Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 2 - Haze of Shadows

Chapter 1.6 - Trusted Secret

"Hey, I remember this place," Kylie said excitedly.

Yumi, Kylie, and Jay were currently standing in a large, open, and incomplete animal pit, part of a half-completed zoo that had long been abandoned with its unfinished cages covered in rust and every surface blanketed with moss and vegetation. It was here that Jay and Yumi had cured Juniper of her curse. But they weren't here for sentiment; in this place, they couldn't cause any significant damage to the environment by accident, nor would they attract unwanted attention.

"Really?" Jay replied. Yumi did tell him that she and Kylie had been here when they were younger, while construction was still progressing; he supposed that the redhead should have recalled it as well.

"Yeah! I fell down one of the holes looking for artifacts! Of course, there weren't any animals in there at the time. Too bad, the danger would have made me feel like Indiana Jones or something. Although he never actually fought or ran away from a lot of animals that weren't snakes. I wonder how they were planning on keeping the snakes here. Maybe they were still going to add another building for them with glass cages and stuff? What are we doing here anyway?

Kaira Lynette MacHallen, also known as Kylie, had been Yumi's best friend since they were children, and was the bounciest, most hyperactive, and random girl Jay had ever met, with a passion for archeology and a huge rack she thought of as nothing more but a nuisance. Over the past few weeks, Jay had learned to get used to her motor mouth and incredible bluntness.

"Well, you're about to see for yourself," Jay said, gesturing towards Yumi, who eyed three empty cans atop a makeshift platform fifteen meters away. One of the cans was labelled banana chocolate soda.

Yumiko Manaka took in a deep breath and thrust her hand forward. Taking aim, she focused on the now, on the three targets that existed in front of her. From this distance, no ordinary human can change that fact. But for Yumi, it was different. The Day Witch channeled her desire to strike her targets into a will that influenced the present.

With careful aim, Yumi projected three bright, narrow bolts of fire, one after the other in rapid succession.

The volley of firebolts travelled in a straight line at high speeds, like arrows from a bow. Each of them scored a direct hit, knocking the cans a couple of feet into the air and scorching the point of impact.

At the sight of such an unbelievable display, Kylie's eyes went wide and her lips agape.

Yumi turned around to face her best friend with a hint of nervousness behind that smile of hers. Sure, she trusted her friend, but it was still difficult to feel perfectly fine.

Her amber eyes locked with Kylie's orbs of emerald green. In the eyes of her childhood friend, would she find her strange?

"THAT WAS SO FREAKING COOL!!"

Apparently not.

With huge, inquisitive eyes and a massive grin, Kylie ran up to Yumi and clasped her hands.

"What was that? Fireballs? No, more like firebolts. They didn't explode. Was that magic, or superpowers? Must be, you don't have any kinds of gadgets or weapons on you. Since when could you do that kinda stuff? The last power I'd have expected you to have would be fire, though. It's pretty destructive, and might seem to fit more passionate people than a gentle sort like you. It must be really cool though! You can cook stuff anytime, anywhere you like. But what do you really use your powers for? Crimefighting?"

Yumi giggled. Kylie was the same as always, even in the face of the supernatural. The amber-eyed girl spared a glance towards Jay, who gave her a thumbs up.