Theo stared fixedly at the siblings. The barrels of their weapons remained fixed on him, and the silence in the cabin was so heavy that the creaking of the old wood could be heard.
"You have nothing to worry about" - Theo began, breaking the ice with a calm voice. - "I am not a mercenary, nor a hitman, nor a servant of the witches. I am just someone trying to prevent that ritual from taking place."
He paused briefly, observing how Hansel tightened his grip on his crossbow.
"I am not trying to mock you" - he continued with total seriousness. - "Quite simply, this is where the former White Witch lived along with her husband and children."
Upon hearing this, the siblings frowned deeply. The tension rose another level. Even though they held the weapons, they felt that Theo was not an easy target; the aura he emanated warned them that a fight against him would be extremely difficult, perhaps on the level of facing a Grand Witch or even something worse.
Theo read their expressions and decided to drop the next piece of information, one he knew would hit them where it hurt most: their own nature.
"Don't you find it strange?" - he asked. - "Don't you find it odd that no witch's spell is effective against you? While a simple enchantment manipulates others like puppets, it does nothing to you. That is thanks to the White Witch blood running through your veins. Witches' spells have no effect on those who share their origin."
Hansel let out a snort of incredulity, although his gaze wavered for a moment.
"You really are making up a great story" - Hansel said with a look of contempt. - "But I'm getting tired of listening to you."
Gretel said nothing, but her eyes reflected the same distrust as her brother's. Theo sighed to himself, feeling a sting of irritation mixed with resignation.
'Fine, they will hardly believe me with words' - Theo thought. - 'They are right not to believe a stranger who comes with nonsense. It was a mistake to think this would be like in stories, where the protagonist says something and everyone nods.'
He made a mental note: the next time he met someone in another world, he wouldn't try to give so many explanations, even if he had proof. It was too exhausting.
"Listen" - Theo said, pointing his finger toward a specific spot on the floor, where the trapdoor to the old lair was hidden. - "I know you don't believe me. But if you have even a shred of doubt, let me show you something that will change your mind."
The siblings exchanged a quick look. There was a silent dialogue between them, full of suspicion and internal debate. Finally, Gretel gave a small nod and lowered her weapon slightly, indicating that he could proceed. Hansel, however, did not lower his guard.
"Don't try anything funny" - Hansel warned.
"Yes, yes..." - Theo replied with a somewhat weary tone.
He walked carefully toward the indicated spot. The feeling of being aimed at from behind was annoying and unpleasant, although he knew his reflexes were superior. He knelt down and, after locating the joints of the planks, pulled hard. The old wood, despite appearing solid, gave way before his physical power, revealing the hidden hole that had remained sealed for years.
The siblings stood frozen for a second. They couldn't believe there was a hiding place like that in the house where they had grown up.
"Well, we have to go down" - Theo said, breaking the astonishment.
Gretel stepped forward immediately. Hansel tried to stop her, but she gave him a look that silenced him. He simply signaled Theo to step aside and allow his sister to pass.
Once below, the air was cold and smelled of dampness, dried herbs, and ancient parchment. One could clearly see it was a witch's lair, but not an ordinary one. There were no trophies of human bones or jars with children's eyes. Instead, Gretel found herself in a small herbalist's workspace.
Hansel asked from above what she saw, and she confirmed the find with a hollow voice. Theo and Hansel then climbed down to join her.
Gretel scanned the place with her eyes, realizing that this site did not emanate the darkness of the witches they usually hunted. She turned toward Theo with absolute seriousness.
"Was our mother really a witch?" - she asked. - "Was she the Grand White Witch you were talking about? And am I the one Muriel is looking for?"
"As I said before: yes" - Theo responded. - "Your mother was the Grand White Witch, and now you, Gretel, are the one Muriel seeks to complete the ritual."
Theo was internally surprised that she had accepted the information so quickly after seeing the lair. Hansel, for his part, began to pace back and forth, visibly agitated, shouting that it couldn't be true, that maybe they only lived above the lair by accident or that they were cursed. He found it horribly difficult to accept that his lineage was the same as that of their enemies.
Gretel ignored her brother's outbursts and kept her gaze fixed on Theo. Hansel, in a moment of lucidity driven by worry, suggested that Gretel should leave immediately. If she wasn't there, the ritual couldn't be performed and the children would be safe somehow.
"I am not leaving" - Gretel stated, looking at her brother. - "We still have to save the children. Now that I know they are looking for me, I will be more alert."
Theo took advantage of that emotional moment to intervene.
"While the safest thing would be for Gretel to leave" - Theo said, no longer downplaying his presence. - "that would make us lose the chance to finish off Muriel, her followers, and all the witches who will come for the ritual. It's better to end this once and for all."
He paused and added:
"Well, now that everything is resolved and the secret has come to light, we can..."
He couldn't finish. The siblings, as if they had reached an agreement, aimed their weapons at him again with astonishing speed. Theo made a face of annoyance and raised his hands again.
"Now what's the matter?" - he asked.
"We believe you about our mother" - Hansel said with a hard voice, - "but you still haven't told us how you know all this. At first I thought you had squeezed it out of a witch, but now I highly doubt it. I don't trust someone who knows so much and doesn't say where he comes from."
Theo sighed. He was tired of the justifications.
"You have your secrets, and I have mine" - Theo responded, shaking his head and feeling a headache coming on. - "It's better if we leave it at that."
"Do you think you have a choice?" - Hansel challenged, squeezing the trigger firmly. Gretel also kept her aim fixed.
Theo realized that diplomacy had been exhausted. Without warning, he activated Inner Beast. His body tensed, his muscles defined themselves under his clothes, and his eyes transformed into two yellow orbs with slit pupils that glowed in the gloom. The siblings startled, backing up a step while their bodies went into maximum alert.
"Of course I do" - Theo said, with a voice that sounded deeper and more dangerous as his yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. - "But before anyone does something stupid... do you really think you can deal with what comes next if you fire?"
Hansel and Gretel were stunned. Looking at Theo's slight transformation, a single word escaped their mouths: werewolf. They knew that werewolves were fearsome creatures, on the level of the strongest witches, and that without silver weapons, killing them was almost impossible due to their regeneration. The idea of having one of them at such a short distance, and without the proper equipment, made them feel a real chill down their spines.
Theo looked at them for a moment, noting how fear and surprise mixed on their faces. He murmured to himself that "it was something like that," but finally decided he didn't want a massacre. He deactivated the skill and returned to his normal state.
"Listen" - Theo said, recovering his usual tone. - "I understand what you're thinking, but leave things as they are. It wouldn't be good for us to fight among ourselves when we still have to stop Muriel."
The siblings made a face, but after an exchange of glances, they lowered their weapons. They had no silver and Theo was right: fighting now would be unnecessary suicide.
"Good" - Theo said, breaking the tension. - "Now that we can continue, let's see if we find anything useful in this grimoire."
He approached the siblings' mother's book. Gretel asked what good it would do, since neither Hansel nor Theo could use magic, and she, even having just discovered her origin, had no idea how to use it.
"That's not a problem" - Theo said. - "I know where there is a White Witch nearby who can help us. I didn't mention her before because... well, knowing you, you probably would have tried to kill her."
The siblings nodded in silence, still processing the idea that good witches existed.
"Let's go find her" - Theo stated seriously. - "But I hope you don't hurt her. I mean it."
Hansel and Gretel accepted, following him out of the lair and the cabin. As they walked, Hansel couldn't help but think with annoyance: 'And who appointed this guy leader?'
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I could swear I ran out of chapters, that's why I hadn't uploaded it, and this week I couldn't write any chapters. When I was about to write one, I realized I'd only uploaded up to chapter 16, and I was about to write chapter 18... that's when I realized there was a gap in the storyline...
Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter.