The Cost of Magic

For a reason I can’t fully grasp, I don’t even try questioning Longwei. His words let me utterly confused and I haven’t paid much attention to the others’ fights. All I can say is that Edward and Rubeus having gotten rid of the remaining Jikininkis, we’re heading back to the Clockwork Dolls Circus.

    I glance at Longwei, busy driving the car. All along the way, neither him nor anyone else say anything.

    Even now, he has such a serious expression. I don’t get it. Isn’t that normal for them to use magic? What is that cost he was talking about? He said I used too much mana, but I’m not even feeling ill, or weakened, or… anything.

    Longwei must have sensed my attention focused on him as he cast a side glance at me.

“Don’t worry, Hoshimori,” his gaze softens, “we’ll make everything clear once we reach the circus.”

    Having nothing to answer to that, I avert my eyes. Leaning my cheek against the back of my hand, I stare at the city’s lights. There’s nothing I can do aside from wait, and it’s getting on my nerves.

    As the skyscrapers grow more distant, we finally approach a large field surrounded by a handful of trees. Probably Japanese maples.

    In the middle of the field, there it is. The tents of the circus, of a dark green with stripes the colour of amber. What a strange choice of colours. Isn’t green supposed to be avoided as hell in the universe of such shows? It’s said to bring misfortune upon the artists…

    Relieved to have at last some fresh air to breathe as we finally leave the car behind us, I follow the odd members of this circus into the main tent.

    As we pass the couch, I glance at the woman still sleeping there. Her long, night-blue hair frames a face covered with squiggles. Sleeping around kids is never a safe idea. Speaking of which… I can’t see the twins anywhere.

    Instead, I catch sight of a silhouette standing on the stage. He wears a fancy purple coat with golden edges, a black ruffle and, one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen… a black mask with a long, pointy nose. Akin to a bird’s.

“Ohohh, I see you’re finally back from your eventful patrol.” The man turns his attention to us, interrupting his discussion with another boy I’ve never seen before. “I’m glad to see you all safe and sound.”

    From the tip of his gloved fingers, he grabs the brim of his top hat, lowering it to his chest with a bow.

“Mr. Director!” Edward rushes forward, grabbing the man’s coat. “Rubeus almost let me die! He ignored me while I was getting attacked by a bunch of Jikininkis!”

    I guess he’s used to such outbursts from Edward, because the strange man does not even flinch, reaching his hand to pat his head. His other hand leant against his own back.

“Mmm, is that so? That’s definitely not kind. Rubeus, did you do such a thing?”

“Tskk.”

    As the main interested looks away, Poltergeist fold his arms in what I suspect to be utter disapproval in regard to that cheap denunciation.

“I take it for a yes.” The director notes. “Make sure that doesn’t happen again. We don’t want poor teasing to end up in a tragedy, right?”

    His tone is light-hearted, and yet it carries a discrete, conclusive note.

“Fine, Mr. Director.”

    Not even a remark made by his marionette? Heh. I guess even Rubeus can be submissive when he wants to. That director must be important in his eyes, but not only. But that’s not only him. Judging by the way he commands everyone’s respect… He’s more than a director for them.

    As silence settles, I gaze back at this strange man. That’s when I notice his eyes lingering on me. Not that I can exactly see his eyes with the shadow brought by his mask, but… I still can feel his gaze on me.

“Ahh, yes.” Longwei steps forward, waving at me. “Rubeus sensed this young woman using magic, and he took her here after… well, after she caused some disorder.”

“Some disorder?” The director finally shifts his focus to Longwei.

“Burning her school.”

“Ohh.” He pauses, nodding to himself. “So you brought her along with you to rescue Edward? I believe she got the basics on what we’re doing here.” He gazes back at me. “What is your choice, then?”

    Eyes wide open, I stare at the director, about to open my mouth to reply. But Poltergeist is faster.

“Choice? Choice? She’s too dangerous for herself to have any choice there!”

“Explain yourself.”

“That is…” Longwei begins, trailing off as if searching for his words. “A Jikininki attacked her, and Hoshimori overused her mana. It flowed out of her in a blast.”

“What a terrible thing.” The director promptly reacts, shaking his head. “Did you not tell her the most important thing?”

    The most important? I stare at them stating things as if I had no word to say. That’s truly beginning to play on my nerves. They’re all the same… Strangers not knowing me, not knowing a goddamn thing about me, but of course they speak important things as if it is common, shared knowledge.

“Is someone ever going to actually tell me what I am supposed to find so fucking important? You use magic to get rid of Jikininkis, right? That’s what I did.”

“Keep your temper.”

    The smooth voice belongs to the boy who stood by the side of the director when we arrived. His hair is rather short, cobalt blue picked with black strands. Emerald eyes and tanned skin… Until now, he did not take part in the discussion.

“If you’re feeling lost, then let me bring light upon your path.” He resumes with a confident smile, hand on hip. “We use magic, yes. But with caution. It can be powerful, and if we used ours to its full extent, a Jikininki sure wouldn’t last long. Not even a group. But this energy, allowing you to do such wonderful things, it has to come from somewhere. Did you ever stop to consider its source?”

“Its source?..” I echo like a broken record.

“Mana is fuelled by memories.” He utters, replacing his round glasses with vermilion-tinted lenses and golden frame. “As long as you remember, you can use magic. But the more you use it, the more memories you’ll lose. At the risk of forgetting everything, in the end.”

    Taken aback by his words, I have half-opened my mouth.

“You lie…”

    This… must be a lie, right? Unless… Is that why magic has been forbidden?

“Evren doesn’t lie.” Poltergeist chimes in. “But whatever we say, nothing is gonna stop you from using magic now.”

    Hearing his voice so close, just behind me, I glance back only to see Rubeus standing there, holding a giant golden key in his hands that he raises over his head.

“Not now that you know it can help you search for that man.”

    I don’t even have time to move away.

    A sharp pain in my back… A cry of pain being ripped from me before I have a chance to process what’s going on.

    Kneeling on the ground, I lean against my hands, breath ragged.

“What did you to me?” I mutter through gritted teeth, feeling a foreign weight in my back.

    For a moment, I wonder if I’m going to die. The pain is unlike anything I’ve felt before. Like my bones have just shattered inside my body.

“Made sure you’d be protected.” The rabbit answers.

    But then, as suddenly as it appeared, the pain vanishes. As if it had been all but an illusion.

    Slowly, I raise my head, messy strands of cherry hair clinging to my face.

    The director kneels right before me, his hand extended as an invitation.

“Starting from now, you belong to us, Miss Hoshimori.”

    With a frown, hesitant, I end up taking his gloved hand.

    Straightening thanks to his support, I glance at his hand now reaching for my shoulder. The gesture makes me tense, and I barely hold back from recoiling.

    The director must have noticed it, though, because his hand freezes. He ends up simply lowering it to his sides.

“Rubeus, be so kind as to bring her back home. Her day has been eventful enough; she needs to rest.”

“Alright.” Poltergeist replies. I can hear him stepping away, before standing still. “What are you waiting for? Let’s not lose time.”

    Lost, I take a last glance at the director and the members of the Clockwork Dolls Circus before turning away, joining Rubeus and Poltergeist.

    Behind me, I can hear some snatches of a conversation between the director and Evren.

“…A bunch of Jikininkis, though. That is concerning.”

“That is, indeed. They usually do prefer to hunt on their own…”