“A witch’s magic circuit doesn’t exist as an independent organ like that of ordinary humans. It is closely connected to our blood, our emotions, and our spirit, which is why it is so powerful…”
Lis sat down and invited Liya to sit in her old spot.
“Being able to clearly feel the pulse of the magic circuit is also a feeling that witches cannot let go of.”
“Is that why you become like this after losing someone?”
“Perhaps. After all, someone once mentioned a romantic conjecture: the fuel for a witch’s magic is not natural magic power, but—it’s no fun to say it directly, why don’t you guess?”
Liya sat down, still in the seat she used as a child. She hadn’t grown much taller than the last time she sat here.
“I can’t guess.”
“Alright, just like when you were little, you refuse to guess and say you can’t. Anyway, let’s get back to the topic of a depressed magic circuit. This is something every witch encounters.”
“You mean, you too…”
“I used to, in a place similar to this room, disguised as a mushroom house from a fairy tale. I bid farewell to your biological father—though you probably don’t have any memories of it yet, right?”
“…That happened?”
Liya was a little surprised. This was the first time Lis had mentioned…
Mentioning the part of her bloodline that belonged to “humans.” It wasn’t surprising, witches were a race born from a special “magic circuit” left behind by the witch Ya’er five hundred years ago, but physically, they were still human. Numerous witches had close contact with humans and reproduced, otherwise, the number of witches would not always remain constant.
“At that time, I was also a student at the Magic Academy—though the Entak Empire probably hadn’t been unified yet.”
“He and I researched Ancient Magic together, and we were very engrossed. In just a few years, we reached the point you saw before… deciphering how to combine Gentle Blessing of Warmth and Brilliant Light, Silent Sound to create wax blocks.”
“Later, you were born… I wanted him to have a long life like me, so with his consent, I injected him with witch’s blood. Right here.”
“…And you blame me? Don’t you also arbitrarily inject witch’s blood into others’ blood?!”
Liya’s mood seemed to improve slightly. She had previously thought that only she experienced this. Now it seemed that “witches” all over the world often fell in love dramatically, parted dramatically, and then quietly grieved alone.
“He wasn’t as ‘lucky’ as Will. The rejection reaction after the blood injection was severe. He was in so much pain, even though he had begged for eternal life, in the end, he held my hand and asked me to kill him.”
“Well, I’m doing better, after all… after all, Will looks quite comfortable!”
In such a small place, Liya somehow found something to be proud of.
“That’s because the magic and device you used for the blood injection have been modified many times!” Lis retorted.
“So… did you kill Father in the end?”
“I didn’t. Witches are like that. Like every witch recorded in human history, domineering, strong, and crazy. I watched his blood vessels slowly turn red under his skin, appearing on the surface, and I kept injecting him with blood—because I always thought it wasn’t enough blood.”
Lis smiled mischievously again, telling a dark joke about her “lover” but still able to laugh. Perhaps it was because it happened so long ago. Or perhaps she no longer cared? Of course, it was possible…
“To be honest, after finishing this experiment, I even became anemic myself.”
Or perhaps, every witch had an outrageously selfish element deep down.
“Serves you right! Witch’s blood can be cultivated outside the body, are you stupid?”
“But that was blood given to someone you loved, of course, it had to be drawn from your body. Did you cultivate it then?”
“Well… no, it was drawn the night before…”
“Then you’re complaining about me.”
“However, when he turned completely red, couldn’t be woken up no matter how much I called him, and even woke you up crying, I was still a little sad and scared…”
“Just ‘a little’? Fine, being able to feel ‘a little’ is already good progress for you.”
“Don’t say that. I was quite gentle and pure back then.”
Liya had never heard her “gentle mother” tell such stories. It seemed… The outside world’s… well, the legends about witches among humans were quite accurate. Witches did often cause chaos, but they were also people who held onto their lovers tightly.
“He died, of course. For a long time after his death, I also felt the depression of my magic circuit. It was from that time on…” Lis pointed to Liya’s hand, which was tightly clutching the wax block. “My research never made any new progress and stagnated there.”
Liya lowered her head, looking at the ice-blue wax block in her hand. This was what she obtained according to the “mission” left by Will. Although… the “destination” that series of missions ultimately led to, shining in the eyes of the one she loved, might no longer be achievable.
“So, in the end? Mother, did you get out of that state?”
“Not at the time,” she paused, “Perhaps because of this reason, for a very, very long time, I didn’t want you to interact with humans.”
“I see. Then it really was a beautiful yet sinful fate that I encountered.”
“It might be different for every witch. Some have moved on, while others have fallen deeper. But…” Lis rested her chin on her hand and looked at Liya. Witches had very long lifespans. Although Lis now appeared to be in her youth and still looked like a fourteen-year-old child, Liya saw a hint of maturity in her expression for the first time.
“Feelings like loss, regret, and remorse are also parts of life worth savoring.”
“You know, you could have told me this earlier. It made me… it made me afraid to talk to people for a long time when I was outside.”
“Oh? You were ever afraid to talk to people? How unusual.”
“But how did you go from not wanting me to interact with humans to this state?”
“Later…” Lis shifted into a storytelling tone and poured herself a fresh cup of hot tea. She really did resemble an old woman now, holding a cup of hot tea. “I tried searching for more ancient texts, and slowly, I recalled every night spent with him. Slowly, those feelings of loss, regret, and remorse settled into my memory…”
It was late evening, and the sunset had retracted from the room, making the candlelight inside shine brighter.
“So, these past few years when you were missing, you were doing this?” This had been a long-standing mystery for Liya. Why did Lis leave without saying goodbye, what did she do, and why did she leave the Ice Array as a clue for Liya?
“That was part of the reason, but more importantly, I represented witches to search for clues about Ya’er.” Lis smiled.
“Oh… I see… Wait, Ya’er?!” Ya’er, the first witch, the one who created the special race of witches and such a unique bloodline?! Liya had thought Ya’er might be dead. But… “She’s still alive? And why… why were you looking for her…”
“She is dead, of course. I was searching for her, dead, in the Dungeon.”
“How could a dead person…”
“Shh. This is a long story. It’s related to witches and Ancient Magic. For now, let’s get back to our story…”
“One day, although I had forgotten his appearance. However, for the sake of it… when I opened a page of Ancient Magic, I remembered the feeling I once had. And on that day, the depression of my magic circuit also disappeared.”
When Lis said this, her eyes, rarely, lit up with a girlish pink.
“Ms. Lis, you… you actually wanted me to come to terms with it, didn’t you?”
“No, no, no, you’re wrong.” Lis tapped the candelabra on the table with her finger. After adding a layer of witch’s flame, it seemed to shine even brighter. “Whether it’s loss or settling, you need to experience these emotions yourself. I once thought I could teach you something as someone who’s been through it, but I was wrong…”
“You should enjoy these experiences; each one makes up your life.”
“Witches should chase that burning feeling of the magic circuit! Following your own magic circuit, being passionate, straightforward, and true to yourself is what makes a super cute, super invincible, and super beautiful witch!”
“Mom you…” Liya never imagined that one day Lis would describe things in a way so similar to Will. However… Liya tightened her grip on the wax block.
“Alright, alright. Witches are really not good at healing, they’re only good at making things more and more insane.” She nodded.
“In that case, from now on, I will keep working hard to complete the missions he left behind and reach the future he described.” She understood. She didn’t want to “cure” this feeling. She could live on, supported by these emotions. As long as her magic circuit pulsed even slightly because of it, she would keep moving forward.
“I see. You’ve been working so hard in the laboratory all this time to complete his missions? I think that’s actually quite dangerous…”
“Wait, I think I’ve thought of a very important part of his mission.” At this point, Liya hastily picked up the staff by the table. Scientific inspiration always struck unexpectedly.
“Right, Lis. I might… go out for a bit.”
“Where to?”
“To the Dungeon he mentioned.” She said, opening the door. Lis sighed sentimentally; Liya had indeed grown up. Her initiative had become too strong; she didn’t even wait to hear her mother finish speaking.
“She doesn’t seem to have gotten that answer yet.”
“The fuel for a witch’s magic is actually…”
