Edward immediately jolted from the couch.
Wearing a pained smile, he began pacing in front of everyone, his hand raking through his hair.
His eyes brimmed with pain, confusion, terror, and disbelief.
He felt like crying — the pressure of the revelation was overwhelming.
"No… I… I can't be a witch. Or warlock. Or whatever you said I am," he stammered. "I can't. That's not possible."
Tears shimmered in his eyes. He wished it were a dream — that he'd wake up any second.
But deep down, he knew it was real. Goddamn real.
He had no idea how to process it.
Anita rushed over, gently cupping his face and turning him to face her.
"Hey… relax, Edward. It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out together, alright? We're here for you. Always. From the dawn of time till its dusk — remember?"
The dam broke.
Edward pulled her into a tight embrace, finally letting the tears flow.
She hugged him back, patting his back in comfort.
"I… I just don't know how to take this," Edward whispered. "It's like… like I've been living a lie. Like I don't even know who I am. And that's terrifying."
"I know, Edward," Anita said softly. "We're just as shocked as you are. But we'll get through it. Together, okay?"
"Okay," he murmured, finally calming down.
He sank back onto the sofa he'd shared with Mdachi earlier, still trying to make sense of everything.
The others stood before him, visibly worried.
"Relax, buddy," Jesse tried to cheer him up. "Being a warlock isn't so bad. Honestly, it's kinda fun. And once you get the hang of it? You'll be legendary."
"Thanks, Jesse."
"Anytime," Jesse said, waving it off with mock swagger.
Mdachi finally spoke, having clearly been thinking things through. "Well, that explains half of the text you sent us."
"What text?" Jenevive asked quickly, clearly intrigued. "And what did it say?"
Mdachi hesitated, avoiding her gaze. "On Saturday night, Edward sent us a text saying he'd seen a wolf the night before… and that he'd just discovered he had powers."
"Really?" Jenevive turned to Edward, raising her eyebrows.
Edward opened his mouth, but Anita jumped in first.
"He really doesn't remember, Mom. Those are some of the memories that are missing."
Jenevive sat back down on the sofa she'd occupied earlier.
"Tell me, what other memories is he missing?" she asked, resting her hands neatly on her crossed leg.
Anita nodded. "Well… all we know is that he can't remember that we canceled our Saturday plans because he said he was grounded. And he doesn't remember sending us that text either."
Jenevive turned her gaze to Edward. "Is that true?"
Edward nodded. "Yeah."
"So," she continued, "your memory's fine after… when exactly did he send that text, Mdachi?"
"Saturday night," Mdachi replied.
"Right. So your memories are intact from Sunday onwards?" she asked Edward.
"Yeah. I remember everything from Sunday till now."
"Which means," Jenevive said, thinking aloud, "your memories were erased on Saturday night. What puzzles me, though, is how the memory of you being grounded fits into this. I get the supernatural side of things — but that part feels odd."
"You're right," Mdachi agreed.
"I'll be right back, guys," Jesse announced suddenly, darting into the corridor.
Edward looked at the others. "What I want to know is: who erased my memories? Why did they do it? How can I reverse it? And most of all — who… what the hell am I?"
"You said I'm a powerful warlock, right?" he asked, locking eyes with Jenevive. "You also said I was something more. What did you mean by that? What am I, exactly?"
"I don't have all the answers, Edward," Jenevive admitted. "All I can say is: yes, you're a very powerful warlock. I felt the force of your magic when I tried to restore your memories. And yes, you're more than that. What exactly? I honestly don't know. You'll have to discover that for yourself. I'm sorry I can't help more — but I'll be here to support you however I can."
"It's okay, Mama Anita," Edward said gently. "You don't need to apologize."
Something clicked in his mind. "Wait — you said I can restore my memories. How?"
Jesse returned to the room, panting hard, a massive ancient-looking book in his hands.
"Actually," he wheezed, "about that… I've got the family grimoire!" He lifted it weakly in the air.
"So?" Mdachi prompted, impatience clear.
Still catching his breath, Jesse shot him a look. "So I'm going to find a spell to turn you into a frog, dork."
Mdachi instantly ducked behind Anita, remembering the flight lessons from earlier.
"What Jesse meant to say," Jenevive interjected with a smirk, "is that with the grimoire, you can learn magic — and possibly reverse the spell yourself. But there's a catch."
Everyone froze.
"What is it?" Edward asked, clearly frustrated.
"To reverse the spell," she said slowly, "you need to tap into the caster's magic."
"What?" the three friends said at once.
"Edward," Jenevive continued, "whoever did this to you… is incredibly powerful. Without accessing their magic, you won't be able to fully reverse the spell. At least, not yet."
"But I thought you said I was powerful," Edward said, looking increasingly desperate.
"You are," she reassured him. "Think of your powers as a boulder on a hill. All it needs is a push — and once it starts rolling, there's no stopping it."
The group responded in chorus:
"Shit," Mdachi cursed.
"Oh my God," Anita whispered.
"Wow!" Jesse exclaimed, then flopped beside his mom on the couch.
Edward just groaned.
"Sorry, Edward," Jenevive said. "Magic is hard."
"So I need to find this person in order to do magic and restore my memories?" Edward asked.
"Yes. But I didn't say you need to find them to use your powers."
"What do you mean?"
Anita looked at him like he'd missed something obvious. "Come on, Edward. You can still use your powers. It's just the memory restoration that's tricky."
"Yippee," Mdachi said sarcastically. "My best friends can do magic. But aren't we forgetting something? The wolf?"
"You're right," Jesse agreed.
"What if…" Mdachi hesitated, then continued, "What if the wolf you saw is connected to all this?"
"Wait," Jenevive cut in. "You saw a wolf?" She looked at Edward. She hadn't really heard it being mentioned the first time.
"Ahh, memory loss, Mom," Anita reminded her.
"Right, sorry. I meant — is there any info about it?"
Her gaze shifted among the three friends.
Mdachi finally said, "He did say in the text that it was… giant. Does that help?"
She ignored the question. "When did he say he saw it?"
"Friday night," Mdachi replied.
"That's when there was a full moon…" Jenevive said. Then her eyes widened. "Edward — you saw a werewolf."
Edward slumped back into the sofa. "Holy shit… Just when I thought my life couldn't get any weirder."
"I'm sorry, Edward. But I think your life has just changed for good. And it's about to get a hell of a lot messier."
"Mom!" Anita scolded.
"Sorry, baby. But the truth is the truth. Warts and all."
Mdachi dropped onto the sofa beside Edward. Anita sat on his other side.
"Wow. What a day," Mdachi breathed.
"Tell me about it," Edward said.
"I mean… I just found out my best friends are witches."
"I'm a warlock, actually," Edward corrected.
"Ah, whatever. Still — supernatural stuff is real, and now we have a mystery to solve. Anita, congrats. You're really good at keeping secrets. It surprises me that I never knew that you are witch till now. I always thought you'd be the one to squeal."
"That's because she doesn't do magic," Jesse chimed in.
Anita shot him a death glare.
Edward turned to her. "You don't? That explains why we never suspected anything. But… why not?"
"She just prefers not to," Jesse answered for her.
"Shut up, Jesse!" Anita snapped.
An awkward silence fell.
Edward broke it. "So, Mama Anita — when do I start learning to use my powers?"
"Later. You still need time to process all this."
"Okay…"
"Well," Jenevive said, rising to her feet, "today was definitely crazy. But I'll help however I can. I've got to get back to my work now — hope to see you all again soon." She returned to her room.
Jesse stood up too. "Crap, I forgot I haven't done my homework. See you guys later." And he vanished.
Mdachi spoke up the moment Jesse left. "I still need time to process this."
"We all do," Edward replied.
"There's still so much to explain, but… we'll figure it out, right?"
"Sure, baby boy," Anita said.
"Yeah," Edward added, visibly exhausted. He sighed, resting his head against the sofa's edge and gazing up.
"And just like that," he whispered, "my life changed."
He closed his eyes and let the weight of the day slowly fade, even if just for a moment.
---
Diamond Stars Hotel, Nairobi City…
In a luxurious suite high above the city, Kristov Von Blutwolf—the Alpha—stood before a ceiling-to-floor glass wall.
He looked elegant, regal even, with one hand casually pocketed in his trousers and the other swirling a glass of iced brandy. He gazed at the amber liquid, deep in thought, before lifting his eyes to the glittering skyline of Nairobi as night began to fall.
A soft click of the door signaled someone entering. Footsteps approached, then stopped just behind him.
Kristov turned slightly, taking a sip from his glass. "So, what did you dig up?"
The man, Humphery, answered crisply, "Most things are going according to plan, sire. Edward has discovered he has powers. And Lynette has already intervened and erased his memories. He's already begun digging for the truth, and it's only a matter of time before he uncovers everything—and you get your chance."
Kristov's eyes narrowed. "That's good, Humphery. But you said most. What's gone wrong?"
Humphery hesitated. "Edward saw a wolf on the night of the full moon. That can only mean…"
"...I'm not the only one hunting him," Kristov interrupted coldly. "We're running out of time, Humphery. We need to get to Edward and finish this—before someone else does. Find a way to accelerate the plan."
"I'll do my best, sire," Humphery replied, then exited swiftly.
Left alone, Kristov's grip on the glass tightened. His hand trembled. Suddenly, he hurled it against the wall. It shattered, brandy spraying across the floor, a dent marring the pristine surface.
"Dammit!" he snarled.
He turned back to the glass wall, eyes burning as if trying to pierce the horizon and see Edward himself.
"Enjoy your life while you still can, Edward," he muttered, voice low and venomous. "Soon, you'll be gone—and I will be the one to end you."
A sinister grin curled across his lips.
---
Meanwhile...
Edward was making his way home after parting ways with Mdachi when his phone buzzed. It was his mother.
He answered immediately. "Hello, Mom."
"Edward," Miridald's voice came through, laced with concern. "Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"
"Relax, Mom. I'm on my way now. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"You should've called to let me know you'd be late. Where were you?"
Edward paused, tempted to tell her the truth—but decided against it. "I was at Anita's. She, Mdachi, and I were doing homework."
Miridald sighed. "Okay. Just get here quickly, alright?"
"I'm almost home," he assured her.
As he passed House 253, Edward noticed Mrs. Wanjiku—the elderly widow—tending to her front yard flowers.
It struck him as odd.
Who gardens at dusk? When the sun just slipped below the horizon?
"Hi, Mrs. Wanjiku," he greeted with a polite wave, as he always did.
She didn't respond. She remained kneeling, gloved hands on her thighs, eyes locked on Edward with a scowl.
Edward hesitated, unsettled by the sudden coldness. He continued walking, her glare following him all the way to his porch.
Did she hear me thinking that was weird? he wondered. No… That's impossible. Right?
After everything you've seen today, you still think that's impossible?
He shook his head slightly. Old ladies... so unpredictable.
Mrs. Wanjiku only looked away once he stepped onto his porch, returning to her gardening.
He glanced sideways to confirm she'd stopped watching before opening the door.
Inside, he leaned back against it with a sigh. "I guess that's why she lives alone. She can be… intimidating."
"Hi, Edward!" a familiar, bubbly voice greeted.
He looked up just in time to catch Aunt Renee in a tight hug. "It's so nice to see you again!"
He hugged her back, surprised. "Nice to see you too, Aunt Renee. But… I didn't know you were coming."
"Neither did I," came his mother's voice. Miridald stood nearby, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
"Mom," Edward turned to her, confused. "Why didn't you tell me on the phone?"
"She wanted to surprise you," Miridald replied flatly.
"She sure did," Edward muttered.
"That makes two of us, son," Miridald added, shooting Renee a light glare.
"Like mother, like son," Renee teased, grinning.
Miridald studied Edward. "Why do you look like a mess?"
"Yeah!" Renee added dramatically. "I can't believe I hugged such a filthy person. Ew! Ew! Ew!" she squealed, brushing at her clothes.
Edward laughed.
Miridald smiled.
Renee was always the drama queen. They loved that about her.
She reminded Edward a little of Anita.
"It's a long story, Mom," he said with a half-shrug.
Before he could say more, Renee grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the dining room. The table was filled with all kinds of mouthwatering dishes.
"I made your favorites!" she declared proudly. "Now, go shower—quickly—then come eat."
"You stink!" she added playfully, patting his back as he turned to head upstairs. She then pinched her nose in exaggerated disgust.
When Edward was far enough up, he turned back and called, "You stink too!"—then stuck out his tongue and bolted.
Renee gasped theatrically, one hand to her chest like she'd been wounded.
Miridald watched the two of them with an amused smile. That bond between Edward and Renee—it had always been there. So genuine. So full of life.
Sometimes, Miridald wondered if Renee was more of a big sister to Edward than an aunt. The way they adored each other... it was something she secretly, just slightly, envied.
---
Later…
As warm water ran over his skin, Edward hummed softly in the shower.
But then—a thought struck him like lightning.
He froze. The humming stopped. The water kept flowing.
If powers are hereditary… like with Anita and her brother…
Then where did mine come from?
His eyes slowly widened with the weight of that question.