Breaking the Curse

Chapter 29

Aranya Achara AKA Oung Sovan Liny "Point of View" (New Character)

*Flashback*

3 months earlier

Darkness floods my view. I can't hear their voices any longer, only the sound of distant echoes. I look forward into the Nether, looking for the cold, dark monster. Then, an arm grabs me. Not a human arm. The arm of a vile creature. I pull my hand out and concentrate, and I scream as fire erupts out of my body, causing the monster to flee. But as it fled, it managed to hit me in the back of my neck, not deep enough to turn me into a creature but deep enough to leave the Nether mark.

"ปล่อยฉันไป!!" ("Let me go'' in Thai) I shout. And suddenly a small portal of Gateway opened in front of me.

"Aranya ?" My flashbacks are interrupted by none other than the man who put me in this mess in the first place. Master Sovan. A traitor to the Republic, a skilled martial artist, and a dark magic successor.

The Thai government recruits Master Sovan when he is on the run from the CIA when they find out that he had been experimenting on kids without proper authorization. They wanted to know all about the Angkorian Magic Force, and they wanted to create and somehow control the creatures to their liking, because the Angkorian is the reason why Cambodia still exists as an independent country on the world map and not under Thai occupation.

Not only did they need information about how to create the creature, but they also needed someone like me, who has a weirdly strong connection to the Force. They need a weapon of fire, to battle and control the Nether Realm, "the source of the dark magic power." So when my real parents died in an accident, or so they said, the Thai kidnapped me, and after 5 years of torture, here I am.

I could also read minds, and when Master Sovan came into the room, I was a step ahead. "They are close to creating the creature, aren't they?"

Master Sovan nodded his head. "Yes, and one step closer to controlling that monster." He adds.

They are stupid. Did they not see what happened in Lakewood?

"They can't control that thing; it has its own mind; look at that stupid prince who tried to hire a witch to create and control the monster, and look where it got them: DEAD." I reasoned back before it got out of hand and brought death to all of us.

Master Sovan nervously looks at me. "I know the Thai want you here to control and weaken it, but we have to give the monster what it wants. It won't do anything unless we bring the Boy to them." The Boy. Sabastian Dominic. That stupid, stupid boy

"Master Sovan, please don't tell me you're sending me to Lakewood to get him!" Master Sivan gave me a glare.

"Don't take that tone, or you'll face punishment. Yes, the plane leaves tomorrow. You are to go and act as their new friend, then investigate any information about him—how he survived and how he has a connection to the Force but doesn't have power like the other Angkorian descendants—and then take the boy to our new base in Lakewood.

"I want to roll my eyes like I don't give a shit about what he just said, but if I do, I'll face punishment."

"I have no choice, I guess." My conversation ends when General Prayut, the Thai scum enters the room and interrupts us.

"If you are unable to bring the boy back to Thailand or the Thai base in Lakewood by the time we weaken the monster, your brother will die, and your mother too."

From this point forward, I knew this mission would be different. I wasn't just spying on the Republic government officials; on this mission, I could die.

*Present Day*

All day long, I couldn't stop thinking about that feeling. The feeling I had when I looked at Sabastian. So it was true. I had in fact found the right person—the boy that they sent me to kidnap. And it was true that Sabastian had a strong connection to the Force because I can feel it when I get near him. It was both comforting and unsettling, just like I had experienced.

The whole day, I made it my mission to be near V and become friends with her. She would be my outlet and my way into the group. Soon, after a day of basic and boring classes, (What? You're a genius? Cambodian schools are nothing!)

It's lunchtime. As I walk around the lunchroom, looking for my "new friends," I hear whispers, "She's so pretty!"

"David's probably going to ask her out!"

"Apparently she's a genius."

"Ugh, I can't believe she's hanging out with those complete losers! She keeps ditching us for them!"

I smirk. If only they knew! "Hey, is this seat taken?" The group of so-called losers looks up at me in a surprising way. I sit as they nod their heads no.

"What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?" I ask. I could damn well read their minds if I wanted to right now, but with them staring at me like this, they can notice my head sweating and my wrist bleeding if I try to read their minds.

"It's just that we didn't expect you to sit with us. We thought you'd sit with the popular kids," Sabastian says. I make a fake face of disgust.

"I can tell who the better people are on the first day, trust me. Even if I might not know all your secrets, it's a start." The group nervously glances at each other. Fuck it. While I pretend to reach for my schoolbook, I lower my head and concentrate on Sabastian's mind. My eyes stay on him as I try to focus on his thoughts.

"She's suspicious. Maybe she's just being nice. Can we ever have new friends, though? They'll never know anything about us, obviously. Whatever the case, I miss Alice. I want to try a new style of kissing, maybe-." I stop there and quickly wipe the sweat on my forehead off, and the bleeding on my left wrist,

He's so weak-minded. Thoughts that are simple to read. But Alice!! Her name rings in my head for some reason. Alice? Who is she, and why is he so obsessed with her? Does he even know I read his mind? Why is his connection to the force so strong, even stronger than mine?

The rest of the day was pretty productive for me. I bonded well enough with V to plan a sleepover, and I even met Adeline and Simon. Another group of weak-minded people.

Adeline was a little harder to get into her head, but I was still able to read her thoughts. They were boring, though. It's all about school and homework.

But I absorbed everyone's interest in exchange for information. Even the smallest things can have a big effect in the future. It'll just take some time. From there, I had it planned. Bond with them well. Gain their trust. Gain Sabastian trust, to be exact. Drug him. Take Sabastian to Master Sovan, and give him to the creature and help the Thai government continue with the project. And my brother and mother won't die. Easy pissy.