"I don't get it, Mang Rachan's one of our strongest Healer, there's no way a thief could enter their house undetected!" An old man in their Coven spoke, his thoughts riddled with the shock when one of their best Elders suddenly steps down from power.
For his prime had long vanished after losing his knowledge due to his Impurity.
"He's losing his Gift, that must be it!" The other man from the shadows concluded.
"He abused it for his own benefit, after all. And now he's paying the price!"
Unaware of the truth, they had concluded that their beloved Great Babaylan fell from grace- which is not far from the truth. They're only missing a part, and that was, there's no thief, but a child who wants to save innocent lives from being killed by his father's tainted Practice. For Spiritual Healing only works for the Purest of heart, with a money-driven-heart like Mang Rachan, only deaths could follow his Practice. That's why he never lets his son go, his only hope for continuing his little scheme. Overlooking the possibility that his own son could chose to correct his wrongdoing.
"What about his son? Isn't he here for today's agenda?" A woman spoke, Fairies lingering around her.
"I heard he's not interested, he's always been against our people's Practice. Might be best for the kid to live normally, we don't want the Scion to turn out like his father, right?" The old man answered.
"The Scion, an incarnation of the first Mage. Are we sure we should heed to his wish?" The Elder asked.
"He might be the one who embodies the first Mage, but that doesn't mean he also possess the same power. He's nothing more than just a vessel, it's better to keep him away from our world until the Great Mage decides to use him. He's not as powerful as his father, after all!" The old man stated, convincing all the high ranking members of his Coven.
"You're right, keeping him safe and alive would do us good!" The Elder nodded in satisfaction.
"Then we must help that kid conceal his self from the world. We cannot let anyone in power know about him, where is he anyway?" The woman said.
"He was here, wasn't he?" The Elder replied.
"ELDERS, ELDERS!" A young man ran into the room, disheartened by the news he's carrying.
"What is it? Can't you see we're having an important discu-" The old man was cut off when he saw the young man carrying the broken wooden statue of their beloved Great Babaylan.
"He's dead, the Great Babaylan was found dead on their house!" The young man screamed in despair.
"What did you say?!" The woman, with her Fairies, skin turned dark as their eyes glowed bright red.
"The Great Babaylan was killed, he was killed by-" The young man said, grieved by the sudden passing of his mentor.
"Do not let anybody learn this truth, especially his family! We must cover this up!" The old man spoke after reading the young man's mind, stopping him from revealing the truth- a truth that could force their Scion to reconsider his decision to live as a normal person.
As per his instruction, news traveled back to the young boy named Achan that his father died from a tragic incident, framing a narrative on his mind that his father's not what he said he is. Forcing him to fully letting his Practice free, and living a life of a lie.
But that life didn't last long, for a change will happen, a sudden shift in his life that would make him fully embrace his destiny!
***
Achan's P.O.V
"This is the latest compilation of all the employee's last medical examination... Do you need anything else?" My secretary dropped an entire book bounded report of Moral Ez Enterprises.
"Thanks Lily, you can rest now!" I smiled at her.
Only to receive a grumpy looking face from her before she left my office.
"Immature!" I whispered as I stare at the book she gave me.
This report includes both employees from Zeworld Pharmaceutical Company Inc. and Moral Ez Luxury Hotels. I asked her to compile them a week ago, that's why she seemed a little irritated, because it's a sudden assignment for her that I asked on my first day at work.
Achan Allare, Moral Ez Enterprise's Chief Private Health Physician.
I read on my desk's nameplate.
"How did I got here anyway?" I told to myself as I stretch out my limbs, exhaling all my tiredness away.
A week ago...
"Are you feeling well?" Miss Irene greeted me when she saw me standing on my room's balcony.
I just woke up after using a lot of my energies trying to cure Silvia's Curse. If only I knew that she's more powerful than what I anticipated, I could have stopped myself from attempting to lift the Curse. I thought the burnt Grimoires of the past Healers were enough to aid me!
"How's the Young Master? Did he drank all the concoction I prepared?" I asked her without looking, eyes locked on the rising sun on the horizon.
"He's thankful for another shot at life that you've given him. He never missed drinking a single maintenance potion!" She smiled before pointing at my coffee table.
Almost all the herbs I had pounded together for spells were nearly depleted.
"I was out longer than I anticipated!" I giggled, only now realizing how long it must have taken to drink nearly all the potions I had prepared.
"Three weeks Achan, you've been out for weeks!" She said as we both stared at the IV drip hanging on a wheeled pole next to me.
"Then let's eat, I'm so hungry!" I smiled at her to show that I'm okay.
"Good, I've been preparing tons of foods for whenever you wake up!" She laughed her worries off and helped me wheel the IV down the stairs.
"Achan?" She asked as we walk towards the dining room.
"Hmm?" I turn to her.
"Who's the owner of those hands that helped you?" She hesitantly asked.
"That, I don't know, but I always knew that it's been with me ever since!" I smiled at her, hiding away the fact that I lied.
"Oh, okay... Must be a very powerful Familiar!" She smiled back as we continued our walk.
I was greeted by the Chief and others, congratulating my waking up and their Young Master's recovery.
"Where is he by the way?" I asked after eating, realizing that all of them seemed to be a little bit down.
"The Young Master?" Chief asked, troubled with something on his mind.
"You're still doing another all-nighter?!" I heard Manager's voice as I revert back to reality.
"Mana- Ricco? What are you doing here?" I stood up to greet him.
"Silvia's not that powerful to attempt infecting everyone on the business!" He tried to reason with me as he place both his hands on my shoulders.
"She can't be reasoned with, I know she's mad at me, disconnecting the Young Master from the Curse. If she wants to come back at us, she'll target everyone that has connection with the Boss' son! Even the unnecessary ones could be her next target!" I sighed.
After hearing the news that the Young Master's father, our Boss had vanished before the Manager's very eyes, the Young Master seized control of the company, pulling himself out of his five-year hiatus. Luckily, I survived. If I hadn't, who knows how many more innocent lives Silvia would have taken to reach Uther?
"Have you talked with the Young Master yet?" Ricco asked as we both sat on the cafeteria to eat.
"No, he's been busy!" I tried to reason.
In fact, I never had the chance to even see Uther, it's like, he's avoiding me!
"You've awoken for only a week, you can't be overexerting yourself like this! I know you must have used too much of your Mana, please rest!" He held my hand to try and convince me.
"I can't, I can smell the Witch of the Forest's stench across the building- she can attack at any moment!" I pulled my hands aside and scanned the entire cafeteria.
There's no one else aside from us two, but I can feel eyes watching my every move.
Ever since I woke up a week ago, my senses had doubled, it's as if, the abilities that I've tried to get rid off had reawakened, and this time, it's much stronger!
"You've really changed!" He smiled as he take a sip off his drink.
"What? You just haven't seen this side of me yet!" I laughed before taking a bite at the sandwich that he bought for me.
"It's late, let me take you back to your place!" He stood up to lead the way.
"Dude, we both stay at the same place!" We both laugh as we head to the elevator.
The company's cafeteria is located on the 20th floor, serving as the middle ground for both office employees from the 19th floor down and residential higher-ups from the 21st to the 30th floor. Meanwhile, the 31st floor, the penthouse, belongs to the Young Master and the Boss.
"How's your room? Isn't it convenient to live in the same building where you work?" He smiled before pressing the 30th floor.
"It has its perks, it makes it easier for me to keep the Young Master under protection as I keep eye on the others!" I answered as I stare at the floor indicator above us.
"You really changed!" I caught him staring at me.
I felt warmth in his eyes, as if he's being amused by my sudden change of heart.
My first contract finished after I managed to cure the Young Master. But when I found out that his father vanished, I proposed to Miss Irene a new deal to keep me working for them.
"I can't possibly just leave, now that I have beef with the Witch of the Forest!" I laughed.
"Only a month ago, when we first met, you were too convincing at pretending to be normal. But now, you have this glow as if you've been awakened!" He patted my head.
"Manager?" I complained after he ruined my hair.
"I told you to stop calling me that, you're already one of our company's Head." He stroke the back of my head and smiled at me.
"It's Miss Irene's fault, I only wanted to be an employee to the Young Master's company so that I could follow him, but she overthought it!" I sighed.
"She's right doing that though, by making you one of the Young Master's chief, you can literally have access to everywhere he'll go!" He said which hit me.
"Oh?!" I slapped my forehead after hearing that.
Then I could have just stormed my way up to his office all this time? I didn't have to make any appointment?!
"The past secretary of our Spiritual Healer's useless, how did she not tell you that? I think you need a better assistant?" He said before the elevator's door opened.
"Thanks, I appreciate the help!" I patted his shoulder before walking out.
"Should I walk you to your doo-"
"Don't, I am not a kid!" I stopped him before he could follow me.
"Well then, I'll be sending applicants to your office two days from now, please find a better one, good night!" He waved before the door closes.
I believe his room is two floors down on the 28th? As far as I know, each floor has only four huge rooms, meaning the residential floors accommodate just 40 higher-ups. Some use their spaces as offices, while others turn them into luxury staycation houses.
As I was about to walk into the left hallway where my room is when a familiar figure blocked my way.
"Young Master?!" Finally we met!
"How's your work, have you eaten? I heard you've been warding up the other company buildings? Are you having enough rest?" He bombarded me with questions.
He looked tired, must be hard to overtake his father's businesses while trying to figure out where he is! Not to mention all those competitors that's taking advantage of the situation- all those unaware of the threats that the Moralez family faces.
"You cannot possible be full from just a single sandwich- come, the maids had prepared some hot soup for a midnight meal!" He suddenly pulled me up the stairs, into his floor.
The penthouse, after the stairs, we were greeted by a giant double doors. He punched in his code and opened it.
"You looked tired!" We both said in unison as we both stopped in front of the door.
He's sweating, as if he just ran a maratho-
"Did you saw us back in the cafeteria?" I realized after a moment of silence.
He knew about the sandwich that I ate?
"Yes, and it pisses me off that he made you eat that disgusting processed food!" He sighed before pulling me into his dining room filled with foods that could sustain me for a week!