Chapter 3

-Sarah Nockdern's Point of View-

"Master! I'll take you home!", Jane said happily. I just smiled at her because I'm still not used to being called "master". Telling her to stop is not working so I'll just wait for her to be embarrassed.

"No, you need to go home now,Jane. It's already late.", a blonde handsome guy who just appeared out of nowhere said to us. He has the same green eyes as Jane...and they have the same aura..? I'm guessing that he is Jane's relative.

"No! This is the first day of my friendship with master!", she said.

The blonde guy pulled her to him and then he looked at me, "I'm sorry if my little sister has caused you problem, future Queen. I'm Michael Nelson, from Senior High branch of our academy.", he said. We bowed to each other as a sign of respect.

Jane looked really sad while waving her hand to me. I also waved my hand and then I also smiled and now she's smiling much better. That's teleport right? Anyways, now I'm left to go home by myself.

While walking, I just remembered that I forgot to ask Professor Evander what should I tell to my mother. Crap, I was busy fangirling with Jane. Maybe I'll keep silent tonight and I'll just tell her tomorrow morning.

I arrived home at exactly 6:30pm. I called my mother but she didn't answer then I saw a note on our refrigerator.

"Sarah, eat your dinner, it's in the refrigerator. I'm not feeling well, please don't knock my door, I am sleeping.", I read out loud what was written and the note and I sighed. I tried looking outside my mother's room and she seems to be sleeping because the lights are already off.

I sighed while I was eating because it seems like I was slightly disappointed at myself. I don't really want to lie to my mother but ever since father left us to live by ourselves, my mother began to act like sometimes I'm a different person.

Our relationship became distant and I already forgot what a happy meal with a family feels like.

While I was eating an ice cream at our backyard, I felt something was lurking at our backyard. I got goosebumps so I went inside our house.

"Can I have a glass of water?", Mark said while he is sitting in our sofa.

"Oh, sure--- Wait. What the heck are you doing here and how did you even enter our house?!", I said. I was even about to take a glass of water for him. Tsk.

"The barrier around your house disappeared. Now you're location is known through the magic leaking from you.", he said then he grabbed the glass of water and drank it. He looks tired but I still pushed him outside our house.

"What do you mean by barrier?", I asked him. Now he is checking our ragged gate. Damn, I'm embarrassed now.

"Your mother must be a magic user, she didn't tell you anything, I guess. You were kept on the dark about everything too. But what makes me curious is that how did the barrier disappeared? Your mother was not home?", he asked me.

I bit my lip when he mentioned that I was kept on the dark. He doesn't even know me...

" My mother is not feeling well. ", I answered him. He just stared at me then he sighed.

"I won't do anything bad so can you please let me check your house?", he said to me.

"Okay fine..", I said then I opened the door. I immediately closed it without letting him in.

"Hah! As if I will let a stranger come inside! Mom!! Someone's here!!", I screamed then I locked the door and went to my mom's room. The door is still locked but I know how to open it through the use of my hairpin.

What I saw inside made me cry and I went down to open the door for Mark. I saw him standing there bathing on the moonlight. Today is a full moon, huh? The moon is so beautiful yet...

"What did you find?", he asked me.

"My mother is not there....she's not home... Some of her clothes are also not there...", I told him. I don't know what am I supposed to feel but all I know is that my heart feels really heavy and it feels like it want to break apart.

Mark just stood there and he said nothing. His eyes didn't look arrogant, his expression also looks quite remorseful but he chose not to say anything. It was the best decision actually, I don't want to cry in front of a stranger.

I don't need comfort from someone. I'm used to this. Even when mother was still here, sometimes it feels like she is leaving me alone all the time. This is something that I must get used to, being alone just suit me.

"Why did you remove the earrings? I can hear your thoughts, you know..", he said then he handed me a white handkerchief.

Why did he even give me a handkerchief, I was not crying!

I touched my face to check then he gave me a mirror then I saw myself on the brink of crying. My tears are barely hanging and I looked teary-eyed.

I wipes my tears then I wore the earrings that he mentioned, I guess I must not remove this?

"You can come inside..", I told him.

"Ahh... It's alright, Miss. I will just call Medusa. Will you be comfortable with her?", he asked me. Since when did he became this kind.

I nodded in agreement and good thing I still managed to let him inside. Since he is nice, I might as well treat him kindly.

"Have you eaten?", he suddenly asked me. I just nod again.

"It looks like it will take an hour for Medusa to get here, the magic council is asking her lots of questions and it looks like they want to know your location.", he told me while he is looking at his phone.

I just stared at him because I don't know what to say. He ruffled his hair then he sighed.

"Do you want ice cream?", he suddenly asked me.

"What?", I asked him back.

I'm actually asking why he is giving me an ice cream though.

"I thought it might cheer you up.",he told me. I stood up then I opened the ref then showed him that we have ice cream stored. I actually just went there to hide my embarrassment though.

"Why are you embarrassed? How can we plan on how to find your mother if you are not speaking? Am I talking to air?", he frankly said.

Did I just misinterpreted his arrogance as kindness??? Tsk, since when did my observation skills became rusty?!

"Ugh, i hate your arrogance.", I told him while I'm scooping the ice cream for him. I was about to hand the ice cream to him when he suddenly appeared beside me and he took it from my hand.

"I guess.. I should say,'you're welcome'?", he told me then he ate a spoonful of ice cream.

"Excuse me? Then am I supposed to thank you? For what?", I told him then I ate my own share of ice cream.

"For reminding you that you can still find your mother? You've became really silent when you learned your mother left you. Your eyes lost it's shine when you got out from your house.", he said to me.

So he is really looking out for me?

"How kind.", I said then smiled at him.

Now he is the one who is not looking at me then he went to the kitchen to wash his own dishes.

"Rich boy, I can do this.", I told him then I grabbed the cup from his hand.

"I have a name, call me Mark.", he said.

"Okay, okay. Just sit still--", he stopped me from talking when he suddenly said,

"But honestly, your mother must've been the one hiding you from us, the moment she left your house, I can already feel your magic. I still don't know about the ancient magic on your eyes but I can assume that she is also part of it. The magic is too strong for an individual to create that."

I just nod because I can also see that what he is saying is actually making sense. Or is it just because I don't know my mother?

Wait, this is the perfect time for me to check!

"Then let's check out my mother's room!", I told him.

After I finished washing the dishes, we went to her room. Mark suddenly grabbed my shoulders.

"There's a mist surrounding your mother's room... Are you not affected by it?", he asked me.

"I don't see any mist.", I told him. I really don't see any mist. He stared at me.

"Are you sure you entered her room? What if you just got entangled from an illusion?", he said to me.

"Then we can check it now, you're strong right?", I said to him. Yeah right, I'm buttering up to you handsome guy.

"Of course!", he suddenly hold my hand then we entered the room.

Nothing happened and we both sighed in relief.

"It looks the same.", I told him.

"Tsk, it's a mist as a barrier huh?", he said while clicking his tongue.

I looked around my mother's room while he is checking the mist. I wonder why I can't see it?

Under her bed, I saw our pictures. My father's face was either burned or cut out. These are pictures from when I was already 7 years old...

I don't really have a baby picture... I still searched her cabinet then what I found there made me surprised.

On one of the cabinets, there is one full of letters, it was just stocked there.

"What are those?", Mark asked me. Then he took one then he just opened it. He's much more curious than I am.

"These are for you to read..", he said to me as he handed the letters.

The letters are all addressed... to my father! These are all updates about me, what's happening to my mother and our house... Everything...up to smallest details.

"You can cry you know... At least now you know that your mother did not left you and she really loves you.", he said to me. I smiled to him then I realized tears are already running on my face.

We decided to get out from the room because Medusa said that she will get to my house any minute.

It looks like I will leave our house for now, but I will always hold on to these pictures and letters that she wrote.

I packed my clothes and I just realized that I don't have a bag that can hold all my stuffs.

Mark knocked my door, he brought my mother's bag then he also handed me...a small box?

"What is this?", I asked him while holding on the box.

"I don't know. But my instincts are telling me that this might be important. I found it above your mother's cabinet. You're too small maybe you didn't reach that.", he said.

"Well sorry for being small! Hmph.", I kept the box on my pocket and he offered some help but I refused. He was even staring at my anime posters. Crap, that was too awkward!!!

"Oh, looks like you two are already close huh?", Medusa suddenly said as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere too!!

How come they all like surprising me like this?! This is not good for my heart!

"So what", Mark said then he grabbed two of my baggage... Wait did he just intentionally grabbed my anime posters?! What the hell is wrong with him?!!

Mark told Medusa about my mother and her expression became grim, " Tsk, now we need to hide her more.", she said.

"Why do I need to hide?", I asked Medusa.

"The magic council is really twisted, Miss. You're still not of the legal age yet and they will use it to control you. And now, your mother is missing, we don't know what we stories will they made just to do their evil deeds.", Medusa said while her hair are transforming to snakes again. Crap, she is angry.

"So we will hide her for now?", Mark asked then he grabbed one of my bags.

Medusa stared at him and he put down my bag while whistling.

"You know that she can't stay in your household too. Your family is too close to the magic council.", Medusa said. Mark clicked his tongue.

"I'm not even planning to do that. How about the Nelson's house? She became friends with Jane already.", Mark said. Wait, how did he even knew about that?!

"Wait, why are you guys planning for me? Can we just stay here and can you just build a new barrier in order to avoid any other suspicious acts... And besides, I just became friends with Jane, I don't want to burden her with this.", I told them.

"Nice going, Miss. You're already realizing your role as a leader and acting as one now.", Medusa said then she went outside. She started writing symbols and letters that I don't recognize around our house. Mark helped me carry the bags.

"I'm sorry, Miss Sarah. I thought you can stay at Nelson's household.", he told me.

"No, it's alright. I'm still not that close to Jane but I know I can be comfortable with her. soon", I told him.

Medusa told Mark to go home after that and she said that she will stay with me for a while since she will also teach me the basic of magic.

"Take care and thanks!", I waved Mark goodbye then he just smiled smugly at me. Ugh, again why did he do that? It always destroys his good intentions!

"Did Mark tell you anything about the fourth and last guardian?", Medusa asked me.

"Nope. Why?", I asked her.

"I figured that he won't say anything. He hates that guy.", Medusa told me.

A person that Mark hates? I wonder who is it...

END OF CHAPTER 3