malefica arcana

CHAPTER ONE

HE FELT LIKE HIS HEART WAS GOING TO JUMP OFF HIS CHEST. The creaking floors were just that loud. It was what woke Julian. His bright green eyes opened wide, alert. Sitting up hurriedly, the small body shaking as though the world was rumbling. He lowered his gaze, looking towards his trousers. There was no spill. He didn't piss himself. This was what it was like, living in that house. He never wanted to return to that place again. Never in his life did he wish to ever find himself ever in his life to see that house again.

The green-eyed boy's gaze darted around the room, his heart pounding with residual fear. But as his eyes landed on the open window, relief flooded through him like a cooling wave. With a shaky sigh, he realized that the source of his terror had been nothing more than the wind rattling the window frame.

Moving cautiously toward the window, he felt the lingering weight of fear begin to dissipate, replaced by a sense of calm. With hesitant steps, he approached the open window, peering out into the world beyond.

Outside, the sun had already risen, casting a warm golden glow over the landscape. The sight brought a measure of comfort to the boy's weary soul, soothing the lingering echoes of his nighttime fright.

As he stood there, bathed in the gentle morning light, he couldn't help but wonder how long he had slept. It had been a deep, uninterrupted slumber, longer than any rest he could remember in his entire life. In the recesses of his memory, he struggled to recall a time when he had experienced such profound peace and tranquility.

Running a hand over his tired eyes, the boy couldn't shake the feeling of exhaustion that still clung to him, despite the lengthy rest. But beneath the weariness, there was a glimmer of gratitude—a sense of appreciation for the rare gift of a peaceful night's sleep, a luxury he had never known before. And as he stood there, gazing out at the world.

As Julian turned around, his heart leaped into his throat, his breath catching in a sudden gasp. His eyes darted around the room, searching desperately for any sign of his sister's presence. But where there should have been the comforting sight of her resting peacefully in her bed, there was only emptiness—a void that filled him with a creeping sense of dread.

Panic surged through him like a tidal wave, his mind racing with fearful possibilities. Had something happened to her during the night? Had she been taken, just like Lina and Carlos?

Frantically, Julian rushed over to the bed, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch the cold, vacant spot where his sister should have been. His fingers grasped at empty air, his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and desperation.

He stumbled around the room, his thoughts a jumbled mess as he tried to come up with a plan. But the pain in his leg flared up once again, a sharp reminder of his own vulnerability. With a cry of frustration, he collapsed to the ground, his hands gripping the wooden legs of the bed for support.

Tears stung his eyes as he cursed his useless leg, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of regret and self-recrimination. If only he had been faster, if only he had been stronger—perhaps then he could have protected his sister from whatever horrors awaited her.

But now, as he lay there, crippled by pain and consumed by guilt, he knew that time was running out. He had to find his sister, no matter the cost.

He had to find his sister. Now. And fast. Julian tries to stand up once again. He grit his teeth as he pushes the palm of his hand against the floorboards. He had to stand up, get these little legs running. The pain didn't matter. His sister did. He had to swallow the pain. Julian pushes himself to kneel, with the help of the wooden bed frame. He pushes himself up with all his strength. Hope brushed to him as he managed to get himself up. But he inevitably fell back down onto the wooden floor. He curses deeply. It wasn't because of the pain this time, no. He felt the rush of shame coursing through his veins.