Achan's P.O.V
"Chief, can we conduct a physical examination for the Security Department with just us two?" Elle reluctantly asks while she hands me my coffee.
"Don't worry, you don't have to come with me, it's your first day after a-"
"No! I was not complaining, I just don't like how the company treats you!" She exclaimed.
She's only been with me for a few hours, but she's already comfortable around me, maybe because she's Miss Irene's cousin from her father's side. And she entrusted her to me? Or is it just because we're around the same age?
Belle Fontanilla, 22 years old, a fresh grad. with a Bachelor's degree in business administration...
"It's not that bad, if you want to be transferred, I could pull some strings. I could ask Miss Ire-"
"Chief, I wanted to work under you. You have no idea how happy I was to get the job. I'm sorry if I ever stepped outside my role, but please don't throw me out. I swear I could become as good as Miss Irene-" she panicked.
"You really are just like her!" I laughed.
"Did she tell you that?" She smiled, embarrassed by her actions.
"Yes, and she told me to take good care of you. Now, please, don't push yourself too much. You're my only employee, I can't rely on you too much!" I smiled at her, a genuine one.
"Oh please, I grew up with Miss Irene, I can handle everything you throw to me, and if you'll be treated by the company like this, I got your back, I promise!" She laughed, reassuring me.
I laughed after realizing that Miss Irene must have made this girl's life a living hell, knowing her, she must have!
"Well then, if you insist. I need you to contact Security Department and tell them to get ready this afternoon, we'll start when the clock strikes 1pm!"
"Afternoon?! Shouldn't we prepare our equipment first?" She screamed, not minding that it's her first activity on her first day.
She's more worried that we're unprepared than her being thrown into action on her first day.
She really does make herself comfortable, it's as if we're already close enough- I guess it's because we only have a year gap in our age, which made us bond quicker!
"We only need papers, a ream of paper is enough!" I laughed at her.
"What? Aren't you gonna need at least a few dozen eggs and a box of candles?" She showed me her tablet filled with her Witchcraft research.
"Elle, I'm not a Witch, I don't do Divination. A paper and a prayer's enough to conduct our check-up!"
"Oh? Is that why you didn't even flinch after receiving the boss's sudden, immediate request?" She asked after getting a ream of paper from my cabinet.
"This is lightwork!" I told her.
After what he did to my team and to my office? I could even say that he's slipping off I thought he'd do much worse after our talk yesterday.
"Chief Allare?" A man dressed in a jumpsuit entered my office without knocking and handed Elle a piece of paper.
"We're moving? Where?" Elle said before handing me the paper.
"THE FUCK?!" I stood up after reading the contents of the paper.
"The Health Physician's Department's Office would be changed into a new function hall for the other employees. The boss told us that you already know where you're moving into, can we please get a sign here to prove that your department received the letter?" He said before handing Elle his clipboard.
That man!
"Where would we be moving them?" Another man entered.
"Elle, don't let them touch our stuff!" I stormed out of my office and went for the elevator.
The CEO's office was on the 19th floor, while ours was on the 2nd. Why would he want to make a function hall on the lower floor? Was he that desperate to win our fight, or was he just dumb?
I guess I spoke too soon when I said that he's slipping off...
"Sir, the Boss doesn't-" His secretary tried to block me from entering his office, but I just smiled at her, paired with a wink, inducing a paralyzing effect caused by my power.
"Morning to you, too!" I said before pushing the door wide open.
"You're fast, did you miss me that much?" He smirked.
He knew that I would come to him after putting down an order, he sure does think that he's gonna win this fight. Didn't he realize that I have the upper hand here?
"That's cute!" I mocked him.
"It's a great idea, right? I guess you could move outside my office, there are only the two of you left in your department, right? That way I could easily order you around!" He chuckled.
"Thank you for your consideration, but now, I that I have a reason to move my office to my room, I think I should do it. Finally, I could just stay inside my place and not see your face!" I smiled at him before crumpling the paper in my hand and throwing it on his face.
I can see him getting annoyed, which is a point for me!
"You can have my office, I don't like it anyway! The walk's too far from my place!" I scoffed at him before turning my back to walk out.
Achan 1, Uther the demon, 0.
"Well, if you insist... Just so you know, you only have this afternoon to move all your stuff or I'll let the Maintenance Department keep everything to themselves!" He said before I could even step outside.
Wait, was he being for real? He planned everything meticulously, ordering a sudden physical examination for the department with the largest number of employees and demanding that we rush it. And while we're overwhelmed with preparations, he pulls this stunt? What a demon!
"They can have it!" I said without looking back before I ran for the exit.
"Chief, they're taking everything!" Elle yelled after seeing me stepping out of the elevator.
"We're really sorry, Chief, we're just doing our job!" The man who gave us the letter pleaded.
"*Sigh* Let them, just take your things, I'll just take a box of new papers!" I whispered as I watched the Maintenance Department take out all our stuff.
Achan 1, Uther the demon 1!
"What's going on?" I heard a passerby ask one of her colleagues.
"I heard that their department's being disintegrated, I don't know the reason though..." The man beside her answered.
"Didn't their new Chief cure our CEO? Why would he treat him this badly?" The woman uttered.
"Didn't you know? It's rumored that he might be the reason why our Boss vanished-"
"Shh, you're talking about that Chief!" Another woman butt in.
"What? That kid's their Chief? No way!" The first woman slightly raised her voice in disbelief.
"No wonder they're being mistreated, the new Chief's too young!" The man said.
"Didn't you know? He also didn't graduate from college, I don't know how he pulled it off, but I guess if you're that powerful, you wouldn't need education to enter this company!" The first woman added.
"Can you guys shut up? Shamans are extraordinary people, they have heightened senses for goodness' sake!" The other woman tried to shush them, but I already heard everything.
"Good morning!" I smiled at them as we walked past their way.
"Morning, Chief!" The second woman immediately greeted back as the other two followed her.
Tsk! They're making me remember why I hate office work. A place full of fake bitches!
"I'm starting to think that the Boss is indeed evil! I thought you two were close? After all, you saved him, right?" Elle said as we dropped the boxes we're carrying, the only thing we could salvage was our recent paperwork and a whole box of bond paper.
"Make yourself at home, this will be our new office. You can also have the guest room-"
"No, Chief, no thank you. This is your home, I can't impose-"
"Elle, we're like friends at this point, though we just met, but you being able to keep up with all of these on your first day. I decided to take good care of you, use my spare room as your own, we'll be working day and night after all!" I smiled at her as I lent my hand for a shake.
"I'll do my best to keep up, thank you for welcoming me with open arms- we'll overcome this company's abuse, together!" She held my hands and shook them.
"Please don't call it abuse, you're making me hate my job!" We both laugh, unconcerned with our current situation.
What can I do? I chose to be here, this is nothing. I could handle Uther's immaturity. Can I?
"I guess Miss Irene already warned you about my department's situation, right?" I opened up after we both settled into my living room.
"She told me a couple of things, like how hard the work would be now that there's a new temporary CEO. And you being punished by the Boss because of something a Manager did?" She said without looking at me, eyes focused on the movie.
"Well, I guess she told you everything then..."
"Why is he punishing you, though? Didn't that Manager attack you? Why is it you instead of that jerk?" Elle turned to me.
"Well, the thing is, I kinda don't know either!" I pouted, her words kept repeating in my head.
Why is it? Why are we having this beef again?
"What? He's being unreasonable then!" Elle exclaimed.
"I kinda did say that too...I couldn't even get a decent answer when I tried talking to him!" I sighed.
"Maybe because he's scared of what you could do, that's why he's trying to keep you on your toes!" She said.
"Scared?"
"I mean, if a Manager of Moral Ez who knew about your power was that scared of you, to the point where he tried attacking you head on, wouldn't it make sense that the Boss would also be wary of you? You, alone, took care of the Curse yourself. You're not an ordinary Shaman, Chief!" She explained.
That might be it?
"But even if I am, why would he be scared of me? My intentions from the start were pretty clear to him, I sacrificed my safety for him!" My voice cracked, and I couldn't keep it together.
I feel like there's more to it than that...
Why would he be scared- did the Manager tell him what happened that night? No, the Manager wouldn't have the guts to reveal that secret- or did he overhear us that night? He was near my door when I saw him after I left my room, right?
*
"Fuck!" I whispered to myself.
I think that's it!
"What is it? Am I infected?!" Chief Clarence took the paper from my hand, which made me return to reality.
"No- I- It's nothing, you're clean!" I said as I took back the empty piece of paper from him.
"Next!" Elle yelled before checking the Chief's name on her checklist.
"Hi, we missed you!" Oliver, one of the Chief's men from the villa, waved at me as he sat down in the chair that's in front of me.
"How's the gang?" I smiled before placing the paper on his head.
"They're doing good, we already have the lead to the Boss' potential locati-" Oliver was cut off when a dark smoke came out of his chest and went into the piece of paper.
"Elle!" I shouted as she tried to bring me a jar of concoction we made earlier.
She's quick at assessing the situation.
"Drink!" I handed the jar to Oliver and placed both my hands on the paper.
"Is it Silvia?!" The Chief ran back to us after seeing the commotion.
"I don't know yet!" I murmured as I watched Oliver drink the entire jar.
All his men gathered around us, anticipating the next thing that might happen.
"Purify, Purify, Purify!" I repeatedly whispered as I tore the piece of paper that turned from white to completely black.
*Scream!* We were alerted when a woman's scream came out of the torn paper as it turned to ashes.
"That's definitely her!" Oliver mumbled, then he started coughing up some blood.
"Where's your knife and bucket?!" The Chief panicked.
"Chief, I don't do Bloodletting, remember?!" I yelled at him as I placed both my hands on Oliver's face.
"But, I thought Bloodletting was the best method of Purification?" Elle asked in confusion.
O.M.G. I think I'm reverting my compliment from her earlier.
"Haphides (Hafides like tide), Goddess of Nature, heed my prayer, I, the Scion, offer you a child of God who's suffering. Heal thy body, that serves as our soul's vessel. Purify, Heal, Neutralize!" I cast, making my body glow bright white, and with my hands touching Oliver, the light transferred to him.
"Where did you come from?" I asked him after his body returned to normal.
"Fro- From the villa!" He uttered as he caught his breath.
"Were you the only person guarding that place before we called you in here?!" I held his shoulders as I stared into his burnt-out expression.
"Ye- Yes!"
"Chief, I need to go back to the villa as soon as possible!" I yelled, making him drag me into the elevator without a word.
"Wha- Chief Allare, what am I gonna do?!" I heard Elle as she ran after us.
"Keep the Young Master safe!" I handed her the totem that we made earlier.
A totem of protection made out of Hay, Sage, and a piece of Saffron thread that I was stashing.
"Please come back safe!" She hugged me before the elevator closed.
"Will the Boss be there?" Chief Clarence broke the silence.
"I'm positive, was the barrier ever repaired?" I asked as the lift continued to go up.
"Yes!" He whispered as he realized something.
"That's why the Location Ritual never worked, they were hidden in the most secure place in the world!" I laughed out of exhaustion.
Those sleepless nights of trying to perfect my Locator Spell, all those expensive herbs I wasted, the Boss was hidden in the most obvious place all this time?!
"Irene, let us use the Winged One!" Chief Clarence said on the phone.
"Winged One?" I look at him, confused.
"A Magical aircraft that was designed by an ancient Mage. It's the fastest one in our possession!" He said as the elevator opened to the top floor.
"Get in!" Miss Irene was already on the top floor, standing next to a normal-looking helicopter.
"Are you sure this thing's fa-" Before I could sit, the gravity just pulled me into the helicopter's floor.
And before I could realize, we're already a few kilometers away from the city.
"This is not a helicopter!" I told to myself as I heard the engine roar like it's alive.
"This Beast is called the Winged One, the rumoured familiar of the first ever Mage!" Chief Clarence uttered as he held tightly onto his seat.
First ever Mage?
"Baby?" I mumbled as images of a giant flying beast flashed through my mind.
The memory of the First Mage that a Vessel has access to.
'Congratulations, you have met another one of the requirements necessary to be the eligible Vessel for the First Mage's return. Achan Allare, the Scion, you're now second to the Successor, may the First Mage choose yo- ERROR! The Scion's Purity was tainted, Darkness has entered your system, consider seeking Purification immediately or the Scion would be revoked!' A voice echoed in my head.
Fuck! The System found out, I'm doomed!