ᚪᛤᛄᛩᛊ

Nikolai Fate and Taemin were finally released from the spell tightening their throats and simultaneously fell to the ground out of breath.

Trying to recover, Taemin could hear bones breaking under the Cheetah's jaw.

"I'm sick of always being strangled" croaked Fate.

"Don't go near this Cheetah, I can smell dark magic emanating from it." Nikolai said between two coughs.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Fate, looking at the animal.

The cheetah staggered back and seemed to have difficulty standing up. He groaned and suddenly fell to the ground, trembling with his whole body.

"What is happening ?" asked Taemin, hesitating to back away.

Nikolai sighed, getting up, "This is the man you met in the forest. The one whose beast was sealed."

Taemin watched in horror as the animal changed into an Eunwoo screaming in agony.

"But why is he suffering so much?" he said, grimacing.

"When one is sealed like him, it is forbidden to transform himself into his animal. If he does, a new spell mark will be engraved on his body causing him to suffer only more."

Taemin clenched his teeth as he saw a mark appear on his neck like a hot iron.

"It's horrible, how can we do that to someone."

"I thought that since my death this method of punishment would have disappeared."

Hearing footsteps toward the entrance, they turned to the door to see Renjun covered in blood from head to toe.

"I had asked to have Mir brought to me alive." said Nikolai doubtful.

"I wouldn't put my hand in it, but I think it's renjun's blood." replied Fate.

Nikolai frowned and looked at the void surrounding the castle through the window "That idiot slipped off the cliff?"

"I would rather say that Mir pushed him there."

Nikolai shook his head.

"And now ?" Taemin asked.

"We are contacting the Sovereign, I don't know how to remove these pages from the shaman's body."

"What about..Wu Yifan?"

Nikolai watched him lie on the ground "He too is bewitched. So unless we find his soul mate, he will remain in the grip of the Shaman even if the latter is d .."

Taemin touched the corner of his head, "Damn it hurts."

"I told you, part of your head is shattered, I even thought I saw your brain !" persisted Fate.

Nikolai looked at him worried biting his lips "You have no adverse effects?"

Taemin threw up in a flowerpot, when he finished he turned to them again calmly "Just that."

Fate cautiously backed off "If you call the Sovereign, also ask for a healer."

ᚪᛤᛄᛩᛊ

A few minutes later, the Sovereign teleported to the castles accompanied by the Seer, his guards and other members of the surnatural council.

The Sovereign grimaced seeing the ground covered with blood "Well guys you don't do things by half, it looks like he was was eaten by a wild beast."

One of his guards coughed and motioned to Eunwoo handcuffed on the floor.

"Ah, so it was an animal. Wait, these marks on his body ..."

"I thought that you would have prohibited this kind of thing Sovereign ." said Nikolai clearly disappointed. Sehun, who had arrived with the Sovereign, patted him on the shoulder.

The Sovereign shook his head "The family of the victim asked for this and the culprit agreed."

Taemin looked at them stunned. Eunwoo had consented ? but why ?

Eunwoo stared at the ground not saying a word.

"We've been looking for him for a very long time." say the Seer absently.

"What are you going to do with him?" asked Fate.

"He will be.."

The Sovereign cut off the Seer "Nothing."

The Seer raised his eyebrows "Sorry ?"

"He has spent all these years locked here Mingyu, at the mercy of this Shaman. I think he has done enough."

"I'm not saying the opposite, but the family of the deceased .."

"The family of the deceased only has to comply, because I am the law. However, we will have to find him a place to live and especially a clan who wants to welcome a murderer."

"You don't intend to pass him on to me right ?" Taemin asked.

Eunwoo looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Uh ... I mean, not that it bothers me. It won't be the first nor the last time I suspect."

"You should open an inn." added Fate in the corner of the room.

The Sovereign pointed to Taemin with his finger "This is a man with a good heart" he turned to the healer "how is he doing?"

"I find it strange that he could bear the pain."

"I didn't feel anything." replied Taemin.

"Strange x2. But if my diagnosis is correct it's normal."

"What ?" the Sovereign leaned over the healer who whispered in his ear.

The Sovereign looked at him doubtful then at Taemin "Oh Oh."

Taemin frowned "Is it serious?"

"It depends. Well, where are these pages so we can leave this old castle !?"

The Seer handed them to him "By removing them all they formed a book of about twenty pages."

"Is that normal?"

Mingyu shrugged "What do I know, this is the first time we've stolen the pages of Fate."

The Sovereign was thoughtful shaking his head "I don't know why, I feel something about the cover like ... a hatch."

"A trap ?" asked Nikolai, stepping forward to examine him.

"Yes .. as if the book had some sort of code and if we opened it without it, there would be repercussions. It must be in my head."

Nikolai shook his head, "No, there is a trap . And far too powerful for both of us, don't open it."

Sehun took the book from Nikolai to look at it closely.

"If neither you nor I can open it who will do it Nikolai? We will let this book close forever? Soul mates forever separated?" asked the Sovereign.

"We will find another way."

"Which one exactly? We need these pages and if you can't open it then nobody can !"

"You don't understand, for such a trap the Shaman had to put half of his powers in it, whoever dares to open it without removing the spell would be immediately .."

As if out of nowhere, an explosion was heard near them. The guards immediately rushed to their king.

"What was that ?" asked the Sovereign looking at his clothes filled with blood.

"No .." Nikolai whispered, not daring to believe it.

The book had been opened by Sehun who was lying on the ground.