Plot: Jinki is the descendant of a long line of witches whose coven has gone near extinct. He must recruit new members in order to continue its existence. Along the way, he meets Jonghyun, a beautiful talented witch with extraordinary skill who he starts crushing on
Walking past the various churches and cathedrals around him without even admiring the symmetry like he used to, Jinki walked with purpose towards the tomb that acted as a front for his coven. Sometimes, it felt really strange to see the world changing so much around them that it was almost like evolution itself. Using their spells, the witches were able to age much slower than the average human. A hundred years in human life was equivalent to about two years for them, and they had to work hard to seem as though they were human, too.
“The meeting will now come to order”
“Do we have any new members?”
“None, it’s just the four of us”
The dejected expression on the leader’s face echoed the mood of all the members. Off late, they had been losing more and more members to old age. Since their witches had started to marry humans, the lineage had almost been lost. Powers were hereditary, and most of the new children ended up being entirely human. It was very difficult to find other witches, to continue the coven. Jinki was the only one from his family who possessed powers, and since he was an only child, it meant that he’d be the last one in his family to be a witch.
“Jinki, since you are the youngest member, it will be your duty to find others like us”
As his leader stroked his long white beard thoughtfully, Jinki adjusted his blood-red velvet cape and nodded as he accepted the order that had been given to him. This was certainly not easy. As Jinki looked around the meeting spot of their coven, a cave with a table made of bones, he noted the many cobwebs and sighed. It had really been a long time since the cave got the cleaning it deserved. As he bowed and left, Jinki wondered where on Earth he would be able to find another witch. It couldn’t just be a half-witch, but someone of a pure bloodline. The purer the bloodline, the stronger their powers. Being the son of a clairvoyant and a warlock, Jinki was one of the most powerful witches in the country. His offspring, whether his partner was magical or not, would possess clairvoyance, even if they had nothing else.
The worst part of having two powerful parents was the fact that both powers couldn’t be used together. If only he could just gaze into a crystal ball like his mother, Jinki would be able to see the face of all the witches he could bring with him to bring their coven back to the way it used to be. All he could get was a sudden vision sometimes, or some really powerful dreams which turned into reality. The easy choice was to visit his family and just ask his mother for the answers he needed, but that would just count as weakness, which Jinki wanted to avoid at any cost. At his age, he was too proud to ask anyone for help, including his clairvoyant mother. Instead, he tried hard to think only about the coven before bed, so that he could get any kind of hint in his dream, that he could use. In his dream, Jinki saw himself at a normal convenience store, frequented by humans. In front of him was a dark-haired woman who was calmly filling her trolley. She looked very normal, and Jinki awoke instantly, having figured out that she must be the witch he had to find. Unfortunately, he had only seen the woman and the convenience store he would find her at, but he didn’t know when he should expect to find her. After noting down his dream in the blue notebook he kept on his dresser, beside his bed, Jinki drifted back to sleep. This time, the dream was a continuation of the previous one where he had seen the supposed witch, but this time the focus was on the man in front of her. With hair so fair that it almost looked white, and clad in the mortal’s fashion of a black leather jacket and jeans, this man exuded power. The woman might have some hereditary powers, but the man was the one their coven needed. The one Jinki needed.
The next morning, Jinki, who still remembered every detail of the man’s face, decided to start his search. It was fairly easy to find the exact store where he needed to be, as the area was exactly similar to his dream, even down to the abandoned salon next to it. Pretending to survey all of the available products, he wandered around the store while secretly looking for the man in his dream. Having waited for hours, Jinki was forced to purchase a box of cookies that he didn’t even like, just to prove that he wasn’t some kind of thief. As he was ready to leave, he spotted someone who looked vaguely familiar to him, but what was the leader of their coven doing in a place like this? Gingerly approaching the leader, Jinki bowed hastily before anyone could notice them.
“Sire, is something wrong?”
“No, I was just curious about the man you found. The one whom you’ll marry”
“What? I beg your pardon, but what do you mean?”
Laughing at the horrified expression on Jinki’s face, the wise leader rubbed his chin thoughtfully before answering,
“My boy, you forget that mind reading is a power that I possess. Regarding your marriage...think nothing of it, it was just a simple thought I had”
“I haven’t found him yet, but when I do, I’ll convince him to join us”
As he bid adieu to his leader, Jinki kept thinking about what had been said. Marriage. Would he really marry the man he saw? He didn’t even know his name, and now he was ‘destined’ to marry him? That was just crazy of anyone to assume something like that, and so far there was no sign of the white-blonde haired man. On his way back home, he spotted something from the corner of his eye, a flash of white-blonde and before he could do anything, whatever he saw just disappeared into thin air.
That night, his dream was something he had never expected. He saw himself once again, sitting by the man, except this time, they were at a coffee shop. Jinki stood up to collect their orders and smiled at their names on the cups, before sitting down. Sitting up in bed with a jolt, Jinki realized that he now knew the witch’s name. Jonghyun.
How hard would it be to find someone whose name he already knew? For the first time in years, Jinki decided to perform a spell that would make his work easier. Taking out his crystal ball and placing it within the patterns he drew, Jinki uttered an incantation. As the crystal ball started to fill with white smoke, Jinki took a deep breath and uttered the words that would change his life forever.
“Show me where Jonghyun is, right now”
The smoke cleared to show Jonghyun inside a bank vault, filled with money. Wide-eyed, Jinki watched as Jonghyun filled two sacks full of all the bills they could carry. Smiling, Jonghyun disappeared in a second and reappeared in what looked like his lair. A bank robber? Why would the coven even want someone as despicable as a thief? A thief with the power of teleportation who would most certainly bring ruin to all those around him. The more he gazed into the crystal ball, the more annoyed Jinki became. Determined to find this person and give him a good piece of his mind, he spoke into the ball and tried to see more about Jonghyun.
“Show me Jonghyun’s history”
Unfortunately, he’d forgotten that the spell only lasted for a certain time, and with a puff of smoke, the crystal ball went blank. It was no use in trying again, as Jinki was exhausted, but he knew the truth. People always said that the truth would set you free, but Jonghyun was going to learn the lesson of his lifetime. There were a lot of options that he could use to stop the thief, but the most effective one was a binding spell. Once bound, the victim couldn’t cast spells for a certain time. There was also an option by which the caster could determine what kind of spells the victim could be able to cast. Since Jinki came from one of the oldest magical families, any spell he cast would prove to be a hundred times more effective than if it had been cast by a novice.
Teleportation was not as much of a big deal now than it was, many years ago. Almost everyone was able to teleport, including Jinki, and if he was able to figure out where he could find the mysterious Jonghyun, he’d be able to bind him so that he couldn’t teleport again. Using the most powerful spell he knew, Jinki drew a different pattern on the wooden floor of his special room. Pricking his finger with a needle, he let three drops of his blood fall in between the lines of his pattern. Although blood magic was something that was frowned upon, it wasn’t exactly illegal. This type of magic allowed the user to do anything they wanted, even to read the minds of those unknown to them, which gave Jinki a lot of leeway into doing what he wanted. All he needed was a little glimpse into Jonghyun’s mind, and most, if not all of his questions would be answered.
“Show me Jonghyun’s deepest fear”
Knowing that this could be vital in his pursuit of finding out more about his self-claimed nemesis, Jinki took the chance in asking about Jonghyun’s fears rather than anything else. The cloud that formed showed something that was an echo of Jinki’s worst nightmare. He saw Jonghyun wearing tattered clothing and being burned at the stake. Though this wasn’t an uncommon nightmare, only those who had seen the trials when they were very young were able to remember. Feeling automatically closer to Jonghyun, almost as if he felt something more than just hatred, Jinki quickly ended the spell. He had seen more than he expected, and now he knew more about Jonghyun than anyone else did. If he could show Jonghyun that the humans these days were a lot smarter, maybe he would stop trying to draw attention to their race. All of the witches and other magical folk were now forced to either live in solitude or live amongst humans, pretending to be one of them.
Although he was just a toddler, Jinki had already started to show signs that he was to become a powerful witch, which frightened his parents immensely. Usually, children would only exhibit signs at the age of five when they were more malleable, but due to his pure bloodline, Jinki couldn’t help using basic spells at a tender age.
Instead of trying to stop their marvellous child, his parents did their best to hide him from the humans, who had now started to abhor witchcraft and punish suspected witches and warlocks.
Hearing loud noises, Jinki walked over to the crowd that had gathered outside where he lived, and stood behind, transfixed. There was a man in ragged clothes who was tied up, while the crowd threw eggs and tomatoes at him. Not knowing what was happening, Jinki continued to watch as a torch was thrown at him, compelling the man to start crying and pleading for his life. The dark smoke that blinded Jinki, had started to enter his nose and give him trouble breathing.
“That’s another one of them disgusting witches. We’ll find all of them and burn them, just like this one”
His parents had been forced to go into hiding with the friends that were dear to them, and Jinki grew up being the only child in their coven.
If Jonghyun was able to remember the witch trials from all those years ago, there was a very high possibility that he had grown up in the same area as Jinki. How was it possible that he wasn’t already in the same coven? Logically, Jonghyun should have been trained by the same elders who trained him and ensured the protection of his family, but why hadn’t he? Not knowing if it was right to start following him before knowing everything about him was the right thing to do, Jinki trusted his gut and took out his crystal ball once more. Jonghyun would be at the convenience store the following afternoon, and Jinki planned to confront him right there where he couldn't create any kind of scene out of fear of being noticed.
Dressing in jeans and a t-shirt as per the current trend, Jinki blended right in, when he wandered into the store. Knowing exactly where he’d find Jonghyun, he waited right by the alcohol section. Back in the day, only wine was allowed, but now all of them had to conform to the current society. Pretending to check the year of some red wine, he stood in position, ready for when he saw Jonghyun. He didn’t have to wait long though since Jonghyun appeared instantly, in a small cloud of smoke. What was wrong with this person? Did he really not understand what would happen if people saw him? Sighing, Jinki closed his eyes and muttered a spell to bind Jonghyun’s magic.
Jonghyun froze as he felt some kind of magic touch him, like an icy hand. Shivering, he turned around to see who it was. What he didn’t expect to see was a handsome, dark-haired man just smiling slyly at him. Muttering a spell to freeze him while he made his escape, Jonghyun was shocked to see that nothing had happened. Why couldn’t he move? This was the first time he had experienced anything like this and didn’t know how to react. Why didn’t his spell work? Almost jumping out of his skin when he heard someone cough right behind him, Jonghyun spun around, startled.
“Your magic won’t work, Jonghyun”
“How..how do you know my name?”
“I know a lot more about you than you think”
“Who the hell are you? How dare you try to bind my magic?”
“I was initially sent to bring you into our coven, but I’ve seen what you do with your power”
Taken aback, Jonghyun knew that the only way he’d be able to get himself out was if he agreed to everything this person said. Without his magic to safeguard or even protect him, Jonghyun felt rather helpless. However, there was something he could do, but not in such a public space. Fuming inwardly but refusing to show it, he meekly followed the taller man outside. As they walked to a more private area, Jonghyun took out a small needle from his pocket, making sure that he was unobserved. Gently pricking the tip of his index finger to draw blood, Jonghyun murmured his incantation just as a drop of blood touched the ground.
Jinki looked up and gasped as he saw what Jonghyun was doing, and just gaped as Jonghyun disappeared in a red cloud. This was blood magic, an art that was dying, and heavily frowned upon. Sure, even he dabbled in the dark art to find Jonghyun, but only when he was sure that nothing would be traced back to him. If Jonghyun knew this kind of magic, it was certain to say that he had been trained by someone who was from a coven of sorcerers. Additionally, this type of magic couldn’t be performed by every witch. They’d have to have either a powerful lineage or had to be trained. Which one was Jonghyun, and why did they share the same fears? If Jonghyun was so accustomed to using blood spells so easily, it meant that he had been practising for a long time.
For the time being, it made more sense to find out Jonghyun’s origin, rather than chase him to join the coven. Jinki arranged a visit with the all-knowing leader to find out what he had to do next. Standing in the darkened room, only illuminated by candlelight, Jinki stared in open-mouthed wonder as his leader stroked his long beard thoughtfully.
“You want to find out how Jonghyun knows this type of magic since it is considered forbidden”
As always, amazed that the leader knew this, Jinki simply nodded.
“You need to know about his family, first. I’m afraid that this will bring a bad memory for you, but do you remember the time before your parents joined the coven? The witch trials were going on, and we all had to go into hiding. The person from your nightmares, the one that was burned on the stake before your eyes. That’s Jonghyun’s father”
It was no wonder that Jonghyun shared the same fear as him, as he had seen his own father being accused of witchcraft and punished for it. For a moment, Jinki felt his resolve soften when he put himself into Jonghyun’s shoes. Since he seemed to be against humans by stealing all of their things for his own benefit, it was definitely wrong. However, Jinki really did understand why Jonghyun was doing all that he did, but there was so much more than he needed to know.
“Sire, how did he end up like this? Where did he go after the trial?”
“He was raised by a single parent, and when he lost his father, our coven was ready to take him in. We were a bit too late, as he had been taken in by some of the most powerful sorcerers of that time”
“So they taught him all that he knows?”
“They were skilled in blood spells, and have definitely taught him well”
“Why does he use his magic for evil? So far, all I’ve seen is him stealing from the mortals”
“He despises the humans, and blames their backward beliefs and superstitions for him losing his family and the life he’d known”
“If they find out that we live amongst them, I’m sure there would be a lot more of us getting killed”
“Find him, and show him why he is wrong. Show him that there are humans who are good and kind, and that we can coexist and live together in harmony”
After living in hiding for most of his formative years, Jinki had slowly gotten used to living life as a human. Although it hadn’t been easy for him to convince the humans that he was one of them, his cover as a merchant trading spices and wine had provided him with a nice brick house with glass windows. His life had also taken a drastic turn, but Jinki didn’t hold any grudges. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the minds of those around him, he was forced to find Jonghyun.
Meanwhile, Jonghyun was busy splashing cold water on his face, as he replayed what had happened, in his mind. All this while, he had taken care in covering his tracks, so how had he been found so easily? Had he grown cocky and made a mistake? The man he had just seen, even knew his name, which had honestly shocked him. Was he a seer? It was safe to say that the mysterious ‘visitor’ had powers. The main thing he had to do was to find out who the visitor was, and whether he could lure him onto his side, against the humans. Someone who was powerful enough to find him, would surely make a spectacular ally, but he first had to report this to his superiors. Though he wasn’t exactly in a coven, there was a kind of group for those like him, and he thrived there. Being the youngest, he was given all the freedom he wanted, but his only aim was to make the human race pay for their sins.
Where the humans preferred to drive, Jonghyun found that teleportation was the easiest way for him to travel. With just one drop of blood and a crystal, there was nothing he couldn’t do. Filled with self-confidence, he chanted the necessary spell and soon found himself at his destination. Passing by the beautiful stained glass windows as he walked to the basement, he smiled at the ignorance of mankind. His ‘so-called’ coven existed in the basement of one of their churches and for all these years, no one had ever found out, even if they made any noise. It was almost ironic for the elders to choose this particular spot, as it was a haven for the humans. The basement looked like a dungeon, so it was obvious that none except those intended would ever cross the threshold. Blinking quickly so that his eyes would get adjusted to the darkness, Jonghyun rushed to the middle of the area, where the two sorcerers who brought him up waited for him. It was them who had saved him from a life of mediocrity and had taught him everything he knew. In their blood-red robes that matched the backdrop, they posed formidable figures. To the outside world, they didn’t exist but they had been sustaining themselves for all these years solely with the power of their craft. If they couldn’t use their own lifeblood, Jonghyun would provide his own for their spells. After all, he did owe them his life. The dream he was meant to fulfil was to bring all the witches and sorcerers together and take their rightful place in ruling over the mortals. It was about time the pitiful humans knew exactly who held the most power amongst them all.
“Why do you look so strange today, boy?”
“I think I’ve found someone powerful enough to join us”
“There aren’t so many sorcerers like us here, whom did you find?”
“Honestly, he found me, which is why I think he will be perfect”
Exchanging a look, his guardians picked up a huge book of ancient spells, and took a dusty crystal ball from behind their table. After dusting the cobwebs from the book, the elder of the two sorcerers placed the crystal ball on the wooden table. Placing both hands at the side of the ball, he gestured to his partner to start casting the necessary spell.
“Jonghyun, I need you to visualise the face of the person you met. I understand that he didn’t introduce himself to you. As you picture his face, please let one drop of your blood touch the surface of the crystal”
As the dark red smoke swirled around inside the ball, Jonghyun stared intently as the man’s face began to materialise.
The smoke turned into the letters JINKI. So, that was his name.
The smoke morphed into an image of a dark-haired child playing with his parents. Judging by the gasp that escaped the lips of his guardians, it was obvious to him that they knew who he was. With shock reflected on their faces, they ended the spell before facing each other.
“Isn’t it funny that this boy is the one whom our Jonghyun met?”
“It feels like fate has been playing a game with our lives”
Getting more and more befuddled by the minute, Jonghyun knew he couldn’t stay silent any longer.
“Do you know this person?”
“Well, he comes from a powerful family of witches and clairvoyants, and we think he has received the powers from both his parents. His mother is a great seer, and must have taught him her craft. It’s funny because his father’s side were the ones who vowed to ban the use of blood magic, back when it was used frequently. For centuries, we’ve been at loggerheads with each other. Just imagine, the descendant of human huggers, joining our coven? This is beyond perfect”
Would it be feasible to bring Jinki into their group, if he was a human hugger? It would be funny if that was Jinki’s destiny, and Jonghyun had no qualms against showing him why humans deserved to be hated. Rather than searching for Jinki, it was much easier to let himself be found instead. How long would that take?
Jinki has become accustomed to thoughts of Jonghyun, ever since he escaped. Although it irked him to his core, he couldn’t help but admit that it was an ingenious move on the part of Jonghyun. Someone who was so good at blood magic was a diamond amongst the rocks and could make a really big difference when brought to the right side. Repeating the same spell to find out where Jonghyun would be, Jinki ensured that he was at the location as well. Surprisingly, instead of trying to escape, Jonghyun merely smiled at him. As though he had been expecting him. This couldn’t be right. Could it be some sort of trap?
Feeling goosebumps all over, Jinki felt his hair stand on end. How did Jonghyun know his name?
“How do I know your name, Jinki? I know a lot more than you think”
Throwing his own words right back at him? There was no doubt in his mind that something was afoot. He just didn’t know if he wanted to get to the bottom of it.
“What do you want, Jonghyun?”
“I want you to reach your full potential. Just imagine what we can do with our combined magic. We’ll be able to rule the world the way we are meant to. There’s so much to prove to those around us, and I cannot do it by myself. I need someone like you by my side”
Jinki had no idea what Jonghyun was referring to, but it felt as though he was being recruited into a different type of coven. Would this be the excuse he needed to make Jonghyun change his mind? It was a definite possibility that their proximity would prove helpful to him.
Not even wondering for a moment as to why Jinki agreed with him instantly, Jonghyun merely smiled as he brought his hand forward to shake Jinki’s. In order to test his sincerity though, Jonghyun would have to show him how their enemies, the humans, truly were. Not willing to take him to their secret place just yet, Jonghyun raced through other possibilities in his mind, since he certainly couldn’t do what he wanted to, in public. Spotting an abandoned manor a few minutes walk away, he knew for a fact that they wouldn’t be interrupted. As they walked inside, Jonghyun used a spell to conjure up the basic necessities he needed for his teleportation spell. . Not just teleportation, but Jonghyun was planning to take Jinki back in time to show him the harsh reality that his life had become. Holding out a large fragment of tektite, he motioned for Jinki to touch it, too.
“I need to show you something, and for this, we will need to travel back in time”
Though this request seemed odd, Jinki knew that this was the only way Jonghyun would start to trust him fully. Before he knew it, he had been pulled from the world he knew, into what he considered his worst nightmare. Although the surroundings seemed to be off colour, Jinki followed Jonghyun as he approached the large crowd in front of them.
“Don’t worry, Jinki. No one can see us; we can merely observe”
All those around them were clad in light shirts, breeches and top hats, with the women wearing long dresses and bonnets.
Jonghyun entered one of the small cottages in front of them, and what Jinki saw, broke his heart into pieces. He felt tears start to prick his eyes as he saw a young boy being pulled away from his father’s arms by two older men.
“Jonghyun, come on. We need to leave right now”
“I want dad. Can’t he go with us?”
“No, my child. He will join us later”
The crowd had turned into a frenzied mob who had begun to start shouting curses outside the door. The two men had barely managed to drag the young boy out through the back when the mob broke the door down. Seizing the boy’s father, they began to beat him mercilessly as they tore his shirt to tatters.
“Kill the witch and his kin. Burn them all”
The crowd had managed to drag the poor, screaming man outside and tied him to the large stake in the middle of the town. Calling upon everyone to come and watch, the leader lit a torch and threw it onto the hay under the stake.
The adult Jonghyun stood behind his child version, just watching the events, while Jinki only focused on the child who was crying silently. As the flames began to lick the man’s feet, he started to scream with pain. If he really was a witch, why couldn’t he have just used his powers to escape? The smell of singed flesh began to fill the air and the man soon breathed his last, right in front of his child, who stood transfixed until his father had been burnt to cinders.
Jinki wiped away the tears from his cheeks as he and Jonghyun were transported back to their own time.
“Now do you understand me, Jinki? My father gave his life for mine, and these mortals are to blame for all of it”
Unable to speak, Jinki took a step forward and embraced Jonghyun. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how hard his childhood had been. As he felt Jonghyun’s heart beating against his chest, Jinki was struck by a feeling that seemed to be utterly out of place. It felt good to hold Jonghyun close to him. It felt right, but Jinki had no idea why. He’d never wanted to feel close with anyone before, but now, it was all he wanted. If only he’d known Jonghyun earlier, he could have helped to erase the hatred from his heart. Even now, he couldn’t help but feel a little touched that Jonghyun had let him inside those thick walls of his. Although Jonghyun had guardians, he’d never had a friend to talk to. For someone who had only been fed hatred all his life, it would be close to impossible for him to get out of it. Yet, Jinki was more than willing to do his best. If he wanted Jonghyun to join him, he needed to show him the other side. The side where he would prosper.
“I’m sorry you had to grow up the way you did, Jonghyun”
“I don’t want your pity. I want you to join us and make the world great again”
“I have to think about it, this is too big a step for me to make any decision right now”
Knowing that if he followed his soft heart, he would end up somewhere he never wished, Jinki tried to think of anything that would become a barrier between them. Should he be honest about his true motives?
“Jonghyun, I had originally tried to find you so that you would join my coven. I didn’t expect the same invitation to be extended to me. I should tell you the truth now. I don’t hate humans, and I never have. I remember the day you lost everything. I was there too, but I wish we had been able to care for you. Times were different then, and the world really is changing. In fact, change is the only thing that is constant. Over the years. We have learnt to coexist with them. There is no more ‘them’ and ‘us’. Please try to understand that I’m only saying this because I care.”
Jonghyun felt something within him burst and felt the rage boil inside. Almost spitting with anger, he faced the only person to whom he had bared everything.
“You’re wrong, Jonghyun. There’s so much more to life than hatred”
“You’re a disgrace to witches everywhere. You’ve seen what they have done, and yet you still stand in front of them?”
“Nothing is black and white anymore, try and understand”
“You will die along with the pitiful humans you’re trying to protect”
Since there was no way to end their conflict amicably, Jinki had no other choice but to assume his stance. Though it was clear that Jonghyun was more than skilled in blood magic, it was Jinki who had the stronger bloodline. Using blood in any type of spell, made it ten times more effective, and there was no doubt in Jinki’s mind that in order to win, he had to fight fire with fire. He did have one trick up his sleeve. A trick that no one knew about. Jinki had spent years perfecting the art of reading minds. Although he considered it as cheating, it wouldn’t be so bad to use it against someone like Jonghyun. All he needed to do was concentrate on Jonghyun’s face, until he was able to see past his head, into his mind. If given enough time, he would be able to pull up something that could help in changing Jonghyun’s mind, but for now, he would only focus on the attacks that were going to come his way.
Livid, Jonghyun nicked his skin to assist all of his magic and summoned a spell of fire to burn the man in front of him into ashes. Almost instantly, he noticed that Jinki was doing the same thing. As he sent forth his spell, he was shocked to see the counter spell that Jinki had sent. A spell of ice, which rendered his, useless. Shivering slightly from the cold, Jonghyun was stunned. How had Jinki so instinctively managed to outdo his magic? Instantly conjuring a spell that would create a dark cloud around him, he gasped as Jinki conjured a spell of light so bright that it almost blinded him. Did he have a different kind of power?
Jinki found it hilarious when he saw the expression of utter horror on Jonghyun’s face. For all it was worth, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was actually enjoying his little glimpse inside Jonghyun’s mind. Mind reading wasn’t the only power he had perfected. In fact, he also possessed the power of mind control, that he had inherited from his family. After shocking his handsome opponent by counteracting each of his spells, Jinki felt that it was time to amuse himself by making Jonghyun do things he normally wouldn’t. Now, what should he start with? How could he make the calm and composed man go totally out of control?
That expression on Jinki’s face was really started to unnerve him. The smirk seemed to signify a lot, and Jonghyun was really starting to panic a little. How had Jinki managed to figure out his every move? That level of intuition was so accurate, that it was just scary. As he continued to think, he sensed a presence of some kind. He felt as though someone with cold fingers was touching his head, and he started to feel shivers go down his spine. Sinking to his knees as he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his head, Jonghyun struggled to stop the old memories that started to resurface from wherever he had locked them. His earliest memory...from when he was a child...he saw himself as a toddler, laughing as his father lifted him and put him on the swings. His best friend back then was on the swing next to him. Though he was the son of a human, they had always acted if there was no difference at all. He saw them wearing matching clothes and spending hours just running around together. Whatever had happened to his childhood friend? Why was he getting this memory now?
As he was forcing Jonghyun to relive one of his favourite days, Jinki was still searching his mind for something else that he could use to bring him down. What he saw, really shocked him. It was an old memory after the time Jonghyun had been taken away by his guardians, where the young boy had overheard a conversation.
“I think the boy will be a good asset to us. It was a pity that he is an orphan now, but this just makes everything easier for us”
“We can raise him the way he was meant to be raised. We can make him into a machine, a puppet that works the way we want”
“Those humans need to be taught a lesson, and we can definitely make him hate them”
“Just make sure he never finds out that it was us who led the humans to his father”
“Sacrifices are necessary, and if he wasn’t of such a pure bloodline, he would be dead by now”
This was just crazy and extremely unexpected. He’d had to search Jonghyun’s memories for this particular one, which showed that some magic had been used to hide it. It appeared as though the boy’s guardians had found him and tried to obliterate his memory. Then they’d had a field day with training the impressionable child to do exactly what they wanted. It wasn’t Jonghyun’s fault that he had ended up like this, but theirs. The only way he could bring this person out of all of this, would be if he showed him what his guardians truly thought of him.
“Jonghyun, you’re so clueless”
“What the hell did you do to me?”
“Nothing. I just showed you things that you’ve forgotten. How to smile, how to be happy. It’s time you woke up and saw the truth that’s right in front of you”
For the first time in ages, Jonghyun wasn’t calm or poised. All he felt, was confusion. About everything he had ever known. Doubting himself for the first time, he walked towards his opponent with his head down.
“What is this truth you’re referring to?”
“Come with me and let me show you that I’m right”
By now, his confusion had transformed into curiosity, and he was more than ready to find out what was happening. Taking Jinki’s outstretched hand, Jonghyun instantly was transported to the lair of his guardians, under an invisibility spell. Not expecting what he was supposed to hear, he was about to make his presence known when his companion stopped him.
“Just listen, Jonghyun. You will soon understand”
Entering the open door, he came face to face with the two most powerful sorcerers he knew, but of course, they couldn’t see him. For some reason, their faces looked different, they didn’t seem happy at all. Judging by the frowns on their faces, it was obvious that they had been arguing for a while.
“Do you think that stupid boy would have done as we ordered him to?”
“He should have. We have trained him as well as one would train a lapdog”
“The stupid child thought we actually cared. You know, if he doesn’t prove to be useful anymore, do you think we can expose him, the way we did his father?”
“I think we should start working on that. If he brings that Jinki, then we don’t need him anymore. We can just brainwash Jinki and make him do our bidding”
Feeling tears start to prick his eyes, Jonghyun couldn’t listen to any more, and just dashed outside. Covering his face, he just sobbed as though his heart would break. After all, it had just been broken into pieces by the very people he loved as his family. When Jinki sat by him and slipped his arm around him, Jonghyun couldn’t believe that the person he considered an enemy, was actually embracing him. All this while, all he had known was hatred, but this small gesture made him feel warm inside. Just the feeling of companionship with someone who didn’t want to use him, made him feel things he hadn’t felt in years. Was this what it meant to be truly happy? Why was Jinki being so nice to him? Was it pity? All this while, he had done the bidding of someone else, without thinking by himself.
“Jinki, why are you doing this?”
“You’ve been brought up only to hate. I promise to show you that there is so much more”
As Jinki held Jonghyun in his arms and stroked his hair, he felt him become calmer. He was beginning to see the other side of Jonghyun. The side that those evildoers had tried to bury. There as so much that he had to show the person in front of him, who had been bred to hate.
“You know, Jonghyun, initially I wanted you to join my coven, but now I realize that it is not the priority anymore. I need to show you how different the real world is, from the world you grew up in. Don’t focus on these people anymore, let’s go”
“Wouldn’t they come for me?”
“We’ll take care of it, okay? Trust me”
Wiping his brimming eyes, Jonghyun opened up his heart for the first time and brought down all of his walls. Someone who was able to see into his mind, and still chose to be by his side, should never be let go. Using their combined magic to teleport, they ended up in the middle of a fairground.
“Let’s spend some time looking at life through the eyes of children. I know that I can never give you the childhood you lost, but I can try to help”
He knew this place, the colours and smells were s familiar to him. Looking around, he saw tons of brightly coloured balloons, and children holding great big globs of sweet-smelling, pink candy floss. Instantly transported back to his childhood, he grabbed Jinki’s hand, with a huge grin on his face.
“Can we go on the Ferris wheel?”
Although Jinki felt happy to see Jonghyun like this, it pained him to think of how lonely the child would have been. Forcing a smile on his face, Jinki followed his companion to the promised land.
As the ride started to move, all the people they’d seen, seemed like ants. Why couldn’t they look at their problems like that? For now, he could see the dazzling smile on Jonghyun’s face, and that was more than enough for him. His plan for the day was to give his new friend, the childhood he had lost. If Jonghyun was handsome normally, when he smiled, he looked like a prince. They laughed and played like children, and soon felt their troubles melt away. Being by each other’s side was definitely beginning to evoke some feelings, and they couldn’t help but interlock their fingers as they rode attraction after attraction. When they entered the haunted house, the sudden thrill they experienced was enough for them to cling together as ghouls popped out from their hiding places. They felt a certain kind of shock, as they hugged each other, but a pleasant one.
Jonghyun didn’t know why he was suddenly feeling so happy, but this was something he could certainly get used to. Perhaps it was finally time to start listening to his own emotions. He would forever be grateful to Jinki for showing him how happy life could actually be, but for now, there was something he wanted to do.
Finally. Jinki smiled to himself as he read the thoughts in Jonghyun’s mind and took it upon himself to make them reality. Sliding his arm around Jonghyun’s waist, Jinki dipped his head and kissed him. Although brief, the kiss was soft and sweet. The stars in Jonghyun’s eyes seemed to shine brighter than ever. The first step had been completed, and it was upto the two of them to see where their life would take them. It had been a very long time since Jonghyun had been shown genuine affection, and now, this was something Jinki would do each moment of every day. However, there was one question he needed to ask,
“So Jonghyun, would you like to join my coven?”
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