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WITHIN the darkness, a small, jade-green light glowed in front of her. It glittered, as if enticing her to follow. Lille woke in a sleepy haze, absentmindedly reaching toward it.
She was still tired, and her body felt heavy. She wanted to go back to sleep, but wanted to chase after the glimmering light even more. However—if she pursued it, she would have no choice but to unlock the power hidden deep within her.
Do you really want that? a voice asked in her mind.
I do. I’m ready.
She held that answer in her heart and approached the green light. She had been too far away to see it before, but now she noticed a door right in the middle of the light. On the other side she could see bright amber mana alongside faint orange mana. The amber belonged to Leo, so the orange was probably…
She opened the door. Amber and orange light came rushing into the dark room, completely engulfing it. Thus, Lille’s powers awakened.
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“I’M sorry, Leo. I know I said I’d go into town with you today…”
A girl was sitting up in a bed, speaking to Leo. She was around the same age as Lille, perhaps slightly older. She had a gentle aura about her, and she looked so much like Leo that it was like seeing a female version of him.
“I don’t care about that. Just focus on getting some good rest.” Leo’s voice was a little higher than Lille was used to. He looked younger, too. Both his face and tone of voice were more relaxed, and—unlike the Leo she knew—he seemed to be a docile, calm boy.
“…Thank you,” the girl said. As she lay back, Leo tucked her under a blanket. She closed her eyes, but Leo stayed, staring at her with obvious concern. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes, and laughed mischievously when she caught him looking.
“Honestly! You’ll catch my cold, y’know? Go back to your own room already,” she said, grinning.
“All right,” he conceded. “Get well soon…okay?” He reluctantly plodded toward the door.
As soon as he left, the girl fell into a violent coughing fit.
“…How much longer can I pretend it’s just a cold?” she wheezed pitifully.
Lille attempted to pat the girl on the back, but her arm slipped straight through to the bed. She walked over to a full-length mirror, but her reflection was nowhere to be seen.
She realized she was viewing the past. When she first told Charles about her magic, he’d said that with practice it would be possible for her to sense lingering memories from places or objects. What she was seeing was most likely the memories left behind in the diary—or in the room itself.
Eventually, the girl fell asleep. Relieved, Lille walked over to the door and opened it. On the other side, another version of the room she was currently standing in awaited her.
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THE girl was deathly thin, and her glossy, blonde curls had grown brittle and dry. It appeared that quite some time had passed since the scene Lille had previously witnessed. The girl had a nasty, hacking cough, and the hand she used to cover her mouth was stained red when she let it fall.
“…I don’t think I have much time left,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
Two knocks sounded at the door, followed by Leo’s voice.
“Are you awake?” he called from the other side. The girl quickly stuffed her hands underneath the blanket.
“Yes! Come in.”
Leo timidly opened the door and slipped inside. He was wearing longer sleeves than before. Lille was amazed by how well the girl could fake such a cheerful smile.
“Mom said I shouldn’t come to your room too much,” he said shyly.
“Well, it’d be bad if you caught it, too. There’s a nasty cold going around this year.”
“…Is it really just a nasty cold? Isn’t it weird that you’re still not better after all this time? Maybe you should get a different doctor to check you out properly…” Leo worried, frowning at her in concern.
“I’ll be fine. I mean, I have an appetite and everything. You worry too much, Leo. We need to toughen you up before you enroll in magic school next year,” she said with a smile.
“I guess… But, I don’t wanna go to magic school,” he said, pouting. “Everyone has to live in a dorm there, don’t they? I don’t wanna leave you!”
“You’re the first sorcerer in the family, remember? That’s why Mom and Dad are going all out to get you into magic school. If they heard you say you don’t want to go, they’d faint!”
“But… But…”
“I’ll be better by then, so I’ll just come and see you whenever you’re free. Don’t give up on your studies, okay?” she said in encouragement.
“…Okay. I won’t,” he promised.
Leo left the room only after she insisted. Lille stepped through the door frame with him, and the scene changed once again.
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“NO! No!”
The girl was coughing up blood, right in front of him. She couldn’t hide it anymore.
“…I knew it. It’s not a cold after all. Did you already know?” Leo asked in a panic.
She gasped for air, lying weakly on the bed. Every time she inhaled, her chest heaved, making a terrible wheezing noise.
“I’m sorry, Leo. For hiding it…” she said, her voice coming out no louder than a whisper. Dark circles had hollowed out the skin under her eyes.
“Why?” he cried. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth?!”
“Because I knew I’d probably die. I wanted to make sure you were smiling during the time I had left.”
Leo’s eyes widened in despair, and a pained scream spilled from his throat.
“You can’t die! You’re lying!”
“I’m not…lyi—” Another coughing fit interrupted her.
“No!” Leo yelled. The girl dizzily collapsed into Leo’s arms. “…Can you hear me? Stay with me!”
She tried to say something, but no words escaped her blood-stained lips.
“No… I don’t want you to die…!”
Light cascaded from Leo. It enveloped the entirety of the girl’s body, then swiftly disappeared. Not long after, a healthy pink brightened her pale complexion, and her eyes shot open in shock.
“Leo…was that…?” She struggled to find the words. She could do nothing but stare at him, still propped up by his arms.
“Did I just use healing magic…?” Leo blinked in wonder. “I’ve never done that before…”
“Don’t, Leo. Everyone in this country knows you shouldn’t use magic to cure illness or prolong someone’s life,” she pleaded with him desperately, despite the shallow coughs punctuating her breaths.
“Do you think I care what other people think?! We can just keep it a secret! Why shouldn’t I try? Now I might actually be able to save you!”
“Leo…”
“Don’t worry, okay? There’s no way I’ll let you die,” Leo declared, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. Leo stayed with her all night, watching her intently, as if he feared she would die as soon as he looked away.
Once morning came, Leo finally nodded off to sleep, slumping onto the girl’s bedsheets. Lille worried when she saw him grimace, but was soon reassured by his light, regular breaths. The girl showed no signs of waking, either.
After making sure they were both fast asleep, Lille opened the door once more.