Two People (1)

Why you?! Why you of all people?!
The roar—half accusation, half curse—jolted Mo Li awake from her drowsy sleep.

In pitch-black darkness, she felt a cold dampness on her cheek. She reached up and touched it—the pillowcase was wet, her face still streaked with un-dried tears.

From the moment she opened her eyes, any lingering sleepiness vanished completely.

So she lay there, staring into the dark above her bed, replaying the events of just hours ago.

Only days before, she had mocked You Xi’s fragile demeanor, boasting proudly that she herself would personally stop Bai Mian and set her back on the right path.

But when they finally faced each other tonight, Bai Mian’s twisted, furious expression terrified her to the core. Those relentless curses and accusations shattered Mo Li’s confidence and resolve in an instant.

In the end, Mo Li couldn’t withstand that overwhelming rage. Helpless and paralyzed, she could only stand frozen, weeping uncontrollably.

‘…Do you really hate me that much?’

She asked the empty air—a question she already knew the answer to.

Now, at last, she began to understand how Bai Mian must have felt that day—when Mo Li had handed out her comic manuscript for classmates to “appreciate,” mocking and ridiculing it without mercy.

That helplessness—the inability to fight back with words or actions, forced only to apologize, beg, and cry to convey one’s pain—that was exactly what Mo Li had experienced tonight.

Why did I do such a thing?

The moment the thought arose, Mo Li felt a wave of nausea.

She had seen Bai Mian’s bitten lips. She had seen her knuckles white from gripping too hard. Yet… why? Why hadn’t she felt her sorrow and despair back then?

Regret tore through Mo Li’s heart like thorny whips.

For the first time in her life, she truly examined her own actions—and herself.

Yet now, just as she had finally begun to understand, everything had spiraled far beyond her control.

What she once saw as a harmless prank had been like a butterfly flapping its wings across the ocean, triggering a monstrous wave of tragedy.

Would an apology even matter now? What could she possibly do to make up for her mistakes?

These unanswered questions tormented Mo Li’s mind, suffocating her in the dark, driving her to the brink of madness.

As she drowned in guilt and anguish, the image of You Xi’s perpetually angry face suddenly flashed into her thoughts.

If I can’t do anything… will she remain broken forever?

Mo Li recalled the scene in You Xi’s room that day.

You Xi—proud, arrogant, always looking down on others—curled up helplessly in the corner of her bed. The sight had seemed almost laughable at the time, but now, remembering it, a dull ache bloomed in Mo Li’s chest.

She hurt because You Xi was hurting. She hurt because You Xi was lost.

Maybe it was just the heavy atmosphere of that room affecting her mood.

Or perhaps…

Fragments of their shared memories flickered through Mo Li’s mind.

Under the warm glow of orange streetlights, You Xi had marched up to her, chest puffed out.

“If… if you still feel like it’s not enough just to apologize, you can push me down too.”

It must’ve been that moment. That face—so clearly afraid, yet trying so hard to act brave, so foolishly cute—

At that thought, Mo Li suddenly shot upright in bed.

She quickly yanked open the drawer of her nightstand and rummaged inside.

When her fingers brushed against a hard, faceted object, she exhaled in relief.

“It’s not over yet.”

“I still have the power to fix this.”

Clutched in her palm, her soul gem—charged with electrical energy—glowed faintly in the dark, radiating warmth.

****

Standing before the agency’s door, You Xi recalled her first visit with Senior Tidal. Back then, fresh and clueless, she’d mistaken mana absorption for eating—and nearly swallowed an aberration’s mana crystal whole. No matter how many times she remembered it, the absurdity still made her want to laugh.

At the time, she’d assumed she’d be coming here often. But in reality, this was only her second visit—and it would also be her last.

“Good afternoon, Lao Lin.”

Pushing open the glass door, she greeted the figure hunched over the desk.

“Oh, it’s you!”

Lao Lin looked up, immediately setting aside their work.

“I’m sorry,” they said.

“You probably don’t know yet. That night, due to our mistake, your friend was taken.”

“But according to the enemy’s words, Bai Mian isn’t in immediate danger. Tidal and I have been searching for her these past few days. Don’t worry—she’ll be okay.”

“Thank you,” You Xi nodded.

“Then I leave it to you. Please bring Bai Mian back safely.” As she spoke, she bowed deeply.

“Leave it to us…?”

Lao Lin carefully weighed the implication behind her words, a flicker of surprise in their eyes.

“You mean…”

“Yes.”

You Xi nodded.

Then she stepped forward and placed something from her palm onto the desk.

It was her proof as the magical girl Raging Flame—her soul gem.

Yet the red crystal, once a symbol of courage and hope, now lay dull and lifeless. The dancing flame within had gone out, its power and soul drained.

All that remained was a hollow shell, slowly decaying toward oblivion.

Staring at the tarnished mana crystal, Lao Lin felt a deep surge of emotion.

“After the mall incident… I couldn’t transform anymore,” You Xi said.

“Maybe it realized I’m no longer worthy to be its master.”

In other words… I’ve been abandoned.

“A magical girl who can’t defeat aberrations has no reason to exist, right?”

“No, that’s not true!” Lao Lin snapped, unusually agitated.

“This is only temporary! You can’t transform because your soul gem no longer senses the fighting spirit and conviction it once did.”

“If you regain your strength…”

‘—Regain my strength… just to raise my sword against Bai Mian, is that it?’

You Xi’s voice cracked, barely more than a whisper from the depths of her throat.

Lao Lin fell silent. A profound helplessness gripped them, leaving them unable to speak.

Faced with the girl’s confusion and despair, their words of comfort felt like scattered drops of rain falling into a sun-scorched desert—once life-giving, now meaningless against the vast, cruel wasteland.

“Each squad in the Second Ring consists of four magical girls, right?”

“Yes.”

Lao Lin nodded, slumping slightly, already guessing what You Xi would say next.

“I can’t transform. So I have no right to take up one of those spots anymore. So…”

You Xi reached up, brushing away the tears welling in her eyes.

“I’m quitting.”

“With Senior Tidal around, does it really matter whether I’m here or not? Besides… there’s Mo Li now. She’s smarter than me. More talented.” She wiped her eyes and continued:

“These past days… thank you. All of you.”

“I hope… you’ll find a better magical girl to replace me.”