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Beforehecouldfinishspeaking,asharpvoicerangoutfromtheotherendoftheline,“<b>Hansel</b>,doyounolongercareforme?Iknew<b>it</b>!Thatenchantresshasbeguiledyou,turningyouagainstyourownsister.Haveyounoheart,Hansel?Doyounotknowwhoyourtruesisteris?”
“Hannah!”Hansel’svoicewasfirmandunyielding.Sheisalsoyoursister.”
Thisderation<b>was</b>likeasparkignitingHannah’sfuryentirely.“No!Ihavenosister!TheLloyds<b>have</b>onlyonedaughter,Ms.But,andthatisme.Wheredidthisillegitimatechilefrom,tobecalledmysister?Sheisunworthy!”
Asudden<b>crash</b>followed,theunmistakablesound ofsomethingfragileshattering<b>against</b>thefloor.Hanselsigheddeeply,aprofoundsenseofhelplessnesswashingoverhim.
Hewaseight<b>years</b>Hannah’sseniorandhadpracticallyraisedher.Inheryoungerdays,shehadbeenendearingandsensible,herconstantsmilesasourceofjoyandease.However,hertemperamenthadgraduallydeteriorated.Shebegantobreakthings,bite,and becameincreasinglyvtile,at<b>times</b>evenharmingherself.Ahospitalvisithadeventuallyledtoadiagnosisofintermittentexplosivedisorder.
Fortunately,thedisorderwasdiscoveredearlyenoughtobemanagedwithmedication.Yet,Hannahrefusedtotakehermedication,believingittocontainhormonesthatwouldaffectherfigureandskin<b>.</b>Shewouldsecretlydisposeofitorfalselyimtohavetakenit,resultinginheremotionsbingalmostuncontroble.
Reflectingonthis,Hanselsighedoncemore.Hemedhimselfforbeingtooabsorbedinhiswork,neglectingHannah’sneedsandcontributingtohercurrentstate.Theresponsibilityweighed heavilyupon
him.Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.
Adoptingagentlertone,heendeavouredtospeakcalmly,“Alright,Hannah,pleasedonotharmyourself.Tellme,whohasupsetyou?Ordoyouwishtoinvestigatesomeone?”
Hannah’svoicewasstrained,eachwordforcedthroughclenchedteeth,“It’sMillyBut!Iwanther
dead!”
MillyBut?
ABut?
Hanselwastakenaback. “IsshetrulyfromtheButs?”heinquired.
Hannahnoddedcoldly.“Indeed,shehailsfromtheButs.Shedaredtoencroachuponmyterritory,<b>so</b>shemustfacetheconsequences.
Hansel’sbrows,whichhadbrieflyrxed,furrowedoncemore.Herepeatedthenamesilentlyinhis
voice,hesoughttosootheherturbulentemotions,“Verywell,Iunderstand.Ishalllookintothismatter.”
mind.Hewishedtosaymore,to<b>reason</b>withher,butfearedprovokinganotherSt.Withagentle
Hannah’sexpressionsoftened,andher<b>tone</b>becamethatofherformer,moredocileself.“Thankyou,Hansel.Iknewyou wouldunderstand.”
Afterendingthecall,Hansel’scountenancereturnedtoitsusualcoldanddistantstate,thoughashadowofwearinesscrossed<b>his</b>features.TheButs…IfindeedthisinvolvedtheButs,hewouldhavetodisappointhissister,fortheLloydsneededtheiraidwithsomething.Hannahmustnotdiscoverthis,lest
<b>che</b>take<b>dractic</b>
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Hanselsigheddeeply,contemtinghissister’spredicament.Hecouldnothelpbutwonderifheboresome responsibility.Hadhebeenmoreattentivetoherinheryouth,moreattunedtoherneeds,ratherthanindulgingherwhims,wouldthingshaveunfoldeddifferently?
Asuddenchimeofatextmessagedisruptedhisreverie.
AssumingittobeanothermessagefromHannah,hechosetoignoreit.However<b>,</b>apeculiarsymbolonthescreencaughthiseye,causinghispupilstodteinrecognition.
Ignoringtheattemptsoftheotherexecutivestoengagehiminfurtherconversation,Hanselturnedswiftlyandmadehiswayoutside.Thelocationindicatedbythemessagewassecluded,yethisphone’sGPSsystemguidedhimefficientlytothespecifiedce<b>.</b>
Underthesilverglowofthemoon,thefigurestoodwithanairofelegance,akintoacelestialbeingdescendedtotheearthlyrealm.Hasteningover,Hanselkneltrespectfullyononeknee,hishandsspedinaparticrgesture.“Greetings.Cursemaster.”
Santiagoacknowledgedhimwithaslightnod,“Rise.”
“Thank you,Cursemaster.”
Thefamiliarscentintheairseemedto agitatetheserpentcoiledaroundSantiago’swrist.Thesnaketwisteditslithebodyunnaturally,hissingandflickingitstongue.Sensingitsunease,Santiagomurmuredsoothingly.“Bobby,bestill.”
Hansel,thoughheknewtheserpent’sname,feltashiverrundownhisspineeverytimehehearditspoken.
ThesightoftheCursemaster’sexpressionlessfaceashecuthisownfinger,allowingthesnaketpattheblood,wasbothmesmerizingandterrifying.Thecreatureseemedtocalm,asifithadbeengivenapotentelixir.
“Howproceedmattersonyourend?”Santiagoinquired,hisvoicecoldandethereal,addingtohiseeriepresencebeneaththesilentmoonlitsky.
Hanselnodded.“Cursemaster,restassured,allremainswendsecureattheLloyds.”
Santiagonoddedoncemore,thegesturealmostimperceptible.“Good.”
“<b>Have</b>youuncoveredanyleadsregardingthe Saintess?”
AhintofembarrassmentcolouredHansel’sotherwisposedvisage,andhecouldonlyreplywithhonesty,“Not<b>as</b>yet.”
Itwasindeedpeculiar.Despitetheextensivedeploymentofmanpowerandresources,nosignoftheSaintesshadbeendiscovered.TheLloyds,thoughoutwardlyresplendentandbearingtheillustrioustitleofthedescendantsoftheancientLublurgKingdom,harboureda<b>dark</b>secretknownonlytothemselves.SincethedownfalloftheLublurgKingdom,theyhadboheweightofadreadfulcurse.
None,whethermaleorfemale,couldwedoutsidethefamilywithout<b>facing</b>atragicfate.Initially,thisrestrictionseemedmanageable;ifmarriagebeyondthenwasforbidden,thenunionswithinthefamilycouldsuffice.Yet,overtime,<b>this</b>solutionprovedcmitous.
TheLloyds,asprawlingnsharingthesamebloodline,soonfoundthatsuchclosekinshipinmarriageledtogrievousafflictions.Illnessesproliferated,resultingineitherearlydemiseortheonsetofdebilitating
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conditions<b>.</b>Asmorekinsumbedtothesemdies,thenumberofhealthyindividualsdwindled,andthegrimrealityofthecursebecameundeniable.
Intheearlydays,afewdaringsoulsattemptedtodefythetaboo,marryingoutsidersinhopesofavertingthecurse.However,eachmetamysteriousand untimelyendontheirweddingnight.Fromthatpointforward,nonedaredchallengethecurse.
Fortunately,theLloydspossessedasecretlore:thebeliefinaSaintesswhoheldthepowertobreakthecurseandsafeguardthefamily.Thus,thequestfortheSaintessbecamethen’sunwaveringmission,antobsessionpasseddownthroughgenerations.Yet,theelusiveSaintessseemedmoremyththanreality,herexistenceasephemersawhisperinthewind.
Halturiawasjustonenation.Withouttire,theysearchedeveryinchofthnd,includingthemostremotehamlets,buttheyyieldednoresults.