Tale Of The Half-Blood Wizard

"It seems that you don't have remorse for what happened to you." Azalea interrupted and made me turn to her. 

"I am grateful for all the memories of my past, because I knew there was someone who was struggling to always make me happy. Even when all people thought he was a bad man and he was asked to do awful things to me, he was still protecting me." I looked at Mickey and thanked Antonie for sending that fat and noisy cat to me. 

…

When we arrived in Sa'bah, we went directly to Mr. Stone's house. I was quiet for a moment when I saw Erick was assessing some wood. 

"Tha?!," He exclaimed to see me showing up unexpectedly, "How possible?" He was likely about to say something but he did not continue it. 

"Hi?," I replied in a friendly way, walking towards him. "Got some work to do, bro?" I asked, trying to keep the atmosphere relaxed by taking a look at some broken dolls placed on the wooden shelf. 

"Why didn't you tell me you would come? Are you staying up? I will ask my mother to prepare a room at home." He threw me several questions directly as he reached his mobile phone. 

"I won't stay long here, I'm going to the cemetery and dropped by here to say hi to you," It was clear that he was surprised to hear my words. He stopped contacting his mother. 

"Zie?," He made a precise guess. 

I just nodded and smiled. 

In the shop, I could see Mr. Stone was fixing marionettes. Once he saw me asked me to go in and showed me a doll he had fixed and put it in the glass box where Zie used to be kept. 

It was such a beautiful marionette, a little girl with long wavy blonde hair. She was wearing a bluebonnet, as blue as her eyes. "She is so beautiful," I admitted. Mr. Stone looked so happy in responding to my sincere appraisal. 

"Of course. This is my work." He said proudly. 

I still did not find how far the effect of Antonie's magic affected people around me. So far things were just fine. 

We chatted for a while then I said goodbye to them and went to the cemetery right away. Mickey accompanied me into the grave, while Azalea and her two guards were waiting outside the graveyard. I knew exactly where Zie's tomb was so I had no trouble finding it. 

"I am home," I muttered, putting down a bouquet on the white tombstone, some cakes I prepared already. "Be patient, okay? We will be closer now because I'm living in my old house so that I can visit you every day." I said to him. 

"We need to reach the portal before the night comes." Azalea's voice reminded us, made me instantly check my watch. It was three in the afternoon. And I knew that the forest would be dark although it was still four in the afternoon while it took two hours to reach that place. 

I was still sitting near the tombstone when Azalea decided to go in to pick me up. "We must go home, now," She said firmly. I had no choice but to get up and follow her. 

"I guess things are exactly the same as before. I haven't found anything that has changed significantly. I thought when Antonie was gone and the illusion was gone too, things would change drastically. I am wondering what areas were having the illusion?" I looked around, to the streets I always passed through to the terminal, the shop buildings, they were just the same. 

"Perhaps for now we haven't found it." Azalea was doubtful. 

"I will come to this place, after a long time has passed. Back then, I never imagined about it , it happened every day and—BOOM!!" I laughed at myself. 

"No one can read destiny child," Azalea was being wise, patting my head.

…

When we were in front of the portal, it was really night. It took longer than we expected. It was really hard for us to walk through such dark paths which were so slippery and Stoney due to the growth of moss everywhere. 

I was so surprised to see someone standing beside the portal with light from fireflies. He was waiting calmly. "Yoru?" it was my guess. 

It seemed like my voice attracted his attention as the next second he came to us. And I was right, it was Yoru. "I'm sorry, an unexpected thing happened. We have tried to overcome it but it was no good at all. I was sent to look for you here to take you home as fast as possible." 

I eavesdropped a little but could not hear much since they were walking away from me. After some time azalea looked in my direction after Yoru said something to her. 

"What is going on?" I was curious. I felt as if I was involved in this issue. Or did I make another problem without my knowing?' I became restless. 

No one replied to me. Even when we were all in the carriage that had been waiting for us in front of the portal, no one told me what had happened. 

"Does it have anything to do with Naar?" I encouraged myself to ask again. I could not stand being uninformed while I knew something not good was going on. "What did Yoru tell you?" I insisted on knowing it. 

"I simply can't say anything," said Azalea. On the other side, Yoru looked at me with his sharp gaze.

I knew where I should stand so I asked no more. Silence and hostility gripped us along the way to the remaining trip.

When we arrived, some people in white were running towards Azalea. They talked for a short time then they walked in a rush to a place. Instantly I got out of the carriage and followed them, leaving Mickey and Yoru in the wagon. My instinct said that something awful had happened. 

I followed them until they reached the room where Naar was being treated. At a glance at the man who was surrounded by azalea's men, my eyes stuck on the fireball which was not far from his body, the fireball turned dim. 'What is going on?' my heart was confused. 

Not wanting to interfere with everything they were doing, I chose to sit near the treatment room door and stared blankly at the steel wall at my front. I would wait until they could tell me about Naar's condition. 

I was a bit surprised to see Mickey who suddenly sat down next to me. "Why did the fire dim?" I asked quietly. 

That tubby was silent as if he did not hear me talking. 

I stroked his grey fur, while he was still, unmoved. "Is he going to be alright?" I asked again but got no answer. 

Many people passed that room. Some of them only glanced at me, some others greeted me and chatted for a while. I was still sitting there and waiting for him, hoping he woke up from his bed and talking noisily in front of me, playing his music box as long as he wanted it, or taking me to the square again.  I wanted to see his smile, hear his voice, see his silly behavior that sometimes cheered me up. Honestly, I admired the pair of emeralds he had, the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. Out of curiosity I opened the treatment room door and peeked into it. One of the fireballs the one beside him had gone out, while the other was getting dimmer. My hunch said that it was bad, and I could not let this happen to him. 

I moved slowly, leaving Mickey who was still asleep by the infirmary door. When I got outside, I called out to the Manjis. It did not take long for the black sand vortex to circle around me, forming the shapes of two old women. Even though they showed off their stiffness, they seemed to be smiling at me. 

"Thank you for coming. I'm sorry, I called you so suddenly,' I was hugged by one of them in return for my words. 

"You don't need to apologize," Said the other one, "We are happy that we are summoned." She said it right. It was always the Manjis who came when I was in trouble and in danger. 

I smiled sadly, "Sorry, but this time I want you to help me. It might be a little difficult, but I hope you can help me, though." For a moment I bowed before them, pleading for their granting my wish. 

They looked at each other in confusion, until I finally handed over a hairpin that Naar gave me. "There is someone struggling in there right now," I pleaded, gently grasping their cold hands. "Can you look after him for me?" I asked. 

"I know this is inappropriate because I said I would give the lily without expecting anything from you.. But today, I will be like other humans who use that flower to request a spirit exchange," after I said that their expression changed.