Exiled

Chapter 26

After watching Kane disintegrate into a cloud of ash, a twisted sense of happiness coursed through me. As horrible as that felt to think, he deserved it—especially after everything he's done. Even in his final moments, he went out with a bang, transferring all of his dark magic into me—leaving me reeling. What did this mean for me?

I was still bleeding, and the pain snapped me back into reality. I quickly shed my kimono cardigan, wrapping it tightly around my wound and tying it off. The fabric absorbed my blood, a reminder of the battle I had just fought.

As I stood there, taking in the remnants of our confrontation, a chilling realization washed over me. It wasn't just dark magic that Kane forced into me; it was Malik's dark magic—an ancient and malevolent magic I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

This wasn't the same as when the ancestors grant someone else's magic to a newborn witch, where the power melded with the essence of the new holder, becoming something uniquely theirs. No, I was infused with some of, if not all of Malik's power—and that terrified me.

I somehow felt different, like I could feel the weight of his darkness settling in my bones, a sinister energy thrumming beneath the surface—begging to be released.

I had fought so hard to define my own path, to carve out my identity as a powerful witch—I left everything behind to make sure of it.

Driven by my sudden urgency, I began to scour the large room for anything that give me some answers about what I was up against. I mean, this was clearly Kane's hideout, it would only make sense for there to be answers around here somewhere.

My search yielded nothing, so I made my way upstairs, determined to uncover more information. Reaching the front of the house, I spotted a large, fancy bookshelf connected to the wall. Knowing Kane, that meant there had to be something hidden behind it.

I summoned my power, I commanded every book inside to fly off the shelves, hoping to trigger something. But nothing happened, leaving me bewildered. I approached the bookshelf and, trusting my instincts—placed both hands on it. Instantly, the bookshelf slid upwards, vanishing completely, and revealing a study. The room was dimly lit and incredibly eerie, with shadows dancing along the walls due from the other bookshelves inside.

Of course that was it, Malik's magic was the key to unlocking the bookshelf and the magic was more inside of me.

A heavy desk dominated the space, and eyes locked onto a journal sitting on top of it . I snatched it and desperately flipped to the first page. At first, nothing stuck out to me—until something caught my eye. It read:

"I don't know whats happening to me. Ever since I transferred Malik's magic into me, I've begun to transform into someone else. It's as if I'm compelled to commit evil acts, and I'm struggling to control it. His magic grows stronger everyday, whispering dark commands I once fought against—but now I fear I can no longer resist. The only way to rid myself of this darkness is to expel his magic, but that would mean my death. Because of a curse that activates when you transfer the magic to anyone that's not him. Even so, I must find a way to reclaim my soul."

My heart sank as I realized this entry was dated shortly after he mind controlled Jade, which meant that he acted on his own accord then. But everything else he had done—was influenced by Malik's magic,

Suddenly, everything began to make sense but, but that realization also came with a heap of guilt. I had killed Kane without knowing the full truth—that Malik's magic had twisted him into an even worse version of himself. He had always been terrible, but he had never been this evil—there was hope for him.