Choi Chronicles

𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍
𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫

The Whispering Woods, with its towering eerie trees, blanketed the sky. These ancient, twisted giants stretched their branches like skeletal fingers, while thick vines and tangled undergrowth covered the forest floor, making navigation tricky without magic or a clear path. Thorny bushes and brambles lurked in the shadows, ready to ensnare us. Yet, amidst this eerie atmosphere, the Choi brothers remained remarkably calm.

Suddenly, a crow startled me as it flapped its wings and took flight.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed in fright.

"It's just a crow, relax," Seth reassured me, his glare cutting through my panic.

"How can I relax when your brother has my wand? I'm practically defenseless here! How am I supposed to protect myself without it?" I exclaimed, scanning the woods anxiously.

"We're here, nobody's going to attack you," Seth smirked confidently.

"Seth, it's time," Ethan declared, pausing before us while Seth nodded in agreement.

Seth bit his thumb until it drew blood, while Ethan did the same with his own thumb.

"I was going to show you a place that might bring you back to your own universe, but let's test things first," Ethan explained.

Seth wiped his bloodied thumb on my forehead and his other thumb on his own forehead, while Ethan did the same with his thumb.

Suddenly, a smoke enveloped us, and in an instant, everything around us transformed into an eerie red hue.

The Whispering Woods looked different now.

Before, it was all dark, but then the branches moved aside, showing a bright red sky. It was like the sky was on fire, with dark clouds streaking through it. The ground, where we stood, used to be covered in dark green grass, but now it looked gray. 

Everything around us was gray like it was painted with only one color. But above, the sky was bright red, making everything look strange and surreal.

"What the hell is this place!? What's going on!? Where are we!?" I panicked and yelled, feeling a sense of eerie unease stronger than anything I'd experienced in the Whispering Woods.

"Shut up!" Seth snapped, clamping his hand over my mouth. "You're such a coward! Can't you just stay calm for once?"

I forcefully removed his hand and glared at him. "How can I stay calm about this? This is nothing like my world, and the Choi Family never existed in it! Everything about this feels unreal, even more so than witches and wizards!"

Seth and Ethan exchanged blank looks.

Seth spoke up, his tone tinged with sadness. "Oh yeah... I forgot about that..." His arrogance seemed to vanish suddenly. "So, there's the Muggle world, where non-magical people live, right? Then there's the Wizarding World, where wizards and witches live. And finally, there's another world, the Spirit World."

The Spirit World? I remembered hearing about it in History class, but it was always dismissed as impossible, inhabited only by supernatural beings and spirits.

"How...?" I was left speechless once again.

"Because we're different," Ethan explained as we resumed walking. "No one else can do this. Though the Spirit World isn't like this- it's more magical, colorful, lively, filled with more magic."

Looking around, I saw nothing remotely magical; it all seemed lifeless.

Suddenly, a black goo oozed out from the bushes, and out of curiosity, I approached it.

It twisted like a snake, rising to my eye level.

Was this a spirit?

Before I could react, it opened its mouth, sharp teeth aiming for my face.

*SPLAT*

The black goo exploded, and I turned to Ethan, his wand pointed at where the goo had been.

"Then curses like these emerged and destroyed their world."

Curses?!

"I WAS ABOUT TO GET CURSED, RIGHT?!" I yelled as I dashed behind Seth, desperate to escape. "Get me out of here! What's happening? Why are there curses?"

Seth looked worn out from my outburst.

Ethan replied, "I'm glad you asked," though his expression and tone suggested otherwise. "The Curse Beast has broken free and is now roaming the Wizarding Worlds. It uses its curse to corrupt the minds of witches and wizards, turning them into its followers or puppets. It aims to destroy the muggle world, the wizarding world, or both, driving them mad with the lust for power."

"It's not even that powerful," Seth remarked, flicking his wand at a nearby tree, causing another black goo to explode and turn to ashes in an instant.

"So, is that why there are criminals and dark wizards and witches around?" I asked, trying to keep up with their explanation.

Ethan nodded, "Yes, good observation," as he walked toward me and gently patted my head. I was surprised by the gesture, considering Ethan's usually robotic demeanor.

But I guess being the eldest of six siblings might soften anyone up.

As we continued walking, I inquired, "How did the Curse break free?"

Seth sighed in frustration, "It must have found a way to escape. But it's irritating! It was sealed away seventeen centuries ago by one of our family members, and suddenly, after four hundred and eleven years, it breaks free?" His annoyance was evident as he dispelled another black goo nearby.

That's a lot of effort to break free from a seal.

And someone from their family sealed the Curse Beast?

The very beast responsible for chaos and wars across centuries?

No wonder the Choi Family are so revered and respected at school.

But I still didn't fully understand what they were.

"There's a book about Magical Beasts in the library, Anderson," Ethan mentioned, disappearing more curses in front of us as smoke lingered in the air. "If you want to learn more, you could read it."

"I specifically want you to read about the Dokkaebi Dragon!" Seth's eyes sparkled with excitement. "It's the best part, the greatest beast of all!"

"I agree," Ethan chimed in with a thumbs up, leaving me stunned.

Dokkaebi Dragon, huh...

—----------------

"Are you two the only ones doing all this work?" I asked.

"No, it's not just us. Protecting the entire school with just the two of us is impossible. We've divided our responsibilities across the school and the town," Seth explained.

"What?! Even the town?" I exclaimed.

"Yes, we cover areas around the school and nearby," Seth replied, yawning, which made me wonder what time it was. "Maximillian, Gabriella, and Isabella patrol the school grounds, ensuring the safety of prefects, students, professors, house-elves doing midnight cleaning, and even students' pets and owls."

Wow, that's a lot to handle...

"And what about the town?" I asked, suddenly remembering Daphne. "I'm assuming Daphne is in Eldertown, huh?"

The atmosphere became gloomy and awkward.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Yeah," Ethan responded flatly, while Seth furrowed his eyebrows, appearing guilty about something.

Right, I completely forgot how their family operates with such strict traditions. It's definitely something I don't want to get mixed up in.

"Well, it seems like you guys have the easier job, just walking around the school grounds, right? You don't have to go too far," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Suddenly, Ethan tossed my wand to me, catching me off guard.

"Easy?" Seth raised an eyebrow. "This is just the beginning."

"GGGRRRRRGGGRRRRR"

A menacing growl echoed, sending shivers down my spine.

Seth grabbed my wrist, and the three of us hid under a gray-colored bush.

What I saw was unsettling.

A towering figure stood before us, its form both familiar and eerie. It resembled a human, but its hunched posture, black skin, and lack of facial features—no lips, nose, or eyebrows—made it seem otherworldly. Its teeth formed an unsettling smile, and its eyes were just small white dots. Its long arms stretched down to touch the ground, and its legs seemed to go on forever. It stood as tall as a full-grown tree.

"Do you remember what I said about testing things first?" Ethan whispered beside me, his eyes fixed on the creature.

"I want you to defeat that curse."

...

…

...

HUUUUUUUHHHHHH