Chapter 4: Start of the Chase

I knocked on Master Zorylle’s office. I just settled in his house, I checked out of the hotel and brought my suitcase here. I twisted the silver doorknob of his office and peeked inside. He’s sitting in a wooden office chair, behind his wide mahogany table.

He raised his gaze from the papers on his table to me.

“May I come in?”

He nodded and motioned to the couch in front of his table. I quietly sat down and sighed.

“Thank you for letting me stay,” I started, “and thank you for choosing to help me.”

He chuckled. “If I know I can do it, I will. You don’t have to thank me, child.”

“But still, you’re allocating your time for this. It means a lot.”

He leaned back on his chair. “No worries. I’m sure you still have other things you want to say.”

I knew he would say that.

“It’s about my Mom. Can you tell me more about her?”

“I can only tell you her teenage days, child. Not the major things you want to be enlightened about,” he answered.

I sighed. He’s a keen observer.

I don’t know much about her. Only that her name was Mizani and that she died right after I was born. All she left me was the ring that I still kept until now. It was on my ring finger when she died, an elder from my sisterhood told me. My mother was told to be the bravest and strongest witch of their generation. That she faced problems and battles head on, and I wanted to be just like her.

“She looked just like you,” he stared at me. “That’s why I mistook you as her when I first laid my eyes on you.”

“I get that a lot,” I mumbled.

“Because it’s the truth. I’m confident you got her confidence and determination. And you also got your father’s attitude and righteousness.” He chuckled.

That when I leaned forward. Instantly curious. My mother’s often mentioned because I look like her and act like her. But my father, was lesser mentioned. I don’t even know his name.

“You know him as well?”

His left brow raised. “You don’t know him?”

I instantly shook my head.

“Why would they hide him from you?” He mumbled more to himself.

“Can you at least tell me his name?”

His scrutinizing gaze fell on me. “His name is Jacques.”

Jacques. What an elegant name.

“So, your High Priestess never told you anything about him?”

I recalled what Krishna told me. “Just that he’s a wicked warlock.”

His brows shot up. “Wicked? He’s everything but wicked.”

Then why did Krishna tell me that he is?

“Can you tell me a few things about him? Or him and Mom?”

He looked at me with pity. “Of course, child. You deserve to know your parents.”

“Mizani was a fearless, confident, brave, and strong witch. While your father, Jacques, was silent and shy. But he was dangerously smart and tactical. Back when we were high school students, when there was still a school for us, the two were archenemies on everything,” he chuckled while recalling their past. “They were the complete opposite of each other. But they also can’t be separated. They would bicker from time to time but still stay beside each other. Both of them were famous for their good looks and strength as a witch and warlock, so the whole school witnessed their love story.”

“They would fight together, but still bicker while on battle. Jacques would always be annoyed by the recklessness of Mizani but still would help her. Mizani would roll her eyes at Jacques’ quick and painless take downs with his opponents but would still help him. And when they were over being in denial, all of us saw how perfect they were for each other,” he continued.

And then he paused, his smile fading.

“After high school, we parted ways. And a few years after, I was attending their funerals.”

I was speechless.

I looked down and felt sad for him. That must’ve been so hard. To see your close friends in a coffin? Who wouldn’t be miserable?

“So, I advise you treasure your close friends because you’ll never know when they’ll be gone.”

The thing is, Master Zorylle, I have no friends left. I left all of them already. I turned my back on all of them, even if it was only Krishna who had dark plans.

I only nodded and said nothing else.

“Call the others, I have your first destination.” He cleared his throat.

I quietly left the office and climbed down the stairs to go to the living room where I heard noises. I quickly told them to climb up to the master’s office. My brows furrowed when I saw one of them is missing.

I held Louise’s arm just before she climbs the stairs.

“Where’s Royce?”

She thought for a while. “He’s in the training room, probably. It’s his favorite room in the mansion.”

I’m not sure where it is so I asked for directions, and when I saw a double door Louise told me, I knocked. No one answered so I tried turning the knob, shocked that it was unlocked. I slowly opened the door, trying to find him in the wide room filled with training equipment. I saw him on the far corner of the room, in front of a punching bag. He was topless and was breathing really hard, his messy coal black hair soaked in sweat.

He’s just standing there, with boxing gloves, breathing heavily and looking on the ground. I slowly sneaked up into him, making sure to keep my eyes on his neck upwards.

Looking at defined eight-pack abs is distracting.

“Are you okay?” I quietly uttered. He looked thinking so deeply, he’s obviously carrying something in his shoulders.

He harshly turned his head and fixed his gaze on me. I was momentarily distracted by the amount of emotions his eyes are showing. But his face was nonchalant.

“What do you need?” He coldly spat.

I tried my best not to flinch and understand that he was having his moment before I entered.

“Master Zorylle is summoning us.” I immediately turned around and walked out. I felt my face reddening because of the sight, and when his eyes bore into mine, I felt heat climbing to my face. I’ve never blushed in front of anyone before. I’m just silently applauding myself for keeping eye contact with him until I delivered my message.

When I reached the office, I took a deep breath first and restored my blank expression. Keep your cool, Maze. This is not you; you don’t get flustered.

I opened the door and sat beside a vacant space beside Eve.

“Where’s Royce?” she asked. I was about to answer when the door flew open and in walked Royce with a gray under armor tank top.

“Here.” He proceeded to sit next to me.

Master Zorylle cleared his throat. “There has been news of supernatural activity in an abandoned church for the past few years. Though no one has had the courage to go inside the church, witnesses have reported supernatural sightings.”

My brows shot up.

“Why was the church abandoned in the first place?” Gabriel asked.

“Good question,” Master Zorylle commended him. “It was rumored to have been infiltrated by demons, they said. It became an unholy place.”

That’s actually a nice place for witches or warlocks that practices dark magic. Heh.

“The nearby townspeople reported of numerous lightning and thunder hitting the place of the church, even when it’s a sunny day. Also, the former sisters in that church said that the church had an underground chamber. The task today is to investigate about the abandoned church,” he explained and handed us a map.

I saw a red ‘x’ mark somewhere northeast of the map. It must be the location of the church. We were dismissed and I immediately went to my new room that’s on the same floor. I picked out comfortable and stretchable combat clothes. I wore a black tank top, black jeggings, and partnered them with my signature combat boots. If possible, I’ll try to avoid using my spells and battle them physically. Not many witches are trained into physical combat because they’re to dependent to their magic, but not me. And I think the others in this house also aren’t.

I hid numerous daggers in my outfit, and also brought a small pistol with iron bullets. I was told by Macky earlier that iron bullets hurt twice than normal bullets and are totally effective on witches and warlocks. I didn’t know this at first because we mainly use poisoned arrows back in Arizona.

I have a strong feeling we’re going to catch dangerous people in that church. It doesn’t hurt to be careful and prepared.

I kept my long black hair down and just combed it.

I went to the living room and waited for the others. Once we’re all set, we left the mansion and got into the van. Our seating arrangement was just like yesterday. It actually took us a few hours until I felt that the van’s engine was turned off.

I roamed my eyes around the place from inside, and saw the abandoned church. The surrounding place was full of trees, the place itself was obviously outgrown by vines and a few small trees.

Royce faced us. “Stay silent and look around the whole area. Then we’ll go inside together and find the underground chamber.”

We all nodded. That’s a nice plan. He must be the leader.

We all got out of the van and split up to look around the whole vicinity. I went west of the church and looked around, trying to search for a person or any possible gate. When my cost was clear, I went back to the front of the church where we agreed to regroup.

I waited for them, and they all had the same outcome. It was normal outside, and I highly doubt it’d be a different case inside.

“Let’s go, it’s getting dark,” Gabriel suggested. We all agreed and slowly opened the dark oak double doors of the church.

We were greeted by a deserted interior. It was a catholic church. There were the normal church seats, but there were no statues in the altar in the elevated front part of the church. It was dark inside, only light from the tall windows would illuminate in the wide church. We avoided talking because people might be inside and hear us, and we also tried to walk as lightly as we could. Royce gestured to split up.

I climbed the two steps and went to the altar. It’s located in the center, with an empty wine glass and a lit candle on a candle stick. Which is odd. I tried picking up the candlestick to examine it closely when a portion of the wall next to the table suddenly opened and it revealed a dark flight of stairs going down.

I looked at them who were now looking at the accidentally opened entrance.

“Bingo,” I heard Eve whispered.

I brought the candlestick with us when we silently went to the staircase. It served as our light source. It didn’t take long for us to hear several hushed feminine and masculine voices. We paused for a while, trying to understand what they’re saying.

It was of a phrase, and they were repeating it. They’re performing a ritual, but which one?

‘Should we interrupt them now or wait for them to finish?’ Louise asked telepathically.

Gabriel was the one who answered. ‘We need to identify what ritual it is first before meddling.’

The chanting stopped. We thought it was over when a new voice spoke.

“You have called for me, what do you wish to know?” The voice was deep, thunderous, and brought chills crawl to my spine.

They were performing an Invocation ritual.

‘It was an invocation ritual.’ I told them.

Invocation rituals are rituals that calls spirits of the dead or divine beings into a circle or into the self. The question is, who did they call?