There's A Crazy Magician In That House!

"Are they sleeping?" Aria muttered under her breath as she looked back after she finished washing the dishes. And she too breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she saw the three small children had fallen asleep in their beds.

The problem was that unlike Aria and Mika who were allowed to sleep in the small room near the shop where they worked, Leyna and Arran had 3 younger siblings who lived in a small hut together. Although Aria and Mika also often helped to look after them, like tonight.

Lily and Kuvi are Arran's younger siblings, while Mina is Leyna's younger sister.

But seeing the three children sleeping, Aria started to feel like crying again so she decided to run outside first.

Even though all this time she thought the four of them had been quite helpful to each other, apparently she wasn't much help herself to the point that three of her friends had to find another job, which she also couldn't help. "I'm so useless…" She muttered to herself.

'Should I also help with their work?'

Although not only her kind nature who cannot do evil, the problem is she's also the type who can only tremble in a corner when she is in a heart-racing situation. So she knows she will just be a burden if she helps.

"But when they say it's illegal, how illegal it actually is…?" She muttered again, because the three of them didn't really tell her anything else after that. She doesn't even know where they're going for their work tonight.

"They don't kill people, right--No, no! There's no way they do something like that." She said again while trying to get rid of the wild thoughts that were starting to occur. "I should sleep too." She said, and she went back into the hut.

Due to the experience of the epidemic that hit their city back then, Aria and the others were actually used to waking up every time they heard the slightest sound. That's why every time Lily, or Kuvi, or Mina moved even a little, Aria always opened her eyes a little and only went back to sleep after making sure the three children were still beside her.

But when the night had started to turn into early morning, Aria woke up again because she felt she heard another voice.

There was nothing even after she looked left and right. But somehow Aria felt a bit uneasy so she decided to get up and check the surroundings of the house. She doesn't think there would be any thieves stealing in a shabby hut like this, but just to be safe… And as expected, it turned out to be nothing.

But when Aria was about to close the door and walk to her bed again, suddenly the sound appeared again. In fact, it wasn't even just a muffled sound, but quite loud like a fallen sack! Starting to panic, Aria's hand spontaneously took the broom that was nearby.

Trembling timidly, she started sticking her head out the door again. And that's where she saw a shadow blur into the side yard!

'I'm screwed! Thief? Monsters?' Holding herself back from screaming outright, Aria covered her mouth and started babbling frantically. "I-It's okay. I can do magic. I can throw fireballs at him if he's dangerous--Wait, no. It can hurt too much, so maybe just a water ball--Ah, no, maybe a small dirt ball would work too. Yes, yes, that'll do."

Aria then hurriedly entered and locked the door again, making sure her three younger siblings were still fast asleep, only then did she finally run back to the door. And sure enough, out the window there did seem to be a dark shape that was, somehow, pawing the ground or something.

Starting to think the strange creature didn't look like it would barge in, Aria had only planned to stay vigilant at the door. But after a few moments of silence, the creature began to look like an ordinary human wearing a black robe. And instead of pawing incoherently, he looks more like… Grimacing in pain on the ground. "Is he… Injured?"

And that's where Aria just realized it. 'Don't tell me it's Leyna and the others--'

Panicked, Aria immediately rushed out without caring about the risk that her guess was wrong and dropped her broom. "Leyna, Mika! Leyna, is that you? Are you okay?" She panicked as she crouched beside the person. But because he was busy moaning in pain, that person didn't answer at all so Aria finally had to examine the person's face herself.

But after the robe that covered his face was removed, it turned out that who was seen there was Arran's face. "Oh my gosh, Arran! What happened to you? Where are Mika and Leyna?!" Aria asked while starting to help Arran get up, which actually made Arran wince in pain even more.

Confused, Aria put him back and tried to see Arran's face again up close and she was so surprised she saw the veins on his face were turning blue as if he was being strangled. In fact, not only on his face, it seems that the conditions around his neck and chest are also the same.

"Earlier--" Arran suddenly started trying to speak. "There's a crazy magician in that house!"