Magical Dorl

Freedom

On Tuesday morning, the sun shone brightly, evaporating the rain from the previous day. The village was adorned with colorful lanterns hanging from every corner, illuminating the streets with a festive glow. It was the day of victory, the day when the Light Empire soldiers bravely crossed the Dark Empire's borders, killing the tyrannical royal family. The lanterns were meant to honor the fallen and guide them to the afterlife, a story recounted in every 5th grader's history book.

Blich Street, however, remained an eerie contrast to the rest of the village. Dark and gloomy even in the morning light, it bore the scars of the Dark Empire's last stand. The entire area was a wasteland of debris and disfigured buildings, a testament to the brutal battle that had taken place. The air was thick with the stench of rot, so overwhelming that even after a decade, it clung to the ruins like a ghostly reminder of the past. It was a graveyard where the corpses were never buried. The Light Empire had ignored it, neglecting to honor the war victims or properly bury them, focusing instead on furious retaliation. This negligence bred deep resentment among the citizens who lived there.

Despite its abandonment, Blich Street had found a new purpose. The magiurus, a magical show popular among the poor, brought life back to the desolate area on Friday and Sunday nights. This time, a special show was held on Tuesday to celebrate the victory, and everyone in the village gathered for the event.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Today, I present to you the biggest magiurus so far! To celebrate our great warriors, we will be revamping Blich Street by the end of the show. We hope you start living here once it's fixed. After all, the souls would be thrilled to have some company after all this time."

The magician's voice echoed through the street, drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd. Lanterns flickered as if in response, casting an otherworldly glow over the ruins. As the show progressed, the audience watched in awe as the magician performed feats of wonder. He made flames dance on the palm of his hand, turned water into sparkling crystals, and conjured images of the past that floated like phantoms in the air.

As usual, the magiurus caused a buzz and was extremely successful. It ended with a flick of the magician's fingers, and to everyone's astonishment, Blich Street was instantly transformed. The debris vanished, the buildings stood tall and proud once more, and a proper cemetery replaced the mass grave.

•☽༻¨:·. ──── ₊☽◯☾₊ ──── .·:¨༺☾• "Ah, it seems like the pills ran out. Why didn't you tell me?" The old man eyed the bottle before shouting at Kasumi, though it was calmer than the last time.

"S-Sorry! I forgot," Kasumi stammered, her heart racing.

He huffed and threw the empty bottle to the floor. "You good for nothing! We have a show in two days. I'll have to get more today," he said, donning his hat. "I'll be back by tomorrow."

The door slammed shut, and Kasumi stayed where she was for about a quarter of an hour, waiting to be sure he was truly gone. The oppressive silence of the room was broken only by the sound of her own breathing.

"Quick! He left. Get the mana pills," she whispered urgently.