Chapter 44: The Way She Lives

So this is where you are.

            I turned around and found Hod stood like a ghost behind me. I wonder why he looked so worried.  I didn't do anything unusual today, or did he felt uncomfortable accompanying me on my first killing since I reincarnated. To other people, the idea having a child killing a person without batting an eyelash would not be deem normal, and they're right.

         I'm not normal.

         I went back marveling the view of the city. Back in the day, there were barely any lights and the night would always gave people unease from the darkness it brings. Maybe because of that that we were able to appreciate the brightness of the moon and stars, giving a breath taking the view of the milky way.
            Now however, the sky was pitch black with barely a single one one of its light visible. Instead, as if people had reached out for the stars and pull it down to the ground. The scene of the blinding lights of every color I knew shone as if the city itself is having a party. If anyone ask me then the reality right now could only be a fantasy for me, just like how magic is to them. 

            "I wonder why I was born like this?" That question randomly pops into my mind. Hod made a surprised look that I recognized even when his eyes are closed. 

             "What?"

             Nothing, I just never thought that you might be dissatisfied with your life. 

             "I'm not dissatisfied, it just came into mind why I was born with my memory intact. I always felt I'm living in a different world if not for the fact the people of my past surrounding me. It still made me wonder why I'm the only one different and how my point of view and my magic could make a different to this world." 

              I'm surprised you still care of this world after the life you've been through. 

            I wasn't able to answer him immediately, because half of me agreed but there was another part that strongly denied, making me indecisive about myself. Do I hate the world as Hod said? Or just like back then, I want to make changes where my powers can reach without thinking anything for return. 

            I feel like I'm feeling both, people weren't meant to have a straightforward feeling or the word indecisive wouldn't be born. In this age, in this life, I feel there may be more meaning in what my powers could do, and I want to live finding out what it is. Somehow since I've been living my life carefree, I never thought through of my future, so this might be the first time I'm excited about what tomorrow brings.

            The first in both life perhaps.

            Just when I began to feel excited, I remembered about the mark etched at the back of my neck. 

            "After all that talk from Master not to become a witch, in the end I became just that." 

            I thought about how Master would say if he saw this. For sure he would scold me harshly, pointing what an idiot I am, but then he would also blame himself, thinking he was part of the cause. One would easily think that when they bear the same mark as you.

            My mind felt calmer knowing I now bear the same mark as my master, as if I regained a connection with him from the past, at the same time I feel that I have disappointed him.

           That man would not feel disappointed, probably mostly worried. 

            "How are you so sure?" 

            Because we both know how much he treasures you, an I know that for sure you were his greatest pride. 

            "That's rare, for you to talk about him like that" 

           Not at all, I'm only stating the facts, nothing more. Especially if it's about that man.

            I burst out laughing somehow finding it funny from the way he denied it strongly.
            A mark that represents who I am. "Hod are you okay staying with me? You know when a witch uses black magic, the spirit we contracted will deteriorate, becoming a demon."

            It was at that moment I get to see Hod's sincere smile, the kind of smile with none of his personal pleasure mix in it. 

            No need for your worries, the moment the contract is established, I swear on my life that I would never leave your side, not anymore, so that what happened in the past won't happen again. Also because no one could have a magic more pleasuring than you. 

            "Do you want me to wreck you?"

            Yes, please!

            I made a heavy sigh thinking his words would be more meaningful if not for the last part of his words. It's strange when he mentioned about the past, I should have feel afraid of it happening again. Instead, I have a feeling of confident of living through this life, or rather I won't let the past happen again. 

            This time, I will protect those precious to me, without fail. I'll gladly be a witch to do that. 

            I stood up from the tower with a new resolve and let myself fall from there, feeling the strong night breeze against me that tried to held back my fall. I held out my hand and a broom then flew toward my hand, letting me float in the air. Using it, I made a dash toward my family and my home. 

#

"This....this is?!"

           Charles Dalton exclaimed with a frantic and surprised tone. He was working as usual late at night. People know him as a teacher from the high school section, and a great asset in the Research & ESP Development Department, achieving great results in developing many talented espers. As part of the department, his work included in monitoring the brain wave of the students outside of school. 

           The reason for that, other than monitoring their development is to make sure the children doesn't use their power unwisely. Though I said monitoring, it was only to the extend of looking at the red numbers that pointed out irregularity. It was one of the boring job of being a professor, but he didn't mind it at all and just do his work without a single complaint.
            Then something unbelievable happened. A graph showed an extraordinary state,  one that would rival the state of exceptional espers. What he couldn't believe was the name at the corner left screen, showing whose graph it was. 

           It was a familiar name of the girl that became the talk of the professor of bearing a power that even the computer couldn't get a read on, or so they like to think. The girl, Claudia Robertson, without a doubt has an ability. 

           In a hurry, Dalton edited the graphs and numbers, turning it into a normal one. This wasn't the first time  Dalton had faked Claudia's report. In fact there was numerous times he edited her graphs result, something you wouldn't think from the ever serious Mr. Dalton.
            At first, the numbers though showed irregularity, it wasn't a number deemed abnormal for an esper, he had been watching over her curiously since the first day of school, Dalton even awaited for her to come up and tell everyone of her powers but even after two years, no news came from her. Dalton had concluded that the person herself isn't aware of it even when she had used it numerous times. Many professor thought because it was such a low level ability that the user herself wasn't able to tell the difference, but Dalton disagreed, saying a low level ability would have been easily read by the computer. 

             Then, that day happen.  

             During the time when the serial kidnapper had been on the rage in the area. Her numbers showed a giant leap that one couldn't think it came from a child. It was enough to make Dalton shiver. 

            He waited a few days and Claudia still wouldn't step forward. He now knows that Claudia deliberately hid her ability, he didn't know why but knowing the other professors would not leave her alone knowing this, he faked the reports. The other reason would be because if Claudia shows her powers to the public, he felt that she could make a riot among the professors, that's just shows how absurd her number was.

            "However, this won't last forever. Should I have those two's help just in case? I heard they've been close with her lately." Dalton made a long murmur, anticipating about what's about to come and stayed like that for awhile.

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