The Decision

As I began gently waking up Eryk and Ailee, an uneasy feeling settled over me. The boy's stare was making me increasingly uncomfortable. It was challenging to decipher whether his expression held disgust or pure anger, not that it mattered much; it was apparent that he harboured some resentment toward me.

Ailee was the first to stir, stretching her legs and rising, her yawns signalling her waking up. Her eyes lit up as they met the gaze of the other boy, exuding happiness.

"Suho! You're home! How was school?" she exclaimed, leaping toward him. He greeted her with a hug, his smile warm, and patted her head affectionately.

I noticed that he was Asian, though his name still caught me off guard, not that it made a difference.

"Yeah, not bad. My last class got cancelled, so I came home early. How was your day?" Suho inquired, his smile never wavering. While Ailee pondered her response, Eryk approached me and opened his arms. I assumed he wished to be carried too, so I lifted him and started heading towards Suho.

"Today was really cool. Francis played with us all day, and we talked in the garden about his past. And then we napped," Ailee replied with an infectious grin.

"Oh, really? That's nice. Ailee, Eryk, I need to take Francis with me for a while. Could you go to your room and play there?" Suho stated, though his voice and his gaze conveyed annoyance. Unaware of the tension, Eryk and Ailee agreed and returned to the mansion.

It always astounded me how children could effortlessly brush off annoyance or negativity, even when it was directed at them.

As they left, I sensed the mounting tension between Suho and me. In an attempt to diffuse it, I offered a warm, genuine smile. Regrettably, he merely scoffed at my attempt.

Did he just...scoff at me? Mock me right after I smiled? Seriously?

"Come on. Lys wants to talk to you," he snapped, rolling his eyes as he noticed my shocked expression.

I was taken aback by his attitude, shocked that he was addressing me like I was some servant of his. What was his problem?

"Hello? Are you deaf or something?" he snapped again, growing increasingly irritated.

That did it! I approached him and met his eyes, retorting, "No, I'm not deaf. I was simply wondering at how you can stand here so freely with a big ass ego resting on your shoulders flame boy."

"Who do you think you are?" he shouted, as if my comment had just jolted him awake.

"Someone you don't want to mess with," I replied, turning and heading to Lys' office.

With huge satisfaction, I strolled through the hallways. There's nothing quite as gratifying as delivering a well-deserved putdown to a rude ass. However, my moment of triumph was interrupted as I passed by an open double door, revealing a lively discussion taking place within.

"Jess, you need to calm down," a soft male voice attempted to relax someone.

"Calm down? I can't calm down! It's unbelievable. Lucas, did you hear what that hyena said to me in front of Dominique? She called me a 'fat cow' and told me not to try and talk with the 'rich and smart ones'!" Jess's furious outcry pierced through the mansion.

I froze in my tracks, standing before the open door. Now I could see three people inside the guest room, two males and one female. They appeared to be around my age.

One of the boys got this shock of blond hair that practically glows in the sun. His skin's got a nice tan, like he spends a lot of time outdoors. And man, he's tall, like at least 10 centimetres taller than me.

He's rocking torn-up blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt, but he somehow pulls it off. Like, effortless style.

I can't quite pin down where he's from, but there's something about the way he talks that gives off a Southern Europe vibe. I'm guessing maybe Spain. He's got that laid-back charm and warmth, like he's straight out of the Mediterranean.

I checked out the other dude. Brown hair, around my height, with skin that's on the paler side. He's rocking black jeans and a red hoodie, giving off this cool, laid-back vibe.

It's like night and day compared to the blond guy. This one feels like he's from the northern or eastern part of Europe, you know? The fair skin kind of gives it away. Total opposite of his buddy.

The girl had long, jet-black hair shining in the sunlight, paired with brown skin and a cute mole below her nose. We're pretty much the same height. She's wore black skinny jeans and a white shirt – simple but stylish.

And yeah, she's got this clear French accent. Safe bet she's a local.

At first glance, they seemed like typical teenagers rather than witches capable of casting spells.

"Hey, you there! Aren't you the guest who arrived yesterday?" the girl's question snapped me back to reality. I blinked and looked at the trio, who were now gazing at me as if I were a new toy they'd just discovered.

"Yes, I'm Francis, and you are?" I replied, flashing them a friendly smile as I entered the room and positioned myself beside them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Robert. If you need help settling into the house, feel free to ask, okay?" the brown-haired boy said with a broad smile. I nodded and reciprocated with a smile of my own.

"I'm Jessica, but you can call me Jess. I hope you're cooler than these two losers. If you ever want to chat, just look for me; I'm the only one with any fashion sense," the girl declared with a grin while taking a dig at the two boys.

"Hey! Who said I'm not cool? I'm one of the coolest people here! Hey, my friend, how's it going? I'm Lucas. You can call me Lu if you want," the blonde boy chimed in, striking a 'cool' pose and flashing a peace sign.

Oh boy...

"Who in the world told you that you're the coolest? If I recall correctly, you're one of the dumbest people alive. Do I need to remind you of the 8th-grade field trip? Even our parents thought you were an idiot after your little escapade," Jessica interjected with an incredulous look.

Oh, that was interesting. It seems that Jessica and Lucas have the same parents? Which would bring up more questions I would like to ask. Maybe later, when we get to know each other.

"Okay, it was great to meet you all, but I need to see Lys. Catch you later!" I hurriedly exited the room, hoping to escape the ongoing 'discussion,' if one could even call it that. My parents would refer to it as a quarrel, for sure. Yeah, good one, Francis, provoke your memories; lets think about your parents that were brutally murdered. Fantastic job, really superb.

As I closed the door behind me, Lys greeted me with a smile.

"How are you, Francis?" she inquired, and we moved over to the couch, taking a seat.

"I'm fine. Eryk and Ailee are great fun to be with," I said, attempting to conjure a smile.

She regarded me thoughtfully and continued to observe me for a few moments. Finally, I cleared my throat, sat up straighter, and locked eyes with her.

"So, what would you like to talk about?" I inquired.

"I think you already know what I want to discuss," she replied with a faint smile.

She picked up her cup of tea, taking a sip and locking her blue eyes onto mine once more.

"You can stay here with us if you wish," Lys said with a warm, broad smile.

I was taken aback. I'd anticipated they'd toss me out of the mansion at the first opportunity. To have a chance at finding a new home was beyond my expectations.

"Thank you, Lys. You have no idea how much it means to me that I can stay here," I replied, my relief palpable.

"Alright, I'll take that as a yes. You should be aware that joining our coven isn't a simple matter. You'll need to undergo a test that gauges your powers and specialization, if any. But I don't foresee any issues; you're quite similar to most of our members, so there shouldn't be any difficulties," Lys informed me, her expression inscrutable.

"Oh, that's absolutely fine. I'm ready to take the test without hesitation," I responded with eagerness.

" Remember, after the test, the entire coven will know of your powers. It's a ritual that involves all the members of the coven. While you perform it, everyone will be able to see your powers, your uniqueness, so be prepared." she cautioned, her serious demeanour unchanged.

Well, what could go wrong? In the worst-case scenario, they might start ignoring me or attempt to exploit my abilities.

Or not...