Max jump off from her bike when they stop in front of the house they live in right now.

"Careful Max."

"Am 10, I could---" Max makes a mistake on his steps that made him stumble on the ground.

"I told you!" She rushes towards her little brother and helps him to get up.

"I am fine. There's no wound or break something. You stop treating me like a kid."

"You still a kid."

"Sheira?"

"Okay. Fine. But you need to stop falling around anytime or hurt yourself suddenly. Just then, I will stop treating you like a child or be overprotected sis to you."

"Deal!?" Max smile wide then run to the front door.

Sheira sigh then smiled. Maybe she really is overprotective but Max seems wanted to become strong and independent as well.

She could say that, since they move here, something has changed about Max as well. Maybe his uncle is right, and this new environment could be the beginning.

When they move into this city, the mayor helps them to start over. He let them live the old house his family owns. It was a two-story common style house around the country. It has three bedrooms, an attic, garage, and enough space living room and kitchen to move around conveniently.

Max open the door with the spare key and she followed him inside. He jumps on the sofa and turns on the TV. She knew Max favorite kids show was about to start. She put her bag on a single sofa and take the hood out of her bag then went to the kitchen.

"Hey, glad you both home safe," Marcus suddenly appears in the kitchen entrance.

"Oh my gosh!" She gasped. "You're home!?"

"Oh, yeah. My deliveries have done already so I went home early and did some grocery shopping."

"Really!? What you got for dinner?" She asked nervously.

"I bought some pork bones and broccoli," Marcus went to the kitchen sink and take the groceries out of the plastic bag.

"Cool!" She tried to be calm. "Hey, Max! You want some juice or chocolate?"

"Can I have some chocolate please?" Max come to the kitchen.

"Sure. Wait a minute. I'll bring you the mug."

"Okay. Thanks, sis!" Max run back to the sofa and continue to watch his favorite show.

Sheira could feel Marcus is observing her. After she brought Max the hot chocolate, she went back to the kitchen. Marcus leaning in the sink and look at her intently. She blushed to realized that she only wore a think fabric sleeveless.

She went to the fridge and get some juice to avoid Marcus' eyes.

"Hey---" Marcus suddenly talk. She almost chokes up.

"What? Something wrong?" She asked.

"Yes. Something wrong it seems."

"About what?" Possibly for Marcus to notice her tension.

"I know you wear the hood I gave you last year."

Gosh! He noticed now! She starts freaking out.

"You don't take off your hood right away. I guess you didn't wear it when you arrived."

"Uhm, yes... I take it off on the way home," she lied.

"Oh... really?" Marcus' arms cross over his chest. He was wearing a fitted black t-shirt and shows his muscular body.

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She can't get away!"Am so sorry! I really am!" She needs to tell him what happens.

"I throw some latte on it."

Marcus just raises his right eyebrow... means, he doesn't believe her. Argh, busted!

"Okay! Not my latte. But it's just an accident."

"Who did that to you? Does you were prank often at school?"

"It doesn't really matter. Don't worry about it, Marcus. Am fine."

"Sheira Murray," he called her full name, means, he won't just leave it off.

"Melinda." She stares at his handsome face for long before confessing. "Melinda Gray."

"What!?" Marcus was surprised and keep silent. Melinda's dad, Luis Gray is Marcus boss... as well her uncle Martin is working at the shop for cars.

"Sheirra, don't let anyone just prank you. Understood? Doesn't matter--"

"As I said, don't worry about it."

She smiles at him to assure everything is fine. She knows that Marcus is always worried about her. He has been her protector since she is a little baby.

Because he thinks of her like a younger sister, only. Marcus becomes like an older brother to her, but her feelings have changed. She got a crush on him when she is 12. She starts loving him when she is 14, until now.

But, when does Marcus stop treating her like a sister? When does Marcus would see her as a woman?

***

Marcus Johnson, 31 years old. He was living with the Murray since he was 8 years old. His family is a good friend and an ally of the Murrays.

The Johnson is the Witch Mercenaries. Their ability is to enter a curse oration to kill the shadow who posses and trap the victim's consciousness. Once they are able to enter the consciousness of a victim, they could fight the shadow and locate the Orator, the one who is performing the curse.

Through the victim's consciousness under a curse oration, once the shadow was captured, the Witch Mercenaries could travel through the orator's brain, either to kill it or just to defeat it to stop the oration.

Marcus was 13 and Sheira was just a 5 months old, when a great number of witches attack their peaceful hidden place. Their parents did their best to protect their home and to survive.

But one witch able to sneak into the house through a window. He was hiding in the nursery room while Sheira was sleeping on her crib. The witch steps closer and was staring down at the crib, she's grinned evilly.

The witch steps backward and starts chanting, a curse circle light up around her. Once she finishes completing the cursed circle, she starts to chant the curse oration towards Sheira. The baby slowly floats in the air and another circle starts lighting up below the baby. After completing the circle, chains start appearing and slowly drawing closer to the baby. Sheira awoke and start crying.

Marcus can no longer stand just to watch. He slowly pulls out the knife his grandfather gave him when he was eight. Without hesitation, he attacks the witch at the back. She cried in pain.

Somehow, the witch is stronger than him. Though he starts being trained three years ago, he still a kid. The witch just hit him in one sweep and he flew to the wall and hit the floor hard.

Marcus tried to get up but his leg is now twitching with too much pain like something is broken. He cried aloud. The witch shouts at him to shut up. He watches her with so much anger. The witch just laughs and continues her curse oration. Sheira cried even louder this time. He was in panicked what to do, he forced himself to sits up and closes his eyes.

"Where the darkness lies,

Is the Lord of Vengeance dwells?

I call thee to grant my desire,

Sweep the enemy in front of me."

Marcus chant in an old tongue.

After the circle lightens up, he cut the tip of his pointer finger and 3 drops of his blood fell on the glowing circle. The middle circle open, they called it "the gate".

He trusts his knife into "the gate" and concentrates. Gladly, his parents start giving him a lesson being a complete Witch Mercenary. They taught him the chant to open a circle and enter an oration, but it's the first time he did it for real out of desperation. His parents did warn him, it's not an easy thing to do at such a young age and without completing the training. But he won't let the witch kill Sheira.

Marcus tried to enter the witch head. He froze and his eyes widen. He saw the terror of this witch did in the past. He is shouting in shock, his nose starts bleeding, but he keeps going on.

The witch stops chanting the curse. She holds her head and began feeling pain inside. She cried and get up from the cursed circle she created. She staggers to her feet, slowly stepping out from the circle.

"You! How could you---" the witch was terrified but her eyes are full of enmity while looking at him. "You are just a boy! You... a witch mercenary!!"

The witch stumbles on the floor, it was his chance. Marcus gives all his strength, he held the knife with both of his hands, and he concentrates to domineer the witch consciousness.

The witch squirms on the floor, crying in so much pain of her head. Marcus shouts and trusts deeper his knife into "the gate" until the witches' head splits and blood spilling all over the floor. The curse circle went off as the witch is dead.

"Sheira!" He screams when the baby is falling down.

Marcus rose up and runs to catch the baby. He slams on the crib and hit his head. He saves Sheira even though he can't feel his left leg and is broken. He roars in pain. His head starts bleeding.

"Marcus! My goodness! What happen!?" Shin Murray rush to his side. "You---" Shin stare at the baby he cuddles tightly to his chest. Sheira was looking up at Marcus, smiling.

Shin gasp and take Sheira from him. "My daughter..." Shin kiss the baby and held tightly.

Few others now join them in the room.

"Don't tell me you did this?" Kraus saw the witch body lie in the corner of the room, headless. They all look at him with full of amazement.

It is why the Mercenaries was extinct. Like the Murray who's Sorcerers, their kin afraid of them... because they were special among the witches. Either they could be used to conquer the world or them to rule the Age of Witches.