Boom!!!
The explosion shook the forest, sending tremors all the way to the distant village.
"What was that? An earthquake?"
Startled, villagers hurried out of their homes, gathering in the open square. Confusion and unease filled their faces.
"Look! Over there...the forest!"
A young man pointed, his voice tight. From the treetops, a flurry of birds burst out, scattering into the sky in panicked flight.
"This is…"
The villagers' expressions darkened, fear creeping into their eyes.
"Don't tell me… it's that monster again."
It wasn't the first time this had happened.
And soon enough, under their anxious gazes, a black-haired boy no older than twelve or thirteen walked out from the treeline.
"That's him. That monster."
Faces twisted with a mix of dread and disgust, though fear outweighed all else.
After all an ordinary boy couldn't possibly carry a wild boar weighing hundreds of kilos on his shoulders as if it were nothing.
The handsome boy's name was Rain. He ignored their stares, hauling the boar effortlessly as he returned to his small wooden hut.
Greedy eyes lingered on the prey, but not one villager dared step forward. His strength terrified them too much.
Rain dumped the boar inside, then scoffed.
"A disgusting village."
The memory of their stares still lingered, and contempt twisted his lips. If not for his childhood friends still living here, he would've left long ago.
"By the way… why aren't Mira and the others back yet?"
Not hearing any sound from the cabin next door, Rain frowned.
"At this hour, they should've returned already. Don't tell me…" His expression hardened.
"No way...it can't be today, right?"
The thought made his chest tighten. Without hesitation, he bolted from his hut, sprinting toward the abandoned church at the eastern edge of the village.
Inside that church, Mira Strauss and her younger siblings were in trouble.
Once a sacred place, the church now reeked of corruption. The air brimmed with darkness, and shadowy humanoid creatures born of black magic lurked inside.
One of them lunged...seeking to take possession of a body.
Mira's body.
She never imagined that something as simple as playing hide-and-seek with her siblings would turn into this nightmare.
Her little brother had chosen the abandoned church as his hiding spot and in their play, they had stumbled upon the ancient seal.
By sheer misfortune, they triggered it.
Now, the demons once bound inside were free, and one of them had set its eyes on her.
"Damn it… I can't let it take me!"
Mira gritted her teeth. She still had siblings to protect. And besides there was one more person in this village she refused to leave behind.
Her childhood sweetheart.
Rain.
"Big Sis!!!"
Elfman Strauss's voice cracked with panic as he saw his sister's body twisted by the invading darkness. His eyes widened, brimming with fear and regret.
"It's all my fault… If I hadn't hidden here, Big Sis wouldn't have ended up like this…"
The thought of losing her crushed him. Even though he was supposed to be a man, tears still spilled down his cheeks.
"Sister Mira…"
Lisanna's small hands trembled as she clasped them together. She couldn't do anything but pray, her heart desperate for a miracle.
"Rain…"
Mirajane's voice quivered, half her body already overtaken by the demon. In her fading consciousness, she thought of the boy she'd grown up with.
"Mira, when we grow up… let's get married."
The memory of that serious promise flashed across her mind, lighting a fire inside her chest.
"How could I die here?!" she screamed, voice raw with defiance. "You're just a damn devil don't you dare look down on me!!!"
A surge of power erupted within her, wild and violent.
Boom!!!
Magic flared violently from her body, shaking the ruined church.
"Go to hell, you trash devil!!!" Mira roared, eyes burning with fury.
"What?!"
The demon, moments from seizing her, froze in shock. Panic spread through its voice.
The energy erupting from Mira wasn't ordinary it was lethal to its very existence.
"No… no, no, no!!! Why is this happening?! Why now?!"
Its shriek was swallowed by the storm of power.
By the time Rain arrived, what he saw made his chest tighten. Mira lay collapsed on the ground, unconscious, her body drained by the explosion of magic.
"Mira!!"
He dashed to her side, dropping to his knees and pulling her into his arms. His hands trembled as he checked her condition.
"Brother Rain!"
"Rain!"
Lisanna and Elfman cried out in relief. Their tear-streaked faces lit with hope the moment they saw him.
To them, Rain wasn't just a childhood friend. He was their strongest protector...the one who could always make things right.
"Rain, how is my sister? Is she okay?"
Lisanna's voice trembled as she looked up at him, her face tight with worry.
Rain gently laid Mira against his chest, his expression softening as he checked her pulse. After a moment, his shoulders eased.
"Don't worry. Mira's fine. She just fainted after awakening her magic."
He had carefully felt her body's flow of energy.
The demonic presence that once threatened to consume her was gone...swallowed up, cleansed, and transformed into her own magic power.
Relief washed over him. She wasn't possessed, she had conquered the darkness.
"It's okay… she's really okay…"
Lisanna and Elfman repeated the words to themselves, their hearts finally easing after hearing Rain's reassurance.
Their tears slowed, replaced by shaky smiles.
But then his words sank in.
"Wait… did you just say magic?!"
Their eyes widened.
"Sister… has she awakened her magic?!"
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