Prologue: The Beginning of Magic
Remember, Mari. If something happens to you and Sasha and I’m not there, go to B6, No. 77, Roque.
Find ‘Lin’s Magic Antique Shop’ there.
Then, knock on the sheep-head door knocker four times at midnight. The owner there will help you.
Remember, you must remember, Mari.
You’re the only one. The only one who can protect Sasha… You’re Sasha’s older sister, and my precious daughter, and—
“A-choo!”
Mari’s thoughts came to a halt as the cold midnight wind brushed the tip of her nose.
She rubbed her nose once and looked down. On her palm, a grimy adult-sized wristwatch ticked away. The long, slender hand hurried toward midnight, click by click.
Mari sniffled once more and wiped away her tears.
Tick.
She brought over the wooden crate she had prepared and placed it in front of the massive door.
Tick.
Carefully climbing onto the crate, she looked at the sheep-head knocker hanging slightly higher than her shoulders.
Tick.
And finally, when the watch hands pointed exactly to the hour, Mari reached out and gripped the knocker tight.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
The knocker rang out four times with an eerie resonance.
Mari tried to warm her hands with her breath while peering through the darkened windows of the shop.
“Is… is anyone there?”
As a trembling Mari whispered, unable to hide her anxiety, a light suddenly flickered on behind the glass.
Then, the ground began to vibrate with a thunderous roar.
Terrified, Mari grabbed the porch railing. The child’s face turned pale at this first-of-a-kind experience. As the street shook, the wooden crate bounced as if it were dancing. The child’s body swayed like a thin sheet of paper.
Before long, the vibration stopped as if it had all been a lie, and the streetlamp near the door flickered to life.
The moment Mari’s gaze shifted toward the light—
Click. The massive door of the antique shop swung open.
“What the…”
A bright light spilled out in front of Mari.
Mari squeezed her eyes shut and stumbled backward.
By the time she managed to rub her tear-soaked eyes open, a man in his mid-to-late twenties with long, snowy-white hair tied back loosely was looking down at her, puffing on a long pipe.
The man narrowed his deep blue eyes and opened his mouth to speak.
“You’re…”
Before he could finish, Mari lunged forward.
“Please help me.”
“What?”
“Please help me, please.”
Tears welled up in her large green eyes. Mari rubbed her face, sobbing.
“Please help me. My sister… she’s disappeared.”
“Huh?”
And this was the first meeting between the human, Mariposa, and the mage, Crofort Lin.
