The Deadly Charm

Part 57 : Legacy of the Storm-Blooded Heir

The Inheritor of the Tewanurak Lineage

My name is Kritin.
And my life has never been ordinary.

The Tewanurak family—my bloodline—has carried a secret for generations. A legacy bound to the ancient power of the gods.
Specifically, to Tenguu, the god of storms and wind.

We were chosen to inherit this divine power.
And I... I'm not just any descendant.
I carry within me a fragment of the Tenguu's soul.

Proof?
A black-wing tattoo etched onto my left shoulder.
It isn't just a mark—it pulses in rhythm with my heartbeat, alive with energy. A storm rages within me, endless and untamed.

Since I was young, I was trained.
Trained in combat. Trained in restraint.
Trained to survive both the human world... and the spiritual one.

My days were filled with sword forms and martial discipline. It wasn't just to strengthen my body, but to sharpen my will—to prepare me to control the power coursing through my veins.

And once I'd mastered the physical, the real test began.
Spiritual control.
Balancing the raw force of a god with my fragile humanity.

Use too much... and I risked being consumed by the darkness.
I had to learn control, or it would destroy me—and everyone I cared about.

This intense training left me with no friends.
No one...
Except Sora—a boy who appeared to be my guardian spirit, but whom I quickly realized was more than that.
He was the other half of Tenguu.

We became inseparable, battling evil spirits together.
It was a life of duty and isolation.

Until the day I met Akira.

First Love

When I started attending school, I found it... unbearable.
I kept to myself.
My cold expression and silent nature made me unapproachable.
No one wanted to sit near me.
I was alone.

That was my routine—until that one day.

I was sitting at the edge of the schoolyard, watching others play sports, when I heard a soft voice.

"Don't you want to join them?"

I turned.
Amber eyes met mine—bright and curious.
Her lips curved into a soft smile, and my heart skipped a beat.

"...No. You?"

"Not really," she said, chuckling gently.

Then she sat beside me.
She started talking. Small things. Random thoughts.
I was surprised. But she didn't stop trying.
She was... kind of cute.

But what intrigued me more...
was the woman beside her.

A beautiful spirit.
Long snow-white hair. Crimson eyes. Dressed in gothic black.
She was always there, silent and watchful.
Her name, I'd later learn, was Aria.

From that moment, Akira and I began spending time together.
We shared classes, took walks after school, sometimes just sat in silence under a tree—each absorbed in our books.

One day, she introduced me to Aria.
That's when I realized—she could see spirits.
Which meant... she could see Sora too.

Time with her was always unexpected.
She brought color into my otherwise gray life.
And before I knew it, something had started to grow inside me.

I liked her.

I didn't want other guys near her.
But I was the heir of the Tewanurak family.
Would she accept who I really was?

I hesitated to tell her.

Then came our final year of high school.
I'd decided—I was going to confess.

But one day...

She was gone.

I later found out her family had moved abroad.

No goodbye.
No warning.

I was devastated.
I never got to tell her—

That she was my first love.

And then, I too had to leave.
My responsibilities to the family called.
And with that, our connection was lost.

The Reunion

I often spent time in a quiet little coffee shop near Vivid Enterprise—my escape from the pressure of my name and lineage.
A place where I could read in peace, sip coffee, and just breathe.

That day was no different.
I was reading one of my favorite books...
When I saw her.

Just a glimpse—through the window.
A girl walking past.
To others, she might look ordinary.

But not to me.

Akira.

My heart thudded in my chest.
Memories surged—her smile, her voice, the way she looked straight through me.
It was her. I knew it.
And the final confirmation?
Aria. The guardian spirit by her side—unchanged. Unmistakable.

From that moment on, I was pulled toward her again.
I didn't know if I should approach her.
But seeing her after all these years stirred something in me I thought was long gone.

I kept returning to that café.
Waiting. Hoping.

Eventually, I learned the route she took home.
And one evening, I saw her step into a small park near her workplace.

That was it.
My chance.

I followed. Sat on a bench under a large tree.
Book in hand. Just like the old days.

I waited.
Pretending.
But every part of me was on fire.

Would she remember me?

"Hi..."

I looked up—and time stopped.
Her amber eyes... just like before.

"...What are you reading?"

She didn't remember.

"Hi. What's your name?" I smiled slightly.

"I'm Akira. And you?"

"I'm Kritin. Nice to meet you."

I knew she was trying to process it. Her eyes flickered.

"Do you come here often?"

"Sometimes. It's quiet here. Good for reading."

We talked.
She sat beside me—just like back then.
We chatted until the sky began to darken.

She stood to leave.

I watched her walk away...
Heart pounding.

And I promised myself—

This time, I won't let her slip away again.