"What am I supposed to do now...?"

-2 years before the summoning-

"Hey Claire, do you want to go out for ice cream?"

"Sorry, my mom wanted me to come home early today. Maybe tomorrow Marah, see you later."

It wasn't the first time Marah had seen her friend so distressed. Lately it had become more frequent, Marah began to worry. Although they had both been friends since they were little and attended the same school, she noticed that they were growing further and further apart. Claire was no longer as cheerful and open as she used to be. Marah often tried to cheer her up and comfort her, but she no longer opened up to her best friends. While Marah found other friends, her best friend had no interest and preferred to stay alone. As a result, the two spent less and less time together and hardly ever met. But lately she was getting more and more worried, Claire often didn't come to school. When she asked her about it, she always said that she was sick. But in truth she had been putting on a mask for some time, Marah was not aware of this. No matter what Marah tried and asked, Claire ignored these questions or changed the subject. But one day there was an accident, a great misfortune. This time she saw that the door of Claire's house was open. When she went in she was grabbed by her mother.

"Have you seen Claire, she's been missing for three days. That little brat just missed her piano lessons. I've told her so many times to prepare beforehand.

"Claire plays the piano? She never mentioned it. Since when has she been taking lessons?"

"Since I bought her one, I knew she would enjoy it. That's why I immediately hired a teacher to practice with her, she has great talent. If she continues like this, she has a great career ahead of her.

"But didn't Claire actually want to be a singer? What happened to that? Didn't you support her?

"She sang well, but it would never have been enough to do it as a job. Her voice was just not enough to be successful. That's why I got her a piano, so she could concentrate on something else. Maybe one day she'll be as good as her big sister."

"Haven't you ever asked her if that's what she wants, maybe she doesn't really want to play the piano?"

From the living room she heard Clara's father's voice.

"She played so well, why should we waste her talent? That would be pretty stupid not to encourage her. And just for info, she never complained or spoke against it. If you see her then tell her we are waiting for her."

Marah knew that her parents were very ambitious and had import jobs and images but she had never seen them so obsessed. The more she thought about it, the more helpless she felt. Marah blamed herself for never being able to understand or stand by her friend. Completely lost in thought, she went to the playground where they had played earlier, hoping that maybe she was waiting. Under one of the swings she discovered a note with Marah's handwriting: "I'm sorry". She panicked and began searching the entire town for Claire. The more she thought about her the more frightened she became. She remembered that they used to eat ice cream under the bridge. She ran as fast as she could, from far away she could already see the bridge pillar. But it was too late...what she discovered under the bridge made her sink to the ground and burst into tears. Leaning against the wall, Claires wrists were completely bloody and her eyes were closed.

Next to her left foot was a note that read, "It's not your fault. I'm so sorry Marah, you'll always be my best friend..."

When she read the note Marah put her head on the floor, closed her eyes and began to cry.

"Why, why didn't I realize it before. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Claire. If I had been more curious and understood you all this would have never happened. What am I going to do without you, I failed you. It's my fault, I killed you, I wasn't there for you. I can never forgive myself..."

A man was walking by the bridge when he heard the loud crying. When he saw the body, he immediately called the police and began to suspect Marah. Claires body was taken away and Marah was questioned by the police. After the initial autopsy, it quickly became clear that it was a suicide. The body was already cold when Marah arrived, she could not have been the perpetrator. Late that evening, the police informed her parents. Her mother fainted while her father had tears in his eyes. Since that day, Marah had no contact with Claire's parents. For the next week she stayed under the bridge until late at night thinking about her best friend. First she went to therapy but it didn't help her, for the next 3 months she didn't go to school and studied from home. She was too ashamed to see her classmates now. Eventually, her parents decided to move Marah to a new school so she could get a fresh start. At the new school, her behavior didn't change. Before at school, she was cheerful, got along well with everyone and had enough friends, but now she always stayed alone. She had no interest in others nor any hobbies. Her parents were desperate but she became a quiet, shy and scared student. While everyone eventually left her alone and saw her as an outsider, Leo had a hunch from day one. He had been at this school for a month however always saw her eating alone. He ate at the rooftop all the time while staring at the sky when suddenly Marah appeared. She would sneak up to the roof and eat with her legs over the edge, but he was always there before her but she didn't notice. With time he guessed that something bad must have happened to her. When he tried to call her out on it, she jumped up, startled, and ran back to her classroom. From then on, she didn't come up to the roof to eat. Leo felt guilty, but he didn't get a chance to apologize. After hearing everything from her now, he became quiet and thoughtful. For a moment he was completely oblivious to reality, he took a deep breath and from then on he spoke only in a calm and quiet tone. It seemed that he shared her pain in some way. Leo had remembered something that he had buried in his memories for a long time. From that day on, the two spoke more often. Marah was gradually getting used to the group and gaining more and more control over the magic. The group also welcomed her with open arms. Luke was cheerful and outgoing as always, Blade wanted to show off, Adrian ignored her like everyone, and Leo was her first friend since the incident with Clara. But soon far greater worries and problems would come their way, problems beyond the capacity of a normal human being....