The Abandoned Town

However, before they could reach them, the wind suddenly subsided and those blade-like objects vanished from the sky. Omar's mouth fell open in shock, staring at Sofia, then at Denise, who was glaring at him furiously.

A glimmer of light emerged from Denise's palm, piercing through his body and disappearing into the sky.

His chest was gushing with blood, he tried to cover it with his hand, but the more he covered, the more blood spurted. When he looked up, he saw an additional figure standing before the two girls, staring at him coldly.

"You'll regret this!" Omar said to Jason, his final words.

Before he could collapse, Jason flicked his finger, and a small glowing object fell on Omar, turning him into a human torch. Within seconds, his body, writhing and screaming, turned into specks of light, disappearing into the night sky.

"I knew all along that Father Omar was..." Denise began, her teeth clenched.

Jason shrugged, "Did you really?"

Denise fell silent, shooting Jason a glare.

Sofia stood dumbly, taking a while to react. Jason ignored her and found a rock to sit on, waiting. The whole incident revolved around her, she needed the time to digest it all.

Denise wanted to comfort the girl nearby but was stopped by Jason, so she obediently stayed silent. Sitting beside Jason, she whispered, "What if Sofia goes crazy? Do we need to take her back like this?"

"Shut up, can't you just be quiet?" Jason whispered back.

Denise grimaced, "I wish I could, but I'm worried about her. Although I've only known her for a couple of days, she's really beautiful. Hey... Jason, I have a question for you."

"Ask, just don't make that lewd face!"

"What? Oh, god, can you actually see my expression? I thought it was too dark...well, damn, I should have known you were different..." Denise rambled on, "Did you fall for this girl? You seem to really care about her, going to great lengths to find her, to protect her. Don't deny it..."

"I've saved you too, does that mean I've fallen for you?" Jason retorted irritably.

Denise chuckled, "Who knows? A man can fall for two at the same time, you're not the only one in this world. But...I don't mind since I'm a witch...hey, speaking of which, why didn't I display any witch superpowers today?"

"That's not called superpowers. You can become a witch, it depends on how you decide. If you want, I'm willing to help you!" Jason laughed, "Not all witches are evil, you know. Initially, witches were there to cure people's incurable diseases. Ever heard of the Black Death?"

"Of course, I know!"

"Why was the number of witches the highest during the Black Death in the Middle Ages? Because people needed them." Jason spoke eloquently as if narrating history, "They could cure that deadly disease. But they clashed with the church. The church was using the disaster to expand its influence..."

"I know...when there's no disaster, the church is the haven of people's souls...making people psychologically dependent, so the witches clashed with the church and ultimately...the church nailed the witches to the pillar of shame..." Denise shrugged, "But that doesn't deny the greatness of witches, right?"

"Great? You're too naive!" Jason laughed, "Witches did this for a fee, it's said that some would make the cured person sell his soul...that's why when they were suppressed by the church, no one spoke for them."

"So, there are no good witches?" Denise huffed at Jason. She was still somewhat concerned about her witch status, she muttered under her breath, "At least I'm a good person."

Sofia just shook her head and laughed.

Jason nodded, "You are indeed kind-hearted. In fact...not all dark magic is evil, causing evil thoughts. As long as you don't have those desires in your heart, you won't let dark magic control you, instead, you control the dark magic. Ultimately, why witches become increasingly evil..."

"Why?" Denise was very interested in this.

"That's because of desire." Jason glanced at her, "Thinking that their abilities can control many people and material things in this world, so their desires become uncontrollable, and those uncontrollable desires eventually turn dark magic into a poisonous snake controlling their minds."

"That's somewhat dialectical thinking. But I agree with this!" Sofia also laughed from the side, clearly, she had come to her senses, "At least you know who you are, but I...I don't even know who I am. I know my name, but I don't know my identity, I don't even know who my parents are..."

She sounded sorrowful as she spoke.

"You'll find the answer, don't worry with Jason around." Denise also felt that Sofia was much worse off than herself, so she reached out and patted Sofia's hand.

"I know, Mr. Jason is a good person!" Sofia looked up at Jason, "But...will you always help me?" She looked at Jason, although in the dark, she couldn't see Jason's expression clearly.

"Don't worry, I'll help you, and I also want to find answers from you." Jason spoke, suddenly the ring appeared in his hand, he looked at Denise, "What do you plan to do?"

"Me? Didn't you say you're going to teach me dark magic?" Denise said to Jason, "I want to become a witch, you know, just now, the feeling of being helpless was really terrible. I must make myself stronger, and even if you're not around in the future, I can find the answers myself."

"That's the right mindset." Jason nodded, reaching out to gently pat Denise's shoulder.

Denise froze, then her face became strange, but under the night sky, it wasn't noticeable. But Jason's action just now did stun her. Then her heart felt like a ripple on a lake brushed by a breeze.

"So, what do we do now?" Sofia asked again.

"After sunrise, let's leave." Jason nodded, looking at the sky.

The sky was now sprinkled with stars. The stars shone down, calming the girls' hearts, they weren't in a rush to leave anymore. Even though the place looked like a deserted battlefield.

The cool evening breeze wasn't chilling, but refreshing.

After a while, they could see the moon peeping out from the clouds. The moonlight shone down, illuminating their faces, letting the girls relax completely.

"This is the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in my life." Denise said, "Honestly, I'm starting to enjoy this life. Hey...Jason, can we be partners?"

"No, I usually work alone!" Jason rejected her without hesitation.

"But you said you're going to teach me dark magic..."

"Once I've taught you, I'll leave!" Jason was inflexible.

The two bickered, causing Sofia to burst out laughing.

By then, the sky was gradually lightening up. By the time the sun struggled to rise above the horizon, casting rays onto the land, the two girls woke up from their nap.

But the sight before their eyes left them stunned.

An abandoned wasteland. They were sitting on a heap of grass on a barren slope. Beside them were houses overrun with wild grass, but these houses had completely returned to nature, covered with moss and grass. It was like an abandoned town, as if they had traveled back a hundred years.