Chapter 9

And Brick was right about the souls occupying their bodies, seeing their memories, and not hesitating to kidnap Jamie and take him to an underground hideout.

This is where the Old World Cult recides. This cult isn't well-known to the public because, unlike other cults, they limit how many people enter. The members are ordinary people ranging from teenagers to middle-aged people.

The group of five bowed to their leader after dropping a very conscious and confused Jamie to the ground.

He was walking back to the apartment alone because he wasn't in the mood to hang out with Neil or his other friends when he was tied up, gagged, and carried over Brick's shoulder.

His cheek was bruised from being dropped to the ground. He couldn't believe he would be kidnapped by a girl he just met yesterday. 'I've met a lot of obsessive girls, but kidnapping is a whole new thing,' he thought. 'There are a lot of people here... Am I going to be trafficked?' he thought feeling slightly horrified.

He thought of his older brother while he thought of what horrific fate awaited him.

"We've brought someone with relations of the Demon General, Master," Annabelle said, but she didn't sound the way she did this morning, a bit more feminine and colder.

'She sounds very different... She can be an outstanding voice actor,' he thought.

"Relations to the Demon General?" a carefree masculine voice said.

Jamie squirmed around to see the person who was talking and saw feet walking toward him. He felt the ropes come loose and before he could move, he felt himself being restrained and floating up into the air.

'What the--' he thought in surprise as he floated in the air and stopped before a young adult.

He had dyed platinum blonde hair with black roots and grey eyes.

"Shh... That has to hurt," the man said, then raised his hand. Jamie instinctively moved his head back. "I'm planning on hurting you, child," he said. "Just simple healing magic."

His hand began to glow and Jamie's eyes widened in surprise. He made a little surprised sound when his throbbing cheek felt better. "You seem surprised by magic," the man said. "Your older brother doesn't show it to--"

Before the sentence could be completed a strong pressure was felt. Even a non-magical being like Jamie could feel it.

They heard a bang and the leader looked past Jamie smiling casually. "Oh, he's here already," he said.

The door opens with Hansel looking fairly angry, with his pupils being red and slit. His aura was black and dangerous.

'He looks angrier than I ever seen.' Jamie made a sound of surprise. It took him a while to notice it and this made him confused.

"Lovely reunion, isn't it, Kale?" the leader said smiling, he put his arms around Jamie's shoulder and patted him. "A little brother... Finally got the one thing you've always wanted," he said. "I wonder what would happen if I took him away from you," he said teasingly and placed his hand around Jamie's neck, lightly brushing his fingertips against his neck.

But he releases Jamie. "I can't afford the destructive Demon General to create a mess for me," he said.

Jamie sighed in relief. For some reason, he felt afraid. But-- 'Why is he calling Hansel 'Demon General?' he thought in confusion. 'What is going on..? I wish I was in bed!' he silently cried. He then felt himself flying towards his brother and freed him from his bounds.

Before he could say anything, Jamie was knocked out with a tap to the forehead. Hansel held him up.

He then looked toward Annabelle and her team whose bodies were still under the control of the souls. "Release," he commanded them, and almost immediately, screeches were coming from all five of them as they screamed in pain and a golden scroll appeared in front of them before burning up.

"Wh--"

"And let this be your first and final warning Felix, touch my brother again and I will kill you this time," Hansel said coldly, then he alongside the five groaning teenagers.

"And there goes my five best," Felix said sighing. But he smiled a bit. "It seems he hasn't changed one bit," he said. "That's good."

~~~~

Hansel dropped Jamie on the couch and sat down crossing his arms and legs. In front of him are Annabelle, Brick, Mike, Finn, and Hudson.

"We're so--"

"Don't apologize," Hansel said, he sounded a bit annoyed. 'Never thought I'd see him again,' he thought disdainfully with a heart filled with hatred. He groaned and muttered. "I should have just killed him," he muttered, he then looked at them. "How on Earth did you involve yourself with that?"

"My ex," Annabelle said almost ashamed.

"My parents are in it," Finn said.

"And we followed her," Hudson said indicating himself, Brick, and Mike.

"Right," Hansel said sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Now what?" Finn asked. 'My parents are going to kill me,' he thought.

Hansel wasn't listening to him as he was thinking of what to do with Jamie. 'I have some explaining to do.' He could easily just wipe his memories, but there's a chance that Felix might want to make his life as miserable as possible using his brother, meaning a lot of kidnappings or stuff like that.

There was a knock on the door and Hansel got up and opened the door. Nathan entered smiling. "Regrets?" he asked looking at the group.

"Shut up," Hansel grumbles.

Nathan raised his hand in surrender. "Sorry," he said sarcastically. "What do you plan on doing now?" he asked. "Their lives would be in danger because you released them from the contract forcefully-- Oh you haven't released them from the familiar contract either."

Nathan's smile was a bit strained when he noticed that Hansel hadn't broken the familiar contract. "Right," he said a bit darkly.

The group felt uncomfortable with Nathan's gaze on them. "Leave them alone," Hansel said sitting back down. "Nothing is going to happen to you guys," he said. "Felix isn't interested in ordinary human teenagers with no magic powe--"

"They are your familiars, isn't that enough for them to be targetted?"

"No," Hansel replied. 'Felix wouldn't target mere servants to try to break me,' he thought. "They want to kill you more than me," he said.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at Hansel. Even though he couldn't read Hansel's thoughts, he could tell he was not really worried about them getting captured or killed, which meant he wouldn't be releasing them from the familiar contract.

'He cares about them,' he thought.