Chapter 2
1226words
I loosened my grip on the amulet, still feeling its reassuring warmth against my skin.
The underground chamber fell into eerie silence, broken only by the sound of panicked breathing in the darkness.
Evelyn struggled to her feet, her entire body shaking, her mask of superiority completely shattered.
She stared at me, fury and disbelief burning in her eyes. "You… what the hell are you?"
I ignored her question and turned to Simon. "Are we continuing the show?"
Simon gulped audibly, forcing a smile as he nodded. "Yes, yes of course. That… that special effect was incredibly realistic. Our production team really outdid themselves."
He didn't believe a word he was saying.
The livestream comments had gone completely wild:
"What special effects? Morgan literally had a force field around her!"
"Evelyn nearly pissed herself and you're calling it special effects?"
"What kind of witchcraft is this show pulling? This can't be fake!"
I glanced around at the others. The pink-haired influencer had retreated to a corner, too terrified to speak. Only Bianca, the scholar, maintained her composure, studying me with intense curiosity.
Simon cleared his throat loudly. "Right! Let's move on to our next segment—exploring the family ritual ruins!"
He pointed to opposite ends of the village. "According to our research, this vanished witch family conducted important rituals near both the ancient well and the river channel. We'll split into teams to search for artifacts they may have left behind."
"I'll take the river," I said immediately.
Evelyn quickly countered, "Then I'll investigate the well."
Simon nodded: "Excellent. Morgan and Bian Ying will take the river channel. Evelyn, Bianca, and…" he glanced at the pink-haired influencer.
"Can I… maybe sit this one out?" the influencer asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The show contract doesn't permit that," Simon said firmly. "So Evelyn and Bianca will investigate the ancient well."
Just then, a sharp "meow" cut through the darkness.
The black cat that had disappeared during the chaos had returned, slinking cautiously toward Evelyn and rubbing against her ankles.
Evelyn scooped it up triumphantly. "See? This is my familiar. All true witches have guardian spirits."
She shot me a challenging look. "Where's your familiar, Morgan? Or don't frauds qualify for spiritual companions?"
I extended my right arm and gave a soft whistle.
A silver streak plummeted from the night sky, landing gracefully on my outstretched wrist.
It was an owl with silvery-white plumage, its eyes gleaming like polished gemstones.
"Silver Shadow," I said softly, stroking its feathers. "My family's guardian for generations."
The livestream exploded again:
"HOLY SHIT! AN ACTUAL OWL!"
"These can't be special effects! That's a real owl!"
"This is getting too weird. That has to be real!"
Evelyn's face darkened. "Hmph. Anyone can train a bird. A true familiar requires blood resonance and generational bonding. That's just a common owl with some tricks."
I smiled faintly. "Blood resonance, you say?"
I gently stroked Silver Shadow's head. The owl let out a haunting cry that carried an unmistakably ancient rhythm.
My amulet began to glow softly, its light pulsing in perfect sync with the gleam in Silver Shadow's eyes.
"A true familiar," I said, looking directly at Evelyn, "never requires a forced bond. The price of such coercion… can you really afford it?"
Evelyn clutched her cat tighter, a flicker of panic crossing her face before she could hide it.
Bianca observed this exchange with scholarly interest. "Fascinating. Tonight promises to be quite educational."
Simon jumped in nervously. "Right! Let's begin our exploration! Remember to bring back any artifacts you discover for analysis."
I headed toward the river with Bian Ying following close behind, Silver Shadow perched regally on my shoulder.
From behind us came Evelyn's hushed voice: "Bianca, do you actually know anything about true witchcraft?"
"More than you might think," Bianca replied cryptically.
The river gleamed with an eerie sheen under the moonlight, flowing so slowly it was nearly silent.
Bian Ying stayed close behind me, clearly rattled by everything that had happened.
"So… are you really a witch?" she whispered nervously.
Instead of answering, I crouched down and dipped my finger into the river.
The water was ice-cold, but pulsed with an unusual energy.
"Something powerful happened here," I murmured.
Silver Shadow launched from my shoulder, circled once above the river, then landed on a dead tree across the water. The owl hooted insistently at something near the tree's roots.
I waded across and discovered a bracelet made of small bones near the tree's base, alongside an intricately crafted wind chime.
The wind chime tinkled softly in the breeze, its sound carrying an inexplicable sadness.
"Found them," I said, carefully securing both items.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the night.
It came from the direction of the ancient well.
Bian Ying and I locked eyes for a moment, then sprinted toward the well.
When we arrived, Evelyn was crouched on the ground clutching her black cat, her face ashen.
Bianca was climbing out of the well, an antique lantern in one hand, clutching a tattered map and a cloth doll.
"What happened?"
"There's something down there," Bianca said with remarkable composure. "Many things, actually. But we've found what we needed."
She unfolded the map, revealing the village layout marked with strange arcane symbols.
"It's a ritual map," she explained. "These symbols mark different power nodes throughout the village."
I examined the cloth doll. Despite its intricate craftsmanship, it radiated malevolence.
"That doll…"
"It's a vessel designed to contain something," Bianca interrupted. "What exactly, I'm not yet certain."
Evelyn suddenly jumped to her feet, pointing an accusatory finger at me. "Stop the act! You recognize these artifacts! Tell us which witch bloodline you really belong to!"
I fixed her with an icy stare. "You really want to know?"
"I have every right to know! As a legitimate practitioner, I demand to know your lineage!"
"Legitimate?" I let out a soft, bitter laugh. "Evelyn, do you even understand what true family rituals involve?"
I held up the bone bracelet I'd found, which emitted a subtle glow in the moonlight.
"This is a guardian bracelet, crafted to shield family members from malevolent forces."
I raised the wind chime. "This is a spirit chime, used to commune with ancestors who have passed beyond the veil."
"And that doll…" I nodded toward the cloth figure in Bianca's hand, "is a binding vessel used to imprison something dangerous."
Fear flashed across Evelyn's face. "How could you possibly know all this?"
"Because they belong to my family."
My words landed like a physical blow.
The livestream comments section exploded:
"WAIT WHAT? Morgan is from the missing witch family?!"
"This plot twist is INSANE!"
"I KNEW she was the real deal!"
Evelyn's face drained of all color. "Impossible! That family vanished decades ago!"
"Vanished?" I sneered. "Who told you we vanished?"
Suddenly the night wind picked up, making the wind chime sing with crystalline clarity.
Within that sound, something else seemed to whisper.
Like voices. Like summons.
Bianca frowned deeply. "Something is awakening."
I felt my amulet growing hot against my skin as Silver Shadow shifted restlessly on my shoulder.
In the distance, Simon and the crew were running toward us, but they seemed to move in slow motion, as if time itself was stretching.
