Raynond's POV
I was restless. Everything that had been happening to me kept circling my mind, the strange moments, the whispered stories from the festival, all of it refusing to let me rest.
It felt as though a storm was gathering in the distance, heavy and unseen, and I did not know where to run when it finally broke.
I could no longer enjoy the festival. The music, once lively, became dull and unbearable, the laughter hollow in my ears.
So I decided to go home. Perhaps in solitude I would find the peace that continued to elude me.
Jason was no longer beside me. I scanned the crowd until I finally spotted him, dancing with a group of villagers.
I pushed my way through the throng and tapped him on the shoulder.
I want to go home, I told him. I'm not feeling too good.
"Alright," he said with a grin. "Let me finish this round of dancing, then we'll go home together."
There's no need, I replied quickly. I can go on my own.
I did not want to spoil his joy. Jason was a good friend, always ready to leap headfirst into danger for my sake.
He rarely mingled with people, and seeing him laugh and dance so freely made me happy. I would not be the one to steal that from him.
"Alright. See you later," he said, already turning back to the dance.
I had not gone far from the village square when the feeling came over me, the unmistakable sense of being watched. My skin prickled, and my heart began to pound.
I turned sharply, but there was no one there.
Why were such strange things happening to me lately?
Before I could take another step, I turned again, and this time I saw them.
Men cloaked in darkness stood not far behind me, their eyes fixed on me with a hunger that made my blood run cold.
My first thought was to run.
And run I did.
I fled as though a hellhound was on my heels, my feet barely touching the ground. Behind me, I heard them give chase.
When I reached the house, I threw the door open and slammed it shut with all my strength, jamming it closed in terror, expecting them to follow me inside.
But the one who came after me was not one of them.
It was my father.
The noise had drawn him to the door at once.
"What is going on, Ray?" he asked.
I wanted to answer, but my breath came in broken gasps, my body trembling so violently that when I finally tried to speak, I stammered.
I—I… I was chased, I managed. "Men in cloaks. After I left the festival."
I opened the door and looked outside.
There was nothing.
The night lay still and silent, as though no pursuit had ever taken place.
My father looked out as well, his face unreadable. Or perhaps I only imagined the suspicion in his eyes.
Father, you have to trust me, I said quickly. "They chased me. I'm not lying."
I never said you were, he replied calmly. Close the door and come inside. We need to talk."
When I turned back into the room, my breath caught.
My father was already seated, and before him lay the same big, old, rusty book.
The book Jason and I had once planned to steal.
I had searched everywhere for it and never found it, yet now it lay openly in front of me. My hands began to shake.
I've locked the door, I told him as I stood before him.
Sit down, Raymond, my father said, pointing to the chair opposite him.
I sat, uneasy, my eyes never leaving the book.
Do you know who the people that chased you tonight are? he asked.
No, Father, I replied. I don't know them.
Then how did you know to run?
I thought about his question. I truly did not know why I ran. Perhaps it was instinct something deep within me that acted before my mind could reason.
All I knew was that they meant me no good.
I don't know why I ran, I said honestly. I just did.
"You didn't know them, yet you ran," my father said slowly. That is instinct, Raymond. You were born with it. It comes naturally to your people."
Father, I said, fear tightening my chest, what are you talking about? What people?
I already knew where this was going, and it terrified me.
"I cannot hide you forever," he continued. "Nor can I protect you forever. I have tried to ignore the signs, to pretend I did not see them, but that cannot continue.
The last thing I would ever want is for harm to come to my son. You will always be my boy, as long as I draw breath.
All I can do now is prepare you for what is coming. So you must listen."
Alright, Father, I said, nodding.
"The people you encountered tonight are called witches. Among the four realms, you must never trust witches. They are masters of deception.
"There is an old saying: Beware of witches. The happiness of one witch is the downfall of many."
What does that mean? I asked.
"I do not know," he said grimly. "But it tells you enough about how evil they are."