the grandson of one of the former university presidents, and it was no secret that he was also after his position.
"Good morning," Vestian greeted him with a smug smile.
He wasn't in the mood to talk or exchange pleasantries, but he did it anyway. "Good morning. Would you mind returning to your office so I can start doing my work?"
"This is my office."
As Enzy was about to reply, he saw him take a sheet of paper out of the drawer. He grabbed it from Vestian's hand and read it. It was an official letter of temporary suspension.
*
Najak turned off the TV after seeing another witness claim to have seen a werewolf and another news report about a body with a bite mark on his neck.
He looked around at his eight brothers, who were all silent about the news. They are gathered in his manor's lounge room to discuss their next steps.
The room was awkwardly silent, with Khan, Enzy, and Mahan seated in one corner, reviewing the photographs and evidence gathered by the other party. Tahel was sleeping on the couch with his mouth open, Ruslan was next to Luka, staring blankly at him, Louis was looking out the window, and Camill was sitting on the floor, staring at the details and design of the carpet.
"Let's have a break?" Najak asked and saw the younger members stand up immediately, stretching their bodies, and the overall mood changed.
"Let's go!" Louis was the first to leave the room, followed by Luka, who held his shoulders behind him.
Najak's eyes trailed behind Ruslan and Camill, suddenly engaging in a conversation and smiling.
"Wow," he muttered in response to the sudden shift in energy in the room and looked back to the three. "What did you find?"
Khan leaned back, massaging the temple of his nose. "They're real. There is no normal human being that can leap that high."
"Damn," he rubbed the back of his neck.
"And we suspect that someone in our clan conspired with the people coming for us," Mahan muttered behind his clasped hands.
"Daamn," Najak said, this time more loudly, and sat on the couch's armrest.
"Your family could be next," Enzy turned his head toward Najak.
"Daaaa- what?"
"It is most likely," Khan replied, and he got to his feet. "I'll tell you the details later. Let's eat. I'm famished."
"Yeah," Mahan agreed and walked with Khan out of the room.
Najak watched as Enzy collected the photos and put them in the envelope.
"So our family is potentially next," he said, and Enzy looked at him.
"Possibly. Your family owns banks, and Tahel might be next. But we can stop it if we find who is targeting us," then he tidied the files in the center of the table. "Should I just head to the dining room?"
"No, I got the food prepared in the pool area," he replied to Enzy while waking Tahel up. "I miss the days when my only problem was my parents trying to fix me on arranged marriages."
After a few minutes, Tahel got up, with his hair all messed up and marks on his cheeks from the sofa. They walked out of the room together and headed to the pool.
-x-
"I'll sit in the front. I get easily distracted at the back row," Ruslan said to Tahel and made his way to one of the second-row chairs.
"Okay."
Tahel chuckled as he made his way to his usual seat in the theater's very back row. He knew that the distraction Ruslan was referring to was none other than himself.
Sitting in his chair, he noticed his professor walk into the lecture hall. Following him was a pale girl with long straight, platinum-blonde hair.
"Hi, everyone. Let's welcome our new transferee, who will also be taking this subject," Professor Lindsey said, motioning to the female transferee. "Please introduce yourself."
"Hello, I'm Cassia Florescu. My family and I just moved from Orlinden. I am 19 years old. I hope we'll get along well," she said to everyone, smiling.
His classmates, primarily boys, smiled back and greeted her.
"Thank you, Cassia. Please find a seat where you can be most comfortable," the Professor said, and the girl's eyes moved around the room.
While all this is happening, Tahel's heart begins to race, and his gaze draws to Ruslan. Ruslan was also looking at him, sharing the same perplexed expression as he and his eyes followed the girl up the stairs, approaching where he sat.
Tahel took his bag from under his desk and took out his laptop, pretending to be busy as Cassia approached. It didn't take long for him to sense an intense presence behind him and see her settle three chairs away from him out of the corner of his eye.
"Hello, I hope you won't mind if I sit here."
Tahel turned to Cassia, putting on his best fake smile for her.
"It's fine," a lump formed in his throat as Cassia's mana grew stronger now that they were only a few feet apart. He could almost feel her honey-colored eyes scanning him to the core of his being.
She's not someone to be underestimated.
He cleared his throat. "By the way, I'm Tahel -"
"Astana. Nice to meet you," Cassia smiled and opened her bag to take out her mini laptop. She looked at him."You're pretty popular here. That's how I knew."
He smiled slightly in response and then turned back to his laptop.
Liar.
He opened his messaging app and read Ruslan's message. They're both wondering what a vampire is doing in UZ, a school run by werewolves.
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Thank you for reading! <3