Jamal's POV
Except for one major thing...
No signs of the big rats I'd battled earlier.
It was strange. Either they pulled a vanishing act, or there were hints of their broken bodies and a twisted trail of blood.
I scratched my head, a little uneasy. Rats don't usually clean up after themselves, right? But I shook off the thought, trying to convince myself it wasn't worth worrying about.
And failing to.
I had to leave this place, now.
Heading for the exit, I couldn't shake this feeling like I was being watched. Or worse, that I wasn't alone. A shiver ran down my spine, but I tried to ignore it, focusing on getting out of this dim, damp maze.
The closer I got to the exit ladder, the more I felt like whispers were dancing around me. Soft, eerie voices that made the hair on my neck stand up. I quickened my pace, not daring to look back.
Finally, I climbed out into the open air, the sunlight a welcome change from the suffocating darkness below. I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air wash over me.
I made my way to the Watcher, a man with mysterious powers who claimed he could sense things beyond normal folks. He raised an eyebrow as I approached.
"Jamal, what did you find?" he inquired, his eyes glinting with anticipation.
I recounted the odd disappearance of the rats and the unsettling whispers in the sewer. The Watcher listened, his expression growing serious.
"That's peculiar," he mused. "My magic is telling me the staff is in the sewers. There's no mistake about it."
I furrowed my brow. "But what about what I saw? The rats"
He sighed, a deep sound that carried a weight of ancient knowledge. "Magic works in mysterious ways, Jamal. Sometimes, it shows different things to different eyes. Trust me, the staff is down there. We just need to figure out how to unveil its hiding place."
I nodded, though doubts lingered. The sewer's mystery clung to me like the stench of the underground. As the Watcher delved into his magical tools, I couldn't shake the feeling that something hidden, something beyond my understanding, lurked beneath the surface, waiting to be unraveled.
The stench of the sewer clung to me like a persistent shadow as I trudged upstairs, even more tired and exhausted than I was the previous night.
. Autumn and Summer, my kids, were already lost in the world of dreams by the time I stumbled through the door.
I stood by their door, watching the both of them sleep quietly, wanting desperately to walk over and kiss the both of them. I hadn't tucked them to sleep in a while. And that disturbed me. It was why Autumn was so mad at me that day, why he had lost it and lashed out. I had promised them better quality time together as a family, and yet after so long, I was yet to deliver on even that.
It was shit, it was all shit.
Shaking my head, I walked into the bar in the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible not to wake them up. I opened the first bottle of whiskey I could find and just drank it straight from the bottle, not bothering with the ceremony of rinsing out a glass. It was bitter, and ran down my throat with a burning intensity, temporarily sending shocks through my muscles and waking me up, filling me with energy.
But even that was very temporary. Human alcohol never worked well with me. Too weak, I metabolized it almost as fast as I consumed it. Throwing away the bottle in disgust, I walked to my bedroom.
The fatigue settled in my bones, urging me to seek the solace of my bed.
I took a quick shower, trying to wash away the lingering odor of the underground labyrinth. The water ran murky for a moment, a reminder of the murky depths I had waded through. Clean and exhausted, I slipped into bed, hoping for a night of undisturbed rest.
But dreams are unpredictable, and that night, they were far from peaceful. In my sleep, I found myself standing in the familiar grandeur of my throne room. Only, it wasn't mine anymore. The Dark Witch occupied my throne, a sinister smirk playing on her lips.
"Hello, my love." She crooned, smiling that smile, the wicked smile I could never resist.
"Hello, bane of my existence." I muttered back, watching as she sat there, her legs crossed, in the flowing black robe she loved so much, the slit of it's skirts as high as her waist. "What, taking my happiness away from me wasn't enough? Now you want my throne too?"
She threw her head back, letting out a loud cackle that echoed across the room, so loud it quite literally shook the pillars.
"Oh my dear Jamal, I see you have developed a sense of humor."
I shrugged, "Being cursed by the devil's mate does that do a wolf."
"You are still bitter about that?" She asked, waving a lazy arm and morphing the room to become a clearing in a forest, with moonlight piercing through the trees. Then with a little skip, she floated towards me, a wide smile on her face. "Do you remember this place darling?" She cooed, stopping a few inches from me.
Of course I did, it was the place where we had first had sex. When I was a foolish teenager smitten by the who I thought was the most beautiful woman in the world.
But I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction by answering her. I ignored her.
She giggled again, clearly enjoying herself,
I felt a surge of anger, the memory of our fierce battle replaying before me. The clash of magic, the swirling darkness, and the desperate struggle for dominance unfolded once more. This time, however, the outcome was different.
I suddenly heard a laugh, a cruel and mocking laugh, that echoed in the night. I turned and saw her, standing on the other side of the lake. She was wearing a black cloak and a hood that covered her face, except for her eyes. Her eyes were red, like blood, and they glowed with malice. She raised her hand, and I saw a flash of light. A bolt of lightning struck the ground near me, sending sparks and dirt flying. I jumped back, barely avoiding the blast.
She laughed again, and said, “You can’t run from me, Jamal. You can’t hide from me. You are mine, and I will have you.”
I ran towards her, ignoring the pain in my legs and the fear in my heart. I raised the dagger, ready to strike. She saw me coming, and smiled. She waved her hand, and a wall of fire rose from the lake, blocking my path. I stopped, stunned, and felt the heat on my face. She said, “You are a fool, Jamal. You think you can fight me with that puny dagger? You think you can break my curse? You are nothing, Jamal. Nothing but a weak and pathetic boy, you have always been one."