Ricco's P.O.V
The clock on my office wall ticked away the minutes as I sat buried in paperwork. Pictures and documents of a certain young man, my Boss's target, filled my desk, the weight of his set deadlines pressing against my temples. Just as I reached for my coffee, the door flung open, revealing an intimidating-looking woman. Miss Irene, my secretary.
Her heels clicked against the floor like a judge's gavel, announcing my impending doom.
"The last Healer just died, we're running out of time. Young Master's not getting healthier, is that the boy?" She sighed as she passed me the documents regarding a huge sum of payment the Boss had made just to get all this information about that boy's whereabouts.
"He's not just some random Shaman, we cannot approach that boy unprepared. We don't know how powerful his Practice is!" I hissed.
This is too stressful to handle, even for me.
Miss Irene flipped a page from one of her papers and showed it to me.
"I've heard that that boy has some good backups from a Coven of Witches, be careful not to get cursed!" She said after showing me a very familiar name, with whom the Boss had made a deal.
"Missus Santiago? No wonder the Boss needed Fifty Million just to know the kid's whereabouts!" I exclaimed upon reading the name of a very powerful businesswoman in the country.
After a few more days of preparation, we finally got to the boy's hometown.
"Where do you think you're going?!" I yelled after running after him.
This kid's too hard to escape, how can he still run after all that chase earlier? He's indeed an extraordinary Person with a Gift!
As I yanked his arm to stop him from running, the air around us shifted. The atmosphere tightened, thick with an unseen force, and dark thunderclouds churned overhead.
"AAAHH!" His scream tore through the silence, raw with shock and agony. His eyes darted to his wound, and widened in horror.
The cut had split open, stretching from the force of my pull.
His heavy cry echoed in my head, and it hit me, he's starting to release dark light around him.
"FUCK! Achan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I pleaded.
He's indeed a powerful Babaylan, I can't mess this up!
I'm sorry, please stop the cursing!" I couldn't help but cry. The darkness around him began spreading.
What would happen to me?!
"Pa, Ma! His panic only grew, his breathing ragged as he clutched his arm. The pain was consuming him.
I steeled myself, I can't die here! I know this might happen, I am fully aware of what his kind are capable of. And I am prepared, I can't panic now!
I slipped a hand into my pocket, fingers brushing against the fine powder. As I closed the distance between us, I smeared it onto my lips, anticipation curling in my chest.
"Can you stop cursing me?" I was relieved and managed to smile after seeing his shocked reaction, he began to pant.
Alchemist's Sedating Drug, a powerful sedating powder that also has narcotic properties, is powerful enough to take him down, I hope!
His brows furrowed, and he began to yell at me.
"Did you just fucki-" I didn't let him finish, I had to lean in for another kiss to double up the dose in his system.
"I don't know how you did it, but good job!" Miss Irene commended me after seeing an unconscious young man in my hands.
"My job here's done, I should leave now before he tries putting a curse on me again!" I scoffed after throwing him into the bed.
"Careful, that boy's our only hope!" She scolded me, but I couldn't care less.
"If he's indeed the answer to our Young Master's problem, he better show it, or my efforts would all be put in vain!" I crossed my arms and turned to her.
Weeks passed, and I thought he'd just turned out to be the same as the rest before him, yet he proved me wrong.
"That Great Babaylan's kid has in it for me, I was this close to letting him go!" I sighed in frustration.
"Calm down, that's the same reason why he's hard to track down... But even how much a person with a Gift tries to hide who they truly are, no matter how good they are, their righteous and kind nature would always take over, making it easier for us to track them down." Boss smiled.
And just like that, I began to understand what the Boss saw in the Great Babaylan's son.
"He's healed?!" I yelled as soon as I heard the news back on the island.
"But how about the Boss? Where did she take him?!" Miss Irene panicked.
"I don't know, but now, we have someone who could help us defeat her!" I mumbled as I stared at the Young Master and the unconscious boy in his arms.
'My efforts flourished!' I said to myself as I stared at the scar on my palm.
"What do you think you're doing?!" I yelled at Achan after seeing him using his power inside a public restaurant.
Why does he have to act so childish? We're in the middle of trying to find our Boss, yet they're here, partying after just receiving a position in the company? Didn't he promise that he'd take care of Sylvia?
"What if a member of the Society found you? Do you know what they could do if they found out that you've been Practicing again?!"
"Society? What do you know about the Society?!" His brows furrowed.
I slipped! This is why I don't want to stay close to him. His power's making me slip up!
"Is that why you managed to find me- the day you took me, the reason why I couldn't see anybody around the town that day. You bribed a member of my Coven, didn't you?!" He grabbed my collar upon realizing the truth.
"Achan, you're overthinking this too much!" I tried to reason, but he's already aware.
"Is that why you were so confident that I could lift the Curse? Did you already fucking knew that I can indeed use a fucking Gift?!" He yelled at me, and shadows began forming behind him again.
A shadow of a woman, no, a man with long black hair, began forming again.
I know this man, I've heard enough stories about him from our Boss!
This is why our Boss wanted him. Did he know about the man behind this boy?!
"Achan, you-you're too angry, please do not curse me. Ca- Calm down first, and let's. Let's talk!" My eyes widened upon realizing.
"You're scared... You're scared?" He gasped and let go of my collar.
"The rosebud's enough to reduce the swelling!" He explained to me as he started to prepare the medication for my wound.
"Achan?" I called to him.
"Hmm?" He hummed with a smile.
I did it, I still made it out alive!
"What made you like me?" I asked as I watched him put the potion he made on my busted lip.
"Honestly, I don't know either... Maybe, it's your strong dedication to your work- how you tried your best to convince me!" He smiled at me, together with those convincing eyes of his.
"I'm really sorry!" I asked for forgiveness again after seeing his smile.
I can't keep this up forever. Maybe I should just end it all after we find Boss?
"I know, and I forgave you already!" He smiled once more before pulling away from me.
"Before I leave, can you please promise me one thing?" I ran to him to hug him.
I can't leave without making things clear between us, I don't want to be cursed and unaware of it. I need a clean slate, or else!
"You're scared... You're scared?" His words yesterday kept repeating as I watched him laugh.
"What is it?" His smile began creeping into the back of my head.
What did he do to me? Am I really scared of him? Is this why I couldn't help but choose to leave?
"Promise me that you'll behave until I come back, keep the Young Master safe for me, please?" I tried to act strong as I continued to lead him on.
I have to be brave if I want to get out of here!
"About that, I already told Young Master to keep you-" Did I hear it right?
This is not possible?!
"That's not possible?!" I immediately pulled away from him.
"What? Don't you want to keep me close?!" He pouted, but his eyes didn't look sad.
"No-No! I just... I just can't bring myself to be forgiven so easily! Achan? I- If you love me, can you please just let me serve my time? I want to confidently say that I deserve to be loved by you!" I tried to smile and went back to his arms.
I can't be defeated, I can't be!
"Well, you do love me, don't you?" His innocent smile conveyed the exact opposite meaning.
"I do, I do love you, Achan!" I tried to convince him.
He raised his hand and showed me the rose he used to heal me.
"Then you don't have to do that!" He said.
"Is that for me?" I asked.
"Did you know that I basically invented faking a smile?" He whispered as he began to crush the flower in his palm.
"What- What do you mean?" My smile faded.
Am I, am I in danger?
"What? Something wrong?" His smile widened, revealing a sinister look.
Did I fail? Have I been tricked? What is this feeling I'm feeling right now?
"Did you really think I won't sense your little lie? Did you think that I would still love you after what you've done to me? At first, I tried to convince myself that you're just doing your job, but to think that you can just walk all over me because I had some feelings toward you? You're mistaken, now, tell me, who helped you?" He threw the petals at my face.
He's angry? How did I not see it?
I was just doing my job, I didn't mean for him to be hurt.
"Achan? You're scaring me!" I knelt in front of him, asking for forgiveness.
But I couldn't even say it.
I know I was wrong. I knew he liked me, and I used that to take advantage of him!
I wanted to tell him, I wanted to ask for forgiveness for including him in this mess. I knew he only wanted to live a normal life, away from all these Practices, but I still chose to take him away from his home. Or that's what I at least thought.
"Rose, a very powerful fragrant ingredient, is also used for anti-inflammation. But it's best when used for Love Potion. Though I couldn't gather the other ingredients for the potion itself, making you say you love me was already enough to strengthen the Love Spell using the Rose bud alone!" He explained as my body began to lose its strength.
My body heats up while my skin begins to become aware of my clothing.
"You-You're despicable!" I murmured as I looked at him.
"Weren't you the one who told me that if I love you. Should I let you serve your time? And who's best at making you repent for your sins other than the person you commit the sin to?" He whispered as he slowly crawled into my face.
His lips gently pressed into mine, making my entire body yearn for him. It calls for him!
"Now, tell me, who helped you?!" He yelled.
I tried to keep my mouth shut, but it seems like he already gained control over it.
"I- It's Elder Vervaine!" My mouth confessed.
My body heats up, my eyes couldn't look at anything else but him. It's like, every move he does sends ecstasy to my body.
"FUCK!" He exclaimed after hearing the woman who sold him out.
As I watch him curse and throw a fit, my body begins to thirst over him more. It's like my mind liked seeing this side of him.
'It's the Spell, it's the Spell!' My mind kept telling my heart, but my heart doesn't listen.
"Achan!" I called his name as I reached for his neck.
"Is there somebody else?!" He just looked at me, but my body was trembling with joy, his eyes pierced through my heart like I'm now addicted to this boy!
"Nobody, just Elder Vervaine Santiago!" I replied with a heavy breath.
My hearing vanished, only the sound of my heartbeat was the only thing I could hear. My body trembles as it heats up, time slowed down as my eyes fixated on his lips.
'I don't care what happens to me, I deserved this!' My mind gave up.
"Fuck!" His moan echoed in my mind.
The feeling of his skin on my mouth is like a whole 'nother pleasure for me.
"Achan, I love you!" I smiled as I caught my breath.
I was too deep in my urges, I almost forgot to breathe!
What is happening to me? Am I really that drunk on his Spell?!
"No, you do not, that's just the effect of the Spell, you'll return to normal soon!" He explained.
"But why am I still thinking about it? Why am I here, looking for you?!" I whispered as I found myself standing in front of a huge University.
A phone in my hand with a picture of him.
Meet Achan Allare, a nursing student in Azuden, who received the first recognition from a professor this school year. Who's this guy? Stay tuned to our page, Azuden's student union update.