Staruin Clan

Celeste strode through the city streets, dragging Ash along while Zayne followed close behind. As they moved, he noticed the wary glances some pedestrians shot at his sister—looks filled with fear and unease. Others, however, walked past without a second glance, as if she was nothing unusual.

It was clear now—there were far more supernatural beings in the world than he had ever realized.

"Hey, uh, Celeste," Zayne started hesitantly, his mind racing. "Just how much of Earth's population is supernatural? Because there are way more than I thought."

Celeste tapped her chin thoughtfully before giving a casual shrug. "Maybe forty percent? And that's just counting the ones regular humans know about. I'm not even including the Atlanteans or the people of the sky."

Zayne nearly tripped over his own feet. "Forty percent?!" He gawked at her, the weight of her words sinking in like a stone. This insane, hidden world had been right under his nose his whole life, and he'd never noticed.

Had his parents known? That thought lingered in his mind, making his stomach twist uncomfortably. His sister was always into the spiritual, witchy stuff—so it made sense that she was aware of it all. But their parents? They had always seemed… normal.

Were they just really good at hiding it? Or had they been just as clueless as he was?

He decided to save his questions for later as Celeste came to a stop in front of a bizarre-looking building. Its structure twisted and bent in ways that outright defied gravity, making it look like something ripped from a fever dream. He exhaled sharply—just more supernatural nonsense.

Celeste turned to Ash, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Her voice was calm but carried an undeniable edge.

"I'm extending an olive branch here. Escort me inside peacefully, and we can avoid a lot of injured werewolves. Or, I can force my way in and ruin your clan's hold on this territory. Your choice. But make it now."

Ash sighed, clearly knowing she had no real choice in the matter. "Fine. Just put me down, and I'll take you inside."

As soon as Celeste released her, Ash turned to Zayne, eyes narrowing. "And you—I get that you're new to all this, but don't touch anything. I don't want some clueless kid getting cursed on my conscience."

Zayne sucked his teeth, rolling his eyes before shoving her shoulder lightly. "First of all, we're the same age. And getting me cursed would bother you, but putting a giant hole in my chest didn't?"

Ash scoffed, shoving him back. "Ugh, you're still hung up on that? You're alive, aren't you?"

Zayne stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "Bitch, you killed me. I was dead."

He turned away before she could respond, facing the door instead. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with. And after this? I never want to see your face again."

Ash pushed past him and opened the door to the building. To Zayne's surprise, the inside was surprisingly… normal. Nice, even. The walls were adorned with elegant paintings, rich rugs covered the floors, and the warm lighting gave the place a strangely inviting atmosphere. It wasn't at all what he expected from a den of violent werewolves.

As they walked toward a grand staircase, his eyes were drawn to the massive portrait hanging above it. The man in the painting had piercing, predatory eyes that seemed to follow him no matter where he stood. His sharp gaze was framed by shoulder-length white and gray hair, a matching salt-and-pepper goatee, and a large fur coat draped over his broad shoulders, making his presence feel overwhelming—even in a painting.

Celeste sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great. Ancient werewolves. That explains why she went straight to violence. This is going to be a pain."

Zayne shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "I don't even know why we're here. Feels like a waste of time. I really don't want to talk to these guys, and I'm pretty sure Miss Hole Puncher over there doesn't want me here either."

Celeste smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"It's common courtesy to introduce yourself to a territory lord—or at the very least, let them know you're in their domain," she said, exasperated. "But more importantly, we're here to make sure they don't try anything with you. You're kind of a special case, considering you have that parasite in your chest. They might try to kill you on sight."

Zayne blinked. "Oh. Great."

Celeste ignored him. "Shadow parasites, especially, aren't looked upon too favorably. I'm here to smooth things over and make sure this doesn't turn into a bloodbath. And after that… we'll figure out how you can control that thing later."

Zayne sighed, glancing down at his chest. "Yeah, fantastic…"

Ash scoffed and pushed open a pair of massive grand doors, revealing the same man from the portrait above the staircase. In person, he was even more menacing. But the most notable thing wasn't his intimidating presence—it was the group of women gathered around him. The man had his own harem.

Before any of them could speak, the man addressed them first.

"And to what pleasure do I owe the Mad Witch, Celeste?"

Zayne blinked and turned to his sister with a dumbfounded look. He recognized her at a glance? Who the hell is she really?

Celeste, unfazed, gestured for him to face forward before clearing her throat. "As I'm sure you've already realized, my younger brother here isn't exactly normal right now. Because Ash here—" she motioned toward the girl beside her, "killed him, quite brutally, I might add—he was revived by and almost taken over by a Shadow Parasite. But, somehow, he managed to resist being body-snatched and now has control over it."

She folded her arms. "I'm here to make sure your people keep their distance from him and recognize that he is in full control of himself. If I find out that anyone in your clan takes action against him… Well, let's just say I won't be nice. If he causes any issues, report them to me, and I'll handle it."

The man sat back in his chair, stroking his goatee as he considered her words. Then, he spoke.

"Well, I don't mean to test your patience, Mad Witch, but… are you absolutely certain that the one in control is truly your brother? Or are you blinded by familial ties?"

Celeste sighed and placed a firm hand on Zayne's back. Before he could react, a powerful jolt shot through his body, making his entire being feel weightless. He turned his head just in time to see a pitch-black, spectral form separating from him—an eerie, shadowy entity mirroring his shape. But before he could fully process it, both he and the shadow were forcefully drawn back into his body.

Celeste lowered her hand. "As you can see, both souls are fully intact. However, my brother's soul is clearly the dominant one. I assume you have no further questions."

The man let out a low hum, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair before shifting his gaze to Zayne.

"Boy, introduce yourself. I'd like to get to know the strange specimen residing in my territory."

Zayne stepped forward, meeting the man's intense stare without flinching. "I'm Zayne. And I'll try not to cause you any trouble."

At that, the man let out a deep, hearty laugh, shooing the women around him away as he leaned forward in his seat. "I like you, boy. Fearless, indeed." He smirked. "I am Dusk Staruin, Patriarch of the Staruin Clan. I'm sure we'll get along nicely."

They left shortly after that conversation, with Ash staying behind. As they walked through the city streets, Zayne let out a dry chuckle.

"Well, that went well. I just hope no more issues come from it," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Celeste simply smiled. "Well, contrary to your pessimistic attitude, it did go well. Honestly, I expected that to end in violence, so I'm glad it didn't. However," she continued, shooting him a knowing look, "don't get too comfortable. There are bound to be more than a few supernaturals knocking on your door, trying to figure out where you stand on the food chain. Like it or not, you have to train and learn how to properly use that parasite of yours."

She smirked. "And hey, if you get strong enough, you could even become an agent like me."

Zayne shot her a deadpan look. "The hell is an agent? You can't just drop stuff like this on me and expect me to know what you're talking about."

Celeste threw an arm around his shoulders and grinned. "You'll figure it all out eventually."