Book 1 – The Lycan’s Curse Rio Riding Hood

As the sun rose, the forest transformed into a picture of beauty and perfection. Rio walking alone wearing red hooded jacket, surrounded by towering trees that stretched toward the sky. The enchanting scenery unfolded before him, but his mind wasn’t on the peaceful surroundings. Something dark tugged at him from within, an unsettling feeling that clung to his thoughts, refusing to let go. He muttered a soft incantation, casting an invisible shield around himself. The magic rippled, barely noticeable, but enough to conceal his total presence. He stopped near the Ravens Lake.

Rio began practicing magic and incantations, his voice clear but uncertain. The words wavered, slipping uncertainly from his lips. The spellbook he clutched, filled with complicated and advance magic that he could barely pronouns each words properly. Each time he failed, a low groan of frustration escaped, swallowed by the stillness of the forest. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the frustration away, to quiet the racing thoughts in his head. He suddenly remembered the witchcraft principles Aliyah had taught them.

He inhaled deeply, letting the cool air fill his lungs, and began again. This time, he spoke softly, the words rolling from his tongue like a gentle stream, drawing on the basic principles of magic rather than sheer force. Something shifted. The spell locked into place, the magic flowing naturally through him. A small, satisfied grin spread across his face as he felt the power settle. He yelled in victory and pride.

But suddenly, a foul stench hit him like a wave, sharp and unmistakable. His senses flared to life. The ground beneath him shivered with the approach of something big-something dangerous.

“Lycans,” Rio whispered, his heart pounding in his chest. His shield, though enough to conceal his presence, didn’t mean he was invisible. He had already drained so much of his energy just practicing. His stomach twisted with anxiety, but he forced himself to stay calm, to think. The lycans were closing in fast. He could hear their low growls, the heavy crunch of their feet tearing through the forest floor.

He had one option: teleport them away, far from here. The lycans broke through the trees, their massive forms outlined in the fading light. Rio’s face shifted into a wolf-like focus.

“𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝑰𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂!” The words rang out, clear and sharp. The lycans disappeared in an instant, vanishing from sight. Panting, Rio didn’t stick around to see what happened next. He turned and ran, his feet light as he darted through the trees. He never thought casting too much magic could be so tiring.

In the morning, Rio didn’t came back yet to Blaze’s manor. Alastair scratch his neck wearily. He went to Aliyah’s room and gently woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim morning light.

“Where is Giuseppe?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“He went back to his house, obviously. He’s such a pain in the a$$, we can’t practice magic whenever he’s around,” Alastair muttered, his frustration clear.

“Then just don’t stick with him,” Aliyah retorted, stifling a yawn.

“I need your vision. Rio hasn’t come back yet,” Alastair urged. Aliyah nodded, sitting up slowly. She closed her eyes to access her vision, but immediately winced as pain shot through her head. Alastair looked at her with concern as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“He’s using an advance type of magical shield,” she explained, her voice strained. “It doesn’t block psychic powers directly, but repelling them.”

“You gotta need to teach me how to do that,” Alastair said firmly.

Aliyah shook her head. “I don’t know the spell yet, but we can learn it together. I have a feeling he borrowed an advanced spellbook from my mother or worst, my mother gave it to him temporarily, “

“Rio’s up to something,” Alastair muttered, pacing the room. Aliyah nodded in agreement.

“I don’t know his reason but I have a bad feeling that he might gonna use it against Giuseppe, ” she mumbled under her breath.

“He’s learning advanced magic without us. There’s only one reason for that-he’s already our enemy,” Alastair said anxiously.

“It’s all because of Giuseppe,” Aliyah sighed.

“Fuck that unrequited teenage love,” Alastair blurted out, unable to hold back his frustration.

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We don’t know his intentions yet, ” Aliyah said, her voice uncertain as she tried to sort through her thoughts.

“I need to talk to him,” Alastair said, his expression hardening. Before Aliyah could respond, he vanished from sight, leaving her sitting in silence.

Alastair headed straight to Rio’s house, making his way directly to his room.

“What’s happening to you?” Alastair asked, his voice steady, as he found Rio lying in bed.

“I’m just broken, leave me alone!” Rio whined, pulling a pillow over his face.

“Does that explain why you’re learning magic without us?” Alastair pressed. Rio quickly sat up, scratching his hair in frustration.

“Yes and no,” Rio replied, his tone curt. “I just need to distract myself, keep busy. I’ll gonna share what I’ve learned with you guys sooner or later anway. Besides, what does it matter?” He looked more annoyed and detached than ever. “And why the hell did you wake me up? It’s 5 A.M for crying out loud!” Rio groaned before flopping back onto the bed.

“Come with me. We’re going back to the manor,” Alastair ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“Fine!” Rio groaned in annoyance.

The two of them leaped from tree to tree, their bodies cutting through the cool morning air like shadows chasing each other.

“I don’t like Giuseppe. God, he’s boring,” Alastair lied, breaking the silence.

“You mean his ability bores you?” Rio replied, dodging a low-hanging branch. “Yeah, me too. That’s why I’m trying to figure out how to counter it and stay as far away from him as possible.”

A sudden thought hit Alastair. “But his ability only works when he’s near us, right?”

“Exactly,” Rio confirmed, effortlessly evading the thick branches of the forest.

“That means he can’t block psychic powers from a distance,” Alastair pointed out. Rio’s eyes widened in realization.

“Wait, that means he doesn’t have an actual mental shield,” Rio asked, intrigued.

“In my theory, he doesn’t have a mental shield at all but he can only weaken or nullify it,” Alastair continued, darting through the trees. “He can weaken or nullify psychic powers up close, but not at a distance. So, we can still cast spells on him from afar, as long as we’re quick and precise.”

Rio paused as they reached the forest floor. “Wait… are you planning to kill him?”

Alastair smirked. “Not me. But you.”

“I hadn’t realized that until now,” Rio said with a grin spreading across his face.

“I don’t like what’s running through your mind right now,” Alastair muttered, narrowing his eyes.

“Well, we’ll see about that,” Rio replied, a sly smile lingering as they resumed their run through the woods.