Chapter 2

On our way there, thinking about that i'll see that weird old geezer again made me sigh slightly. Shaka is the SunDale's Alpha, and he was practically the one who raised me by himself despite being criticized by the whole pack.

So you could say that I'm kind of indebted to him.

As Ryan opens the door, I already expected the dart that came flying straight to my face and flawlessly caught it.

"I knew it," i said as I held the dart in my right hand.

Ryan almost fell in shock while Shaka laughed his assed out just like any other day.

I threw the dart away, "Don't you ever get tired of pranking me old man? last time it was a water bucket above me, and now a dart to my face? Can you act more like your age?"

"What? i have to test if any emotions came back from you, a simple shriek of death would've been able to suffice my concern," Shaka replied.

"Concern? is that why you sent a weapon on my face?"

"It's a dart, and it's not like you'll die from it. You might have bled, but that's also a bonus to see if you'll show an emotion." He pouts playfully.

I know it wasn't only me who found Shaka weird, Ryan was holding his laughter since a while ago like he was lumping me together with this old man. I stomped on his feet hard enough that he kneeled in pain.

I looked at Shaka once again and asked, "Is disappointment an emotion? then can i say i'm disappointed in you right now Shaka?"

Shaka laughs again, "You can't justify that, you probably just saw others doing it and you're copying them."

Tsk.

He's right. Since i was devoid of emotions, i had to learn all of it from the start, I had to observe how people interact and how they respond so i can copy it and form it into my own unique mask that i use till this day forth.

Well, i needed to do it so i can live a normal life, to live with a purpose like my late mother wanted me to do.

I shooed the thought off and glanced at Shaka again. "Whatever, so what did you call us here for Shaka?"

"It's for a mission. I need someone to monitor Crescent Moon. They're planning on recruiting new warriors in their pack for the first time. We haven't had this opportunity before so we decided to send the best people we have right now. But since it's your birthday today, i'm giving you a chance to turn this down."

I raised an eyebrow, "Why should i turn it down?"

"It's your birthday, you should celebrate it with your friends."

"You know i don't have friends."

"Then take a day off-"

"Shaka, can you stop? I don't understand why you're giving me a chance when i obviously ranked first at the evaluation last week. I aced every test, so why am i going to take the day off?" I asked calmly.

He sighs, "Venus, i know you're a strong kid. Too strong actually, but i've never seen you do anything beside doing your missions. I raised you myself all these years so it's normal that i care for you. Since Ryan came second, he should shoulder this responsibility while you take the day off-"

"No." I shook my head.

There was no other answer than that. Although i was oblivious to other things, i knew his mate would miss him so bad and possibly murder me. If i do take the day off, then Ryan would be forced to go to Crescent Moon without knowing how long it'll take for him to go back.

Going to Crescent Moon as a spy is like a suicide mission. There was a lot of rumors that some packs tried to infiltrate the pack but none of them returned alive, some even didn't reach the border without being suspected. But the scariest thing about Crescent Moon was their Alpha.

Alpha Derek. If a spy meets him, he could easily tell it.

"You can't send Ryan in my place, you know his situation Shaka. And you know how dangerous it is to send someone to Crescent moon in the first place. Better yet, why don't you just ask him to die while you're at it?"

"Venus!" He shouts angrily, slapping his palm on the desk. "I'm giving you a choice!"

"Yes, and my choice is to go. I don't get why you're stopping me in the first place. I did everything to get to this point, so why?"

"Why you say?" He sighs, "Ryan, can you please leave us alone for now, i'll call you later."

"Yes Alpha." Ryan nods, and before leaving, he gives me a light smile.

As soon as the door shuts, Shaka stood and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm worried Venus. Your father handed you over to me so i can raise you while he is absent, but that doesn't mean i can send you to your death."

"Then.. are you not worried for Ryan?"

"Venus that's different! Ryan is much more suited to infiltrate Crescent Moon, i've sent you to numerous missions and i was sure you'll always return back unscathed, but right now, i don't know. No one knows how Crescent moon operates, it's too dangerous for you to go there."

I pushed his hand away from me, "I don't care, I'm going, that's final."

He sighs heavily, "I expected this, what a stubborn brat."

He walks away in a disappointed tone as he sat down on his chair, "You can't disobey me, you won't go, that's final!"

"Shaka-"

"No more discussion. Now go to the east wing to meet the oracle i've arranged for you to meet."

Shaka looked pissed so i just walked out of the room without saying anything in return.

~*~

I did what Shaka asked me and i met with the oracle in another room. I expected her to look more discreetly just like the rumors say, but when i saw her, she looked rather casual and average for an oracle.

She wore a thick jacket and leggings and put her hair in a bun- like the type of get-up you'll see in people who like lazying around.

I sat on the opposite side of hers, "So you're the oracle Shaka summoned?"

She nods, "Yes, It's been so long Venus. You grew up splendidly!"

"You talk like you know me."

"I do know you," She chuckles, "You must've forgotten about me since you were still so little. I was also the oracle your parents invited over to take a look at you."

My parents invited her over? It's been so long that i've long forgotten all about my parents. Much less, about an insignificant figure like an oracle.

"I see," I smiled.

"Oh? so you do know how to smile?"

"What?"

She knows that i do not have emotions? I squinted my eyes slightly as i tried to observe her more than i can but she just laughed it off and swirled her finger in the air for no reason.

"You've lost your emotions."

"Shaka told you?"

She snickers, "No, i came to Shaka. I wanted to meet you. You see, i saw another prophecy about you. Usually, creatures only have one fate that they must overcome, but you have two!"

I smirked back, "Really? Two?"

She paused for a while before giving a light smile. The atmosphere in the air suddenly grew grim, her aura shifted. "The first was, you were fated to lose your emotions on your 6th birthday."

"Oh?"

"You don't seem surprised?"

I laughed. "Well, for a person who has no emotions, what do you expect?"

Though i did somehow expect what she was gonna say since everything started on my 6th birthday. But it still confuses me why that happened.

"I'm curious," I asked. "They say the goddess grants each person a wish. Then is losing my emotions something i wished for? I don't remember wishing for it though."

Well, it's not like i remember wishing for something either but it's the only thing i could think of either.

"No. Prophecies can't be related to the moon goddess or any other gods. Fate is something people like us are responsible for. In short, you did that to yourself."

I raised an eyebrow.

"You lack curiosity." She smiles, "Well, not that i blame you for that. But right now, if you want to retrieve your emotions, you must find the person whom you give your heart essence to."

Heart essence?

"I've heard it from some witches, but heart essence does exist in every witch, and unexpectedly, a half-werewolf and half-witch like you also do possess one. The only difference is that you were able to manipulate the seal at that moment, unlike most of the pure-blooded witches that have never unsealed it once in a million years."

Hah.

People who knows that i'm half-witch are only few. If i were to count, only my parents, Shaka, and Ryan knew of my real idenity. If she knew that, then she must be really what she claims to be.

There's no way she could sense it, since others, and not even a werewolf who have the strongest sense of smell could sense it.

All werewolves thought i was a full-blooded werewolf.

"Why would i do something so useless? If i've given it away, then just let it be that way."

"Don't you want to retrieve your emotions back?"

"Who cares." I shrugged.

"Listen to me," She groans, "You have to find that person who you gave your emotions to-"

"What?" I said. "You're saying i gave my emotions? i don't get where you're getting at but i still remember that day. I don't remember much from that boy but i do know i only healed him, that's all. There was no other thing."

"You don't get it, a witch's heart essence is related to their emotions. But it is also a kind of mana that can be used to heighten one's abilities. In your case, since you can heal, when you used your heart essence, you were practically transferring your emotions to that person."

That's when i realized. I remember feeling some painful spark around my heart, i knew the mana that was flowing to the boy came from my heart. So it means that i really did this to myself.

Because i tried to save a stranger, i lost my emotions.

"I see." I frowned. "So it wasn't connected to the goddess after all."

"Now do you get it?"

I nod, "I get it. So can i go now? Knowing that i did it to save a person, it's enough."

"No you have to take it back, do you want to wither away? Living without emotions is like walking on the surface as a doll would!"

Like a doll? Aren't i already used to it? I've lived for 12 years living for my mom's wish. She told me to live well, so that is what i was planning to do until the day i die.

But this oracle kept bothering me that i started to place my suspicions on her.

"What is it to you anyway? Why do you keep convincing me when i don't know you at all?"

She grieves, "I know it's not my place, but this concerns your life. Shaka told me to convince you. Listen to me. Retrieving your essence back will not harm the person you saved. Think of it as a loan, You loaned your mana to that boy to heal him. If you hadn't, it would've taken years for him to heal to his original state. Now that a decade has passed, it's time to take it back! if you don't, you'll die!"