The council's jaws were nearly touching the floor. They were flabbergasted. "Y-you c-can't do t-that." Keeper said. Although he had tried to sound strong it came out as nothing more than a whimpering and stuttering mess.

Kai's jaw ticked from how hard he had it clamped shut. "You should be grateful that all I am doing is merely demoting you. Your job as councilors is to care for and guide the people of your coven. Why should you be allowed to keep such a position of power over the people you have failed to protect?

I know of your punishments to them if they are to disobey, step out of line, disrespect. You see it as a crime if they are seen as weak or simply not good enough. The scars that they bare are NOTHING! compared to a mere demotion! How long has this been going on huh? How many have you "practiced" your magic on knowing they stood no chance?! How long have they been subjugated to this pain that you inflict on them!" Kai spread his arms out and turned to face the people, "Whats say you, jury? Am I being too harsh on your leaders? Am I being too lenient? Do you wish for retribution? Indemnification?

Justice?"

The people kept their heads bowed, fearful to look up or speak out of line, and be punished for it. Kai huffed and spoke in a softer tone. "Your voices shall no longer be silenced, I know that this must be overwhelming or seem absurd, but I promise you, I am here to help. I am here for you. The role of a counselor is to guide, to teach you of your magic, and help you reach your potentials. To show you the beauty and freedom that it can bring." Kai walked towards a man who sat in the third row near the center. Those around him refused to make eye contact, but this man did not look away. "Instead, you were shown the darkest parts of magic. Kept on a tight leash and punished for things that may have not been in your control. Told how to act, who to be, what to do... who to love."

Kai could see the yearning and pain hidden deep within the man's eyes. He was a prisoner in his own mind and body and it hurt Kai to see just how those eyes called out to him, crying out for help.

He placed his hand just above the man's forehead, "You are free. I release you from the love that has kept you imprisoned." A puff of glittery pink smoke followed his retracting hand. As the man blinked away the last of the glittery haze, his eyes welled up with tears and he gasped as if he had just pulled his head up above water after holding his breath to keep from drowning. It didn't take long for the tears to start falling.

"Dad?"

A young boy who sat next to him asked with concern laced in his voice. The boy, no older than twelve, went to tap his father's shoulder when he got no reply, but right one his hand made contact, his dad swiftly pulled his son into a tight embrace. Heart-wrenching sobs tore through the man's throat as he cried on his son's shoulder.

Kai went around and one by one lifted the pink cover from their eyes.

Many cried just as the first man did. Some cried tears of joy, some cried tears of agony, and some a mixture of both. One nineteen-year-old woman immediately threw herself into the arms of a man the same age, knocking them both to the ground in a fit of laughter, tears, and kisses.

The sight was bittersweet. For one, The people who had been under the spell of the love potion had finally been set free, but while they were under, they had lost so much.

Seeing as how so many years had been stolen from them, he understood that it would take some time before they would be alright. But they would push through, Kai would make sure of it, for he would be there for them to make sure that they did.

This by far was the hardest part of his "job". The "what if's" "if only's" and the guilt of not coming sooner.

These people didn't deserve for this to have happened to them, and Kai felt that a big part of the blame landed on his shoulders, especially in this specific situation. The Love potion reversal was just as hard as the love potion itself and only a small handful of witches were strong enough to break the enchantment. Even if the council had seen the errors in their ways sooner there would have been nothing they could have done to reverse such a thing.

The feeling of him never doing enough was always there. He never did enough. He was never enough. He couldn't save everyone and that fact hurt to admit considering in cases like this, he was the only one who could do anything about it. If only he had been more attentive with the witch communities, he could have stopped this many years earlier. If he had come earlier. If he had been more involved in the supernatural world like he used to be. He had been slacking these past few decades and because of that people no longer remembered who he was.

He needed to do more. He needed to be better. After all, it wasn't him who was paying the price for his inactivity. It was his fault.

It always was.

He turned to the five that sat in the front of the dining hall. They all had a look of bewilderment and disbelief but Viana and Sislier smelt of guilt. "Good" Kai thought, they needed to know what they did was wrong. Those two were the most likely to reclaim their positions back in due time. Keeper, on the other hand, looked furious. His lips curled up in a sneer as he stared Kai down with murderous intent when he thought that Kai could not see him.

When Keeper turned his attention towards the latest of the freed individuals, he began calling upon the spirits in this world who were just as vengeful as he felt.

Kai felt the magical pressure begin to build immediately. A part of his was shocked at Keepers stupidity, but just as fast as the shock had come, it was replaced with anger.

His patience snapped.

He quickly pulled the blinds from the rest, not stopping to make a personal connection as he made his way to the front right at Keeper who snapped his head up to look at Kai as he heard his approaching footsteps. Fear evident in his eyes as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead even as he tried his hardest to keep them at bay.

"You continue to test my patience and push your luck Keeper! You forced them into lives that they did not want nor ask for! Do you not see how they've suffered?! How much pain you have already inflicted on them?! Are you seriously trying to posses them right in front of me after I have told you that you will be punished for your crimes?! After you have seen me break them from the hold of a love potion?!"

With a swipe of Kai's hand, the magic that Keeper was trying to conjure was pulled from him with such force that he screamed in agony. The disrespect and refusal of submission did not sit well with Kai's inner demons. The bright and strong aura that surrounded him turned dark, scary, and larger than life, but this time it was directly targeting Keeper. It engulfed the old man and had him gasping for breath. The air around them turned thick and hot. Sweat and tears trickled down Keepers' bone-white face.

The darkness continued to grow. It began to not only engulf the other counselors but Kai himself. He wanted them to hurt, he wanted them to feel the pain that they had inflicted.

He wanted to kill them.

It wouldn't take much for Kai to do it. All he had to do was add a bit more pressure, let lose his control a bit more. Kai looked at the disgraced council's fearful faces, eyes that pleaded for mercy.

He wasn't a murder, not anymore. Yes, these people had hurt others and deserved punishment, but not death. He took a deep calming breath and pulled everything back into himself.

The council pulled in air greedily and gasped in relief. "W-w-what a-are y-y-you" Cassini shakily asked.

"It matters not what I am, nor who I am, but please, refrain from testing my patience. For you have broken rules that I myself had set so many years ago, and in doing so I have personally come to set things right. So here is what will happen now.

You will all stand and bid goodnight to everyone before leading me to your offices where you will give me everything and anything I ask for whether it's answers to questions, documents, names, numbers, and other information I might need. Am I clear?" All five nodded their heads vigorously in agreement. "Good."

Kai turned his back to the shaken and winded men and women to address the rest of the people who watched his every movement in both wonder and apprehension.

"Coven of Grace, I once again apologize for interrupting your dinner. Now for the remainder of the day, I ask for all of you to please be patient and return to your homes as I speak to your ex-council. There will be a meeting held tomorrow at six a.m. sharp, to address what will become of this coven now that these men and women behind me will no longer be in charge, as well as answer any questions that you may have. Thank you."

The ex-leaders began to trip over each other and stumbled a goodnight as fast as they could when Kai looked at them expectedly.

As Kai was turning to leave with the council members he stopped. He turned to look back at the people, Majority of them looked as dead on their feet as they did lost. The stench of fear and confusion was thick in the air. They would most definitely have trouble sleeping tonight, especially those who have just "woken up".

"Sweet Dreams." To the people, his words sounded as if he had sung them a lullaby. It completely eased them. All of the stress and tension on their bodies evaporated into thin air and some were afraid they wouldn't make it back to their rooms before they collapsed in exhaustion. The people who had been under the love spell all stopped and turned to him, some of them nodded to him in response and continued on their way out as the rest of them began to walk towards him. He gestured with his head for them to follow him before turning back to face Keeper and the rest of the ex-council,

"Lead the way."

---

Keeper and the rest of the ex-council ran around, back and forth, room from room, in a frantic manner, collecting all of the scattered documents and flipped through them before dropping the ones that Kai had asked for at his feet. At the moment Kai was sitting in a very large room where five large podiums stood looming over the spacious room. Long black and gold drapes hung on the walls of the white room. There were two doors on either side of the podiums that led to filing rooms that Keeper and the rest of the council were running in and out of. On either side of Kai were rugs and blankets piled high made into makeshift beds for the people who had followed. The had been too shaken to leave the comfort that Kai was happy to provide them.

Kai absent-mindedly petted the head of the young man who had cried himself to sleep on his lap with one hand as the other was flipping through the stacks of paper. The room was fairly dark as Kai had insisted to keep the lights off and instead lit a few candles in its stead.

In the files that Kai had asked for were the names of all the people and covens who had any involvement with Potion 5392-06-G.W. Just at the name kai glanced to the side where a nearly empty bottle of bright pink liquid sat by his feet. It only had a few drops left but it was enough for them to have continued one with what they were doing for a few more years before they really had to worry.

Kai had found out from Viana that they had gotten the potion from the underground. Sold to them in the black market by a sly leprechaun who was nicknamed 'Augor Hydra'. The witch who had made the potion had made the mistake of bragging about his accomplishment to the wrong people, and sadly, he paid for his mistake with his life. The Coven of Grace, as well as four other covens, had split the very large bill for the potion. For the past nineteen years, once a year they would hold a ceremony where the leaders would bring the strongest of witches from their coven and bond them together however they saw fit. It didn't matter to them if the witch was willing or already had a mate or love. Their defense was that they wanted to strengthen their covens.

They wanted power.

A soft whimper from the man on his lap snapped him out of his musing. Kai shook his head in amusement as he looked down to find that the cause of the man's frown was because Kai had pulled his hand out the man's red locks.

Through the window, you could see the darkness adding away. In an hour the sun would be rising and the meeting would begin. It would be the beginning of the rehabilitation of the Coven of Grace.

A big part of their healing and growth will be greatly affected by whoever he chooses to lead this coven. They needed someone with resilience, delegation, decisiveness, and will be a strong influence. They also needed to have humility, compassion, be empathetic, and positivity. All of the characteristics of a great leader. These people needed to be shown that a leader lives not for themselves but for the people they serve. The best candidates for the position would have to be witches, strong ones at that. they would need to be able to out the ex-council in their places if they dare step out of line or try to test them. They would also need patience, a lot of patience.

Mariana warily dropped another manila folder on top of the pile when she felt the humor and joy that radiated from Minkah.

He knew just the people for the job.