The Lingering Gaze

“I’m sorry…”

Looking at the girl before him, her eyes vacant and lost, the man scratched his head in confusion. Just moments ago, the young girl’s eyes had suddenly glowed pink, genuinely startling him, though he now suspected it was merely the sunset’s reflection. He had seen blue, purple, and black eyes, but pink was a first.

“Young lady?” he tentatively called out again.

As evening approached, a cool wind whistled through the streets, and the sky gradually darkened. The man found the scene unsettling, like something out of a horror film. Even stranger was the girl’s rigid stillness, as if her soul had fled. The thought sent shivers down his spine. Still, he couldn’t just abandon this clearly unwell girl on the street simply out of fear.

Shaking off his apprehension, the man prepared to pull out his phone and call the police. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept past, chilling him to the bone. A figure emerged unhurriedly from the shadows. The man instinctively paused his dialing, frowning as he turned to face the newcomer.

Why does this place feel so ominously heavy?

“Hello.” A hooded young woman appeared before the man, her voice cool yet remarkably calm and gentle.

“And you are?”

“I am her older sister. My sister has some mental health issues, and I wasn’t paying attention while cooking, allowing her to slip out. I’ve come to take her home now.”

The man cautiously scrutinized the woman, feeling a sense of unease; after all, no ‘normal’ person walked around wearing a hood. As if sensing his thoughts, the young woman unhesitatingly pulled back her hood, revealing a face of striking beauty, with black hair and dark eyes. Had Chloe been conscious, she would have instantly recognized the young woman before her as Anna.

“I apologize for the trouble we’ve caused you,” Anna said, bowing slightly. Then, she turned to the girl and gently instructed, “Chloe, it’s time to go home.”

“Alright, Sister…” Chloe’s voice, devoid of inflection, emerged from her slightly parted lips, her eyes still lacking any spark of life.

“Ah, the poor child. Is there a cure for this illness?” the man looked sympathetically at the frail girl.

“Thank you for your concern! My sister has already shown great improvement, and I believe she will make a full recovery soon.”

“That’s wonderful to hear!” After bidding them farewell, the man checked his phone, discovering a barrage of messages from his family asking when he would be home. A slight smile touched his lips as he tapped out a message, reassuring them of his safety.

“Heh, Cunning, I now understand why you never became a Seat Witch. You’re too kind; calling you a witch is an insult to the word.” In an unnoticed corner, a beastly voice suddenly boomed.

“It’s not your place to judge me, Illusion. I think you’ve gone too far.” Anna already disliked this fellow witch, Illusion, who enjoyed tormenting minds with her illusions. However, the Tea Party believed their combined abilities would yield excellent results, thus forcibly pairing them.

Anna disdainfully brushed away the hand that Illusion had placed on her shoulder, then shot a threatening glare at the Illusion Witch beside her. For a moment, Illusion felt as though she were being fixated upon by some shadowy entity. She then remembered that her companion’s strength far surpassed her own, reaching the level of a Seat Witch, yet Anna had chosen not to claim the title for some unknown reasons.

“Hmph… I merely followed the Tea Party’s instructions. If you have a problem, take it up with the organization, don’t blame me.” The Illusion Witch’s playful expression vanished as she angrily snatched a mouse attempting to escape, crushing it into a bloody pulp. She cast a sidelong glance at Anna, stating with a puzzled tone, “Tell me, you haven’t actually started treating this magical girl like a sister, have you? I never saw you care this much when deceiving other girls.”

“I simply despise your ability. Crafting illusions that lead to the accidental murder of innocents to shatter people’s faith—such disgusting tricks sicken me.”

“Don’t preach that to a witch. In any case, my part is done. Cunning, I’ll be interested to see who is more disgusting, you or I.”

“I didn’t become a witch to be an enemy to all things. I have my own plans; don’t compare me to you narrow-minded types.”

“Tch, spoken with such self-righteousness.” The Illusion Witch scoffed before melting into the shadows and departing.

After a long period of silence, Anna, too, merged with the shadows, reappearing moments later in another corner of the street. Her gaze fell upon the blonde girl walking slowly down the street. Watching Chloe’s forlorn back, Anna felt an inexplicable pang of heartache. If given the choice, she truly wished Chloe would join the witches sooner, so she wouldn’t have to endure further deception and suffering. Perhaps then, they could truly interact as sisters.

Anna followed the girl all the way home, lingering even after Chloe reached her doorstep. For some reason, the girl didn’t immediately enter her house, but instead stood blankly at the door for a long time, resembling a pathetic stray dog.

Does she not have a key? Even without a key, she could knock, yet the girl remained frozen, shivering in the cold night wind.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a face familiar to most witches of note.

Tia…

Anna immediately suppressed her witch aura. She had secretly investigated for a long time, discovering that Chloe and Tia’s relationship seemed intimately sisterly, yet some of their actions were excessively inappropriate. For instance, Anna had never imagined that after her departure from the bubble tea shop, the Demon Slaying Sword, a name that struck fear into the hearts of witches, would commit such a shameless act with an innocent junior. Passersby at the time might not have understood what was happening, but it couldn’t escape Anna, who was constantly observing from the shadows. When Anna secretly followed them into the restroom, the girl’s irrepressible whimpers made Anna’s fists clench.

It was from that moment that Anna realized her perception of the girl had undergone a drastic transformation. That clear, moving voice, like a lark’s song, had continued to scratch at her heart, leaving her with a persistent, tantalizing ache. Unfortunately, Anna lacked the courage to spy on their lives together at home.

Unsure what the two exchanged at the doorway, Tia suddenly pulled Chloe into an embrace. Judging by Chloe’s expression, she seemed rather surprised. Anna could see Tia’s ‘unclean’ hands moving over Chloe’s backside, causing the girl’s small face to flush slightly.

A surge of jealousy abruptly welled up in Anna’s heart.