★ SHORT LISTED - OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2024ˎˊ˗
Yueting has always had a lousy life. She was already an adult. She used to study her ass off in school, yet she ended up on the streets, spending her money only on alcohol. One night, like any other, Yue...
⌞System message: Exactly tonight at 11 PM when the clock strikes.⌝
The system really has to make this sound like a thriller, Yueting thinks.
Thinking back, Yueting could only conclude one thing: the circle must mark its victim's death. It was a message of their impending demise, not a curse or an illness. The best course of action was to hide and catch the perpetrator in the act, if possible, even saving the victim.
Since this world was one where magic prevailed and the clock would strike at 11 pm, darkness would be on her side. "System, do I have an invisibility spell?" Yueting inquires.
⌞System message: There should be one available, master.⌝
"Is it easily detectable by other magic?" Yueting queries.
⌞System message: It's not advisable if the enemy is skilled in magic.⌝
"I see," Yueting muses. In that case, she would have to don pure black attire and find a hiding spot.
Sitting on the roof in a fully black outfit with her face mostly covered, she waited for someone, perhaps more than one person, to arrive. The room where the sick woman lay was on the top floor, with a roof above it and a window for outside entry. As soon as the clock tower struck 11 pm and began to chime, she saw someone enter the room through the window. Clinging to the window rails, she peered inside. Earlier, before coming here, she had prepared everything, ensuring that no one recognized her and honing her fighting skills. Silently, the person entered the room and approached the victim with a bottle in hand, obviously containing some sort of poison.
Just before the person opened the bottle, she began to speak. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked. Turning around, the stranger glared at her, who was hanging upside down outside the window. Attempting to open the bottle quickly, the person didn't respond. Before they could administer the poison to the woman, she snatched the bottle away. The person had a slim body and tied-up hair to make it appear shorter. It was a girl, fairly young but not young enough to be considered a child. The person was also covered up, concealing any distinct features. She wrested the bottle away, and the person reacted swiftly, displaying quick wit.
She could fend them off, but defeating them was uncertain. With nimble movements, they maneuvered around the room, both trying to be quiet yet swift. When the person found an opportunity to reclaim the bottle, she attempted to snatch it away once more, which led them to the window. Standing in front of the person, she tried to seize the bottle, but the other person was strong too, resulting in a struggle.
⌞Activating boost...⌝
With that, she managed to seize the bottle. Just as she was about to apprehend the person, they leaped out of the window backwards and fled. She knew she couldn't catch up, so she didn't attempt to pursue.
Hearing footsteps, someone entered the room. It was Daiki. "Who are you?!" he shouted, trying to catch her, but she jumped out of the window, leaping onto the roof and running to the other side. Daiki couldn't catch her, so she slid into her room. Quickly hiding the bottle in her inventory, she could already see the lights on in the hall.
Barging inside, Daiki yelled, "Hero! I saw them!" Turning around, pretending to be half asleep, she sat up. "Saw who?" she asked. "Someone tried to hurt my wife," Daiki said. "Ah, so that woman was your wife," she remarked. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but what if they come back? Or what if they've already done something? Please stay in her room tonight," Daiki pleaded.Standing up, still half asleep, she yawned and walked up to Daiki. "Show me the way; I forgot," she said. Following Daiki into the room, she sat down on the chair next to the woman. "What's her name?" she asked. "It's Aisha," Daiki answered. "I see. Since you made them go away, I'm sure everything will be fine," she said. "Tomorrow, I'll examine her to see if everything is alright," she added.
"Alright, I trust you, hero," Daiki said. "Just because being the 'hero' is my title doesn't mean everyone has to call me that, so stop," she replied. "My apologies," Daiki said. "You all really are way too polite here," she remarked. After Daiki left the room, she began speaking to the system. "System, do the examination again to see what's wrong with her. After all, she wasn't poisoned yet, so there must be a different reason for her being sick," she said.
⌞System message: Understood! I'll examine her and find out the reason.⌝
⌞Beginning examination...⌝
Finally having time to think about it, Yueting pondered Meiyang. She found her to be both similar and different in this world. While Meiyang shared some features with her counterpart, her eyes were lighter, and her demeanor seemed more polite. Perhaps this disparity stemmed from their different upbringings. In Yueting's original world, Meiyang didn't hail from an exceptionally wealthy family, but here she was a princess, signifying a significant difference in circumstances.
After that, she snoozed off. She had been awake until the middle of the night, so now she would get a good night's sleep.
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❝The mysteries often hide in the shadows of the obvious.❝
