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The Magical Night Where Stars Twinkle
In the embrace of Mary, Calaria couldn’t shake off the sense of impending death. Timidly, she questioned, “How
 Shouldn’t your vision be gone?”
“It’s back, I was just pretending.”
“Is that even possible? The intensity of the light from that distance should have permanently blinded you!”
“Yes
 That’s why I took matters into my own hands. I crushed my eyes and allowed them to regenerate,” Mary explained with a smile, despite the pain in her pierced lung, as she leaned closer to Calaria.
To “crush” her eyes meant Mary had literally squished her own eyeballs with her fingers.
Understanding the risk Mary had taken, Calaria realized that Mary was inexperienced but her resolve, or rather her broken heart, had brought her to this point. She understood that she couldn’t escape from this predicament.
“Crushing my own eyes
 Perhaps I underestimated the consequences because I’m just an amateur
”
Emerging from behind Mary, numerous skeletal “beasts” closed in on Calaria, their mouths agape, ready to feast on her flesh while she still lived. Trapped and unable to evade, Calaria suddenly relaxed her body.
“You’re not putting up a fight, huh?” Mary remarked.
“Do whatever you want. Regrets are for the afterlife.”
“Trying to act cool in that outfit? You’re a weird one.”
“The maid outfit isn’t really my thing.”
“Ha! That makes you even weirder.”
As a subordinate of Slaver, Calaria knew that Mary had no reason to hold back. This time, Mary extended her fangs from her back and pierced Calaria’s skin, only to abruptly stop.
“Why
?” Calaria questioned, her voice filled with desperation. “What are you doing
? Just kill me already. Or do you prefer to slowly torment me?”
Despite Calaria’s plea, there was no response. Mary stood frozen, her gaze fixed on the staircase leading to the second floor.
“Sis
 Sister
” Mary called out, tossing Calaria aside without a word and rushing towards the staircase. She shouted into the seemingly empty space, “Oh, Sister!”
In Mary’s eyes, a figure became clear—her supposedly deceased sister, Francis Pulcherrima, sitting there unchanged, wearing a gentle smile, resembling that of a caring mother.
Driven by her emotions, Mary attempted to embrace her sister but collided forcefully with the stairs, unable to make contact.
“Ouch! Oww
 What is she doing?” Calaria watched the scene with a puzzled expression and picked up the fallen sword.
Now she had the chance to kill Mary.
However, an inexplicable feeling overcame Calaria, as if someone was whispering that it wasn’t the right thing to do. She loosened her grip on the hilt, releasing the tension in her hand.
“Sister, sister, sis! You’re alive, right? You’re really alive!”
“Mary, it’s been a while “
“Sister, ahh!” Mary’s emotions overwhelmed her, and she burst into tears. However, Francis remained translucent and untouchable.
Was she a ghost? Or was it just a hallucination that Mary was experiencing?
“Hey, Mary, calm down and listen,” Francis said, trying to soothe her sister’s emotions.
“I can’t calm down! You’re right here!”
“I understand how you feel, but unless you calm down, I can’t explain.”
“Uhh
 O-Okay, I got it.” Mary slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
What’s going on
? What is happening? Calaria couldn’t help but shudder at the stark contrast from moments ago, trying to make sense of the situation unfolding before her eyes.
“Alright, good girl. You know, about her—Calaria, I think it might be better not to kill her, at least for now.”
“Sister
 But she’s Dugan’s subordinate! She’s the same person who killed you!”
“For now, let’s start by hearing her side of the story. I believe it will help you, Mary.”
“Is that so
?” Mary’s voice softened, her doubts gradually giving way to curiosity.
“Mary, if you find it hard to believe, try going outside for a moment. You’ll understand right away.”
“Ah
 I-I’m sorry for doubting. You’ve always guided me with the right words!”
“Hmm, that sounds a bit exaggerated, but it’s best to follow the path you believe in. But for now, listen to what I’m saying and try talking to her.”
“Understood. If you say so, Sister.”
“Thank you, Mary. You’re a good girl.” Francis reached out her hand, a gesture of affection that stirred up memories within Mary. Though she couldn’t feel the touch, it brought comfort and contemplation.
“Alright then, I should be going now,” Francis announced.
“Wait, please! I want to stay with you, Sister! Don’t go anywhere!”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ll always be with you, Mary. I’ll be by your side, watching over you. Stay alive, and we’ll meet again like this.”
“Sister
 Wait, Sister! Sis!” Mary’s attempts to embrace her sister were futile as the figure gradually faded and eventually disappeared.
“Sister
” Mary sat down on the spot, stunned. She remained motionless for a while, lost in her thoughts.
Calaria scrutinized Mary, her grip tightening on the sword. After a while, Mary wiped her tear-stained eyes with the sleeve of her dress, stood up, and turned to face Calaria.
“Calaria
”
“What? Are you still going to fight?”
“No, I want to talk to you.”
“Have you changed your mind? It’s pointless. What can I talk about with an emotionally unstable monster like you?”
“I don’t want to talk to someone who serves Dugan either, but
 my sister asked me to
”
“Sister? You were just hallucinating.”
“It wasn’t a hallucination! My sister was here, I’m sure of it! Couldn’t you see her?”
“I didn’t see anything. It looked like you were just talking to yourself.”
“That’s
 not possible
” Mary’s voice wavered as doubt began to seep into her thoughts. She realized she had been pushing herself too hard, allowing her vengeful emotions to cloud her judgment.
But still
 I don’t believe it was an illusion. Mary’s inner turmoil intensified. The vision of her sister, Francis, had been too vivid and lifelike to dismiss it as a mere figment of her imagination. She couldn’t simply write it off as an illusion.
“I won’t make the same mistake this time. Come at me.”
“Wait! That’s right, my sister said I would understand if I went outside!”
“Are you planning to run away?”
“Are you saying that after you’ve been defeated?”
“Ugh
”
“Calaria, let’s just go outside and see for ourselves.”
“I’m not convinced, but fine. Let’s do that.”
With the sword in hand, Calaria took a step back and approached the door. She kicked it open with a creaking sound, only to reveal an unexpected sight—pitch-black darkness.
“What
?!”
“Calaria, what’s happening with that?”
“Don’t be foolish
 No, it can’t be
” Calaria’s voice trailed off as she dropped the sword and fell to her knees, overcome with despair.
Mary hurried over to Calaria’s side, but the latter made no attempt to assume a fighting stance. With a puzzled expression, Mary cautiously opened the door, revealing an endless expanse of darkness beyond.
“Calaria, do you know what this is?”
“
”
“Hey, Calaria!”
“Ah
 This is the work of The Magician. It was done by that person.”
“You mean, mage? How did they manage such a large-scale magic?”
“No, not exactly a mage!”
“What do you mean?”
Calaria widened her eyes, her voice filled with despair. “The Arcana user
 The Magician.”
If Calaria’s words held truth, it meant that her presence here was merely a decoy. She had been brought to this mansion to trap Mary as well. However, amidst the realization, a question surfaced in Mary’s mind—why was Calaria able to identify it as The Magician’s ability the moment she saw it?