The boys left Hazel in the middle of a dark street before promptly teleporting away.
That was as far as they could take her since they were apparently 'running low on mana', whatever it meant. She couldn't really blame them, considering they had to use a considerable amount of magic to clear out all traces of their presence in the school.
Besides, she wasn't that far from her house anyway.
It was a cloudless night. A gentle breeze cut through the air, washing a stray plastic bag onto the deserted street. On her left stood a row of darkened convenience shops and other facilities. On her right lay the quiet row of apartments, all lined up in a neat queue of un-painted concrete.
The occasional light shone in the window above, although Hazel was the only one still walking on the streets. Her footsteps quickened as she turned a corner and reached her doorstep.
A light came on and the door creaked open before she could take out her keys.
"Pops!" Hazel squeaked. It was rare to see her Grandfather awake, especially during this time of the night.
"Oh, my little girl is home safe!" Grandfather cracked a weak but radiant smile. "The buses should be off-duty by now, so I got worried."
Hazel trudged into her house and set her bag on the dining table. She plopped herself down on the sofa, feeling the day's exhaustion flood over her. It was only ten in the evening, but chasing the Yokai around the school was probably the most exercise she had gotten in the year. And boy, was she paying for it now.
Conversely, her grandfather sat across the table and squinted at her through puffy eyes. His silvery-white hair was thin but neatly flattened on one side. Deep crevices trailed the sides of his cheeks. It would've aged him even further if he had softer features, but the fierce brightness in his eyes complemented it perfectly, granting him an air of stoic dignity instead.
"How was school today?" Grandfather's voice cut into Hazel's thoughts, reminding her that she had been staring into space for a few minutes.
"Huh? I— Everything's alright. I've just been busy writing my articles and lost track of time," Hazel lied with a tired smile. "My school has gotten interested in them, so the Club President has given me lots to do."
"That's wonderful news! What brought that on?"
Hazel shrugged, mumbling something unintelligible in reply. It was kind of a long story anyway, and she was in no state to recount everything while taking care to avoid revealing Chester and Liam's secret. Thankfully, her grandfather didn't probe further.
"Don't tire yourself out, alright?"
The chair creaked as Grandfather got up. He hobbled over to a small altar in the middle of the living room, paying his respects to her parents' photographs nestled in the wall. It was a simple enough setup; just a small table fitted neatly into an indentation in a wall. Wind chimes hung just above the photograph of a smiling couple, remaining as still as they could be in the stuffy house.
"I sensed impending danger this morning. More than that, in fact. I sensed death," Grandfather said cryptically without turning back, falling comfortably back into his Shaman-like persona. "It kept me up the whole evening, waiting for you to get back. It was such a relief to see you home safe and sound. I don't know what this premonition holds for you, so I can only take comfort in the knowledge that our loved ones are always watching over us. And maybe you should too."
A shadow crossed over Hazel's memories. Or rather, the lack thereof. All she had was a vague sense of loss, even though she never knew her parents to begin with. Hell, she wasn't even sure the photographs on the altar were really them.
According to her grandfather, her mother had died delivering her after some childbirth complications. Her father was unable to take the loss of his wife, so he killed himself on the very same day. And thus, Hazel was brought into the world at the cost of two lives.
A soft thunk of metal hitting wood caught her attention. She widened her eyes in shock, staring at her grandfather.
He gestured to the sleek black pistol, urging her to take it.
"Take this for your protection. The sixth sense runs in our family, so listen to it and you'll know when to use this."
"What, no! I can't bring this to school! It's a freaking gun!" Hazel exclaimed, pushing the weapon back to him. "I'll get arrested!"
Grandfather stared at her for a moment before taking the pistol back.
"If you say so, dear." He gave her a tender smile. "Come, you must be tired. Go take a shower and rest up."
Hazel exhaled in slight exasperation at her grandfather's silly antics and headed upstairs, leaving her bag on the dining table.
Grandfather fiddled with the weapon methodically and checked the chamber. It was empty. He snapped the pistol back into place and glanced at the altar again, almost as if he was looking in someone's direction.
A small smile broke on his face as the wind chimes jingled softly in a stray breeze.
~ ~ ~
Hazely had been so tired that she barely recalled going to bed. So when her phone rang at nine on a Saturday morning the next day, it took her another five minutes to pick up the stubborn caller.
"Hello, who is this?" she groaned into the speaker grumpily, hoping it was just a telemarketer that she could simply shut the phone on.
"Liam here. I need your help."
"Who...?"
Hazel could practically hear Liam rolling his eyes as awkward silence squawked on the other end of the line.
"Hahaha... I'm just kidding...?" She made a half-assed attempt to regain her composure. "What's up? What do you need help with?"
"A Yokai has invaded my house."
That was more than enough to wake her up. All sleepiness evaporated as the girl rolled out of bed in a hurry, accidentally sweeping something off her bedside table.
"Yes!" Hazel exclaimed and promptly covered her mouth in embarrassment. "I mean... Sorry to hear that. What do you need from me?"
She picked up her Yokai journal and tossed it onto her messy desk before opening her wardrobe excitedly. This was going to be so much fun.
~ ~ ~
Liam's house was far down the south of the city, but Hazel had no trouble finding it. No, it wasn't because she was an excellent navigator or anything like that.
Because it was so huge that even a blind person would be frozen in awe at the majestic sight.
Nestled within a mountain lay a mansion fitted so snugly between its rocky neighbours; it was as if the hallowed ground itself had sprouted this house right out from the Earth. The mansion's windows were like the shy eyes of a giant, large enough to welcome any ray of sun. Further behind the house, a waterfall roared in the distance.
As Hazel strolled up the perfectly paved road leading to it, the earthy humidity gave way to a cooling woody scent. And as if the nature gods themselves had been called into existence to quell the elements, a hearth-like heat wafted through the air, injecting a soothing warmth into its misty surroundings.
"You're here. Good."
Liam strolled out of the front gates, dressed in a simple T-shirt and shorts. Chester followed behind him, casually munching on a bowl of legumes.
"Holy crap, I didn't know you were so rich!" Hazel exclaimed, gesturing at the mansion's general direction. "How did they even construct your house on the side of a mountain?"
"Magic," Liam replied dryly. "And I'm not rich. This place is merely a status symbol of my House; all my servants are gifts from the Union of Magus for..."
His voice trailed away as a dark expression crossed his face for some reason.
"Anyway, they have pledged eternal allegiance to my House, so please tread carefully," Liam continued. "They are fiercely loyal and won't take any insults to my House lightly."
"Yeah, no kidding," Chester mumbled through his filled mouth. "I had to apologise in three different ways for running my mouth last time before they allowed me to step into his house again. Best mind your p's and q's around here."
He offered his bowl to the girl. "Anyroad, fancy some nuts?"
"How do Houses work?" Hazel asked, ignoring Chester's offer. "Are they a sort of royalty?"
"Somewhat. Centuries ago, the Union discovered that children born of two Magus tend to be only child. It is extremely difficult to conceive again after the birthing of one child due to the heightened magic affinity, or something like that," Liam explained as he led her to his house. "To avoid the rapid dwindling of our population, only certain Magus are allowed to marry within the Magus circle. That's how Houses came about."
"Must be lonely," Hazel commented absentmindedly.
"Well, it's a lot less lonely when you have someone to grow up with." Chester swung a playful arm around Liam. "We're practically brothers by now."
The girl flashed a wry smile, before deciding to change the topic. "How does the Union decide which family to grant... 'House-ship'?"
"Genetic tests, magic aptitude... All that jazz." Liam shrugged. "Those who pass get a House title, and those who fail... Well, they're only allowed to marry non-Magus."
"So we're both royalty, in a sense. The House of Davies is one of the oldest Houses that maintained a long line of pure-bloodness. My House is relatively new," Chester chimed in. "Fat load of use, though. All we get are more responsibilities and politics to deal with."
"Don't forget about the gift as well," Liam reminded him sharply. "It's thanks to HQ granting a portion of old magic to your house that you can conjure those shurikens in the first place."
Chester pursed his lips and looked away.
"What happens if a child of a House chooses to marry a non-Magus?" Hazel asked.
"Then he or she will lose their House status altogether, and the House dissolves along with their gifts from the headquarters. The magic returns to the HQ's reserves. It's a recent practice to incentivise Magus to sign up. The older Houses have natural gifts, but the newer ones must be granted theirs by the HQ," Liam said. "When the new House slot will be called in, other Magus can try to 'audition' for it. They'll still have to do all those tests, of course. If they're accepted, their marriage options become limited and they are given heavier responsibilities."
"So many rules..." Hazel breathed to herself.
The huge mansion doors swung open slowly as the trio strolled into the enormous building.
Now that Hazel had seen its interior, calling it a mansion was an understatement. From the rows of butlers greeting Liam's entrance to the intricate paintings that decorated the ceilings, his house looked more like a palace rather than a mere mansion.
A familiar throbbing stabbed at Hazel's chest again as she winced slightly. Like the night before, there was a clear presence of something supernatural. But this time, it felt somewhat timid and... watery.
She wondered why.
"Master Davies, shall I get some tea for your guests?" a butler asked with a slightly bowed posture.
He was a middle-aged man, judging from the occasional grey streak that lined his neatly combed hair. The man was also dressed in a dark red blazer and bowtie, which stood out among the other butlers who sported plain black ones.
"Not today, Alden." Liam smiled politely. "They're here regarding the 'rat' problem."
"Ah, I see. Many thanks for helping the House of Davies. How may I address you, young lady?"
Hazel blinked, slightly taken aback by the butler's politeness. "Hazel. Hazel Adams."
A blank look crossed Alden's face as though he was taken aback for some reason. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the floor for a few seconds before composing himself again.
"Apologies about that." He adjusted his bowtie pointlessly. "Allow me to direct you to the... scene of the crime."
"This is Alden, our head butler. He's a highly competent Magus and a good friend." Liam introduced the man, who bowed in response. "Alden has worked in my House since I was a child, and he practically raised me."
"I was only discharging my duties. But thank you for the kind words, Master Davies." Alden stepped to the side, gesturing towards a hallway. "Please follow me."
The teenagers followed the man to a bedroom at least twice the size of their school classroom. Goosebumps raised on Hazel's neck as the spiritual presence propped up again, although she didn't need that to confirm its presence.
Duck-like footprints crawled up all over the walls and ceiling. The antique-looking bookshelves lay sprawled on the floor, obviously knocked over by something the size of a child. In the corner of the room, a small hole was broken in a glass container.
"As you can see, something had broken into my house," Liam said. "I'm inclined to think it was a particularly intelligent monkey, but those duck prints indicate otherwise. Besides, I can sense the presence of a supernatural being. What about you, Hazel?"
"Oh, uhm..." the girl stuttered nervously. "I sense it too, but I doubt it's in this room. The presence has only been faint ever since I stepped into your house, and... how do I put this? It has sort of a... watery feeling? Like it's perpetually wet. Maybe it's a frog or something like that.
"Water, huh?" Chester put his thumb to his chin thoughtfully. "It ain't much, but at least it's something to start with. Perhaps a Nixie?"
"A few of our servants have accounts to share," Alden said. "Shall I gather them?"
"Certainly," Liam replied. "We'll just wait here while you call them."
The butler bowed slightly again and retreated from the room.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNAx9hMJ2M
