The ritual.

Zhan's Pov.

What is happening to him? I shouted. Do something. Anything. I cried. I thought I was still angry at him but seeing him softened my heart.

The old witch knelt beside him, placed her hands on his chest, and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, I saw his chest rising and falling steadily. She opened her eyes and smiled. "He will be fine," she said, and Liu lifted him, and we followed her inside the basement. When she flicked her fingers, candles lit up the whole place with a pentagon drawing on the floor.

She quickly moved around the room, mumbling words I couldn't understand. She then gestured for us to come closer, and Liu laid Wang down in the center of the pentagon. I stood there, watching as she lit the candles and placed them on the edges of the pentagon shape on the floor.

Her granddaughter then drew a circle beside Wang and poured something onto the circle. She started chanting in a language I didn't understand. After a few moments, she asked me to lie inside the circle. She used a small silver knife to mark my forehead. Her grandmother stood over me and chanted in French or Gaelic. I couldn't understand what she said, but I could feel her power. After a few more moments, the candles were extinguished, and the room was filled with bright light.

After an hour of excruciating pain, the Pentagon broke, and Wang screamed out, drenched in sweat. He immediately rushed towards me, but the witch warned him not to touch me.

What, why? He growled.

Looking amused, like she had never seen anything like that before, "It appears he is awakening a long-forgotten power that has been dormant for centuries." She said.

The witch explained that I had unknowingly tapped into a hidden and powerful source of energy that had been dormant in me. This energy had been suppressed, but my willingness to save Wang triggered it, unleashing an immense power that had been hidden within me for centuries.

The witch further explained that the power I had tapped into was ancient and had been passed down through my family's bloodline for generations. She said that although I was only 18, I had the potential to unlock this power due to my unique bloodline.

For some reason, I want to believe that the witch is spewing nonsensical things, but with everything that's happened, I don't know what to believe anymore. I'm not used to this supernatural world, and everything doesn't add up.

The candles beside me lit up with a soothing purple light before dimming to nothing. I felt calmer and more at ease, as if the purple light had washed away the fear and confusion I was feeling. I knew I had to keep my wits about me, but at least for now, I could breathe.

The circle broke on its own when the purple light dimmed. Wang quickly rushed to me and pulled me into a tight hug. He was shaking, and I could feel his heart pounding against my chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice trembling.

I nodded, and he sighed.

"I'm so glad you're safe," he said, hugging me even tighter.

Someone groans to get our attention. Wang pulled away from me, standing up and walking to the guy.

"Good, you are awake," Wang says, his voice without warmth or compassion.

"You have two options," Wang declares, his words laced with menace. "Either you tell me the whole truth, and I might let you live, or I will beat it out of you and kill you." The gravity of the choice hangs heavy in the air.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the guy hissed, fear in his voice.

"Wu, I'm warning you; if you don't start talking, I will not be able to control my anger," Liu said, his eyes blazing with rage. "You have been tailing me for weeks, and now you dare to break into my room? That really irritates me, and I don't know how much longer I can keep my temper in check."

"You should be scared," Wang's boyfriend said, his voice cold and calculating. "Wang is already irritated, and if you don't talk, I'm afraid he won't be able to control his anger. This isn't a game, and if you don't talk, you will pay the price with your life."

I found myself irritated as I saw Wang's boyfriend standing there. His presence ignited a spark of resentment within me, prompting a tense exchange of words, but I controlled myself.

"Oh, you're thinking of sex and alcohol. Is that the trick Wen taught you?" His words pierced through the tension.

Wang clenched his fists, ready to punch him, but the witch put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Let me do this; it's been a while since I had fun." She beamed as she stepped forward to stand in front of the man.

Her hands danced in the air, and the guy started chocking, his veins popping on his head with beads of sweat dropping. She laughed wickedly.

"What is she doing to him?" I asked Wang, moving close to him.

"She's making his blood boil," Wang replied, moving closer to me. His body was still as warm as before.

Wu's life hung in the balance. His eyes were now bloodshot and fiery red. His chest heaved with each desperate attempt to fill his lungs. He clutched his throat, feeling the constriction tighten every second. His body trembled as panic set in, realizing that time was running out.

"Please stop. I will tell you everything!" He choked out, his voice barely a whisper.

The witch grinned, her eyes gleaming with malicious delight, as she lowered her hand. She could tell Wu was desperate, and she relished in the power she held over him. He had no choice but to comply with her demands.

"Jia loves you, and she said if she can't have you, no one can." He said softly, rubbing his throat, feeling the lingering ache from the witch's magic.

"She made me pour blood wine into your cocktail, and I didn't know how she did it. It didn't smell of blood either. She said it was a special spell." He continued, his voice trembling with fear.

"Then he followed you home," Wu said, pointing at me. "Jia was angry that he ruined her plan, so she made me deliver things to him in your brother's name." He paused, his voice shaking. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know she would hurt you."

"Why were you following me?" Liu asked.

"She knew you were looking for him," he admitted. "So she asked me to follow you and kill him."

Your ex-girlfriend wants to kill me. Why didn't she kill your boyfriend? I sneered, getting angry.

"What ex-girlfriend and boyfriend?" Wang asked, confused.

"The one I spoke with at your place and him, your boyfriend, I said, pointing at his friend.

"Jackson? Liu laughed. Who told you all this nonsense?

I explained everything the vampire lady told me about Wang, her, and Jackson. To my surprise, they laughed. I couldn't understand why they laughed.

"Jia, Wang growled. Everything she told you was a lie. He sneered. She's just a crazy girl who is jealous. She was trying to scare you and make you stay away from me.

"I should have seen this coming," Liu said, shaking his head. "Her obsession with Wang was alarming. I knew she was unstable, but I didn't think she would go to these lengths."

"I don't care about what she said," I muttered under my breath, trying to dismiss the hurtful words. I couldn't help but feel the pain. "It wasn't as hurtful as you treated me," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"Okay, we should all leave," Liu said as they all walked out. Jackson, the witch, and her granddaughter trail behind him, laughing.