<h4>Chapter 52: You don’t belong here</h4>


    The city of Monero looks like any other modern human metropolis—bustling streets, busy coffee shops, and towering office buildings reflecting the sunlight. Cars honk in traffic, subway trains rush through underground tunnels, and people hurry along sidewalks with their faces buried in their phones.


    To an outsider, it seemspletely normal, but beneath the surface, Monero is a city ruled by witches.


    White witches blend seamlessly into society, working as doctors, teachers, and business owners, using small, unnoticed spells to make life easier. A barista might brew the perfect cup of coffee without touching the machine, or a nurse might heal minor wounds with just a touch—subtle enough that humans never question it. The Witch’s Council ensures that magic remains hidden in in sight, enforcing strictws against exposure.


    While white witches keep the city running smoothly, dark witches operate in the shadows, practicing forbidden magic in hidden corners of Monero. There was nothing they hated more than having to hide their magic. The very reason they hated Roman because his presence ensured they only worked in secret.


    Abandoned buildings serve as meeting ces for those who dabble in curses, blood rituals, and soul-binding spells. Some work in secret as underground spellcasters for hire, offering hexes, love potions, or illusions to those willing to pay.


    The council tries to suppress their influence, but dark magic always finds a way to thrive. Rumors spread of a hidden society deep within the city, a ce where dark witches gather, growing in power and challenging the delicate bnce between light and dark.


    For the humans who live in Monero, most remain blissfully unaware of the magic surrounding them. A few, however, suspect the truth—shopkeepers who notice strange happenings, police officers who find crime scenes with no logical exnation, and journalists chasing stories that never quite add up.


    Some humans are allies to the witches, working alongside them, while others fear what they don’t understand. In the heart of Monero, beneath its normal exterior, an invisible war is brewing between those who seek to preserve the bnce and those who want to shatter it.


    And Monero was more than just another city to Williams. Monero was home. His birthce. The ce he grew up, and the ce he made some major decisions that had brought him to the point where he was.


    But even though he knew and considered Monero to be his home, there were a few people who believed he didn’t belong there simply because of his mixed background. And they never failed to remind him whenever he was there.


    One of those people was Cornelius Alphonsus, the assistant to the head of Witches Council.


    Williams had just stopped by therge notice board in the council building to read an announcement that caught his eye when he felt a presence approaching him. He didn’t turn around and just waited. Soon enough, the person arrived at the board.


    "It seems you don’t have enough work to do at Luminera, that’s why you keep crawling back here." Cornelius’s voice reached his ears, and a smirk made its way to Williams’s face.


    "Hi, Cornelius, good to see you again." Williams turned to face him. "It seems you’re in a bad mood. Fortunately, I’m in the mood to fight, and I believe fighting will make you feel better. Wanna fight?"


    Cornelius took a step away, eyeing the guy with disdain. "You don’t belong here. Go back to Luminera since you have chosen to side with our enemies. Two-faced bastards are not weed in Monero."


    As soon as he said that, he walked away, leaving Williams alone, while thetter chuckled in response. He had heard those exact words too many times; it now sounded amusing instead of annoying.


    Moving on, he headed to the council’s admin block and walked into a particr office as if he owned the ce. A small smile settled on his features when he saw the man seated behind the desk.


    "Edwin," Williams called out in a light voice, plopping himself down on the receiving chair even before being asked to do so.


    The ck-haired and ck-eyed man looked at him with a tired expression.


    "I hope I am safe, Williams," Edwin asked, moving his attention back to what he was doing on his desk.


    "Why do you ask that?" Williams probed.


    "Because I don’t understand why out of all the offices in this building, you choose to walk into this one. What do you want?"


    Williams let out a lightughter. "You are always goodpany, Edwin. And don’t worry, you’re safe. I just need to find somebody, and who best to help me with that if not you?"


    "You came to Monero with your werewolf friends yesterday to cause trouble, and now you need my help?"


    "Some witches trying to abduct someone close to me—that was why I was here. I didn’te to cause trouble."


    "Why didn’t you approach me to help you with that problem instead ofing in here and taking lives?"


    "You wouldn’t have done anything about it if I had approached you. I know your capabilities, and I know what to meet you for. Now let’s get back to business. I don’t have much time."


    "Who do you want to find?"


    "I want records of all the witches that were executed by beheading in the past twenty seven years," Williams revealed, and a frown made its way to Edwin’s face.


    "Monero has stopped execution by beheading, and you know that. Thest one happened over a hundred years ago. Why exactly are you looking for this information?"


    "Stop asking questions you don’t want answers to. I know that official execution by beheading has stopped, but there are still a few unofficial ones that happened in thest few years. I don’t know the name of the person I’m looking for, but I know he’s blonde with green eyes and was beheaded between now and twenty seven years ago. Help me to look around and find the information as quickly as you can. It’s very important. I wouldn’t be here if it is not."