"...I managed to use it," he announced, handing back the medallion. "I cast a spell on it that responds to the soul of your beloved. It's possible that Sakarda connected your soul with Casandreja's, so I followed a similar path. I bound the medallion to hers. Well, because normally, you don't know when reincarnation will occur, and you can only guess what's going on. Besides, it might happen that her soul is reborn in a man, and then you'll have to wait even longer. After all, you don't know when or where your beloved will appear. In such a case, finding her is impossible, but the medallion will help you." The old man said it proudly, as if it were his greatest achievement. "The moment Casandreja appears, just as she was when she gave you this medallion, and she's a woman, not a man, of course, the pendant will try to reach her." He'll also let you know somehow that he's found the girl and thus lead you to her.
"How can he lead me? He won't hold my hand, after all.
" "It varies. You might feel the need to travel to a certain place and Cas will be there, or a series of random events, which are actually the work of the spell, will lead you there. You think it's a coincidence, but in reality, everything was planned. It's a strong spell, one of the strongest, and he'll always find a way to bring you to her."
Danathriel stared stubbornly at the small gold locket. His chance to break the curse.
"I advise you not to lose it and to always keep it with you," the old man concluded.
The warrior stopped playing and put it around his neck.
"Do you have anything else for me?
" "In fact, yes," the sorcerer announced with a smile. "I thought that if you can find the reincarnation of your beloved, why not do the same to break the curse?
" "I don't understand."
"Find Sakarda. Eventually, she too will be reborn, and then she can lift the curse. Of course, I can't create a spell that will lead you to her, because we don't have an item with a fragment of her soul. I'm saying this just in case; you never know who you'll run into. If you ever happen to encounter someone like that hag, don't waste time, don't kill her. Just grab the hag by the head and..." He paused, reaching into a drawer. He pulled out a written note and placed it on the table. "...take it and force her to recite this spell."
Danathriel took the note. It had a rhyme on it, telling of giving peace to eternal life and the arrival of death.
"And that's enough?
" "Yes. Death won't forget you and will wait for some kind of gap. It's a powerful force that will claim its own. In this case, there's no need for sacrifices or other complications." The spell itself is enough, but it must be cast by the same person who cast it. Sakarda made a pact with death, and only she can cancel that agreement.
"Okay, I'll take it; maybe I'll get lucky and find that bitch.
" "Remember one more thing.
" "Yes?
" "I don't know anyone who could lift that spell, but someone that powerful might appear someday. Increasingly powerful spells are being created, and you never know. Maybe there's already someone like that, and I just don't know. Search for sorcerers, witches, and anyone involved in witchcraft. There's a small chance someone will find another way to help you." He paused, thinking for a second. "I think that's all."
Danathriel stood up. "Thank you.
" "You're welcome, your generosity is enough." The old man patted the pouch of gold on his belt.
The warrior turned and headed for the exit. Before he could open the door, he was interrupted by a sorcerer.
"Boy," Danathriel turned his head. "Do you really want to break that curse? You're immortal now. Many would love to be in your shoes. Not now, but maybe someday you'll like it.
" "I doubt it, but maybe." With those words, he stepped outside. Before he closed the door, he heard another "good luck."
The memory effect took hold. Dan got out of bed. He was thirsty. He was starting to feel like he had when he was cursed. He checked the time. Five in the morning. He poured himself some juice. He was definitely feeling worse. He had experienced many feelings for Cas. It had been the same after her death. For the first time, his feelings intensified, and he suffered torments of longing. It was the same every time Cas appeared. He thought of nothing but her, and he loved her as he had the first time. He no longer knew if it was his own feelings or the workings of some spell. In the periods when she was gone, he had been drawn to other women. He desired and aroused them, but he had never loved any of them. His love connected him only with Casandreia. He drank the juice and went back to bed. He continued to gaze at the night sky. The medallion was fulfilling its purpose, though Dan wasn't sure how well. He had found Cas only seven times so far. The first time, quite quickly. Less than two hundred years later. He hadn't had any luck then. When he finally reached her, she turned out to be married, and deeply in love. He tried various methods, yet he couldn't interest her. He had gotten her to send two brothers and her husband to tell him to back off. In that case, he gave up. He suffered so much that he almost went mad. Cas died ten years later from an epidemic.
Every time so far had been unlucky; something always went wrong. Either he wasn't her type, or she was already taken. He regretted that only his soul was connected to hers, and that she didn't always have to feel something for him. Once, during World War II, he was simply too late. He followed an impulse, but then there was war. The medallion finally led him to Emanuelle Jackard's gravestone. It was his Cas. She'd died a month earlier. The worst was when Cas was alive and growing old, and he couldn't get close. Then he'd go to the other side of the world to forget. Once, the medallion, which he shouldn't have, led him to a man. It might have been a mistake, as the man was clearly gay. Dan sensed a bit of Cas in him, but nothing more. Besides, he wouldn't have met the curse's requirements anyway. After the fourth failure, he began to adjust and wait for another chance. If not now, then maybe next time. Suffering had become second nature to him.
Years passed, and while he waited for Cas, he also tried to find another solution. He sought out everyone connected to magic in one way or another. He found no one capable of lifting the curse. Over time, his chances diminished. Spiritism, necromancy, and sorcery were forgotten. Magic in the real sense, not the kind seen on television, figments of the human imagination. Fireballs, lightning bolts, or any special lighting effects never existed. Rather, it was magic similar to that known in today's world only to gypsies and shamans. Curses and spells enhancing strength, endurance, sometimes enhancing the senses, various rituals. All of this was forgotten; only a few remember it, and even then, it was a tiny fraction of the power of yesteryear. Magic was only explored in the Middle Ages. Danathriel then sought out a sorcerer about whom stories are still made: Merlin. This man truly lived up to his name. Now Dan could confidently say that Merlin was a real man. He had studied and delved into the secrets of true old magic. He possessed power and skill equal to that of the mages of Danathriel's time. Besides his power, he also possessed too much pride. Upon learning of the Cursed One's problem, he didn't hesitate for long and instead attempted to break the curse. The poor mage was acutely aware of an unauthorized person's attempt to break his death pact. During the ritual, he felt the touch of death, which resulted in him spending a week in a coma and gaining half as many gray hairs. After this experiment, he investigated the matter more carefully and identified fulfilling the curse's conditions as the only solution. He wasn't entirely useless, however. He had bent the terms of the pact so that when the curse was fulfilled, the Cursed One wouldn't die instantly. Until now, death had been supposed to take him immediately, but after Merlin's action, the curse simply ceased to function. Time would continue normally, and if he didn't die under strange circumstances, Danathriel could live to old age. It was very good news for him, to be able to spend his life with his beloved.
The essence of magic had faded in this day and age, and without magicians, Dan had to find Cas. He had just been given another chance, and he could try again. He hadn't expected to find her so quickly since his previous incarnation. He had to plan everything and reach her. For now, he had said he was her friend, but when—he didn't consider any other option—when the girl woke up, everything would be revealed. He had to devise another plan.
He stopped thinking and started working. He turned on his computer and searched online for everything he could find about Samantha's brother. He knew who he was talking about; the man owned several companies, but he'd never heard of his sister. If Peter Scott did business with large companies, there was another possibility. Dan switched to reviewing corporate files. His own corporation. Yes, saying Dan was rich, even very rich, was still an understatement. Over the years, buying land at opportune moments, selling it, and investing, he had amassed an incredible fortune. After World War II, he moved to the United States and founded a corporation that is now one of the largest in the world. However, he never revealed himself as the owner. No one knew his face; he ran the company from the shadows or using trusted people as his replacement. This made it much easier to fake his own death and transfer the company to his son, himself. He founded the corporation because he could, and he also helped others. It covered all areas of the economy and many other areas.
Everyone needs money, but Dan, though he had plenty, didn't need much. He didn't even have a car. He lived a moderate life, like most people, and only sporadically took an interest in corporate affairs. He had people for everything, and even if someone else turned out to be different and somehow took over the corporation, they would probably simply kill him. If not, he had enough in land and bank accounts to buy out several corporations. Yes, he was a one-man powerhouse that no one knew about. But he didn't care; he lived for one goal, which he wanted to fulfill.
He found the name Scott in the corporate files. About a year ago, they had already done business together and signed a contract. He needed to learn more. Time to tap into his contacts and pull some strings. Before ten o'clock, he knew everything he needed. Peter and Samantha Scott. Peter had inherited the company from his father, who had died some time ago. After his death, the siblings were orphaned. Peter and Samantha, although they liked each other, weren't very close. Peter, a true son of his father, took up the business, while Samantha was a world traveler. After a car accident in Italy, she was hospitalized and in a coma for six months. Peter paid for the treatment, but he himself rarely visited the hospital, at most twice a month. Almost no one else visited. Samantha had few friends, most of them casual acquaintances. Her closest friend died in the same accident. Dan reviewed some more information about Samantha and kept her photo. He began to study Peter.
A son who resembled his father, a successful businessman, and a lot of nonsense describing an ordinary rich kid. Information connecting him to the corporation caught Dan's attention. One contract was from a year ago, the other was still being negotiated. Both sides were still negotiating the terms of the contract. Good. He called and ordered all the information regarding the contract to be sent to him, and something he had never done before, he decided to personally handle the drafting. By the time all the documents arrived, it was almost visiting time, so he left it for later. He caught a taxi and left for the hospital. He had already made some good connections and secured access to Samantha as a close family friend. He wanted to drop in on his friend first, but couldn't. Just before he got to the door, he felt a wave of pain from Samantha. He had always felt the feelings of each of Cas's incarnations, which was probably a side effect of the soul connection. Now, prepared, he didn't let himself be surprised, though taking on her feelings was difficult for him to control. He sat in the chair by the bed and simply stared at the girl. He found it hard to believe it was really her. He sat there for about half an hour before he moved and glanced at his friend. Claudia and the child were already there. They talked about everyday life for several minutes, until Claudia and the child went to the bathroom. Billy was one of three people who knew the whole truth and whom Dan didn't kill because of it. In fact, it was quite the opposite; he saved his life, but as a result, everything was revealed. However, he could trust Billy and be calm.
He had to share the latest information with his friend.
"I found Cas," he said as soon as Claudia closed the door behind her.
Billy's eyes widened. "Really? "
Dan nodded and recounted last night.
"That... is probably good, isn't it?" Billy asked. "You should be happy. I guess. Because it means you might lose your immortality."
He knew Dan was pissed and had other goals, but he had to be annoyed.
"Well, when I can move again, I'll come over to that room and check out that little gem of yours," he concluded the conversation, just before his wife returned.
Dan spent some time here before returning home. He went in and fed the fish he'd forgotten about.
He studied the contract with Scott's company. Finally, he drew up a contract with terms that suited Peter. He personally had the signed contract delivered to the other party. He didn't have to wait long for a response. Within hours, an invitation to a private party arrived at the corporation the next day. For the sake of the cause, he broke the confidentiality rule and accepted the invitation. He went as the son of the corporation's owner. The right move. He was going to inherit the corporation soon anyway. The founder would have been seventy by now; it was high time for a change.
The party was indeed private. He counted fifteen people at most. Peter turned out to be just as Dan had expected. A rich kid. Dan himself was only two years older, but his life experience put him far above the rest. He quickly worked Scott out and, by playing his cards right, gained his trust. Peter signed the contract, and all that remained was the party. As he left, he was certain the rich kid liked him. From the information he'd received, he knew of his love of golf. He immediately returned the invitation with a round. In this way, by returning the invitation, they became even closer friends. Dan also liked the kid, and within two months, they were friends. In the meantime, of course, he continued to visit Cas. Now he just had to do it "legally." When he asked Scott about his family, Scott told him about his sister. Upon hearing this, Dan offered to drop by the hospital. Scott was surprised at the offer, but since he rarely visited his sister, he didn't mind.
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