ã€ŠKeepers Of The Occultã€‹


 Chapter 1: In My Own World

    Most children believe that monsters live in their closets. Most adults think they live all around them as their colleagues and closest friends. But only those from the Union of Magus knew where monsters rightfully belonged.

    In cages.

    A draught of cool air swept into the dark room as chrome doors swung open. The earthy smell of damp wood also drifted in, accompanied by the sounds of stray dogs barking in the distance. Pale moonlight painted the highly polished linoleum floor a faint yellow before being promptly blocked by a pair of shadows.

    The doors closed without a sound behind the couple.

    Footsteps echoed as fluorescent lamps on the ceiling blinked to life one by one, shedding light on the winding hallway. The couple walked briskly, their mahogany robes sweeping slightly above the floor.

    They turned into an empty circular room.

    "This is a bad idea, Luca." The woman looked around before snapping her fingers with a resounding click.

    Purple sparks darted from her hand, flitting around as though they were sentient before landing on a switch hanging inconspicuously on the wall beside her.

    Glowing glyphs spread the entire room like hundreds of fireflies covering the walls. Bluish-white light flashed for a moment, before dispelling the illusion that hid the room''s true nature. The man beside her stood unflinching as his false surroundings melted into nothingness.

    "So was accepting our House-ship, Ava." He smiled warmly at the woman by his side. "And yet here we are. We make do with what we''ve got. That''s how we always roll, darling."

    Intense white light flooded the room now, yet there seemed to be no visible light source in this containment room. Four sleek-looking containers stood in the corners of the now rectangular room, while a particularly huge one imposed itself right in the middle. Dark blue glowing chains wrapped around them, each of them being tended to by at least two people.

    A muscular Japanese man was leaning against a corner of the room with his arms folded, intently watching the workers with his strikingly green eyes. His slightly frizzy hair was pure white, although he looked no older than forty.

    Ava walked past the Japanese man as though she had not seen him.

    "How are the charms holding up?" she asked a grey-haired man fussing around the largest container.

    "Surprisingly well," the old man commented. "Considering how powerful this creature is supposed to be, I''m surprised it hasn''t given us any trouble yet. It has been the calmest one so far."

    "That''s good, that''s good." The woman nodded, releasing a warm red light from her palm that fused with the magic chains. "Keep up the good work¡ª"

    A loud bang reverberated around the laboratory as a nearby cage shook violently.

    Luca swung around in shock, throwing several orange star-shaped glyphs at the container. The glyphs stuck themselves on the cage, and the glowing chains tightened visibly.

    The huge cat paw that had thrown itself against the translucent cage wall retracted slowly.

    "Our magic isn''t compatible with these creatures, Luca." Ava folded her arms, turning to the man. "Wendigos, Chupacabras, Skinwalkers...Those, we are equipped to handle. But our incarceration charms don''t work as well on these Eastern monsters. We should just tell those Japanese blokes that we can''t hold them."

    "We''re the Chief Magus for this migration project," Luca insisted. "We can''t just give up like that; it''s our duty to hold these monsters until the Japanese branch is ready to take them back."

    "Bloody selfish, the whole lot of them. Just because we have our own monsters well-contained doesn''t mean we can spare manpower to take on someone else''s problems. We''re under the damn cosh for no good reason."

    "A Magus lives to serve. To sacrifice. To protect those in need. There is no greater calling. Besides, we only have a week left, dear. Don''t be so stressed out," Luca said. "Who knows, we might even get a promotion once we present HQ with the good news. Then we can finally go for that family vacation that our boy always wanted."

    Ava broke into a small smile as she gripped her husband''s hand tightly. Luca kissed her gently on her forehead, before leading her out of the room. Everyone else continued their work, furiously strengthening the protective charms around the cages.

    All except for one.

    The Japanese man unfolded his arms as he cast a grim gaze at the huge container. He shook his head and walked out of the room as well, muttering under his breath.

    "Fools. You are in a lot less control than you think you are."

    ~ ~ ~

    Hazel Adams was a few inches away from kissing the prince''s lips when a shrill voice rudely interrupted her perfect wedding ceremony.

    "Miss Adams, are you still with us?"

    The handsome prince vanished in a puff of smoke as the golden palace around her dissolved into nothingness, giving way to a boring modern-day classroom.

    Hazel groaned, swiping her auburn hair from her mouth as she groggily lifted her head from her desk. Why did her dreams always have to get interrupted at the best part?

    "Hazel, it''s your turn," her teacher repeated herself. "Come up and present your work."

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The girl blinked as she adjusted her thick silver-rimmed spectacles while her awareness booted back up. It took her a few more seconds to remember that she was not a princess married off to a young charming prince, but a boringly normal sixteen-year-old schoolgirl in Starlight High.

    Why did reality always have to be so disappointing?

    Hazel''s heart skipped a beat as she tripped over her bag and earned a few annoyed stares from her classmates. It didn''t matter much; they went straight back to sleep anyway. The timid girl made her way to the front of the class, burying her face in her journal as though they held the secret to eternal youth.

    "Today¡ª" she squeaked, before clearing her throat awkwardly. Her mouth felt drier than the Sahara desert; she must have been sleeping with her mouth open.

    "Ahem. Today, I will be presenting about the Japanese Yokai: Kitsune," she announced with as much confidence as she could muster and finally took her nose out of her worn-out journal.

    Thankfully, none of her classmates was awake to watch her painful performance. Her teacher, however, gave her a look reserved for a starving stray kitten one would find on the sidewalks.

    Hazel planted her face in her book again.

    "Kitsunes have many powers, such as casting illusions, playing mind tricks, and even clairvoyance. But most notably, they are extremely skilled at the art of disguise. Some are so powerful that they can even turn invisible and completely hide their supernatural presence from skilled mediums. Despite having a fox-form, they often appear in the guise of beautiful human women in the mortal world. Sometimes they do this just for pranks; sometimes for more nefarious purposes. However, they retain their fox-like nature even in their human form, such as being afraid of dogs."

    The girl''s voice rose as confidence blossomed within her rapidly.

    "Despite their playful nature, these fox spirits will keep their promises and treasure friendships by doing favours for those they are fond of."

    Hazel set her journal away. She never needed it in the first place, especially not when the topic was about something she spent her childhood obsessing over.

    "Unlike regular foxes that only live up to ten years, Kitsunes can exist in the mortal realm for up to a thousand years, growing an additional tail after a hundred years of existence. As such, the most powerful of Kitsunes have nine tails. After which, their essence in which most of their powers are vested¡ª also known as a ''Hoshi no Tama''¡ª will become one with the celestial realm. With that, the Kitsune will turn into a Fox God¡ª also called a Tenko¡ª and ascend to the heavens forever."

    Hazel became completely animated as she continued her presentation with as much confidence as a popular girl auditioning for cheerleading try-outs. Although considering her general lack of hand-eye coordination, she probably looked more like an excited gremlin instead. Not like she cared; only one classmate had woken up from his stupor to witness her rambling anyway.

    "... And with that, I conclude my presentation on Japanese occult culture. For more information, please pick up my articles about Japanese folklore from the Journalism Club!"

    Silence flooded the class once more before the teacher clapped lazily from behind. Hazel hurried back to her seat, her timidness quickly rising again.

    "Are you daft? The topic was ''Significant historical events around the world'', you numpty," a patronising voice laced with a thick Cockney accent greeted her as she sat down. "What does Japanese Yokai have to do with that?"

    Hazel glared at her sneering deskmate, who was, unfortunately, the only one awake during her presentation.

    "Mind your own business, Watson," she hissed as the boy casually leaned back on his chair, flicking his curly brown fringe from his eyes.

    "Aww mate, really? You ain''t calling me Chester? I thought we were on a first-name basis here." Chester winced slightly, putting a hand on his chest as though he had been shot by an arrow.

    Hazel rolled her eyes and ignored him. Chester Watson was the only British student in her class. Like her, he had also transferred to this school this year. In fact, he only enrolled just a few months earlier than she did.

    But unlike Hazel, he wasted no time mixing around with everyone else. Chester was a relatively good-looking guy in the traditional sense, after all. Square-jawed, short dark hair, untucked shirt and tie, all that jazz.

    If only he weren''t so rude and loud-mouthed.

    "Oi, Liam. Psst, Liam Davis!"

    Hazel stole a glance from the side of her eye. For a relief, Chester had given up bothering her and was now prodding his poor friend whose head was practically planted on the desk. He was so far into Liam''s personal space that Liam should''ve been charging him rent.

    "Stop sleeping all day, you sodding¡ª"

    A loud rapping on the whiteboard interrupted him as the class stirred back to life, wondering what time of the day it was and what they were doing in a concrete room on a humid summer afternoon.

    "Class, pay attention," the teacher announced curtly. "We have an exchange student from Japan and she will be staying with us for the next... few weeks or so?"

    Her voice trailed away as a confused look crossed her face, as though she was suddenly unsure of what she had just said.

    A petite girl of an obviously Asian heritage walked gracefully into the classroom right on cue. Her ash blonde hair draped in front of her face as she sank into a deep bow.

    "Hello, my name is Tomoko Sanada. Nice to meet all of you." She had a slightly slurred accent, but Hazel could still somehow understand her perfectly, almost as though it was by some kind of magic.

    The teacher pointed at a desk beside Hazel. "There''s an empty seat beside Hazel. You may sit there, Tomoko."

    "Uh, Missus Rogers?" Chester''s hand shot up. "That seat''s already taken. That guy''s just bunking off."

    "Which means his seat isfree." Missus Rogers put her hands on her hips. "That''s what he gets for skipping class. And for goodness'' sake, Chester. Please refrain from using such slang in class. The correct term is ''playing truant''."

    "Oi, Hazel." Chester poked his deskmate with a cheeky grin. "Wanna switch seats with me? Please, please, I''m begging ya. Do me this favour, will ya? C''mon, she''speng! At least let me introduce myself to her."

    Hazel rolled her eyes, but Chester wasn''t the only one thinking the same thing. The other boys were also murmuring and staring at the new girl as she made her way to the back of the class. Hell, even the girls seemed enthralled by Tomoko Sanada''s unnaturally natural beauty.

    "Geez, dude. Ya ever think you might be bothering someone?" Liam''s serious-sounding voice jabbed in, having finally woken up from his slumber.

    "W¡ª What?" Chester stopped drooling and snapped his head to the side. "I just want to be friendly, is all."

    "Seriously, man. We don''t need another complaint about your antics." Liam plopped his head back on his desk and closed his eyes.

    "But you''ll always have my back, won''t you?" Chester smirked playfully, poking his friend again.

    His voice faded into the background of the classroom chatter as Hazel turned her attention to the foreign student now sitting quietly beside her. Tomoko smiled sweetly at her, although she kept her silence as the lesson resumed.

    Hazel kept her journal awkwardly and took out her textbook.

 Chapter 2: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

    The end of class came quickly, and Hazel was no closer to Tomoko than when she¡¯d first walked into the classroom. A huge reason was that Hazel was more shy than a city fox. But Tomoko herself wasn¡¯t the type to strike up conversations either, despite how often she was throwing curious glances at Hazel.

    It also didn¡¯t help that she practically ignored any other attempts from her classmates to talk to her. After a few dozen attempts to try and get the new pretty Japanese girl to join their clique, the students finally gave up and left her to navigate this supposedly foreign world by herself.

    Hazel was no exception.

    It was nearly five in the evening when Hazel found herself facing the worn-out doors to the journalism club room. She wasn¡¯t staying late because of her club activities, no. None of the club members cared about her presence anyway.

    It was because she didn¡¯t really enjoy staying at home.

    Hazel wasn¡¯t a foster child, but she never knew her parents¡ªother than from the photos in her house. Her grandfather raised her, and he was the only relative she had left.

    She loved him deeply, of course. But he spent the days sleeping for long hours, leaving Hazel to bask in the silence of her house by herself. It wasn¡¯t exactly the best way to foster a proper relationship with a grandchild.

    And so Hazel spent the rest of her time in school doing homework or reading more articles about Yokai. She didn¡¯t have anyone to accompany her, but the chattering around the school made her feel much less alone than she did in her practically empty house.

    Metal jingled lightly in her hands as Hazel fished out the key to the Journalism Club Room. She pushed the door open and walked in¡ª

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    The bespectacled girl fell on her back as she bumped into something soft. She blinked groggily, reaching for her journal as she put her glasses back on her face. Since when did the journalism club put up a blockage behind the door?

    ¡°Wow, this book looks so detailed!¡± A breathy voice drifted to Hazel¡¯s ears. She grasped the empty floor for a few more seconds, before quickly realising what had just happened.

    ¡°Tomoko Sanada? What¡ª Huh¡ª How did you get in here?¡± she sputtered, staring at the Japanese exchange student flipping through her Yokai journal excitedly. ¡°Give that back!¡±

    Tomoko jumped a little, startled by the sudden sharpness in her tone. Her lips quivered as she backed away slightly.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry for raising my voice.¡± Hazel dropped her voice immediately, seeing how crestfallen the girl looked. ¡°I was just startled, and¡ª I¡¯m sorry, what are you here for?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to speak with you!¡± Tomoko squeaked excitedly.

    Hazel blinked. That was a rare thing to hear.

    ¡°Right,¡± she replied, her voice soaked in scepticism. ¡°Is there something you need from the journalism club?¡±

    ¡°I want to be friends.¡±

    Hazel froze again but shook her head with a small laugh.

    ¡°The Journalism Club isn¡¯t open on Thursdays. If you want to make friends, the other members will be here tomorrow¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, may we be friends?¡±

    Hazel furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°Because I like Yokai too.¡± Tomoko waved Hazel¡¯s journal with a shy smile on her face. ¡°I heard you talking about Kitsune from outside our class. You are a very knowledgeable and playful girl. Why do you isolate yourself like so?¡±

    Hazel stepped back at the intrusive question, suddenly feeling slightly light-headed for some reason.

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t always like this. When I was in middle school, I loved playing pranks on my classmates. It was all very funny to me. But one day, I made a mistake. I lied to a classmate that her father was involved in an accident. She rushed out of school before I could clarify the joke with her, and she ended up missing an important exam.¡±

    Her eyes welled up in tears. What are you doing? She¡¯s just a stranger; why are you telling her all this?

    ¡°After I was found out, I was expelled for my behaviour and transferred here. I never really fitted in, but it¡¯s better this way. My idea of fun isn¡¯t funny to everyone else.¡±

    Hazel sucked in a deep breath as though she had just been underwater for several minutes. She shook her head groggily, wondering what on Earth had just come over her to spill her worst memories like that.

    ¡°Oh? Well, in my opinion, there¡¯s nothing wrong with having a little fun,¡± Tomoko said sweetly. ¡°But how did you come to know so much about Yokai?¡±

    ¡°To ¡®tame¡¯ my playful nature, my grandfather also suggested that I get interested in knowledge instead.¡± Hazel¡¯s lips moved before she could stop them. ¡°There were many books about the supernatural world around my house, so those were naturally the first books I read. That¡¯s how I found out about the occult world.¡±

    She had to physically cover her mouth this time. Tomoko, on the other hand, only giggled and flipped the journal again.

    ¡°What¡¯s with these addresses?¡± she asked, pointing to the long list of scrawlings on the first page.

    ¡°Yokai¡­ hotspots.¡± Hazel flushed red and looked away, anticipating the mocking laughter that never failed to follow every time she said something like that.

    But it never came.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Instead, the girl widened her eyes in surprise and flipped the journal again. Hazel stared at her strange behaviour. No one else in school was ever that curious about the supernatural world, let alone Japanese occult research.

    ¡°You have seen them before?¡± Tomoko closed the book and handed it back to her. ¡°Please bring me there; I want to see them too!¡±

    Hazel shook her hands in front of her frantically. ¡°W¡ª Wait! What are you talking about? Do you really believe that they exist? Hold on¡­¡±

    Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡°Someone put you up to this, didn¡¯t they? Was it Chester? Oh, I¡¯ll get that little¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Tomoko exclaimed before her voice dropped considerably. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Do you¡­ not like me?¡±

    Hazel stepped back in shock at the girl¡¯s demeanour, but not before catching a familiar look in her eyes. It was the same look that stared back at her in the mirror before going to school. It was the same look that remained on her face when she wandered Starlight High on her first day of school, desperately looking for a place to belong.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you, Hazel.¡± Tomoko turned for the door. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class tomorrow¡ª¡±

    A small hand pulled on her arm.

    ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± Hazel smiled warmly at her. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to my favourite spot.¡±

    A pregnant pause hung in the air.

    ¡°R¡ª Really?¡± Tomoko piped, her chestnut brown eyes so bright they could¡¯ve blinded a deer. ¡°Oh, thank you! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re my friend!¡±

    Hazel nodded vigorously, as though it could hide her rapidly blushing face. ¡°No guarantees, though. I¡¯ve never really seen a Yokai in the flesh, only hints of their presence. This is America, after all.¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± Tomoko tilted her head curiously, making her already sharp features look all the more foxy. ¡°All Yokai are borne of Izanagi¡¯s celestial energy. But since our world already has natural energy, it can give rise to Yokai if the energy is focused enough. So Yokai can live anywhere in the world, can¡¯t they?¡±

    Hazel¡¯s look of incredulity gave way to surprise. Tomoko was surprisingly knowledgeable about Yokai as well. Although that was probably a lot less strange, considering that she was already Japanese, to begin with.

    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s an extremely obscure school of thought,¡± Hazel spoke slowly as she racked her memories. ¡°It has something to do with how every living being is borne of the same energy. Eh, don¡¯t worry about that. It¡¯s all probably just fairytale nonsense.¡±

    Tomoko frowned slightly as if Hazel was the one who had just uttered something that made absolutely no sense.

    Hazel glanced at the worn-out clock at the front of the classroom. ¡°School closes at six. We should get going.¡±

    The two girls left the room.

    <hr>

    The warm and dry summer night quickly descended on Oklahoma City, smothering it like a prickly fleece blanket. Unfortunately, the forested outskirt of the town was no exception to the parched weather.

    Dried leaves crunched under their feet as two girls trekked halfway up a hill. A rest stop was smoothened onto the soil and a bench was conveniently planted into the ground, facing an ominous, yawning forest.

    Hazel plopped herself onto the seat, fanning herself rapidly. Sure, this was her favourite spot to relax after yet another pointless attempt at looking for Yokai, but she never visited this place during the summer. She wasn¡¯t exactly the type of girl who enjoyed being outdoors in this heat.

    Tomoko, on the other hand, sat down gently beside her without a hint of exhaustion or discomfort on her face.

    ¡°You come here to look for Yokai?¡± The Japanese girl frowned slightly. ¡°How do you know there are Yokai here?¡±

    ¡°For one, this is a hotspot for other supernatural creatures,¡± Hazel replied. ¡°And for another, my grandfather used to carry out his rituals in this forest, so this place is definitely rich with supernatural energy. I¡¯ve been sensing something these few weeks.¡±

    Tomoko stared at her quizzically.

    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no harm in telling you. Just promise not to laugh at me, alright?¡± Hazel said sheepishly. ¡°I have this¡­ How do I put it¡ª Sixth sense, of sorts. My grandfather told me it was my body¡¯s natural way of protecting itself from the spiritual world.¡±

    Once again, Hazel waited for her friend to laugh. Or scoff. Or roll her eyes. But she did none of that sort.

    ¡°Well, he used to be a popular medium who frequently dealt with the supernatural world,¡± Hazel continued hesitantly. ¡°He¡¯s retired now, of course. But he taught me how to focus and control this sense so that it doesn¡¯t get in the way of my normal life.¡±

    Tomoko tilted her head curiously. ¡°You know magic?¡±

    ¡°Oh! No, not at all! I¡¯m not saying that magic is real,¡± Hazel exclaimed. ¡°But I really wasn¡¯t lying when I said I can detect supernatural presences. I usually come here to relax, but I have been getting unusual spikes in this forest for the past few weeks. Not like I ever managed to spot anything, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you sense something now?¡± Tomoko was wearing a strange smile on her face.

    ¡°I¡ª Wait.¡±

    Hazel interrupted herself mid-sentence, turning slowly at the forest again. The sensation was unmistakable. She sucked in a deep breath to steady herself, only to feel the gentle tug in her mind get stronger by the second.

    There it was again.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s check it out!¡± Tomoko¡¯s excited voice brought her back to the present. It took Hazel a few more seconds to notice that the girl had already stood up and was practically pulling her into the forest.

    ¡°H¡ª How did you know I just sensed something?¡± Hazel asked.

    ¡°The look on your face was obvious enough!¡± Tomoko piped as she ran into the forest. ¡°Look, there are scratch marks on that tree!¡±

    Hazel stared at the three claw marks scratched into the bark of the oak tree, feeling the scent of supernatural energy overwhelm her senses. Her sixth sense had never flared so strongly in her whole life before. Was there really a supernatural presence nearby?

    Her breath caught with suspicion as she traced the ¡®wounds¡¯ in the tree. Those claw marks should have been huge enough to be visible even from outside the forest. Why didn¡¯t she notice that earlier?

    ¡°Look, and on this one too!¡±

    Tomoko was practically darting from tree to tree now, completely oblivious to the danger she might be in. Hazel rushed to her friend in alarm, finally realising how deep they had ventured into the forest.

    ¡°Tomoko, something is seriously wrong.¡± Hazel grabbed the girl¡¯s hand, pulling her away from an unusually huge tree. ¡°We have to get out of here before anything happens¡ª¡±

    A strange crunching noise stopped her mid-sentence. Hazel looked down, praying that she had not just stepped on the eggs of some predatory reptile. She lifted her foot slowly and her heart flew to her throat. It wasn¡¯t an egg that she stepped on.

    It was a human skull.

    ¡°Hazel?¡± Tomoko¡¯s voice had dropped to a whisper all of a sudden.

    Hazel swung her head towards her friend, terror dancing in her eyes. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Duck.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡ª¡±

    Her scream rang through the forest as a huge tree branch crashed at her feet.

 Chapter 3: Stranger Neighbour

    The ground shifted again.

    Hazel screamed as she scrambled over the sea of human skulls and finally managed to gather enough strength to hurl herself out of the retracting soil. The turbulent floor slammed into her again, knocking the wind out of her.

    Everything spun as Hazel rolled over some dried leaves before finally coming to a stop. She adjusted her spectacles and finally took in the sight before her.

    Her stomach rebelled as she heaved in disbelief. There was nothing left in her but acid and primal terror.

    What stood before her was the same gigantic tree, except that the knots in its barks were human faces, every one of them frozen in an eternal scream. The tree balanced itself on a carpet of skulls supporting its roots, swinging its branches wildly like a certain willow tree from the Harry Potter books.

    ¡°Oh my god. It¡¯s a Jubokko, the vampire tree!¡± Hazel squealed in both fright and excitement. ¡°Can you believe it, Tomoko? An honest-to-god Yokai, here in America! How?¡±

    Tomoko responded with a silent stare, still fixated on the Yokai. Her eyes glazed over as though she were in some kind of shock or trance.

    Hazel yelped as vines seized her limbs roughly without warning, pulling her into the air. Her mouth hung open in shock at the wooden face in front of her. It smiled at her.

    No, not quite a human smile. Its mouth was a little too small, its eyes a little too blank, and its face was a little misshapen. But even with those differences, its expression was remarkably similar to a human one, in an uncanny valley sort of way.

    Tube-like twigs extended from its face, wriggling towards Hazel¡¯s body like a gang of bloodthirsty snakes.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take my blood just like in the stories I¡¯ve read!¡± The girl¡¯s mind spun with excitement, although her body was struggling against her restraints. ¡°I wonder how that¡¯s going to feel like¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oi, oi! Over here, ya ugly mug!¡±

    Hazel craned her neck at the familiar voice. She couldn¡¯t quite make out the figure in the dark, but there was no mistaking that voice.

    Several glowing shurikens burst into view, slicing through the twigs that were holding her up. Her stomach lurched as she plummeted to the ground, but she found herself in the arms of yet another familiar face.

    ¡°That was a close one. You alright, Hazel?¡± Liam Davis landed gracefully and set the girl down.

    ¡°Liam?! What¡ª How¡ª Huh?¡± Hazel sputtered in confusion. ¡°Why are you here? Are you¡­ Is that a cloud you¡¯re standing on?!¡±

    Liam was dressed as though Halloween had come early. A dark mahogany robe draped his body from his shoulders all the way down to his feet, and his fingers were glowing with some sort of yellow smoke.

    He drifted gracefully to the ground and stepped off his cloud.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated.¡± Liam set Hazel down, putting a hand on his hand in mild embarrassment. ¡°Well, you see¡­ I¡¯m from a society of¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oi! Stop faffing around already. Hurry up and help me!¡±

    Hazel¡¯s eyes widened even further as Chester Watson literally floated into view, dressed in the same outfit as Liam. He flipped over another murderous tree trunk, flinging a handful of glowing shurikens at the Jubokko to distract it.

    ¡°Try this on for size!¡± Purple flames burst to life in his palm, and he hurled it at the lunging monster.

    The fire went straight through the Yokai as though it wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    A giant branch crashed into Chester¡¯s chest, sending him flying away.

    Liam clasped his hands together, muttering under his breath as yellow light glowed fiercely through his body. He stomped hard on the ground and sent a wave of jagged ice towards the monster.

    The Jubokko froze briefly before breaking out of the ice easily. It swatted Liam away as well. Runic symbols blinked over the boy¡¯s body as he crashed in front of Hazel.

    ¡°Bloody hell, Mum was right.¡± Chester flew towards his friend as though he was as light as a feather, brushing the soil off his robes. ¡°Our Western magic isn¡¯t very effective on Yokai.¡±

    ¡°At least our protection spells still work.¡± A ring of glyphs surrounded Liam¡¯s arms like glowing bangles as he raised his fists in a combat stance. ¡°The hell is that thing, anyway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Jubokko, a vampire tree borne of spilt blood!¡± Hazel cut in excitedly. ¡°It traps victims in vines and sucks their blood. The skulls at the bottom are supposedly the victims of the Jubokko.¡±

    ¡°Right, forgot we have our resident Weeaboo nerd here.¡± Chester snapped his fingers as a huge shadow fell on the trio.

    A shield materialised over them.

    The Jubokko roared like a rabid bear, hammering the shield as though it was auditioning to be the world¡¯s best bongo drummer. Liam raised a finger as well, adding another layer to the magic shield.

    ¡°Any weaknesses?¡± he asked, wincing with each blow to the shield.

    Hazel racked her memories. She never found the need to pay attention to Yokai weaknesses when she read about them, but she did recall something¡ª

    ¡°Fire!¡± Hazel exclaimed. ¡°People used to burn down Jubokkos in ancient Japan.¡±

    ¡°Tried that, didn¡¯t work.¡± Chester gritted his teeth in concentration as glowing bangles flashed around his arms as well. ¡°Dammit, if only I¡¯d learn how to conjure a chainsaw¡­¡±

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Loud barking echoed in the distance as the three of them looked up. A group of stray dogs were bounding towards the tree, as though trying to chase it away from its territory. Hazel¡¯s mouth hung open in confusion.

    Could this night get any weirder?

    A strangled screeching emitted from deep within the Jubokko, sounding almost like a screaming fox. It swung its branches violently and crashed into something invisible. The dogs ran away in fright as the Jubokko vanished with a golden puff of smoke, leaving not even a trace of its existence.

    ¡°Shit, no!¡± Chester ran out of the shield immediately, chasing after four orbs of light fleeing into the darkness.

    Hazel rubbed her eyes. No, she wasn¡¯t seeing things. A broken tent had indeed materialised out of nowhere and was now lying on the forest floor, along with a group of people dressed similarly to Chester and Liam.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Hazel turned to ask Liam, but the boy had already left her side to rush towards Chester.

    She looked around her in confusion. It was only then that she realised that Tomoko had somehow managed to run off amidst all the chaos.

    ¡°Oh no¡­ No, no, no, no¡­¡± Chester whimpered as he clutched his head. ¡°What do I do now?¡±

    A strange breeze prickled the back of Hazel¡¯s neck. She turned around and her mouth dropped at the sight of a middle-aged couple who had quite literally materialised from thin air behind her.

    Did they just¡­ teleport here?

    ¡°What is this?¡± the woman barked at Chester. ¡°What the hell did you do this time?¡±

    Hazel glanced at the cowering boy and then back to the couple again. The blonde woman sported a wolf cut, which ended neatly above the helm of her collared robes. She was smaller in stature, but the look on her face could¡¯ve made a gorilla cower before her.

    The man, on the other hand, had long dark hair tied into a small bun at the back of his head. He also had a stern look, although he looked more concerned than angry.

    ¡°Are you hurt, Chester?¡± Orange light flickered in the man¡¯s eyes as he scanned Chester¡¯s body.

    Hazel narrowed her eyes; the couple both had a distinctly British accent. Could they be¡­

    ¡°No, Dad. I¡¯m not hurt, but¡­¡± Chester cast his eyes downwards. ¡°I mucked it up.¡±

    ¡°Bugger me¡­¡± The man turned to the other people trying to magically fix their tent. ¡°Did they all escape?¡±

    ¡°Only one cage wasn¡¯t broken, chief.¡± Another robed man pointed at a large white container. ¡°The Kitsune¡¯s cage.¡±

    The man heaved a small sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness our protective charms held up. God help us all if that eight-tailed fox got loose.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness?! Luca, we just lost four Yokai and we have to return them to the Japanese government in five days!¡± the woman yelled, before swinging violently to Chester. ¡°You had one job, Chester! How can you be so careless?!¡±

    Hazel¡¯s heart throbbed as she watched Chester flinch at the yelling. He had always been a happy-go-lucky boy; she had never seen him so quiet and meek before.

    ¡°Calm down, Ava,¡± Luca interjected. ¡°I¡¯m sure he had his reasons for using magic¡ª¡±

    ¡°Reasons? He¡¯s playing with magic again; what other reason could he have?¡± Ava snarled, jabbing a finger at Chester. ¡°When will you grow up¡ª¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Chester shouted, his fists clenched. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t screwing around this time, Mum. I was using magic to fight off another Yokai!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! Where is the Yokai now? Yokai aren¡¯t illusions; they don¡¯t just disappear into thin air like that! We¡¯ve lost four Yokai because of you! Do you know how many times we vouched for you at the HQ? Do you know how much criticism we have to endure for teaching you magic? And this? This is how you repay us?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not lying!¡±

    The words blurted out of Hazel¡¯s mouth before she could stop herself. Silence flooded the air as everyone stared at her. She stepped forward with as much aggression as she could muster.

    ¡°I was attacked by a vampire tree and he came to my rescue along with Liam.¡± Her voice was trembling with both fear and indignation, but she kept it under control. ¡°I would¡¯ve lost my life if it weren¡¯t for them, so I¡¯d appreciate it if you stopped scolding Chester!¡±

    Ava creased her eyebrows in considerable anger and Hazel shrank back, losing all her newfound nerve in an instant.

    ¡°A Jubokko was never in our records of the Yokai migration project, girl. So that¡¯s either a load of cobblers, or you¡¯ve been scared out of your wits.¡± The woman had dropped her voice, but it was dripping with a lot more malice now. ¡°You¡¯re not a Magus, aren¡¯t you? Well, I have good news. You won¡¯t remember this night.¡±

    Ava raised a glowing finger aimed right at the middle of Hazel¡¯s head like a mobster about to execute a disloyal member. The girl squeaked in fear as she scrambled backwards.

    ¡°Is it a hallucination if I saw it too?¡±

    Liam had finally decided to speak up. ¡°There¡¯s clearly something going on here that¡¯s bigger than our four Eastern monsters. If we wipe Hazel¡¯s memory, we might lose the only lead we have.¡±

    The woman remained still for a moment before putting her finger back down. Hazel breathed hard, still staring at the purple light slowly dissipating from Ava¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Leaving a human witness uncleansed goes against basic protocol, Mister Davies; protocol that even someone of your esteemed house has to follow.¡± Ava folded her arms. ¡°You may be of a higher rank than us by virtue of your family name, but you are a lot less experienced. How will you answer to our superiors if the girl babbles about our society?¡±

    ¡°That will be my problem to deal with, Missus Watson.¡± Liam stood in front of Chester and Hazel. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, letting four foreign monsters run around unattended only increases the danger posed to everyone else. If it means bending protocol to prevent a bigger problem, I¡¯ll face the consequences myself.¡±

    ¡°Those are bold words, boy. Have care with your promises, lest you find yourself regretting them,¡± Luca said. ¡°But you¡¯re not wrong. Clear and present are these four Yokai. If you need our help, just ask us.¡±

    Ava glared at her husband. He draped his arm around her shoulder, shaking his head slightly back at her.

    ¡°Chester, taking responsibility for your actions will go a long way in life, even if the circumstances are unfair,¡± Luca continued. ¡°I believe you¡¯re mature enough to decide what to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dad. I¡¯ll find the Yokai and return them to the tent,¡± Chester muttered, still keeping his gaze on the ground.

    The couple walked briskly back into the tent, which had already been repaired during the verbal scuffle earlier. Hazel spotted Liam approach her from the side of her eye, but she was too busy staring at a muscular Japanese man walking towards them.

    ¡°Greetings.¡± The man had the same slurred accent as Tomoko. ¡°I apologise for disturbing you, but was another girl with you?¡±

    Hazel blinked. ¡°Yes, but who are you?¡±

    ¡°I see you do not know where that girl has gone.¡± The man pursed his lips with a slightly disappointed expression. ¡°Never mind, then. My name is Komyo, by the way. Be seeing you around.¡±

    He walked off as abruptly as he came, leaving the trio to wonder what the hell that was all about.

 Chapter 4: Union Of Magus

    Hazel didn¡¯t stop staring at the retreating Komyo, who vanished behind an invisible veil after he walked back into the tent. A strange sense of affinity tugged within her, although she could not pinpoint how exactly she found him familiar.

    ¡°Who was that guy?¡± Liam asked.

    ¡°Ain¡¯t got a Scooby Doo, bruv.¡± Chester shrugged. ¡°Never seen him before. He looks Asian though; probably an ambassador from the Japanese branch.¡±

    An awkward silence fell on the trio as they looked at each other, finally taking in how strange this whole night had been.

    ¡°Thanks for that earlier, by the way,¡± Chester mumbled to Hazel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see all that.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Tomoko!¡± Hazel exclaimed without warning. ¡°She was here earlier but must¡¯ve gotten lost in the forest when she ran off. We need to find her now!¡±

    The two boys blinked in confusion. A yellow glow lit up in Liam¡¯s irises as he looked around the forest.

    ¡°Hazel, there isn¡¯t anyone else within two hundred metres of this forest.¡± Liam blinked as the glow disappeared from his eyes.

    ¡°What? She was right here! I brought her here! Where did she go?¡±

    ¡°Oh god. You¡¯re on acid, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chester groaned in exasperation.

    ¡°Look. Even if Tomoko was here, she no longer is.¡± Liam was trying his best to placate the increasingly hysterical girl. ¡°She¡¯s probably somewhere safe now. C¡¯mon, we¡¯ll get you home¡ª¡±

    Hazel backed away.

    ¡°No. Not before you two tell me what is going on,¡± she blurted. ¡°How did you do all of that? What are you wearing? Are you secretly wizards? Magic is real?¡±

    Liam waved his hands as wispy traces of smoke trailed behind his fingers. He continued twirling his wrist in a circular motion, and the smoke gathered as it began to take form. Hazel watched in awe.

    The boy snapped his fingers decisively and a cloud materialised in front of them.

    ¡°Fine. Hop on.¡± Liam gestured to his cloud. ¡°Where do you live? We¡¯ll take the scenic route back. That¡¯ll give us plenty of time to talk.¡±

    <hr>

    It was a windy night, even more so at five kilometres above the ground. And yet Hazel felt almost no sense of motion, other than the slight rumbling of the magic cloud somehow solid enough to support the weight of three people. It felt more like the world was moving past her instead. All she could see around herself was the twilight darkness, and all she saw below was an endless sea of clouds.

    She would¡¯ve fainted from the fantastical nature of it all, if she hadn¡¯t already watched two of her classmates literally use magic in front of her.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll start from the beginning,¡± Liam spoke without warning, making Hazel flinch slightly. ¡°Yes. You were right, in a way. We are ¡®wizards¡¯, in the sense that we can wield magic.¡±

    He paused, as though to let Hazel take in the information. She simply stared at him, silently urging him to continue.

    ¡°The supernatural world has always existed alongside the natural world,¡± the boy continued. ¡°They are divided like so because each world draws from a different form of energy. While the natural world works on physical concrete energy, the supernatural world works on more fluid supernatural energy. That is what we call magic.¡±

    ¡°¡®We¡¯ as in ¡®Magus¡¯,¡± Chester added. ¡°A long time ago, some bloke found out that a certain group of humans have an affinity for supernatural energy. As such, he learnt how to harness it and sought out others who had the potential to wield it as well. They banded together and formed a secret society known as the ¡®Union of Magus¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The supernatural world was running rampant and slaughtering humans back then,¡± Liam said. ¡°Thus, the Union decided that the Magus should use their powers to protect the natural world and maintain the balance between the two worlds. A hidden war broke out for decades until the Union finally emerged victorious.¡±

    Hazel¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So you and Chester¡­¡±

    Chester nodded.

    ¡°As generations passed, it was discovered that there is a genetic component to this ability.¡± An uncomfortable expression crossed his face. ¡°The Magus ability typically runs in the family, and so it became the natural responsibility for children to carry on the family career.¡±

    ¡°But although the society grew larger and larger over the years, its primary directive never changed,¡± Liam said. ¡°They collectively decided that the best way to maintain the peace between both worlds was to keep the unruly monsters in permanent captivity while keeping an eye on the ones still allowed to roam free. And that¡¯s why we were there to save you.¡±

    ¡°So you guys are like wildlife rangers¡­¡± Hazel mused. ¡°Wait, but there isn¡¯t concrete evidence of supernatural monsters.¡±

    ¡°Well then, you¡¯re bloody welcome,¡± Chester replied haughtily with a slight smirk. ¡°Liam has been spending every night strengthening charms on the cages at HQ for the past few weeks. And I¡¯ve been spending my weekends on guard duty. It¡¯s not the best life to have, but it¡¯s ours.¡±

    Hazel took a breath in realisation, recalling how Liam had been practically sleeping through school every day for the past month.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing you guys mention ¡®HQ¡¯ quite a few times,¡± the girl pondered out loud. ¡°Is it not that tent that we knocked over?¡±

    ¡°What? Of course not!¡± Liam exclaimed. ¡°The headquarters is a much larger building, where the upper echelons of our society do their work. It¡¯s invisible to the natural world, of course. Almost every country has one of them, and they¡¯re all linked by cross-dimensional passageways. Think of them like wormholes, if you may. Anyway, that crummy little tent is just a temporary storage for the Yokai migration project. A few weeks ago, the Japanese branch contacted the American branch, requesting help to hold a Yokai for a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°And then they shipped over five cages before immediately going no contact. Bloody irresponsible is what that is,¡± Chester huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what came over my parents to agree to such a project. The logistics are messed up, the instructions are unclear, the Japanese branch isn¡¯t responding¡­ It¡¯s all such a huge mess. Our spells aren¡¯t even specialised at sealing Yokai away. If you ask me, we should¡¯ve just rejected these foreign monsters and sent them back home.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°It is still our duty to follow the instructions of our organisation, no matter how much we don¡¯t like it,¡± Liam said in a serious tone. ¡°If we didn¡¯t, our world would¡¯ve fallen to the supernatural world a long time ago.¡±

    Chester sulked silently as the cloud took a gradual dive. Hazel instinctively grabbed the floor to stop herself from plummeting to her death, but there seemed to be no need for that.

    Her mouth hung open in amazement as her body remained firmly planted onto the cloud as though she was still on flat ground. Pinpoints of light blinked in the distance as her magic ride closed in on the street below.

    ¡°This should last long enough¡­¡±

    Hazel looked up at Liam, who was practically standing horizontally now. He was muttering some kind of spell again.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Vanish!¡±

    White light flashed around the entire cloud. Hazel didn¡¯t feel any different, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Liam had probably employed some sort of invisibility spell to hide them from the general public.

    The trio stepped out onto solid ground surreptitiously a few minutes later. The cloud evaporated into the air almost immediately after. Hazel spied her house from just across the park they had landed in.

    Magic was certainly convenient.

    ¡°See you in school tomorrow.¡± Chester gave her a tired smile. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up on the roof after school. There¡¯s a lot of work to do.¡±

    The boys flickered into thin air after waving goodbye, presumably magically teleporting away elsewhere.

    Hazel made her way back to her house, which was already completely dark.

    Unsurprisingly, her grandfather was already asleep when she came in the front door, so she walked up the stairs quietly and dropped her schoolbag onto her bed. Hazel opened the mini fridge by her bedside and felt her stomach clench up in anticipation of food.

    She plucked a muesli bar and forced it down her throat to curb the sudden pang of hunger. It was only then that she realised she had missed dinner entirely. But it was way too late at night to be frying up a ruckus in the kitchen, and it was not like she knew how to cook anything substantial anyway.

    So the girl sat on her bed in a daze instead, trying to process the night¡¯s events. It only made her heart race in anticipation of what these new revelations meant for her. Not only were Yokai real, but two of her classmates were wizards who kept them at bay. And the best part? She was somehow wrapped up in all of this. How many more adventures did life have in store for her?

    Hazel looked around her room to calm her mind.

    Posters of Japanese idols and anime characters covered her walls as if shamefully covering up the boring pastel wall behind them. A bluish-pale light peeped timidly from the single lava lamp on her bedside table, shedding a dim light onto a bookshelf crammed with cultural books about Japanese folklore.

    Just across it, a modest night table held her computer. A ¡®Windows 95¡¯ logo was still flashed across the screen, but Hazel ignored it. It was probably going to take more than ten business days to boot up anyway, considering the number of Internet pages she had left open.

    The world slowly blurred before her eyes as her consciousness faded, drifting into a dream-filled sleep.

    A pair of green slit-eyes blinked outside her window before promptly disappearing.

    <hr>

    Hazel rolled into her homeroom class in remarkably high spirits the next morning. It was a rainy Friday morning, which made it slightly perplexing as to why the class was buzzing with so much excitement. Even the quiet kid who usually spent his morning inventing all sorts of new chords on his guitar had suddenly deigned to participate in the pockets of discussion.

    ¡°Hey, Hazel¡¯s here!¡±

    The girl scarcely had time to open her mouth in shock when her classmates swarmed her immediately.

    ¡°Do you know, do you know?¡± a long-haired girl asked excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, tell us what you think!¡± another boy exclaimed, fighting to shove his face in her view.

    ¡°Is it a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Is it a poltergeist?¡±

    ¡°Is it a Yokai?¡±

    Hazel opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water, before waving her hands in front of her to clear the space.

    ¡°Wait, what are you guys talking about? What ghost?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± the class president explained. ¡°Our janitor found his broom sweeping the floor by itself early this morning like a ghost was holding it! He freaked out and fainted immediately, but started babbling about this story to anyone who would listen after he woke up. Everyone was quick to dismiss it as a mere hallucination, but when they checked the security camera recordings¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ª It turned out to be true!¡± another student chimed in excitedly. ¡°His equipment went missing while the janitor was knocked out, but guess where they found it?¡±

    The crowd went silent for dramatic effect.

    ¡°Right on top of our antenna lines¡­¡± someone whispered as the class collectively gasped. ¡°The school had to get fire and rescue to take them down. And that¡¯s not the worst part.¡±

    ¡°The worst part is¡­¡± a girl said, her voice trembling. ¡°The storeroom where he usually keeps his supplies has gone missing.¡±

    ¡°How does a whole room go missing?¡± Hazel asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the scariest thing!¡± the class president exclaimed. ¡°The room is clearly marked on our school map; even I remember seeing that room. But there¡¯s nothing but a wall where it should¡¯ve been!¡±

    ¡°Gyaah, our school is haunted!¡± a girl shrieked. ¡°Please, Hazel! Teach us how to avoid the ghosts! I just picked up all your articles from the journalism club!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°I want them too! Where¡¯s the journalism club?¡±

    The class began murmuring again as Hazel furrowed her eyebrows. The janitor¡¯s encounter sounded like a textbook example of a supernatural encounter, however¡­

    ¡°Everyone, listen to me!¡± Hazel squeaked in a meek voice, but her classmates went silent anyway. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a Poltergeist, since all it does is sweep floors. But what you¡¯ve just described sounds like a Hahakigami, a harmless broom spirit that only enjoys sweeping up our mess. So please don¡¯t be afraid of it!¡±

    ¡°A Haha¡ª what?¡±

    ¡°Dude, are you laughing at me?!¡±

    ¡°Wait, I think I¡¯ve seen that Yokai in one of her articles before!¡±

    Confidence blossomed within Hazel at the sight of her classmates fishing out her occult articles, which had, until this day, had practically zero sales. She stood up and clapped her hands assertively to get their attention.

    ¡°If you are all interested, I¡¯ll work on more in-depth articles about poltergeists!¡± she piped as the class collectively cheered.

    ¡°I want a pre-order!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°Me¡ª¡±

    The classmate froze mid-speech, as though he was suffering a stroke. Hazel looked at him in alarm, before realising the entire class was frozen in time as well.

    All except for two of them.

    Chester and Liam strolled into the classroom, heading straight for Hazel. An orange glow outlined Liam and Hazel¡¯s bodies, while miniature purple clocks flashed in Chester¡¯s irises.

    ¡°Hazel. A word, please.¡±

 Chapter 5: Naughty, naughty

    ¡°That¡¯s a neat trick,¡± Hazel commented with slight jealousy in her voice. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it ever concern you boys that someone might find out you¡¯re magic?¡±

    The boys carefully made their way to their seats, taking care not to accidentally knock over any of their classmates.

    ¡°Not at all. We have other spells to deal with that,¡± Chester sat himself down behind his desk. ¡°Do you remember singing in the Solar Eclipse Party for Werewolves at school last month?¡±

    Hazel stared blankly at him. ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Her mouth dropped in shock.

    Chester blinked a few times as the purple clocks faded from his eyes. The orange outline around Hazel¡¯s body vanished as well.

    ¡°We have one minute before my time-stop spell expires,¡± Chester commented. ¡°So let¡¯s make this quick.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll cut to the chase. You are right, Hazel. It is a Yokai we¡¯re dealing with,¡± Liam said. ¡°Or at least, I¡¯m pretty sure of it. A broom spirit is one of the missing Yokai that escaped last night. Funny how it found its way to our school; maybe it was drawn here by something.¡±

    ¡°Who cares why it¡¯s here?¡± Chester shrugged. ¡°All that matters is that we have to catch it. Hazel, you better muck in¡ª you better help out too. It¡¯s partially your fault that it got loose.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have it any other way!¡± Hazel beamed.

    ¡°Brilliant,¡± Chester muttered. ¡°We¡¯ll meet at the rooftop after school to discuss further how to deal with that monster without getting anyone¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± the girl piped. ¡°Oh, I have so many ideas¡ª¡±

    ¡°Conversation¡¯s over,¡± Liam reminded her, putting a finger to his lips. ¡°Focus up, Missus Rogers is here.¡±

    Hazel turned back to the front, only then realising that the time-stop spell had expired and everyone was moving normally again. For a relief, her classmates had also hurriedly returned to their seats before their homeroom teacher started calling out names.

    Tomoko appeared by Hazel¡¯s side without warning, sitting herself down with an oddly amused expression on her face.

    ¡°Tomoko! Oh, thank the heavens you¡¯re alright,¡± Hazel half-whispered, half-shouted in surprise. ¡°Where¡¯d you run off to last night? I was so worried you got hurt.¡±

    ¡°I ran away on my own.¡± Tomoko smiled sweetly, as though she hadn¡¯t just admitted to abandoning Hazel.

    Hazel¡¯s gaze shot to a few red marks on her thigh which looked suspiciously like some sort of wound. Tomoko seemed to have noticed her concerned look as well, because she quickly pulled down her skirt to hide it.

    Hazel turned her attention back to the whiteboard.

    <hr>

    Hazel didn¡¯t remember sitting through her classes, considering that all she could think about was how to catch the Hahakigami lurking somewhere in Starlight High. She could only suppose that she must have, because the school bell was ringing again and she was fighting with a throng of people to get out of the classroom.

    Tomoko had somehow managed to slip away before the after-school crowd flattened her. Although she seemed in strangely higher spirits than usual, Tomoko still only shared a few words with Hazel throughout the classes. It seemed her mind was on something else as well.

    Not like Hazel was free enough to care now, though. Her phone had been buzzing with requests from her Journalism Club President to write all sorts of occult articles for the student population. And now she was headed off to meet Chester and Liam for an exciting adventure too.

    For the first time in her two years of high school, she was needed by everyone.

    The cloudy afternoon sky greeted her as Hazel opened the doors to the school roof. It was still empty, although the two boys had left the classroom earlier than her. Thankfully, she did not have to wait long when the air began rumbling in front of her.

    ¡°Oof¡­ Make some space! This thing is heavy¡­¡±

    Hazel quickly stepped out of the way as Chester and Liam emerged from a shimmering oval portal that looked like the air was slashed by some kind of magic knife. The boys were carrying a full-length mirror that looked like it was manufactured in the sixteenth century, from the ornate wooden frame to the slightly yellowish silver that nestled snugly within.

    They set down the huge mirror with a dull clunk.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked curiously.

    ¡°What does that look like to you?¡± Chester plopped onto the floor, fanning himself rapidly. ¡°Borrowed this mirror from HQ. It¡¯s going to help us unveil any illusion magic. The Chinese branch gifted it to the Americans as thanks for helping them with their zombie outbreak last year.¡±

    ¡°There was a zombie outbreak?!¡± Hazel exclaimed.

    ¡°No, no. Not the ones you see on MTV. Y¡¯know, the hopping ones.¡± The boy stretched out his arms in front of his body and bounced on his toes. ¡°Ah¡­ Such good fun. It was just like herding cats. Dumb, slow-moving cats.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, that¡¯s precisely what we¡¯ll be doing tonight,¡± Liam cut in. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan for catching our little Yokai. The three of us will split up and sprinkle dried leaves around the school. The sight of messy leaves will surely draw the Hahakigami out to tidy them up. Once any one of us gets a hit, we¡¯ll use this to chase the spirit out.¡±

    The boy fished out a lightning-bolt-shaped paper attached to a rope. Hazel beamed excitedly in recognition.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Shide!¡± She pointed at the talisman.

    ¡°Is that what it¡¯s called?¡± Liam shrugged, passing it to her. ¡°Eh, doesn¡¯t matter as long as it chases spirits away. This ward has been imbued with celestial magic for twelve hours, so we¡¯re using this to push the Hahakigami to the entrance of our school¡ª¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°¡ª Where this trusty artefact will be waiting,¡± Chester patted the mirror. ¡°In addition to revealing a monster¡¯s true form, it¡¯ll also apply a stunning effect. Think of it like a flashbang of sorts. The broom spirit doesn¡¯t have much magical density, which means it should be stunned long enough for us to re-capture it. Got it?¡±

    Hazel nodded slowly. ¡°Other than the Hahakigami, what are the other three Yokai we need to find?¡±

    ¡°A Kappa, Nekomata, and a Rokurokobi,¡± Liam replied grimly. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about the latter two. Word has it that they¡¯re rather violent Yokai. We¡¯re going to need more preparations before attempting to catch it. It might be best you sit those out, Hazel¡ª¡±

    ¡°And miss the chance to see those Yokai with my own eyes? Hell, no!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a game, dammit. This is a dangerous line of work,¡± Liam¡¯s voice raised sharply. ¡°You could get hurt. You could die!¡±

    Hazel stepped back in shock at the sudden harshness in his tone. Chester quickly grabbed his friend¡¯s shoulder firmly, shaking his head.

    ¡°Not now, Liam,¡± he muttered. ¡°Not now¡­¡±

    ¡°F¡ª Forget it,¡± Liam unclenched his fists, smoothening his hair to calm himself down. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up in school at seven tonight. Let¡¯s share our contacts in case you need help getting in.¡±

    Hazel pulled out her phone.

    <hr>

    ¡°Hazel! Psst¡­ Hey, Hazel!¡±

    Hazel jerked out of her daze, looking around the stairway in confusion before finally locating the source of the playful-sounding voice. The black-haired girl bounded towards her with a cheeky grin on her face.

    ¡°Hey, Tomoko. What¡¯s up?¡±

    Tomoko giggled. ¡°The books! The books are up! Come look, come look!¡±

    She grabbed Hazel¡¯s wrist with a surprising amount of force for a girl her size and practically dragged her to the glass doors that guarded the library entrance. Tomoko hid behind a nearby wall and peeped at the library. Hazel followed suit.

    The library was devoid of any students, but still filled with activity. The bookshelves were almost all empty, in the sense that books were strewn all around the room.

    Literally.

    Some books were on extremely high shelves, while others were taped on the ceiling and walls. The rest of the furniture was, thankfully, left untouched. Hazel¡¯s mouth hung open in surprise as she watched the librarian fuss around, painstakingly removing the books one by one.

    ¡°Did you do all that?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°How did you even¡­?¡±

    ¡°You like it?¡± Tomoko grinned playfully. ¡°Come play with me! I¡¯ll show you!¡±

    Hazel glanced at the frizzy-haired librarian again. A small part of her felt a little sorry for making the overweight woman waddle around so much, but a huge part found her confused and frustrated expression absolutely hilarious. Childish playfulness bubbled as the prankster in her took over once more.

    The library doors closed silently behind the two girls sneaking into the room. Thankfully, the librarian was too far away from the entrance to notice anyone entering. Hazel scuttled over to the counter, expertly rolling behind it for cover.

    Tomoko, on the other hand, had somehow made it halfway across the right end of the library silently and was already busy rearranging the books. Not wanting to be outdone, Hazel also began shuffling the documents on the librarian¡¯s table.

    Footsteps echoed around the corner and Hazel scurried out of her hiding spot to hide behind another bookshelf, waiting patiently.

    The frustrated shriek that followed almost gave her away.

    Hazel put her hand to her mouth, stifling her giggle as the librarian began furiously re-arranging the documents. Serves you right for chasing me out last time just because I dropped a pen.

    ¡°Done already, Hazel?¡± Tomoko appeared behind Hazel without warning.

    ¡°Oh, you have got to stop doing that,¡± Hazel whispered back.

    Tomoko tutted, staring impatiently at the librarian. ¡°C¡¯mon, go over to that side already¡­¡±

    The librarian sat down instead, fanning herself in exhaustion.

    ¡°Dammit, I guess this will make you go there.¡±

    Hazel watched in horror as the girl chucked a recognisable worn journal over to the right side of the room. When did she take my journal¡ª

    The book smacked the floor loudly.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    ¡°What the hell, Tomoko?¡± Hazel whispered, trying her best not to exclaim in shock. The girl only stifled her laughter in response.

    Metal scraped against wood roughly as the librarian got out of her chair, walking towards the source of the sound.

    Hazel¡¯s heart raced. She¡¯d be royally screwed if the librarian picked up her journal, especially since her name was written right on its front cover. Memories of her expulsion flashed in her mind again.

    Her fingers closed in on the metallic bell in her blazer pocket. She had really intended to use the bell as a distraction afterwards, but she had no choice now.

    She tossed it towards the left side of the room.

    ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t funny! I¡¯m reporting this to the Principal!¡± The librarian¡¯s shrill voice echoed in the room, accompanied by the sound of intense shuffling feet. ¡°You¡¯re finished! Finished, you hear me?! Oh, when I get my hands on you¡­¡±

    Hazel didn¡¯t need to hear the rest. She made a mad dash out of her hiding corner, all covertness be damned now.

    ¡°I see you!¡±

    The girl snatched her book without looking back and flung the doors open, sprinting out of the library.

    Hazel didn¡¯t stop running until she burst back into the journalism room. Tomoko had somehow managed to follow her all the way back as well, so Hazel swung around violently, hot fury possessing her gaze.

    ¡°What the hell was that, Tomoko?¡± she yelled. ¡°You almost got me expelled!¡±

    Tomoko blinked slowly with an infuriatingly innocent giggle. ¡°Hehehe, you were so afraid! That look on your face was hilarious!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s. Not. Funny.¡± Hazel stepped forward, teeth gritted. ¡°That¡¯s not what a prank is. You¡¯re not supposed to cause any trouble.¡±

    The smile slipped off Tomoko¡¯s face quicker than a fox slipping into the night.

    ¡°I thought you liked funny things¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a spoilsport.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Or maybe¡­¡± Tomoko¡¯s eyes drifted off for a moment before refocusing with considerable excitement. ¡°The prank wasn¡¯t big enough! Oh, you trickster. You really do have standards, huh? Just you wait, I¡¯ll impress you! That was so fun; let¡¯s do this another time!¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, wait¡ª¡±

    Hazel raised a hand futilely as Tomoko bounded out of the Journalism Club Room.

 Chapter 6: The Chase

    Hazel spent the remaining two hours of the day churning out article after article for the journalism club. The room was quiet enough for her to work in peace, but she had always preferred the library¡¯s atmosphere instead. Not like it was in any state for her to do anything there now, unfortunately.

    Not after Tomoko¡¯s antics.

    Annoyance rose within her again at the memory of her friend¡¯s tasteless prank. Hazel wondered if that was how her past victims felt about her mischievous antics back then.

    The last school bell rang for the day. Hazel hurriedly packed her bag and left the empty room before the security guard locked her in for the night.

    The girl slipped behind a pillar expertly just as footsteps echoed around the corner. She aligned her shadow with the wall, waiting patiently for the security guard to walk past her, none the wiser. Hazel hurried over to the back door and unlocked it without a sound.

    She slipped out and waited. Hazel had stayed back late enough times to know that the guard would normally walk back down the hallway without double-checking that he had locked all the doors. Coupled with all the experience she had as a prankster in her old school, sneaking back into school after closing hours was child¡¯s play to her.

    Hazel opened the door and re-entered the building after the guard strolled back to his post at the school gates.

    ¡°Right on time. Brilliant.¡±

    She turned around, facing Chester and Liam who were already back in the school compound. Hazel didn¡¯t even bother asking how they got back in through the locked gates this time. Magic certainly was convenient.

    ¡°Casting muffling spells, and¡­ done,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°Now we have a little privacy to ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so excited!¡± Hazel squeaked. ¡°Do we need to prepare anything el¡ª¡±

    The girl fell to her knees all of a sudden, clutching her chest as an abnormally strong surge of supernatural energy hit her. Hazel shook her head groggily, trying to stand to her feet. She had never felt such a malicious presence so clearly before.

    ¡°Oi, Hazel. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chester helped her up. ¡°Blimey, your skin is boiling!¡±

    He let go of her, fanning his hands to cool them down.

    ¡°H¡ª Huh?¡± Hazel winced. Her chest was still throbbing, but at least the supernatural presence was gone now.

    Liam tilted his head slightly. ¡°Hazel, are you¡­ magic?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    The boy held her wrist for a brief moment. ¡°Your body temperature is back to normal, which means you don¡¯t have a fever. I just sensed a strong magic resonance flash through your body. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Is that what it was?¡± Hazel said. ¡°I¡¯ve always had the ability to detect paranormal activity. My Grandfather taught me how to focus my senses to do so. I just felt something earlier, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s probably the Hahakigami¡¯s presence.¡±

    ¡°Your Grandfather? What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Hubert Chekov. He was a famous medium back in the sixties,¡± Hazel replied. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure all he knew how to do was help people with exorcisms. I¡¯ve never seen him use magic like you guys.¡±

    Chester turned to Liam. ¡°Wow, do you think she might be part Magus or something?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯m almost certain she has a powerful innate connection to the supernatural world,¡± Liam commented. ¡°In fact, her connection might even be stronger than my House.¡±

    ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Hazel waved at them in confusion.

    ¡°Each House of Magus have their own affinity to certain aspects of old magic. For example, members of my House can detect presence more keenly than others. Chester¡¯s House is highly adept at conjuration magic,¡± Liam explained. ¡°But although I possess that power as well, my magic is still more combat-oriented like Chester¡¯s. When your body resonated earlier, I caught a glimpse of how much detail your senses took in. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re part Magus, but your senses seem highly attuned to the supernatural world somehow.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a surprise.¡± Chester broke into a wide grin. ¡°So you have a gift for sensing the supernatural, eh? We¡¯ll be counting on you to locate the broom spirit for us.¡±

    Hazel shook her head vigorously. ¡°W¡ª What? No, I can¡¯t control this power! I don¡¯t know how to locate spirits!¡±

    Laughter echoed around the empty school.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just taking the piss, ya?¡± The British boy tapped her shoulder lightly. ¡°What kind of man would I be if I put a girl like you in danger?¡±

    Hazel heaved a considerable sigh of relief.

    ¡°Alright, stop ¡®faffing¡¯ around already,¡± Liam chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ve still got a job to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not how you use that phrase¡­¡± Chester commented absentmindedly.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s already in place, but there¡¯ll be a slight change in plans. We¡¯ll go in two groups instead of splitting up individually.¡± Liam gestured at Hazel. ¡°Since Hazel can also sense magic, she¡¯ll cover the right wing of the school with Chester. I¡¯ll cover the left wing on my own. Keep searching until you get a presence. I believe you remember the rest of the plan.¡±

    Hazel and Chester nodded.

    ¡°Great. Time to catch a Yokai.¡±

    <hr>

    Hazel pushed open the faculty office door slightly, trying to scan the room without scaring any poor soul who still might have been working overtime. Fortunately, the office was as quiet as a morgue. It felt just about as creepy as one too.

    ¡°Pst Pst Pst Pst¡­ Over here, little monster¡­¡± Chester¡¯s voice cooed from behind her like he was trying to get a stray kitten to follow him. ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of leaves for you to sweep¡­¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Cut it out, you¡¯re going to attract trouble,¡± Hazel whispered back as they walked into the faculty office.

    ¡°That¡¯s the point, ain¡¯t it?¡± The boy popped his head over her shoulder. ¡°Hey, wait. Isn¡¯t that the test answers for next semester¡¯s midterms?¡±

    Hazel glanced at the half-open drawer. She could barely see anything in the darkness, but there was no mistaking the huge title on the paper sitting among the pile of student assignments. Chester whipped out a handheld camera immediately and snapped a picture with a blinding flash.

    He turned his attention to the other worksheets.

    ¡°Oof, Stanley is going to be so disappointed.¡± The boy set down a piece of paper filled with red markings and a huge, ugly ¡®thirty-three out of one hundred¡¯ score on the top right side.

    He continued flipping the marked assignments. ¡°Wow, Liam scored eighty-one! Look, Hazel. You passed too!¡±

    Hazel ignored him, keeping her eyes closed in concentration. The Hahakigami was definitely somewhere nearby, judging by how strongly her senses were resonating with supernatural energy. And it might have been just her inexperience, but it felt a lot tamer than the one she had sensed earlier. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would¡¯ve thought she was sensing two entirely different things.

    ¡°The Yokai is somewhere close,¡± she blurted out randomly. ¡°I can feel it.¡±

    They headed back for the doors.

    ¡°Sucks for Liam, having to wander the school at night for no reason,¡± Chester commented breezily as he stepped out of the faculty office. ¡°I guess we get to¡ª¡±

    Hazel inhaled sharply as she froze in her tracks. There was no doubt that the Hahakigami was right in front of them. No, not because she could sense its presence this time.

    Because a broom was floating by itself, sweeping the dried leaves that Chester had scattered along the corridor.

    ¡°Get it!¡±

    Hazel¡¯s body moved without thinking, pulling out the Shide from her blazer pocket. She thrust it forward, and the broom dropped to the ground immediately. Dried leaves rustled as something invisible pushed them aside, fleeing from the warding talisman like a wild bat out of hell.

    ¡°Keep pushing it to the canteen!¡± Chester yelled from behind.

    Purple glyphs ran along his legs as the boy leapt ahead of Hazel, floating to the second floor as though he had been pulled up by invisible wires. He disappeared from view.

    Hazel panted with exhaustion, struggling to keep up with the invisible Yokai. The monster was probably only the size of a small dog, judging from the little thumps it made when colliding with the corridor walls. But boy, was it agile.

    The sound of metal falling echoed around the empty canteen as the Yokai crashed into the tables and chairs, heading straight for the left exit. Dull thuds followed as Hazel struggled to manoeuvre through the maze of long benches littering the canteen. She gritted her teeth in frustration; she was falling behind fast. At this rate, she was going to lose the Yokai before¡ª

    ¡°Aha!¡±

    Chester burst into the canteen with his talisman attached to his chest, blocking the Yokai¡¯s escape.

    Metal rattled as a fenced-up food stall shook violently, presumably from the impact of the startled Hahakigami crashing into it. More dried leaves parted, forming an obvious path towards the right exit now.

    ¡°Hazel, come here!¡± Chester gestured to Hazel as both of them ran towards the exit. Hazel changed directions, running towards the boy instead.

    He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, staring straight ahead at the school entrance behind the exit.

    ¡°Flash¡­ Forward!¡±

    The world spun into a kaleidoscope of colour and sound as Hazel felt her insides lurch. White light overwhelmed her vision for a brief moment before darkness flooded back again.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡±

    It took Hazel a few moments to realise that Chester had teleported the both of them a few dozen metres forward, and she was facing the locked school gates now. A high-pitched wailing caught her attention as she turned around.

    A broom-like creature was writhing on the floor in front of a huge mirror, its bristles fluttering around what looked like its face. Its saucer-sized eyes were rolling around, while its four bamboo legs flailed in the air like an overturned cockroach.

    Hazel stared at the creature in awe.

    Purple flashed before her eyes as Chester threw out a glowing chain that wrapped itself around the Hahakigami. The boy muttered some kind of incantation under his breath, and the Yokai dissolved into a glowing yellow orb.

    It floated into his palm gently. Chester pulled a small rectangular box out of thin air and stored the orb.

    ¡°That went¡­ just as well as I¡¯d expected it to go.¡± He grinned, keeping the box in his pocket. ¡°Thanks for helping me to corner it, Hazel.¡±

    A shiver went down Hazel¡¯s spine as the familiar resonating feeling flooded her body again. Her breath caught. It didn¡¯t make any sense. If the Hahakigami was already caught, why was she still sensing a malicious presence? Unless¡­

    ¡°Hazel?¡±

    The girl dashed towards the left wing of the school without warning, guided by pure instinct. Her heart flew to her mouth as the murderous presence got stronger with each step. Blood pounded in her head, muffling Chester¡¯s calls from behind.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    A blue chain wrapped around her waist and yanked her back. She screamed as something sharp slashed dangerously close to her neck, leaving a gash on the wall beside her. The girl tumbled on the floor, staring in shock at the monster hovering in mid-air.

    A disembodied woman¡¯s head snarled, revealing rows of sharpened teeth coated with brown patches of dried blood. Its eyes were completely black, while its long black hair flowed all around like it was underwater.

    Glowing shurikens rushed towards the floating head as Chester dashed forward, but they were easily swatted aside with a few flicks of the monster¡¯s unnaturally long tongue. The Yokai glared murderously at the boy sprawled on the floor.

    It lunged towards him, intent on making one final attempt at taking his life.

    Liam flipped around just in time, blasting it back with a powerful-looking fireball. The decapitated head shrieked and charged towards Hazel instead.

    She screamed.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    Brown flashed before the girl¡¯s eyes as Chester stood in front of her, blocking what would have been a fatal slash to her neck.

    Blood gushed from his forearm and stained the floor.

    Yellow chains charged at it from behind, but the floating head turned around and shattered them with its tongue instead. It shrieked one last time at the trio before fleeing into the darkness at an incredible speed.

    ¡°Ugh, dammit,¡± Liam hissed, punching his palm. ¡°Slippery bastard. We¡¯ll get you soon.¡±

    He turned his attention back to Chester, who was already in the process of magically sealing up the huge gash in his arm.

    ¡°You¡­ You saved me.¡± Hazel knelt beside Chester, although he was clearly capable of taking care of himself. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°That makes two times, eh?¡± the boy chuckled softly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting the Rokurokobi to be here as well.¡±

    ¡°Shame it managed to get away,¡± Liam said. ¡°Please tell me you¡¯ve at least caught the broom spirit.¡±

    ¡°Sure did.¡± Chester showed him the rectangular box now filled with glowing runic symbols. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should split up like this again. I have a feeling the rest of the Yokai won¡¯t let themselves get caught this easily.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Liam nodded. ¡°If everyone¡¯s alright, shall we call it a night? I¡¯m feeling rather tired.¡±

 Chapter 7: Visible Premonition

    The boys left Hazel in the middle of a dark street before promptly teleporting away.

    That was as far as they could take her since they were apparently ¡®running low on mana¡¯, whatever it meant. She couldn¡¯t really blame them, considering they had to use a considerable amount of magic to clear out all traces of their presence in the school.

    Besides, she wasn¡¯t that far from her house anyway.

    It was a cloudless night. A gentle breeze cut through the air, washing a stray plastic bag onto the deserted street. On her left stood a row of darkened convenience shops and other facilities. On her right lay the quiet row of apartments, all lined up in a neat queue of un-painted concrete.

    The occasional light shone in the window above, although Hazel was the only one still walking on the streets. Her footsteps quickened as she turned a corner and reached her doorstep.

    A light came on and the door creaked open before she could take out her keys.

    ¡°Pops!¡± Hazel squeaked. It was rare to see her Grandfather awake, especially during this time of the night.

    ¡°Oh, my little girl is home safe!¡± Grandfather cracked a weak but radiant smile. ¡°The buses should be off-duty by now, so I got worried.¡±

    Hazel trudged into her house and set her bag on the dining table. She plopped herself down on the sofa, feeling the day¡¯s exhaustion flood over her. It was only ten in the evening, but chasing the Yokai around the school was probably the most exercise she had gotten in the year. And boy, was she paying for it now.

    Conversely, her grandfather sat across the table and squinted at her through puffy eyes. His silvery-white hair was thin but neatly flattened on one side. Deep crevices trailed the sides of his cheeks. It would¡¯ve aged him even further if he had softer features, but the fierce brightness in his eyes complemented it perfectly, granting him an air of stoic dignity instead.

    ¡°How was school today?¡± Grandfather¡¯s voice cut into Hazel¡¯s thoughts, reminding her that she had been staring into space for a few minutes.

    ¡°Huh? I¡ª Everything¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve just been busy writing my articles and lost track of time,¡± Hazel lied with a tired smile. ¡°My school has gotten interested in them, so the Club President has given me lots to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news! What brought that on?¡±

    Hazel shrugged, mumbling something unintelligible in reply. It was kind of a long story anyway, and she was in no state to recount everything while taking care to avoid revealing Chester and Liam¡¯s secret. Thankfully, her grandfather didn¡¯t probe further.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tire yourself out, alright?¡±

    The chair creaked as Grandfather got up. He hobbled over to a small altar in the middle of the living room, paying his respects to her parents¡¯ photographs nestled in the wall. It was a simple enough setup; just a small table fitted neatly into an indentation in a wall. Wind chimes hung just above the photograph of a smiling couple, remaining as still as they could be in the stuffy house.

    ¡°I sensed impending danger this morning. More than that, in fact. I sensed death,¡± Grandfather said cryptically without turning back, falling comfortably back into his Shaman-like persona. ¡°It kept me up the whole evening, waiting for you to get back. It was such a relief to see you home safe and sound. I don¡¯t know what this premonition holds for you, so I can only take comfort in the knowledge that our loved ones are always watching over us. And maybe you should too.¡±

    A shadow crossed over Hazel¡¯s memories. Or rather, the lack thereof. All she had was a vague sense of loss, even though she never knew her parents to begin with. Hell, she wasn¡¯t even sure the photographs on the altar were really them.

    According to her grandfather, her mother had died delivering her after some childbirth complications. Her father was unable to take the loss of his wife, so he killed himself on the very same day. And thus, Hazel was brought into the world at the cost of two lives.

    A soft thunk of metal hitting wood caught her attention. She widened her eyes in shock, staring at her grandfather.

    He gestured to the sleek black pistol, urging her to take it.

    ¡°Take this for your protection. The sixth sense runs in our family, so listen to it and you¡¯ll know when to use this.¡±

    ¡°What, no! I can¡¯t bring this to school! It¡¯s a freaking gun!¡± Hazel exclaimed, pushing the weapon back to him. ¡°I¡¯ll get arrested!¡±

    Grandfather stared at her for a moment before taking the pistol back.

    ¡°If you say so, dear.¡± He gave her a tender smile. ¡°Come, you must be tired. Go take a shower and rest up.¡±

    Hazel exhaled in slight exasperation at her grandfather¡¯s silly antics and headed upstairs, leaving her bag on the dining table.

    Grandfather fiddled with the weapon methodically and checked the chamber. It was empty. He snapped the pistol back into place and glanced at the altar again, almost as if he was looking in someone¡¯s direction.

    A small smile broke on his face as the wind chimes jingled softly in a stray breeze.

    <hr>

    Hazely had been so tired that she barely recalled going to bed. So when her phone rang at nine on a Saturday morning the next day, it took her another five minutes to pick up the stubborn caller.

    ¡°Hello, who is this?¡± she groaned into the speaker grumpily, hoping it was just a telemarketer that she could simply shut the phone on.

    ¡°Liam here. I need your help.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­?¡±

    Hazel could practically hear Liam rolling his eyes as awkward silence squawked on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m just kidding¡­?¡± She made a half-assed attempt to regain her composure. ¡°What¡¯s up? What do you need help with?¡±

    ¡°A Yokai has invaded my house.¡±

    That was more than enough to wake her up. All sleepiness evaporated as the girl rolled out of bed in a hurry, accidentally sweeping something off her bedside table.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hazel exclaimed and promptly covered her mouth in embarrassment. ¡°I mean¡­ Sorry to hear that. What do you need from me?¡±

    She picked up her Yokai journal and tossed it onto her messy desk before opening her wardrobe excitedly. This was going to be so much fun.

    <hr>

    Liam¡¯s house was far down the south of the city, but Hazel had no trouble finding it. No, it wasn¡¯t because she was an excellent navigator or anything like that.

    Because it was so huge that even a blind person would be frozen in awe at the majestic sight.

    Nestled within a mountain lay a mansion fitted so snugly between its rocky neighbours; it was as if the hallowed ground itself had sprouted this house right out from the Earth. The mansion¡¯s windows were like the shy eyes of a giant, large enough to welcome any ray of sun. Further behind the house, a waterfall roared in the distance.

    As Hazel strolled up the perfectly paved road leading to it, the earthy humidity gave way to a cooling woody scent. And as if the nature gods themselves had been called into existence to quell the elements, a hearth-like heat wafted through the air, injecting a soothing warmth into its misty surroundings.

    ¡°You¡¯re here. Good.¡±

    Liam strolled out of the front gates, dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts. Chester followed behind him, casually munching on a bowl of legumes.

    ¡°Holy crap, I didn¡¯t know you were so rich!¡± Hazel exclaimed, gesturing at the mansion¡¯s general direction. ¡°How did they even construct your house on the side of a mountain?¡±

    ¡°Magic,¡± Liam replied dryly. ¡°And I¡¯m not rich. This place is merely a status symbol of my House; all my servants are gifts from the Union of Magus for¡­¡±

    His voice trailed away as a dark expression crossed his face for some reason.

    ¡°Anyway, they have pledged eternal allegiance to my House, so please tread carefully,¡± Liam continued. ¡°They are fiercely loyal and won¡¯t take any insults to my House lightly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no kidding,¡± Chester mumbled through his filled mouth. ¡°I had to apologise in three different ways for running my mouth last time before they allowed me to step into his house again. Best mind your p¡¯s and q¡¯s around here.¡±

    He offered his bowl to the girl. ¡°Anyroad, fancy some nuts?¡±

    ¡°How do Houses work?¡± Hazel asked, ignoring Chester¡¯s offer. ¡°Are they a sort of royalty?¡±

    ¡°Somewhat. Centuries ago, the Union discovered that children born of two Magus tend to be only child. It is extremely difficult to conceive again after the birthing of one child due to the heightened magic affinity, or something like that,¡± Liam explained as he led her to his house. ¡°To avoid the rapid dwindling of our population, only certain Magus are allowed to marry within the Magus circle. That¡¯s how Houses came about.¡±

    ¡°Must be lonely,¡± Hazel commented absentmindedly.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot less lonely when you have someone to grow up with.¡± Chester swung a playful arm around Liam. ¡°We¡¯re practically brothers by now.¡±

    The girl flashed a wry smile, before deciding to change the topic. ¡°How does the Union decide which family to grant¡­ ¡®House-ship¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Genetic tests, magic aptitude¡­ All that jazz.¡± Liam shrugged. ¡°Those who pass get a House title, and those who fail¡­ Well, they¡¯re only allowed to marry non-Magus.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re both royalty, in a sense. The House of Davies is one of the oldest Houses that maintained a long line of pure-bloodness. My House is relatively new,¡± Chester chimed in. ¡°Fat load of use, though. All we get are more responsibilities and politics to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the gift as well,¡± Liam reminded him sharply. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to HQ granting a portion of old magic to your house that you can conjure those shurikens in the first place.¡±

    Chester pursed his lips and looked away.

    ¡°What happens if a child of a House chooses to marry a non-Magus?¡± Hazel asked.

    ¡°Then he or she will lose their House status altogether, and the House dissolves along with their gifts from the headquarters. The magic returns to the HQ¡¯s reserves. It¡¯s a recent practice to incentivise Magus to sign up. The older Houses have natural gifts, but the newer ones must be granted theirs by the HQ,¡± Liam said. ¡°When the new House slot will be called in, other Magus can try to ¡®audition¡¯ for it. They¡¯ll still have to do all those tests, of course. If they¡¯re accepted, their marriage options become limited and they are given heavier responsibilities.¡±

    ¡°So many rules¡­¡± Hazel breathed to herself.

    The huge mansion doors swung open slowly as the trio strolled into the enormous building.

    Now that Hazel had seen its interior, calling it a mansion was an understatement. From the rows of butlers greeting Liam¡¯s entrance to the intricate paintings that decorated the ceilings, his house looked more like a palace rather than a mere mansion.

    A familiar throbbing stabbed at Hazel¡¯s chest again as she winced slightly. Like the night before, there was a clear presence of something supernatural. But this time, it felt somewhat timid and¡­ watery.

    She wondered why.

    ¡°Master Davies, shall I get some tea for your guests?¡± a butler asked with a slightly bowed posture.

    He was a middle-aged man, judging from the occasional grey streak that lined his neatly combed hair. The man was also dressed in a dark red blazer and bowtie, which stood out among the other butlers who sported plain black ones.

    ¡°Not today, Alden.¡± Liam smiled politely. ¡°They¡¯re here regarding the ¡®rat¡¯ problem.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see. Many thanks for helping the House of Davies. How may I address you, young lady?¡±

    Hazel blinked, slightly taken aback by the butler¡¯s politeness. ¡°Hazel. Hazel Adams.¡±

    A blank look crossed Alden¡¯s face as though he was taken aback for some reason. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the floor for a few seconds before composing himself again.

    ¡°Apologies about that.¡± He adjusted his bowtie pointlessly. ¡°Allow me to direct you to the¡­ scene of the crime.¡±

    ¡°This is Alden, our head butler. He¡¯s a highly competent Magus and a good friend.¡± Liam introduced the man, who bowed in response. ¡°Alden has worked in my House since I was a child, and he practically raised me.¡±

    ¡°I was only discharging my duties. But thank you for the kind words, Master Davies.¡± Alden stepped to the side, gesturing towards a hallway. ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    The teenagers followed the man to a bedroom at least twice the size of their school classroom. Goosebumps raised on Hazel¡¯s neck as the spiritual presence propped up again, although she didn¡¯t need that to confirm its presence.

    Duck-like footprints crawled up all over the walls and ceiling. The antique-looking bookshelves lay sprawled on the floor, obviously knocked over by something the size of a child. In the corner of the room, a small hole was broken in a glass container.

    ¡°As you can see, something had broken into my house,¡± Liam said. ¡°I¡¯m inclined to think it was a particularly intelligent monkey, but those duck prints indicate otherwise. Besides, I can sense the presence of a supernatural being. What about you, Hazel?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uhm¡­¡± the girl stuttered nervously. ¡°I sense it too, but I doubt it¡¯s in this room. The presence has only been faint ever since I stepped into your house, and¡­ how do I put this? It has sort of a¡­ watery feeling? Like it¡¯s perpetually wet. Maybe it¡¯s a frog or something like that.

    ¡°Water, huh?¡± Chester put his thumb to his chin thoughtfully. ¡°It ain¡¯t much, but at least it¡¯s something to start with. Perhaps a Nixie?¡±

    ¡°A few of our servants have accounts to share,¡± Alden said. ¡°Shall I gather them?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± Liam replied. ¡°We¡¯ll just wait here while you call them.¡±

    The butler bowed slightly again and retreated from the room.

 Chapter 8: Still Waters Run Deep

    A remarkably awkward silence had fallen over the two boys once Alden had left the room. Hazel was no empath, but they looked strangely melancholic for some reason. She glanced around the room again, finally noticing that it was littered with photo albums of a couple.

    ¡°So¡­ any idea what we¡¯re dealing with?¡± the girl asked randomly to break the silence.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter until we find it,¡± Liam muttered to himself. ¡°Ugh, why this room¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be nosy, but is this your parents¡¯ room?¡± Hazel asked, her eyes still fixated on a photograph. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    More silence.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Liam stated with a surprising amount of coldness in his voice. ¡°Killed by Wendigos in the line of duty nine years ago, along with all twenty members of the House of Davies. They were gored right through their backs when they shielded their foolish son from wandering into the battlefield. This is¡ª No, was¡ª their room.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± Hazel began, but the boy interrupted her with a short chuckle.

    ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t be. They died serving a greater cause; it¡¯s a better death than most can hope for.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let more people die on my watch. As Magus, we must protect the world from supernatural threats. It is our duty, no matter how much we need to sacrifice.¡±

    Chester glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows, before looking away silently.

    ¡°It is our duty,¡± Liam repeated in a harder tone as if to affirm himself. ¡°And as the only surviving member of my House, it is¡­¡±

    He swallowed. ¡°It is my duty.¡±

    Hazel decided to keep her silence as well. She had only known the Union of Mages for three days, but Liam and Chester¡¯s sentiments about this organisation were already as clear as day. She envied their exciting double life, sure. But it seemed they had quite a high price to pay for something they did not exactly sign up for either.

    ¡°Master Davies?¡±

    Hazel looked up as a line of well-dressed servants practically marched into the room. There were no less than five of them, but they looked more like a small group of friends in this huge bedroom. Alden was standing beside them, although he seemed to be throwing Hazel strange glances now and then.

    ¡°Ah, about time.¡± Liam turned his attention back to them without hesitation, as though he hadn¡¯t just relived a traumatic memory just a few seconds ago. ¡°What do you have for me?¡±

    A maid stood forward after a few seconds of waiting to see who should go first.

    ¡°Last night, I woke up to a strange sound,¡± she began. ¡°Fearing that our house had been intruded, I followed the source of the sound to this room, only to find it already in disarray.¡±

    ¡°What exactly did you hear?¡±

    ¡°The sound of something heavy toppling over.¡±

    Liam glanced at the bookshelves. ¡°I suppose that would be those. Alright, did anyone hear anything else?¡±

    Another servant stepped forward. ¡°I heard strange knocking sounds all around me last night as well. It sounded like something was banging around in our walls. I tried to investigate, but I couldn¡¯t find anything.¡±

    ¡°Did anyone hear the sound of glass breaking?¡± Chester spoke up.

    The servants looked at each other, before collectively shaking their heads.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Liam raised an eyebrow at his friend.

    ¡°If it were an intruder, the only way it could¡¯ve gotten in is by breaking a window, no? Your windows are huge. If they were broken, surely the commotion would be loud enough to be heard.¡± Chester gestured at the room windows that were at least two metres tall. ¡°You have charms all over this house that protect against lockpicking techniques too. So how exactly did your uninvited guest get in?¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± Liam muttered. ¡°Does anyone else have anything to add?¡±

    A few more servants stepped forward. ¡°We have missing food in the kitchen, and there were those webbed footprints all over the walls as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh? But you served breakfast as usual today, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s because our breakfast menu for this week didn¡¯t involve the stolen food,¡± a servant replied. ¡°We had purchased a few packets of roasted soybeans to serve as a side dish, but we found a small hole in our packets. Half of the soybeans are gone.¡±

    ¡°Heh, this little rat has quite the appetite, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Chester commented with a slight smirk.

    Roasted soybeans¡­?

    Hazel¡¯s eyes sharpened as something rang in her mind.

    ¡°Sorry, may I ask something?¡± she asked in a small voice. ¡°Are roasted soybeans the only food that went missing? How about cucumbers?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now that you mention it, yes! There was a small dent in our cabinet where the cucumbers would have been, although no cucumbers were taken. Thank goodness we locked it tightly enough.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an idea of what it is?¡± Liam turned to Hazel.

    ¡°I just recalled something Chester mentioned yesterday.¡± She nodded. ¡°Among the missing Yokai, a Kappa is one of them, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a river spirit that loves roasted soybeans and cucumbers. That would also explain why I keep getting a ¡®watery¡¯ sensation from its presence.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Liam¡¯s face visibly brightened. ¡°Well done, Hazel!¡±

    ¡°But we still haven¡¯t figured out how it got into your house,¡± Chester mused. ¡°A Kappa is akin to a Nixie, I believe. I don¡¯t believe its magic is advanced enough to let it slip through walls.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should investigate the kitchen as well¡ª¡±

    ¡°If I may, Master Davies.¡±

    Liam turned to Alden. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Wilson mentioned knocking sounds all around the house,¡± Alden said calmly. ¡°If this is truly a river spirit we¡¯re dealing with, could it perhaps be travelling through somewhere¡­ wet?¡±

    The teenagers looked up at where the head butler was pointing.

    ¡°The pipes¡­¡± Liam breathed. ¡°Of course, our pipes are connected to the waterfall outside the house! That¡¯s how it must¡¯ve got in! But where could it be hiding? We have pipes all over the house and there¡¯s a sink in every bedroom.¡±

    ¡°Soybeans are a type of legume, aren¡¯t they?¡± Chester picked up his bowl of nuts. ¡°I may have an inkling of where our little Yokai was attracted to.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°What a way to find out that bowl of nuts was meant for me¡­¡± Liam groaned as he followed Chester¡¯s lead up the winding staircase. ¡°I know I told you to treat this place like your home, but you should really stop stealing my food.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I said I¡¯m sorry, mate.¡± Chester put his hand on his head sheepishly, offering the bowl to Liam. ¡°You can have the rest.¡±

    ¡°Gee, thanks for leaving the last two for me,¡± Liam said sarcastically, but he scooped the legumes into his mouth anyway. ¡°How generous of you¡­¡±

    The trio stopped in front of a polished wooden door near the entrance of the mansion. It looked no different from the others in the house, but it was still an impressive sight, nonetheless.

    Like the rest of the mansion, it was larger than normal. Intricate engravings of designs were carved into its yellowish sandalwood face, giving the door a sweeping yet meticulous look. The most fascinating part was a faint golden halo around the dull brass doorknob, which turned a light blue as Liam approached it.

    His hand stopped a few centimetres away from the doorknob.

    ¡°Alden, do me a favour and have all the servants standing by at their designated stations will you?¡± Liam instructed the butler. ¡°Make sure they watch the toilets, basins, sinks¡ª Anywhere that leads to a pipe. I don¡¯t want the creature to get away this time.¡±

    The Butler nodded and turned on his heel swiftly.

    ¡°Is that your room?¡± Hazel asked Liam, whose arms were already covered with glowing bangles of light. A purple aura swelled around Chester as his eyes lit up with magic as well, but Liam grabbed him firmly.

    ¡°I am almost certain the monster is in my room now; its presence is suffocating. But don¡¯t engage just yet,¡± he warned. ¡°If this Yokai is anything like a Nixie, it¡¯s going to be one slippery monster. We¡¯re no match for its speed, so we can¡¯t afford to startle it.¡±

    Chester¡¯s eyes stopped glowing.

    ¡°Here goes nothing¡­¡± Liam muttered and twisted the doorknob.

    The door swung open to an empty bedroom. It was the same size as the previous room, although it looked a lot less antique and a lot messier.

    ¡°I knew it.¡± Chester snapped his fingers, before pointing at a bedside table. ¡°There was supposed to be one more bowl of soybeans. It¡¯s missing now.¡±

    A shadow flitted in the corner as the three teenagers swung around immediately.

    Chills skittered down Hazel¡¯s spine as she felt the watery presence intensify sharply. It was so potent now that she could almost taste it. And fortunately, this meant that the Yokai could not hide from her senses.

    The girl closed her eyes, focusing on her instincts. She raised a finger after a few seconds, pointing silently at a huge cupboard like a possessed child in a horror movie.

    Chester nodded and locked the bathroom door, guarding its entrance like a duty-bound knight while Liam approached his cupboard slowly. There wasn¡¯t a single exhaled breath in the room.

    The cupboard door opened with a soft creak.

    Hazel widened her eyes in surprise. She had seen many depictions of this Yokai, but none of them really hit the mark.

    It was a Kappa, alright. Its turtle beak, shell, and the little dish sitting on its head more than sufficed to affirm that. But that¡¯s where the similarities stopped.

    Instead of a monkey-like appearance¡ª as usually depicted in the folklore books¡ª this Yokai had six limbs instead of four. Two of them resembled the webbed feet of a duck, while the other four looked like the hands of a human child.

    The liquid in the dish on its head jiggled as the Kappa shrunk back in fear. Liam glowered at it, but the monster continued stuffing dozens of roasted soybeans into its mouth with all of its four hands.

    ¡°Hello there, little one.¡± Liam forced a smile that looked like it fractured a dozen bones in the process. ¡°Would you mind explaining how the hell you got into my house and why you stole my food?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t know where¡­ I am¡­¡±

    It can speak?!

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sure that¡¯s going to hold up in court,¡± the boy replied sarcastically. ¡°C¡¯mon, get out of my closet.¡±

    The Kappa let out a shriek that sounded like a cross between a wailing child and a screeching parrot.

    It disappeared in a flash before reappearing on the opposite side of the room, clinging to the wall while keeping its head parallel to the ground. Frills jutted out of its neck as it snarled at Liam like an angry lizard.

    ¡°Blimey, it¡¯s fast!¡± Chester exclaimed. ¡°How¡¯re we supposed to catch something like that?¡±

    White flashed before Hazel¡¯s eyes as dozens of icicles hurtled towards the Kappa. With an incredible burst of speed, the monster deflected every single one of them with its four hands.

    Chester¡¯s yelp cut off comically as one of the icicles hit him in the process, freezing the upper half of his body instantly. He toppled over like a frozen cartoon character. Hazel rushed forward and stood between the Kappa and the bathroom door before it could reach the toilet.

    It shrieked at her.

    ¡°Hazel, move!¡± Liam yelled.

    The girl¡¯s heart raced. She wasn¡¯t a match for its speed, nor did she have any magic to protect her, unlike the two boys. If the monster wanted to, it could easily cut her down or whizz behind her before she could even blink. She had to come up with a plan and somehow trick it into staying still¡ª

    Staying still¡­ Wait, that¡¯s it!

    A mischievous grin formed on her face as Hazel relaxed her body instead. The Kappa did not respond, although confusion was clearly spelt in its black round eyes. Hazel kept her feet together like she was pretending to be a Geisha.

    She sank into a deep bow.

    The Kappa put its bowl of soybeans aside and bowed back at her as well. A soft giggle escaped from Hazel¡¯s lips as the sound of liquid spilling reached her ears. The girl straightened her back, grinning widely now as she approached the now-stationary Kappa.

    The leaf-like dish on its head was empty.

 Chapter 9: A Family Matter

    ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Liam asked, blinking in surprise.

    ¡°I tricked it into spilling the liquid on its head,¡± Hazel replied simply. ¡°Kappas are big on respect, so they¡¯d bow back at you if you bow at them first. Unfortunately, that would also cause the river water on their head to spill over, which freezes them in place until the water is refilled.¡±

    Chester shivered in the corner of a room, despite having three emerald orbs of fire circling him. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ n¡ª not the only one¡­ who g¡ª got frozen¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking properly.¡± Liam gave him an abashed look. ¡°Didn¡¯t know it could move that quickly.¡±

    ¡°Good thinking, Hazel.¡± Chester cracked a smile at the girl. ¡°Gotta admit, we would never have caught the monster without your knowledge about Yokai. But even so, who would¡¯ve thought of freezing it that way? You¡¯re quite the trickster, eh?¡±

    Hazel shifted uncomfortably at the word. Chester must¡¯ve noticed it as well, because he reached forward and wrapped an ice-cold arm around her shoulder.

    ¡°That was a compliment, by the way,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a lot more to you than what meets the eye.¡±

    Hazel blushed deeply at the boy¡¯s proximity.

    ¡°Alright, alright.¡± Liam laughed as well. ¡°If you¡¯re done flirting with the girl, shall we return this Yokai to the tent? Don¡¯t wanna risk any complications.¡±

    ¡°Hell yeah! Two down, two to go,¡± Chester cheered, carelessly waving the box which he had used to store the Yokai. ¡°This is going unbelievably well¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, be gentle with that box. You could crush the Yokai¡¯s soul if you aren¡¯t careful.¡±

    Chester brushed Liam¡¯s warning off with a half-hearted wave as he put the green-adorned box into his pocket. A few sharp knocks rapped on the door.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Master Davies?¡± Alden poked his head into the room. ¡°I heard quite a bit of commotion.¡±

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t go better!¡± Chester grinned widely. ¡°Caught the Kappa red-handed!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief,¡± the butler said. ¡°If you are headed to the tent now, may I have a word with Miss Hazel Adams for a moment first?¡±

    Hazel¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°What for?¡± Liam asked in a serious tone. ¡°If she has done anything wrong, I apologise on her behalf¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± Alden shook his head. ¡°I just need to ask and confirm a few things with her. Not to worry, I¡¯ll escort the lady to your site of operations when we¡¯re finished.¡±

    ¡°Is this regarding¡­?¡±

    The butler replied with a silent nod. If Liam was surprised, he had chosen not to show it. Instead, he simply stood up and motioned to Chester.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡±

    <hr>

    Hazel followed the chief butler through another winding hallway. He had chosen to remain silent throughout the journey, which naturally meant she had no chance of talking as well. She groaned internally. Hanging out with her two classmates didn¡¯t take away her shyness. Why did they have to leave her with a total stranger?

    Alden led her to an uncharacteristically small room and closed the door. There was nothing else in it, other than an unusually regular-looking cabinet sitting in a corner. Nervousness pricked at Hazel again as the man began rummaging through what looked like large photo albums inside the drawers. What¡¯s happening?

    The sound of the heavy drawer sliding shut brought her attention back to the present. Curiosity washed away all sorts of worst-case scenarios plaguing her anxious mind. Alden was holding a relatively smaller photo frame now.

    ¡°I apologise for my forwardness, Miss Adams.¡± He held out the photo. ¡°But are you, by any chance, acquainted with these two people?¡±

    It took Hazel all her willpower not to snatch the photo in shock. A familiar couple smiled back at her. The woman had wavy auburn hair, while the man¡¯s striking blue eyes were the same ones that looked back at her in the mirror every day. Both of them were sitting on expensive-looking chairs, while a younger-looking Alden stood by their side with a sober look on his face.

    ¡°H¡ª How¡­?¡± she breathed as the photo sitting on her house altar flashed through her mind again. ¡°You knew my parents?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Alden tilted his head slightly as a white glow flashed in his eyes.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t? Poor girl¡­¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°But this magic is¡­ No, I mustn¡¯t interfere¡ª¡±

    Hazel let out a grunt of annoyance. She had just about enough of people around her spewing vague statements and asking cryptic questions.

    ¡°No! No, no, no. You¡¯re not leaving me hanging too,¡± the girl demanded, jabbing a finger at Alden. ¡°How do you know my parents? What are they to you? Who¡­ Just who am I?¡±

    The man frowned considerably. Hazel stood her ground, despite every fibre in her body screaming at her to apologise for the outburst.

    ¡°Yes, they would¡¯ve wanted this¡­¡± Alden said after a short pause. ¡°They would have wanted you to know.¡±

    ¡°Know what?¡±

    ¡°Mistress Hazel Adams.¡± The butler bowed his head slightly, as if by reflex. ¡°You¡¯re the last remaining member of the late House of Adams.¡±

    Hazel blinked. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m a Magus?¡±

    ¡°Not quite. Or rather, not anymore,¡± Alden said. ¡°In the Union Of Magus, the House of Adams was a unique one. It was one of the oldest and by far the richest family under old money. Descended directly from Charlie Adams¡ª the first Magus who discovered our power¡ª your family possessed the oldest and most natural gift, the gift of clairvoyance.¡±

    The girl looked at her hands. ¡°I¡¯m magic¡­? But why didn¡¯t anyone tell me about it? Why can¡¯t I do what Chester and Liam do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the details.¡± Alden shook his head apologetically. ¡°About ten years ago, the House of Adams got into a fight with the higher-ups. We were told it had something to do with one of their premonitions, but the details were never disclosed to anyone else. All we knew was that the House chose to dissolve itself one day, and all its servants were reassigned to other Houses. I was one of them.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have magic?¡± Hazel asked. ¡°Because my House dissolved?¡±

    ¡°But you do, don¡¯t you?¡± the butler said. ¡°You foresaw that water was the key to capturing the supernatural creature. You just haven¡¯t been taught any spells, but you clearly still have your House¡¯s old magic within you.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t foresee anything. I only sensed its watery presence; Liam can do that too.¡±

    ¡°Master Davies can sense presences based on its proximity. That¡¯s how his gift works. If you truly have that same gift, why didn¡¯t you sense the river spirit when you passed by Master Liam Davies¡¯ room at the entrance? Shouldn¡¯t you have also felt the creature¡¯s presence inside just as he did?¡±

    Hazel hesitated. The man had a point. Even back in school, she had passed by the faculty office many times but never once sensed the Hahakigami¡¯s presence until she was about to encounter it.

    Revelation rocked her mind further as she recalled the Jubokko incident as well. Were those supernatural presences she sensed during the weeks leading up to it not actually any monster, but premonitions of what was about to come?

    ¡°Wait, why are you even telling me this?¡± Hazel shook her head. ¡°If you knew my parents, you should also know that they died giving birth to me. I never knew them. What difference does this make?¡±

    If Alden¡¯s frown got any deeper, she would¡¯ve been able to swim in it.

    ¡°Because that¡¯s not true.¡± The man flipped the photo album and pointed at another picture. ¡°This is you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    It was Hazel¡¯s turn to frown.

    The photo was old and blurry, but there was no mistaking her six-year-old self grinning childishly at the camera. The woman holding her hand was undoubtedly her mother, and her father was posing unabashedly with a group of robed people.

    Hazel gripped her head. How was this possible? Did her grandfather lie to her about her parents? Why couldn¡¯t she remember anything about them?

    ¡°Your memory was wiped,¡± Alden stated plainly, as though he had read her mind. ¡°The residual magic imprinted on it is that of a memory-locking spell, that much I am sure. We Magus have used this spell countless times to lock away the memories of any civilian witnesses, after all.¡±

    ¡°Can you lift it?¡± she asked eagerly.

    ¡°I can lift memory spells, yes. But¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Hazel half-shouted. She didn¡¯t mean to show her impatience, but she had to know why. She had to know who did this to her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t dispel yours. Memory spells can only be lifted by the person who cast them, unless that person is dead,¡± Alden explained calmly. ¡°Whoever cast that spell on you is very much alive. And judging from the unique magic signature on your mind, it¡­¡±

    He exhaled loudly. ¡°Someone from the House of Adams cast it on you.¡±

    What? Who on Earth would¡ª

    The girl gasped. Could it be¡­?

    ¡°Does Liam know about this?¡± she asked, desperate for a lead that would prove her hunch otherwise.

    ¡°He is aware that I was transferred from the House of Adams. So yes,¡± Alden replied wryly. ¡°He has even used the influence of his House to help me look for members of the Adams family. I don¡¯t know what happened, but they just disappeared one day. As a former servant of their House, I owe them a debt for the life I¡¯ve led. All I want is to make sure they¡¯re safe. I¡¯m glad that you are.¡±

    Hazel exhaled softly, her demure demeanour popping its head up again.

    ¡°Thanks for telling me all this, Alden.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my grandfather if he knows anything about it.¡±

    Alden returned the smile with a small twinkle in his eye.