Chapter 62: Chapter 62

JONEA

“Jonea! Jonea!?”

Someone called my name several times.

“Daran?” I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling beside me.

“Sorry, I’m late,” Daran said while hugging me.

My body, which had been shivering, slowly started to warm up. I could feel the energy coming from Daran’s body and flowing into mine. Suddenly, I coughed and vomited a lot of water.

“Can you breathe?” Daran asked.

“Yes,” I answered while holding back the burning sensation in my chest.

The cats approached and surrounded us.

“What about the person who threw Jonea into the lake?” Daran asked the cats.

“She suddenly disappeared after emitting a dazzling light. I don’t know if it was magic or not,” said the black cat.

Daran was silent for a moment, then stood up straight. “I feel traces of magic energy all over this place. It seems like someone else wants to disturb us.”

Daran reached out and helped me up.

“I actually want you to rest, but I have a task for you, Jonea.”

“For me?”

“We need to do something about that soon,” Daran pointed to a small piece of land in the middle of the lake.

There was a large tree covered in thick black smoke. When I first came here, I didn’t see any smoke, but now the smoke is noticeable and thick.

“I want you to purify it with the power of the dragon’s tears that you possess.”

“What? How can that be? I don’t have any magical abilities,” I replied nervously.

“Confining that magical power in the middle of the lake will only delay the trouble that is certain to come. We don’t need magic to confine it, but magic to purify it. And I know you can do it, Jonea.”

“Magic to purify it?” I was baffled and didn’t understand what Daran was saying.

“I’ve never taught you how to use magic properly, but I know you have great potential. Even though your wolf is still sealed, you did it once when you were at Eve's place that day. I'm not sure if it's because of the dragon tear pendant you have or if it's the power hidden inside you. To find out, we need to try, right?"

I fell silent and lowered my head. I needed clarification about myself. Even if I had the power, Daran said, why couldn't I save Aland?

"I'm sure you can," Daran assured me.

If I couldn't, would he be disappointed in me? Would my existence no longer be valuable in his eyes? Would he cast me aside and banish me after this? If that happened, who else would I ask to help free Aland?

"If you think I can," I said finally. I turned to Daran and stared at him for a long time. "I'll do it."

"Did you hear that, cat king?" Daran said to Snowy.

"Okay," Snowy replied. "I'll keep this place safe from people. I'm counting on you two."

The cats left to carry out their respective duties. Only Daran and I were left standing on the lake's edge, staring at the magical energy that continued to strengthen around the giant tree.

"We'll do it tonight when no one is around," Daran said.

***

After the sunset, Daran and I returned to the lake. He put a coat on my body.

“I have coated this coat with protective runes. It will function like armor. I have also prepared a censer filled with incense. The incense will attract them.”

I turned to an incense container that Daran had hung on one of the tree branches. The incense smoke gave off a fragrant scent carried by the wind.

“Take out your black bone dagger,” Daran requested.

I took the black bone dagger that was always tucked into the leather belt on my thigh and handed it to him. Daran seemed to be chanting a spell, and my black bone dagger was covered in runes that flashed blue for a moment and then disappeared.

“Normally you would need your own spells and wand, but you can use this black bone dagger as a substitute for your wand.”

“Daran, wait, are you really going to make me a witch?”

“You are a blessed holy blood possessor. I am still not sure whether you have supernatural abilities or not? But, we will find out after today.”

I took back the black bone dagger.

“Are you still talking for a long time?” A figure of a jeveric suddenly answered and emerged from a hole in the tree.

“Roka?” I was surprised to see him in a place like this.

“Long time no see, Jonea,” said Moka and was followed by Koka.

“I called them here,” said Daran. “The jeverics will be very helpful to our task this time, even though I actually don’t like them. Because of what happened the other day,” said Daran in a cold tone.

“Have you forgotten? We are very good at purifying and eliminating magical energy,” said the jeverics. “Remember the shadow wolves in the forest the other day?”

Of course, I will never forget. Owen and I almost died being hunted by the shadow wolves sent by the hybrids to catch me.

The jeverics kept moving like squirrels, jumping in all directions and making my head dizzy.

“The wind will sweep everything; flesh, bones, even trees. We will blow everything away!” the Jeverics shouted repeatedly.

“Noisy!” Daran shouted. “Well, that’s why the Jeverics are the most suitable for this kind of task, cleaning up magic residue.”

I turned to Daran, “By the way, why me and not you?”

“Oh, I actually don’t want to admit it, but I’m not good at this kind of magic,” Daran answered casually. “My main ability is shadow. I can change myself into any shape and form. I’m not suited for this kind of task.”

Suddenly, a memory crossed my mind—an old memory that seemed to have been cut off or even disappeared. The memory of the land of dragons, the silver-haired man riding a dragon, crossed my mind again.

Daran reached out and stroked my cheek. “It’s okay, Jonea. You just need to imagine everything in your mind like you did when you were at Eve’s house. Just think about the magic energy in the big tree disappearing like the spring wind that comes and blows away the winter air. The rest, the Jeverics will guide you.”

“Okay,” I answered softly.

“Jonea, love this world. Your current world may not be your friend, but it is not your enemy either. Your key is already in the silver lock. You only need to open it so that your seal can be released.”

Suddenly, the wind blew very hard. The incense container hanging on the tree branch swayed and tinkled. Leaves fell, and even my protective robe swayed in the wind.

Daran put the loose hood of the coat on my head. “Well, even though that was something someone once said to me.”

Then Daran stroked my head gently.

"Do you love this place, Daran?"

"That's right."

Holding a black bone dagger in my right hand and an incense container in my left, I began stepping into the cold, dark lake in front of me. I strolled across the small wooden bridge to the land in the middle of the lake. The closer I got, the more confused my feelings became.

If I couldn't eliminate the dark magic energy in this lake, would Daran be disappointed in me?

Piece by piece, memories of the dragon riders reappeared, as did memories of the shadow wolves that were hunting me in the forest that night. Everything appeared like puzzle pieces that demanded to be solved.

If I managed to eliminate this magic energy, would the power sealed inside my body be freed?

"Jonea, you have to focus!" Roka scolded, who was perched on my shoulder. Meanwhile, Moka and Koka were already jumping in front of me.

I was almost on the land in the middle of the lake. But someone suddenly appeared behind me while pointing a gun at my neck. I felt deja vu. I felt like I was repeating the same event.

"You better not move!" said the woman.

Ah, I remember now where I've seen this red-hooded woman. She was the same woman who had attacked me with the shadow wolves in the forest.

"You... hybrid!" I hissed. "Was all of this your plan too?" I glanced over my shoulder with an angry look.

On the other side, I heard Moka and Koka screaming in pain. When Roka jumped to help them, someone had already grabbed his petite body and put him in a sack.

"Sorry, we need that black magic energy!" said a man clutching a sack containing the jeverics. "You can't get rid of them."

On the lake's edge, I heard the cats start to growl angrily. This man was the same person who controlled the shadow wolves. Although his face was still obscured by the darkness of the night, I could recognize him from his voice and body odour. He was also the one who had sneaked into Daran's house and locked me in the warehouse.

My heart was beating so fast at that moment. I knew who he was, but I didn't know his intentions!