Chapter 9 Book 1 Birthright
The months that followed were a quiet, somber blur. The orphanage never fully recovered from the incident. The town, while outwardly amazed by the two children's "heroism," was shaken to its core. A sense of unease, a feeling of being hunted, settled over the small community. After hearing what the two orphans have experienced, it made the parents feel on edge.
"Do not go out when it is dark…"
"Be wary of strangers…"
"If something is amiss, call your mommy, okay?"
Words like those could be heard in each home as the parents worry for the safety and protection of their children. Plus, a large number of civilians began to volunteer to patrol the night. This has eased the pressure that the town's guards are facing.
Director Anya tightened security even further, and the older children were given stricter curfews and more rigorous watch schedules.
A few months later…
Xu Mei, now with a maturity far beyond her seven years, had become a shadow of her former self. The bubbly, happy girl was gone, replaced by a quiet, observant child with a heavy secret. She still read Elara's books, her mind dissecting the scientific theories with an almost fanatical focus. She saw the logic in the Anti-magii Coalition's ideology, the persuasive arguments about progress and self-reliance. But she also saw the hatred, the violence, the willingness to kill, and she knew in her heart that their path was a dark one.
After the traumatic experience she had, Xu Mei has strengthened her training and gained much experience with it. A new and dark experience had caused the orphanage to be on the edge, as some children experienced paranormal activities during the night.
"I saw it! It was floating in the air!" a child narrates as she tells the teachers of what she saw that night.
"The chairs and tables would float, and sometimes they would move on their own," a kitchen staff member shared with fear in her eyes.
"Ah… I truly saw that ghostly figure… It was… dark and… hic!" a drunkard who walked past the orphanage shared.
After the kidnapping incident, the ghostly apparitions in the Holy Hand orphanage took the town's attention. However, after a few magii inspected the orphanage, they could only conclude that those are just the imaginations of the people who saw it.
Meanwhile, the culprit of it all just shook her head and decided to stop the intense practice she was doing.
Xu Mei's nightly telekinesis practice went back to normal and had become a ritual of survival. The memory of the wagon was a constant, brutal motivator for her previous practices. At that time, she no longer played with the power, no longer saw it as a fun game. She honed it, sharpened it, and made it as silent and deadly as a whispered command. She learned to lift heavier objects, to move them with a speed and precision that would have astonished that young magii named Lilith.
Practicing with heavier objects gives her a large number of points. She had noticed this when she was fighting with those people. Moving their bodies and throwing them like that would give her +10 or more points. Because of that, she decided to practice moving heavier objects.
The progress bar in her status window had filled faster than she could have imagined. The word "Apprentice" had been replaced with "Beginner Mage" and then "Mage," and now she is at the "Master Mage" level. The reason she stopped practicing is not because of the commotion it has caused, but because she is gaining fewer points with her practice. She knew that she needed to lift heavier objects, but that would cause her to be noticed. Her progress bar showed Telekinesis [10/10000] (Master Mage). She could lift large tables, stacks of books, and even a heavy sack of flour, moving them with the effortless grace of an unseen hand. The conflict within her was a constant battle: the Heumane girl who studied science, and the Magii girl who wielded an increasingly powerful and terrifying magic.
…
One year to the day after the incident, on the night of her eighth birthday, Xu Mei lay in bed, unable to sleep. She was now officially the age when a Magii's power was supposed to awaken. The thought of it, of her power being detected by someone like Lilith, filled her with a cold dread and at the same time excitement. She had managed to hide her power so far, but what if, on this night, her mana flared up and a glowing aura appeared around her, just like Ethan's?
"Will they attack me too?" she muttered.
But deep in her heart, she knew that she had done all she could to prepare. No matter what, she would not go down without a fight. She would use her ability to stop her enemies from taking her.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the soft whoosh of air and the faint scratching at her window. A large, majestic creature, a giant white bat with wings like silk and intelligent, amber eyes, landed silently on her windowsill. The moonlight cast its shadow across the floor.
Xu Mei, seeing the creature, froze in her bed, her heart hammering against her ribs. She was terrified. The bats that lived in the wild were known for their ferocity. The orphanage was supposed to be safe.
She thought that she was ready for anything, but as soon as she saw the bat, she actually froze in fear. She could not help but scold herself. But as soon as she looked at the bat, she was unable to move.
"Bats are scary creatures… Why is it here! Get out! Don't come closer!" she muttered in fear.
But as time went by, the bay did not move and just looked at her. She suddenly realized something.
This bat... it didn't seem threatening. It was just sitting there, its head cocked to the side, its keen eyes fixed on her.
She noticed a small, beautifully ornate envelope clutched in its talons. The envelope had a deep, velvety blue wax seal with a stylized 'M' and 'J' intertwined. It was a letter, carried by this beautiful, ethereal creature.
With intelligence, the bat easily pried open the window and entered.
It hopped from the windowsill to her desk, its movements surprisingly light and delicate. It left the envelope on her small wooden table, gave one last, knowing look at Xu Mei, and then, with a silent flap of its wings, flew back out into the night, disappearing into the darkness.
Xu Mei, her curiosity overpowering her fear, slowly, cautiously, got out of bed. She walked to the table, her bare feet making no sound on the wooden floor. She lit up her candle and picked up the envelope. The paper was thick and heavy, and the wax seal felt cool and smooth under her finger. She broke the seal, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She pulled out a single sheet of parchment, a scent of ancient knowledge and fresh parchment filling her senses. The letter was written in a beautiful, flowing script, the words elegant and precise.
To Ms. Xu Mei, of the Holy Hand Orphanage in Hollow Town, Maen Continent.
Congratulations, dear one. You have reached the age of eight. It is with great pleasure that we extend an invitation to you to join the esteemed ranks of Minx Jinx Magii School, located in the beautiful Heart Island.
It has come to our attention, through our records, that you might have already awakened your magic by now. We do not know what kind of magii you would be, but we are happy to help you grow into a powerful one that would greatly benefit the magii world.
Yes, you are no ordinary Heumane child. Records from your birth have revealed a most fascinating detail. Your mother, the late Ms. Rin Mary, was in fact a powerful Witch who, for reasons we have yet to understand, lived as a Heumane in Hollow Town. Your father, a talented Heumane scientist, was not a Magii, but as the daughter of a magii, there is a big percentage that magical lineage has been passed down to you, and it would manifest in a manner unique to your birth circumstances.
We will send a representative to pick you up in one week's time. Please have your belongings packed and be ready to begin your journey to Heart Island. Do not be afraid. You are now part of a grand tradition. A world of magic awaits you.
With warmest regards,
Headmaster Qing of Minx Jinx Magii School
Xu Mei read the letter once, then again, her mind struggling to comprehend the words. Witch. Mother. Magii. Minx Jinx Magii School. Her mother was a Witch. The woman Elara had spoken of with such disgust, the kind of person her teacher had so vehemently hated, was her own mother. The magical power she had hidden, the power that had both terrified and exhilarated her, was her birthright.
The cold dread that had accompanied her secret for two years was gone, replaced by a storm of emotions. A sense of profound shock, a strange, quiet pride, and a deep, gnawing fear. Elara's words, the books on her desk, the brutal reality of what magic could do in the wrong hands, all came rushing back to her. She was a Magii. She was the very thing her beloved teacher had hunted.
But she was also her mother's daughter. A Witch's daughter. The girl who had survived a lightning strike and a horrifying ambush. The girl who had learned to be a silent protector. She looked at the letter, then at the moonlit window where the bat had disappeared. A new path had been laid out before her. A path she never knew she was meant to walk. The quiet, little Heumane girl from the Holy Hand Orphanage was no more. A Witch's daughter, an untrained Magii, was about to begin a journey into a world that both wanted to embrace and destroy her. She clutched the letter, her knuckles white, her mind filled with a single, overwhelming thought: she was no longer alone in her secret. And now, she would have to decide what to do with it.