A/N: MANA: A witch, mage, or sorcerer's source of power.
MANA CIRCLE: A ring that surrounds the heart of those who can use mana. It determines the level of a mage.
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Amelia
Curse.
It's something warlocks, witches, or dark mages would usually do. Some may think curses cannot be revoked unless you fulfill certain conditions, but that is not the case. A curse, in fact, has a time limit depending on how powerful the caster is. It could take a month, a year, a century, or even seconds. But even those short time frames can kill the receiver depending on the type of curse inflicted.
Curses are quite complex and have a lot of rules. It's like a first-grader learning advanced calculus. That's why not many use curses nowadays. There's also a disadvantage of balance. It's like putting the content of the curse and time duration on a weighing scale and balancing it with the caster's mana.
So if the size of your curse is that of a rock and the duration is more than a year, then your power is nothing but the size of a single bean, the curse and the time would be adjusted, or in some cases it could be rejected and the caster will receive a penalty. Like creating cracks on the mana ring on their heart.
Aunt Vargo did a lot of curses out of boredom but she did revoke some. Curses are possible to revoke but that only applies if the caster is a transcendent being like the elders. Powerful enough to defy the rules. She did stop though when she got married to her beloved.
Now, in Cassius' case, it already is frightening how the curse lasted more than a thousand years and how it was passed down through generations. But then there are two of them with the same duration. This is not done by different casters but is made by only one. I want to deny it but the caster really is Winderwald.
Despite everyone's knowledge about how curses cannot be revoked once it has been cast, they really can, according to Aunt Vargo. But this information is a secret cause if everyone knew about it, it would lose its powerful meaning and casters would become irresponsible at using this. That's why it's only known to elders and a few high-class witches. But still, it can only be canceled after a few minutes after it was casted, if they were normal mages or witches. Although they could receive penalties such as their mana being sealed for a week. That's why this information is long gone because the ancestors didn't tell their descendants so that a curse will remain to be a dangerous thing and will not use it recklessly.
This curse on Cassius is on another level. As someone from a direct lineage of one of the first-ever Lycans, they are on par or more powerful than the elders but to think that Winderwald was able to put a curse on them, not one but two, just shows how monstrously powerful Winderwald is. Since Winderwald is no longer here, the only choice for the curse to be lifted is to follow certain conditions or wait for the time limit. The former would be the least hard.
"Amelia." Cassius suddenly said while clutching on my shirt. I was so lost in my thoughts that I must have looked like I was spacing out.
Cassius...Everything about him screams adorable. It's amazing how he can look so cute with those chubby cheeks, puppy-like eyes, and pouting mouth. Not to mention those child-like voice that sounds like a little fairy. It makes me want to eat him up. It wasn't just his appearance that changed, it's his personality as well. He has become a real child.
"You...? Cassius...?" I asked the five-year-old kid who looked exactly like Cassius and he was crying.
"Amelia, don't leave me. I beg you." He said as tears continued to flow and with that cute pleading face.
*thump*
M-my heart...my heart skipped a beat.
I'm not a sadist but why is this crying cute face of his so adorable? It made me want to tease him more. To think that this person in front of me who's become a child, begging and crying is the rumored tyrant king, Cassius Pearson, and my mate.
'Shouldn't this be a great chance?' Rain suddenly spoke. I forgot about this being since it didn't appear for quite a while.
'Wow. It seems you are still with me.' I replied to it.
'...I happen to encounter some unavoidable situation.' It said.
'Well, it's fine. So, anyways, what do you mean about great chance?' I asked it.
'Your other ability. Use it on him to leave this place.'
Well, that's a surprise.
'Really now? I thought you were the one who is hell-bent on staying with Cassius?'
'...There are far more important things we need to prioritize. As much as I don't like leaving it is inevitable. Now do it before I change my mind.'
I sighed but did as I was told. This thing is the boss. Sometimes I feel like we are two different people. Like two souls sharing one body. It's quite different from wolves or Lycans were half of the soul is human form while the other half is their wolf or Lycan form. So they are like two complimenting liquids mixed together while me and Rain are like oil and water. They can be put together but cannot be mixed.
"Then Cassius, why not make a deal with me?" I asked him. Cassius looked skeptical at first. Even if he became a child, he is still that calculative Cassius.
"What is it about?" he warily asked. I chuckled a bit at this cute behavior he had. This might look intimidating if he were in his adult form. I clasped both his hands on mine.
"I won't leave but when the time comes when I need- have to, don't come looking for me until I come back to you myself. Can you do that?" I asked him.
"No." he said firmly and a bit angrily.
"Come on Cassius. It will only be for a bit. Just like taking a short vacation." I managed to insert a bit of a lie there.
"..." he didn't say anything. He was thinking so deeply with those crunched-up eyebrows.
"Fine. But I have a condition." He said after a few minutes of contemplating.
"Okay. What is it? You can make any conditions you want."
"If you are in any grave danger. Whatever it may be. I'll come find you." He said seriously.
"Okay. It's a deal." I agreed immediately since I know for sure that this will never happen since I am too careful at what I do. We made a pinky promise and sealed the deal. This is required when I make deals. It's childish but it's a must for my ability to work. We need to have that contact.
I was taken aback by what Cassius did. He smiled brightly. It was the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. If angels were fictional, he would be a perfect description. If the adult Cassius would smile this brightly, I wonder how beautiful it would be.
"Cassius, does anyone know about your situation?" I asked Cassius who is now sitting beside me on the bed while playing with my hair.
"Situation?" he said innocently while stumbling a bit on his pronunciation.
Oh, my goddess! How can this person be so adorable?!
"About you turning into a kid." He looked at me confused.
"Kid? But I've always been a kid?" he said like it was obvious.
So it's not just his personality and appearance. It seems that his memory was also affected. The Cassius right now might have believed that he is still five years old but can still remember who I am. If he didn't, then he would not have called for my name after he transformed. I could only sigh at this situation.
"Winderwald...your eccentricity is so evil" I mumbled to myself.
"Then Cassius, can you call for either Ven, Hans, or Zeyd? Errick is also here so you can call him." I asked him. He was contemplating whether to call them and it's so cute when he's pouting while doing that.
A few minutes later, the door opened with a loud bang which startled me a bit. Venus, Hansel, Zeyd, Errick and even Quinn came inside. They looked horrified when they saw little Cassius with me.
"Shit. We forgot it's that time of the month." Hansel said.
Why does he say it like it's that kind of month for girls?
"Mia, this..." Venus hesitated to say something.
Wait, they didn't know that Cassius transformed beside me. So should I tease them a little?
"It's already too late, Ven. The least you could do is be honest with me. How could you guys hide Cassius' secret son from me? I'm an open-minded person so you could have said it to me." I said while pretending to feel hurt.
"N-no Mia! He's not Cassius' son. He...he's-" Ven was panicking and so were the rest, except for Quinn who gave me a confused look.
I laughed at their panic state. Seeing me laugh, Cassius hugged my waist and smiled at me. Seeing this scene, I feel like I've been shot by an arrow in the heart.
"Relax guys. I'm just joking. I knew this kid was Cassius. He transformed beside me." I said and patted Cassius' head. All of them sighed in relief. I got off from bed and Cassius followed me so I held his hand.
"Well then, shall we eat first before you guys tell me all about this? I'm very hungry right now."