Chapter 119: That Path Home

At thirty-three, Hong Siyu had once forgotten the word "miracle."

Just as she had hoped during her student days, she became an ordinary employee, working in a strange city.

Of course, saying she was an employee was slightly misleading—her workplace was a bit unusual, not a typical civilian enterprise or institution, but the Strange Affairs Bureau.

At twenty-two, she fled from Fang Ting City.

After graduating from university and receiving her diploma, she left the city without even saying goodbye to her teammates, sending only a mass message before vanishing silently at the port.

She did not attend An Ya and Lin Yun's wedding, nor did she attend the baby's full-moon ceremony.

This was not her original intention; she had always tried hard to maintain a calm relationship with An Ya, but eventually realized she couldn't. So she fled, running to a city where no one knew her and she knew no one.

She went to Tian Du City, the central metropolis farthest from Fang Ting City in Donghua Province, registered there, and spent the rest of her Magical Girl term.

Later, An Ya called her several times, hoping Hong Siyu would return to Fang Ting City, but Hong Siyu politely declined each time.

An Ya had done nothing wrong—she had simply pursued her own love and received a response. In this matter, she could have ignored Hong Siyu entirely, because Hong Siyu was not in the right.

Hong Siyu thought so.

She knew An Ya was someone who seemed scatterbrained but was in fact sensitive, and it was An Ya's tolerance and gentleness that had made her the leader of Fang Ting City's team. Even with Hong Siyu's terrible attitude in this matter, An Ya still hoped to repair their relationship.

In contrast, Hong Siyu's own behavior had been so heartless that she felt disappointed in herself.

But she truly couldn't.

Perhaps because of this, she never broke through again in her ability awakening, forever remaining at the bud level. After all, the wish she made when becoming a Magical Girl was to become happy.

Later, Hong Siyu settled permanently in Tian Du City, brought her mother there, and after her ten-year Magical Girl term ended, she naturally retired and joined the headquarters of Tian Du City's Strange Affairs Bureau. Except during holidays, when she returned home with her mother to meet unfamiliar relatives, Fang Ting City vanished entirely from her life.

After her mother passed away, she never returned to Fang Ting City again.

An Ya still occasionally called, and Hong Siyu would sometimes answer, listening as An Ya described what had happened in Fang Ting City.

After marrying, An Ya had become noticeably more mature than in her youth; though she still occasionally acted foolishly, she had grown far more adept at human relations. She would tell Hong Siyu about new members joining Fang Ting City's team, even intentionally introducing them to Hong Siyu, but she no longer mentioned asking her to return—only silently expressing her feelings.

Hong Siyu gave no response to this, as if she hadn't heard An Ya's unspoken words.

Thus time flew by, until one day An Ya stopped calling her altogether.

At first, Hong Siyu felt relieved, thinking An Ya had finally given up her pointless persuasion and let go of the past. But soon, a message from within the Strange Affairs Bureau left her frozen in place.

—The strongest flower card of the Magical Kingdom, Sakura, had sacrificed herself.

When she learned of An Ya's death, she didn't know how to describe her feelings.

Happy? Relieved? Satisfied?

She couldn't deny that these self-loathing emotions had spilled uncontrollably from her heart at that moment.

The object of her years of jealousy and avoidance had simply vanished from the world.

But she knew this dark thought wasn't the whole truth.

Afterward, she voluntarily applied to the Tian Du City headquarters of the Strange Affairs Bureau to be reassigned to Fang Ting City, to assist in training new Magical Girls and investigate An Ya's death.

The headquarters approved her request and reassigned her back to Fang Ting City.

This meant that after many years, she could finally see again the person she cared for and loved.

She wondered what face she should show her senior, and on her first day back in Fang Ting City, she rushed impatiently to An Ya and Lin Yun's home—and finally saw Lin Yun as she had hoped.

But she had never imagined the Lin Yun she would see again would look like this.

He was a gaunt middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and no spark in his eyes. His clothes were still neat and tidy, but no matter how well-tailored his suit, it could not correct a man's spirit—he looked utterly worn down and lost; Hong Siyu could find not a trace of the man he once was.

He was no longer the handsome boy of those days.

Even upon seeing her, he showed no special reaction, merely offering a simple greeting.

Was this the man she had missed for so many years, the man she had run away from, hiding in another city like an ostrich for over a decade, and now came back specifically to see?

In that moment, Hong Siyu felt only absurdity.

But the next words the man spoke made her feel as if something had seized her heart.

"Go back. Return to your own life."

He stood at the doorway, his dim eyes revealing no emotion: "Don't get involved in this. There's nothing here worth your lingering for."

Hong Siyu didn't know what mindset the man had when he said those words, but hearing them made her feel she had to do something.

Whether for him or for herself, she had to do something.

But what could she do?

She herself was just a coward, a unlucky wretch, an idiot who had run away to a strange city for eleven years because the person she loved had married someone else—what could she possibly do for the man before her?

She had never been good with words or social interaction; her personality made her incapable of comforting others.

At thirty-three, she had lost her youthful vigor, her Magical Girl powers, and her ties to her former teammates. She stood there, but she and the man before her were no longer on the same path—he was an innocent civilian whose wife had been murdered; she was an official employee of the Strange Affairs Bureau.

Never before had she felt so distant from this man.

Time, silent and transformative, had altered everything; all the former purity, beauty, innocence, and naivety were gone forever, leaving behind two people warped by life, appearing so broken and ugly.

Miracles and magic had once embraced them, yet for some reason had left not even a trace upon them—the brilliant Magical Girl career seemed like a dream, and after the dream ended, only debris remained in reality.

It shouldn't have been like this.

Hong Siyu believed so.

She knew the man before her had once been granted the right of "Lifetime Magical Girl"; even though he had suffered greatly in those days and could no longer wield such power, he still carried within him the spark of miracle.

He shouldn't be like this. He couldn't be like this.

But could someone as awkward as herself truly convey her feelings properly?

Was there any way she could break through the barrier between them and shout aloud the words she had never dared to speak?

Even she didn't know why, but at that moment, she unconsciously chose one course of action. She forced herself to wear a smile she had never worn before, and in a bold, carefree manner, said to the man:

"What's this? You're seeing your long-lost junior—why the gloomy face?"

She was not the kind of person to wear such a smile, nor to say such words; she always kept her feelings hidden. But now, she was forcing herself to speak them, openly, like someone else would.

Because she knew she had always envied that person.

She envied that person's candor, envied that person's optimism, envied that person's perseverance—all the things she herself had never achieved, that person had accomplished.

That was why she had succeeded in winning her own love, why she had ended up with this man.

If it were her, seeing her husband become this way, what would she say? If it were her, knowing she had already died, what would she think? If it were her, when wanting to encourage someone, what would she do? Pondering and reflecting thus, Hong Siyu began to laugh, to play, to crack jokes.

She knew she was learning how to mimic someone.

She truly did not wish that person dead. Even if her own death had given her the chance to stand here, if it were possible, she would rather have been the one left behind.

But now that it was too late to bring back the lost life, the only thing she could do was imitate.

She wanted to become Anya.

……

……

At thirty-three, Hong Siyu wanted to reclaim a miracle.

And to find a miracle, to revive Lin Yun's spirit, she must first uncover the cause of Anya's death.

The Fang Ting City squad of eighteen years ago had become history; the magical girls now stationed in Fang Ting City had departed to pursue the true culprit. As the only remaining person connected to this city, many duties fell upon Hong Siyu.

She was responsible for liaising with the local Strange Affairs Bureau; she was to assist the next Seedling in cultivating new magical girls; she was to investigate what had happened before Anya's death. For this, she needed to contact the local Strange Affairs Bureau.

After remote negotiations with local senior officials and scheduling a time, she went to the local Strange Affairs Bureau building the next day.

Returning from Tian Du City and having seen the grandeur of the Strange Affairs Bureau headquarters, Hong Siyu unexpectedly found that the bureau, once towering and majestic in her memory, now looked no more than an ordinary building.

Passing through the building's halls, she noticed a few familiar faces among the bureau staff—perhaps she had met them over a decade ago—but Hong Siyu could no longer recall them at all.

Yet among the new faces, many took notice of Hong Siyu, casting glances her way as they walked.

For some reason, these glances made Hong Siyu feel a subtle discomfort.

They were not the looks of colleagues assessing one another, nor the glances of a stranger sizing up a potential partner; something else lurked within them—a vague, indescribable malice.

But she did not dwell on it; she merely quickened her pace out of their line of sight, then shook her head, dispelling the unease. Taking the elevator upward and weaving through the bustling crowds, she swiftly reached the director's office door. She knocked gently, waited a moment, then heard a voice from within:

"Come in."

Hong Siyu entered and saw a golden-haired woman, sharp and energetic yet aged, seated in the office, smiling and nodding in greeting.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Mos."

She said politely: "Hello, comrade from Tian Du City."

Perhaps due to her subtle gestures and tone, her words felt as soothing as spring breeze.

She was not the Strange Affairs Bureau director Hong Siyu remembered; eleven years ago, when Hong Siyu left Fang Ting City, the director had been a balding old man.

Someone had replaced him.

Hong Siyu had no suspicion, stepped forward, and shook her hand: "Hello, I'm Hong Siyu."

"Thank you for your assistance. It is a great honor for our Fang Ting City."

The elderly woman calling herself Mos said, gently shaking Hong Siyu's hand before releasing it: "I hope we can work together harmoniously."

Hong Siyu noticed her hands—hands that contradicted Mos's apparent age, smooth and pale.

This woman must be very skilled at self-care.

She thought so, yet at the same time, she began to sense something was off.

The two sat facing each other across the desk; after a brief pause, Mos spoke first: "Forgive me for being forward, but I must confirm—did your superiors assign you any specific mission upon arriving in our Fang Ting City?"

Her tone was calm, yet to Hong Siyu's ears, it carried a subtle unease. She began scrutinizing everything around her, yet still could not pinpoint the source of this discomfort.

But this was the Strange Affairs Bureau—under daylight, what could possibly cause such discomfort?

"Sorry, I cannot disclose that for now."

Thinking this, Hong Siyu shook her head outwardly and replied diplomatically: "But this is merely a requirement of the mission. I will inform you when the time is right."

"I see. Then I shall not press further."

Mos smiled warmly: "I wish you luck with your top-secret mission from headquarters. Should you need assistance, we are ready to support you at any time."

The two chatted aimlessly; Mos occasionally asked Hong Siyu questions utterly unrelated to the matter, while Hong Siyu carefully weighed each word in her replies.

But slowly, as time passed, Hong Siyu felt even more uneasy.

The discomfort was hard to describe—like being tickled from within by a feather, a tingling ache spreading from her arms, making it harder and harder to concentrate.

She began to feel dizzy.

Something inside her head was rustling, crackling—like something moving through her brain, disturbing it, making her consciousness grow heavier.

"By the way, I once heard a rumor—that in large cities like Tian Du, many retired magical girls remain active. Have you heard of this, Miss Hong?"

Mos suddenly brought up the topic, watching Hong Siyu with interest: "It's a fascinating rumor, isn't it?"

She should answer.

Hong Siyu told herself.

But at this moment, she found she could not speak—her body no longer obeyed her, her consciousness split in two, as if detached from her flesh.

She felt her vision darkening.

Strange…

She felt her brain spinning.

What… happened to me?

She felt her body growing lighter.

Who… am I?

She felt the urge to fly.

Straining, she raised her hand to her coat's inner pocket—where the Strange Affairs Bureau headquarters had issued every subordinate a weapon capable of letting ordinary people fight magicians. Hong Siyu tried to retrieve it, for she sensed she was facing an enemy.

But she could not.

Her legs, unable to support her, her feet, powerless to move, collapsed sideways from the chair and crashed heavily to the floor.

When her consciousness grew hazy, she seemed to see Moses rise from behind the desk, walk to stand before her, and then slowly extend a hand toward her.

The scene froze at that moment.

Resting quietly on the tip of that hand was a moth.

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