Teleportation was not as much of a big deal now than it was, many years ago. Almost everyone was able to teleport, including Jinki, and if he was able to figure out where he could find the mysterious Jonghyun, he’d be able to bind him so that he couldn’t teleport again. Using the most powerful spell he knew, Jinki drew a different pattern on the wooden floor of his special room. Pricking his finger with a needle, he let three drops of his blood fall in between the lines of his pattern. Although blood magic was something that was frowned upon, it wasn’t exactly illegal. This type of magic allowed the user to do anything they wanted, even to read the minds of those unknown to them, which gave Jinki a lot of leeway into doing what he wanted. All he needed was a little glimpse into Jonghyun’s mind, and most, if not all of his questions would be answered.

“Show me Jonghyun’s deepest fear”

Knowing that this could be vital in his pursuit of finding out more about his self-claimed nemesis, Jinki took the chance in asking about Jonghyun’s fears rather than anything else. The cloud that formed showed something that was an echo of Jinki’s worst nightmare. He saw Jonghyun wearing tattered clothing and being burned at the stake. Though this wasn’t an uncommon nightmare, only those who had seen the trials when they were very young were able to remember. Feeling automatically closer to Jonghyun, almost as if he felt something more than just hatred, Jinki quickly ended the spell. He had seen more than he expected, and now he knew more about Jonghyun than anyone else did. If he could show Jonghyun that the humans these days were a lot smarter, maybe he would stop trying to draw attention to their race. All of the witches and other magical folk were now forced to either live in solitude or live amongst humans, pretending to be one of them.

*Flashback*

Although he was just a toddler, Jinki had already started to show signs that he was to become a powerful witch, which frightened his parents immensely. Usually, children would only exhibit signs at the age of five when they were more malleable, but due to his pure bloodline, Jinki couldn’t help using basic spells at a tender age.

Instead of trying to stop their marvellous child, his parents did their best to hide him from the humans, who had now started to abhor witchcraft and punish suspected witches and warlocks.

Hearing loud noises, Jinki walked over to the crowd that had gathered outside where he lived, and stood behind, transfixed. There was a man in ragged clothes who was tied up, while the crowd threw eggs and tomatoes at him. Not knowing what was happening, Jinki continued to watch as a torch was thrown at him, compelling the man to start crying and pleading for his life. The dark smoke that blinded Jinki, had started to enter his nose and give him trouble breathing.

“That’s another one of them disgusting witches. We’ll find all of them and burn them, just like this one”

His parents had been forced to go into hiding with the friends that were dear to them, and Jinki grew up being the only child in their coven.

*End of Flashback*

If Jonghyun was able to remember the witch trials from all those years ago, there was a very high possibility that he had grown up in the same area as Jinki. How was it possible that he wasn’t already in the same coven? Logically, Jonghyun should have been trained by the same elders who trained him and ensured the protection of his family, but why hadn’t he? Not knowing if it was right to start following him before knowing everything about him was the right thing to do, Jinki trusted his gut and took out his crystal ball once more. Jonghyun would be at the convenience store the following afternoon, and Jinki planned to confront him right there where he couldn't create any kind of scene out of fear of being noticed.

Dressing in jeans and a t-shirt as per the current trend, Jinki blended right in, when he wandered into the store. Knowing exactly where he’d find Jonghyun, he waited right by the alcohol section. Back in the day, only wine was allowed, but now all of them had to conform to the current society. Pretending to check the year of some red wine, he stood in position, ready for when he saw Jonghyun. He didn’t have to wait long though since Jonghyun appeared instantly, in a small cloud of smoke. What was wrong with this person? Did he really not understand what would happen if people saw him? Sighing, Jinki closed his eyes and muttered a spell to bind Jonghyun’s magic.

Jonghyun froze as he felt some kind of magic touch him, like an icy hand. Shivering, he turned around to see who it was. What he didn’t expect to see was a handsome, dark-haired man just smiling slyly at him. Muttering a spell to freeze him while he made his escape, Jonghyun was shocked to see that nothing had happened. Why couldn’t he move? This was the first time he had experienced anything like this and didn’t know how to react. Why didn’t his spell work? Almost jumping out of his skin when he heard someone cough right behind him, Jonghyun spun around, startled.

“Your magic won’t work, Jonghyun”

“How..how do you know my name?”

“I know a lot more about you than you think”

“Who the hell are you? How dare you try to bind my magic?”

“I was initially sent to bring you into our coven, but I’ve seen what you do with your power”

Taken aback, Jonghyun knew that the only way he’d be able to get himself out was if he agreed to everything this person said. Without his magic to safeguard or even protect him, Jonghyun felt rather helpless. However, there was something he could do, but not in such a public space. Fuming inwardly but refusing to show it, he meekly followed the taller man outside. As they walked to a more private area, Jonghyun took out a small needle from his pocket, making sure that he was unobserved. Gently pricking the tip of his index finger to draw blood, Jonghyun murmured his incantation just as a drop of blood touched the ground.

“Farewell”

Jinki looked up and gasped as he saw what Jonghyun was doing, and just gaped as Jonghyun disappeared in a red cloud. This was blood magic, an art that was dying, and heavily frowned upon. Sure, even he dabbled in the dark art to find Jonghyun, but only when he was sure that nothing would be traced back to him. If Jonghyun knew this kind of magic, it was certain to say that he had been trained by someone who was from a coven of sorcerers. Additionally, this type of magic couldn’t be performed by every witch. They’d have to have either a powerful lineage or had to be trained. Which one was Jonghyun, and why did they share the same fears? If Jonghyun was so accustomed to using blood spells so easily, it meant that he had been practising for a long time.

For the time being, it made more sense to find out Jonghyun’s origin, rather than chase him to join the coven. Jinki arranged a visit with the all-knowing leader to find out what he had to do next. Standing in the darkened room, only illuminated by candlelight, Jinki stared in open-mouthed wonder as his leader his long beard thoughtfully.