And so he obsesses

The Phoenix totem was a prized jewel. To the human public it was a worthless jewel made out of fool's gold but to those supernatural creatures who knew what to look for and what not to, the totem was significant.

Ju Bal placed a finger on his lips, staring straight forward, deep in thought. To everyone else he looked like a professional appraisal with the way he stared at the Phoenix totem but the man was plotting a simple means to steal the totem without causing a scene.

He sighed and suddenly waved the finger formerly on his lips in the air. The air became stiff and slow, the people around slowed down, each moving in highly slow paces. Time itself had slowed down. Ju Bal's silver-grey eyes had turned red as he slowed time. He neared the totem, while it was not convenient to smash the glass open in front of everyone, he could use some other methods while slowing time.

He touched the glass and his hand swiftly entered the glass as if it was mere water. Reaching for the totem, he almost grabbed the Phoenix totem when-

A bolt of invisible energy shot into his body, and shocked him all over his body. Ghastly sigh emitted from the glass box the totem was in. Ju Bal cocked his head and looked down at the shocked hand. His hand quivered for a moment before stopping, then Ju Bal raised it to touch his nostril only to feel blood running down from them.

He looked at the fingers dabbed with his golden blood before quickly wiping the little blood running down from his nose. He looked back at the Phoenix totem again. He had not expected such a high level barrier on the totem.

Somebody very powerful most have placed such a barrier on the glass surrounding the totem…. Though he was not sure why someone would place a magical barrier on the totem only to shelf it out at a museum for everyone to see.

It was likely to be stolen, after all a totem that powerful would surely attract predators like him. Ju Bal sighed, who was he? He was the powerful Bringer of doom, the existence beyond deities, the final principal who watched the earth from above the cosmos, but alas he was only in his lowest form at the moment so his power had reduced greatly.

It was the reason he needed the Phoenix totem. With the totem he could use the totem to channel powers from his true form and be able to use much more of his powers without having to unleash his true form and potentially destroying the world.

Every final principal had a true form, and if that true form ever descended to the world the way the avatar does the world would end. But with the Phoenix totem he could use more of his powers without need for his true form to descend to the world.

Though with such a strong seal on the totem he would be unable to steal it at the moment. Weakness bringeth failure. I need to quickly get rid of this seal…. He thought in his mind.

Shoving a finger in his pocket he walked away from the Phoenix totem bathing onto someone on his way out. His eyes drifted towards the blonde girl with blue eyes who he had bumped into .

She spared him a glance for a moment, looking into his eyes as if she was familiar with him. "Celina! Come check it out!" Someone yelled at the blonde haired girl.

She nodded, before looking away. Ju Bal, though, kept staring. As if it were not strange he had met such a strong barrier on the Phoenix totem, he had also met a woman who had a striking resemblance to Emilia…. His one true love.

 MEMPHIS CITY

A man stared out his window with a glass of red wine in his hand. Classical music played smoothly as he stared aimlessly out the window. He ran a hand through his silver curls while taking a sip on the wine which was as thick as blood.

A lone look filled his face, and  his hand squeezed the glass cup hard. "Lord Yomi…. Master Ju Bal does not want any visitors at the-"

Someone barged into the spacious room, breaking the serenity that filled the area. The butler tried stopping a brown haired man with a red cross on his neck from entering the room but Yomi walked in pushing the butler from his sight.

Ju Bal didn't bother looking back at the commotion in his room. "Master Ju Bal…. I apologize- I-"

"Leave us, Leonard." Ju Bal ordered the butler, still staring out the window with a lone look in his eyes.

The butler bowed a little before walking out of the room, leaving Ju Bal and Yomi alone. "You didn't get the totem did you?" Yomi asked, still standing at attention.

Ju Bal harrumphs before breaking into another one of his seemingly sweet yet scary smiles. "How would you know that, Yomi?" He did not turn around.

"Perhaps we can say I have my ways," Yomi replied. "So why did you not get the Phoenix totem?"

Ju Bal glanced at Yomi with his smile. "There was a barrier on the totem, a very powerful one at that."

Yomi blinked. "That does not make any sense, why would anyone go to such great lengths to keep the totem out I reach then leave it out in the open?"

Ju Bal sighed. "Don't know, don't care." He responded, sipping from his crimson drink.

"Well you should Ju Bal, the Phoenix totem might be more complicated than we think. Perhaps we should leave it be for a moment…. Have spies watch the environ-"

"I am not doing that Yomi. As a matter of fact you're going to help me find those lunatic black witches and have them undo the witchery on that totem." Ju Bal spoke, the smile no longer present on his face, only a cold look.

Yomi sighed, taking steps towards Ju Bal. "Black witches are rarer to find than before, Ju Bal, nowadays they use magic and plastic surgery to disguise themselves, you can not mark them as easily as before."

All witches had a certain mark on their forehead. It became a give away mark for witch hunters to capture them in the old days as even magic could not disguise the mark.

"Besides how powerful could this seal be that it needs black magic to undo it?" Yomi asked, right behind Ju Bal.

Ju Bal's lips twitched as he recalled the force of the seal. Just the thought of being defenseless against it made Ju Bal gain a look filled with promises of evil.

"Almost as powerful as the seal from the final principal."

Yomi felt his body run cold as well as his sharp eyes going wide. "Are you sure?"

Ju Bal placed both hands between his thighs, and turned fully towards Yomi with a renewed smile. "You seem to think I don't know what a Final Principal's powers feel like?" 

Yomi breathed through his nose, and peeked out his tongue to lick his lips. "That's-That's not what I meant," he muttered. "I-I'll try to rally some of the black witches under me."

Ju Bal's mischievous eyes stared Yomi down. Yomi felt the hair on his skin stand at attention with the way Ju Bal stared at him as if he was a mere ant he would consume easily. "Try Yomi? Master of the Illorna mafia, Vampire of the highest order, you have so many territories in North America, you're basically the president and you actually use the word TRY?" Ju Bal arched an eyebrow.

"What do you want, brother Ju? I'll get the witches." Yomi blurted out, feeling uneasy with the mischievous tone Ju Bal was using. Ju Bal always looked scarily mischievous whenever he wanted to hurt someone.

"Be sure to." He answered, the mischievous glint in his eyes dying and then him turning away from Yomi.

Yomi breathed out, feeling air around him again. He was about to walk out when Ju Bal said. "There is something else I would like you to do." Ju Bal peeked his tongue to touch the red wine at the corner of his mouth.

Yomi paused. "Yes?" 

"I want you…." His legs swung playfully as a memory crossed his mind. A plump girl who had been standing next to him all this while. He had stared at her from her snickers, her baggy jeans, her huge hoodie surpassing her build, then her face.

Ju Bal's smile widened. No one dared speak to him like that but the girl had. She reminded him of Emilia with that attitude of hers. Emilia was audacious as well, talking back at him without fear.

"Find someone for me, I believe her name was…. What was it? Ah Celina, yes find Celina for me."

Yomi's eyes twitched. Ju Bal had a habit of giving him difficult tasks but this took the cake. "That's it? Celina? Ju Bal, earth is filled with more than a billion people how I'm I supposed to find one Celina?"

Ju Bal had an innocent look on his face when he spoke. "Ah, she was also short, with interesting blue eyes and fair hair."

Yomi stared into space, while muttering. "Fair hair, short, blue eyes?" He looked back at Ju Bal. "Are you describing Emilia?"

"No, just someone very intriguing." He answered with a hoarse voice filled with mithe.

"Very well, I shall ask Catherine to look into-"

"Listen to the words I speak, Yomi, and keep your busybody sister away from my affairs." 

Yomi rolled his eyes. "Sure, and brother Ju," Yomi held the door handle. "Lucien has invited my sister and I to his engagement party."

Lucien was the wolf King who had recently ascended. Lucien's father, Joseph had died recently from rebel attacks from rogue werewolves, though there were rumors that former Wolf King Joseph had been killed by his son Lucien.

Yomi knew Lucien and Ju Bal were mortal enemies. They had crossed parts during the Victorian era and because of certain circumstances they had become enemies from then on.

Ju Bal stood up but did not turn back to Yomi. "Did he invite me?" He asked.

"He has heard you awakened and sent his invitation." Yomi confirmed Ju Bal's suspicions. 

"Okay." Ju said.

Yomi frowned. "That's it? Okay?"

"Hm."

Yomi nodded then walked out of the room.

Ju Bal released a sigh. "Celina, Celina." A devious look appeared on Ju Bal's face.

Ju Bal was definitely a predator and if he saw any prey worthy of his attention he chased after them until they submitted to him.

Celina was prey and she had unknowingly caught Ju Bal's attention.

...°°°...

MEMPHIS CITY, CHAMPAGNE STREET.

For the little red riding hood captured the bad wolf's attention with her innocence the balm can only fall on her.

Celina slammed the fridge shut after reading the little more pasted ok the fridge. "Please help me get the vacuum cleaner from Mrs Cheryl

Charlotte."

Charlotte was Celina's rich roommate. When Celina was unable to find an available room at the school's dorm, she had found Charlotte on an online ad requesting for a roommate.

Charlotte and Celina weren't the best of friend's but they were definitely close. Celina sighed after coming home from the museum she was exhausted but she had earlier promised Charlotte to get the vacuum cleaner from their busybody neighbor.

She carries herself across the street and with a knock on the door the door opens. The person on the other side was Eunice Farrow, Mrs Cheryl's daughter.  Eunice also attended the university but unlike others she lived with her mother.

"Hey Eunice, um, Char asked me to get the vacuum cleaner….." Celina said.

Eunice looked haggard and overworked. She scratched her head before finally registering what Celina had said. Celina could understand though, there were rumors that Mrs Cheryl had dissociative personality disorder and as the only person in her mother's life it was obviously taking a toll on Eunice.

"Uh, vacuum! Yes… uh yeah, vacuum." Eunice snapped her fingers. She was about to close the door when another finger appeared.

Mrs Cheryl. "Ah, ah, is that Charlotte?" The brunette, Mrs Cheryl asked.

Eunice sighed. "No mom, it's not Charlotte. It's Celina."

Mrs Cheryl appeared confused for a moment but upon seeing Celina she asked. "The fat one?"

Celina's eyes twitched but being used to such words and knowing the woman wasn't alright, she replied. "Yes ma'am. Good day."

Mrs Cheryl said nothing. She continued looking at Celina warily before shouting. "Ah!" The woman yelled, catching her hair with her fingers tightly.

Celina frowned at the scene. The woman glared at Celina, while trembling and wailing. Eunice was quick to grab her mother, trying to soothe her as she cried.

"Mom, calm down, it's okay, everything is alright." Eunice said soothingly.

Mrs Cheryl slapped her daughter's hand away. "No! Nothing is fine! Evil!" She pointed at Celina. "Evil covers you! What monster did you allow to touch you girl!" Mrs Cheryl yelled.

Celina stiffened. She wasn't sure what was happening but she did feel awkward staring at the scene.

Eunice smiled at Celina. "S-sorry, how about you go and I'll bring the vacuum cleaner?"

"Evil has touched you!" Mrs Cheryl yelled, still pointing at Celina.

Celina nodded at Eunice's words and then quickly turned her back to walk away.

"Evil! Monster has touched her!" Mrs Cheryl kept shouting while Celina walked away.

She felt weirded out. A monster has touched me? Mrs Cheryl really was crazy.

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