09 | Leaked

'MAKARI'

The surrounding noise disappeared. The periodic gusts of wind stopped. Even the serene sky now seemed to sympathize with the overflowing nervousness that engulfed my entire being.

My mind screamed at my body to act. I had to move and run to get away from her if I even could. But since our eyes met earlier, I couldn't obey my body anymore.

No doubt, I was under her black magic.

"After several months, we finally found you and the sweet part is I was the first to find you!" The black witch standing in front of me let out a shrill and terrifying laugh.

There is nothing remarkable about her outward appearance, in fact, she seems to be my age and just a normal girl wearing a pure black outfit. But when your eyes fall on her, you will know that she is not normal because it's just pure black.

For someone like me with a high level of senses, I could feel the steaming black aura in his body but Mama Amelia was far stronger than her. However, Mama Amelia isn't here right now so there's no one else to help me so I'm just so nervous that I'm almost out of breath.

When she started to step on her feet, my body woke up and a great tension pushed me to stop her.

"Stop! Just stay right there! Don't come near me!" I managed to say it completely without stuttering but the truth is that I almost swallowed my tongue in sheer nervousness.

I have to be brave even though I know I can't win against her. The moment I show fear, she can easily subjugate me to whatever she wants.

Even if the energy coming from her is not as strong as Mama Amelia's, for someone like me who only has healing abilities, there is really nothing I can do to fight her.

She stopped after taking a few steps until she laughed again.

"And what are you going to do? What are you going to do to me if I come closer? You can't move, can you? You can't even move a finger so what else can you do? Heal me?" She smirked at me and continued to approach.

She is right. I can't really move my body. It's not just because of the nervousness but because of the magic that she cast on me.

I couldn't do anything but follow her with my eyes. Even the sharp looks I throw at her are ignored by her.

"This is the first time I will personally meet a Cohen because your clan has been erased for a long time. I only know your blessed lineage from stories and the tongues of others. And I can say that the stories are true, the power that evaporates from you is really attractive. It's no wonder why werewolves are so hungry to have your hearts," she said while walking around me.

After a while, her whole body turned into black smoke and snaked towards me. I just closed my eyes and groaned before she reappeared behind me and ran her black long nails along the bare skin of my neck.

"And to this day, I can't believe there's still a Cohen left and you're here in front of me as living proof. I'm sure the Black Mother, especially Alpha Baristo will be very happy when I bring you back. He's been excited to find you for months and I'm sure I'll get a reward in exchange for you."

Her presence behind me disappeared and suddenly she appeared in front of me.

My eyes widened as I stared at her. "A-an... Alpha."

My body trembled. If I only faced a novice black witch, maybe I could pretend not to be afraid of her. But when she mentioned the word "Alpha", the wall I had built to keep myself from being completely engulfed in fear finally broke down easily.

"Yes, a powerful Alpha seeks you out. Alpha Baristo is the current Alpha of the Eclipse Pack; the most powerful and feared Pack of all," she said.

I was stunned for a while. All my life, I've been used to Mama Amelia and I living without a permanent home. Whenever she senses a werewolf somewhere, we leave immediately even though they don't know who and what I am yet.

That was because of the help of the seal that Mama Amelia put on me to hide my power from them. Not a single Werewolf or other creature has ever smelled or known that I am a Cohen. Not even one, so knowing that an Alpha was looking out for me was too much for me and I couldn't quite take it.

My eyes returned to the black witch in front of me when she spoke again.

"As I said, we've been looking for you for months, it started when the intoxicating fragrance of Moon Drip once reached Alpha Baristo. He immediately ordered his wolves to find where it came from but we were disappointed because the smell suddenly disappeared. But Alpha Baristo was so persistent, so he mobilized even us witches to help in the search. And we were not mistaken that we could find you here. The Cohen who possesses the Moon Drip— the sacred power of the blue moon."

My eyebrows met at her words. I couldn't understand what she was saying as the scent of my power that Mama Amelia sealed leaked. I don't remember what she said happened. For the past few months, nothing has been strange about me. I don't feel anything else and I don't remember anything that I used my-

No! Impossible! The seal on me had not yet been lifted when Moon Drip spontaneously treated the wound on my elbow. The seal remains with me and is still on my wrist now. What she says is impossible! How does the Moon Drip leak?

The black witch walked up to me and took my right hand. I wanted to take it back and push her away but I still couldn't move.

She brought my right hand to her face and suddenly blew on my wrist. I moaned at the coldness I felt on my wrist until the seal came out glowing.

She quickly let go of my hand and suddenly jumped away from me, as if she had been burned or dazzled by the light of the seal.

"White magic!" She hissed. From the seal, she stared at me. "Black Mother was right, you are protected by a white witch so we had a hard time finding you!"

My chest rises sharply with deep breaths. The seal on my wrist still shines proof that my power is still sealed. Whatever she was saying about the leak of my power in the past months, it doesn't make sense anymore because they have already found me.

I had to figure out a way to escape. I need to be free from her magic. Mama Amelia isn't here now, she doesn't know what's going on with me right now so I have to escape to call her.

"Give up. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape my magic. No one has ever escaped my paralyzing curse," she confidently said after seeing my body tremble. Not out of fear but out of trying to move.

I just stared at her intently and didn't listen to what she was saying. I'm still trying to move my body in secrecy.

She snigger and shook her head as she watched me. "You are a stubborn one. Stop it already because there is nothing else you can do. I will get you now and take you to Alpha Baristo."

I suddenly felt heat on my right wrist when I heard what she said. My desire to escape and stop what she wants to happen now overflows. I don't know what is going on with my right wrist but I feel like something is happening now with the seal.

As time went on, the heat on my right wrist crept through my entire body until I gradually felt that I could move my fingers. I can still feel the seemingly heavy cold force binding me but the heat is slowly driving it away.

I didn't make it obvious to her. I didn't show that I was gradually escaping her magic.

She came to me again with her lips moving. She mumbles unintelligible words under her breath. I'm sure she is preparing another magic that she will use on me so that she can finally capture me and bring me to the man she mentioned Alpha Baristo.

But I will not let it happen. Not now! Never!

"If you've really read in books about the clan I'm from, you should also know that we don't just have simple healing," I said, my voice still shaking a little because of the heat I felt inside.

She stopped whispering and looked up at me. It was just then that I was completely freed from her magic and I quickly hit her with my bag, very violently. To her surprise, she fell on the road and did not get up immediately.

I took the opportunity to run and get away from her. I am holding my left wrist which is still burning with heat. I only grimaced but was very thankful that because of that I was able to escape.

I remember back then, whenever Mama Amelia was teaching me things that I should know as a Cohen, she once mentioned that we can not only heal wounds but also lift curses. In other words, the Moon Drip was able to break the black witch's spell that prevented me from moving on my will.

Even though my power is sealed, I also learned a lot from Mama Amelia about how to use my power. I just can't believe I got to use it today.

I looked at the seal for a moment, it was still glowing so the warmth I felt continued.

If it is true that the seal is weakening and it can no longer contain the Moon Drip that is getting stronger in me, I will be dangerous because they will find me easily so I need to call Mama Amelia right away.

I ran fast towards our house. There is no other safe place for me here in Gold River but our house.

But before I even reached the street where the way home was, I heard a shrill sound behind me. When I looked back, I saw the black witch riding a broom and chasing me furiously.

"You can't escape me, Cohen! You have nowhere to run! All the black witches and werewolves that Alpha Baristo sent to find you are heading here now! You can't hide anymore!"

I just cried because of the intensity of the nervousness and I was praying that Mama Amelia would be here. Mama Amelia has prepared me for this situation but everything she taught me is now mixed up in my mind so I can't think of anything rational but to run.

I just closed my eyes and screamed for help, hoping that someone would hear me on this deserted road and save me. But what exactly can normal people do against a witch? I, who have the ability, can't do anything, what else can they do?

I just screamed and held my head when something hit me from behind. I tossed in the air and rolled several times on the asphalt. I felt dizziness and pain in my back while trying to get up.

"Don't fight anymore, Cohen! You're the only one who will be in trouble. Give yourself up!" screamed the witch who I was sure was responsible for what happened to me.

I just bowed and continued running, rubbing my eyes full of tears. Even though I had no hope of escaping because she was already behind me, I still tried even though it was impossible.

But heaven seemed to be kind to me when a black car stopped right in front of me. Its front door opened ajar and that's when I caught a glimpse of the person inside.

"Get in! Hurry!"