Chapter 98: The Hairclip's Secret
After a while Kael almost reached the market where he had bought the hairclip from, the very place that he thought might give him some clue about why a part of his tattoo carried the exact same shape as that hairclip. He came forward with the intention of learning more about it, but as soon as his steps brought him to that familiar corner his eyes widened in disbelief.
To his surprise there was no shop at all, not even a trace of it. Instead of the stall that had been there last night, what now stood before him was a single Jarul tree whose shadow stretched lazily across the path under the sun that hung in the middle of the sky. Its soft green leaves swayed lightly in the warm air.
Kael stood still for a while, then moved about, looking to his left, right, forward and even behind him, just to make sure he had not walked into the wrong place by mistake.
Yet no matter how carefully he checked, he could not deny that this was indeed the very spot he had visited.
"Am I dreaming? Where did the shop go in one night? I mean I bought the clip from here with my own hands, didn't I? Then where the hell is it now?"
His frustration began to rise and so he walked toward another stall nearby, one that also displayed various accessories. Beside its counter stood a man in his late thirties with cropped black hair, who looked at Kael with some curiosity before asking, "Do you need something?"
Kael tilted his head and replied slowly, "No, I don't need anything," and then he lifted his finger toward the place where the tree stood. "But can you tell me where the shop that was nearby yours has gone to?"
The man followed his pointing finger and looked in that direction, his expression shifting into confusion before he said, "What kind of shop exactly? Can't you see that there is nothing but a tree standing there? Or are your eyes failing you?"
Kael raised his brow, his voice carrying both irritation and disbelief as he answered, "What are you saying? Just yesterday I took an accessory from that shop with my own hand... how can you claim that nothing was ever there?"
The man tilted his head slightly, his tone uneven as he responded, "Boy, you must be dreaming. Go home and take some sleep. There was never any shop there."
Kael's eyes widened at those words. He knew well enough that he was not dreaming. Dreams could not carry such sharp pain, and dreams could not press into memory with such weight. He would never forget the sensation he had felt when the water touched his tattoo, which he was sure it actually wasn't a dream, so with a cold voice he replied, "What do you mean? I bought it directly from an old woman in her late years, and the stall looked quite new as well."
The man let out a slow sigh before answering, "Wait... you said an old woman? Now that you mention it, I do remember hearing of an old woman who once came here to sell accessories, but strangest thing is her accessories were quite good and greatly crafted but no matter what there was one particular accessory which she couldn't sell at all. As far as I know she passed away about almost three and a half months ago. So tell me, how could you meet her and buy something from her when she's long dead, lying in the grave? Are you sure it was not just a dream?"
Kael felt his body stiffen. "What... the old woman died? And even almost three and a half months ago? How could this be? I clearly saw her yesterday with my own eyes, and she was happy when I bought the clip from her. If she was already dead then how did I meet her at all? How could I buy anything from her? Does that mean I bought it from some kind of ghost?"
A chill crept along his spine and settled deep in his back. Nothing made sense to him now, nothing at all.
He slowly walked back toward the Jarul tree again and examined it carefully, though at least he found one small comfort, since the tree did not look like one of the two trees that appeared in his tattoo. At that realization he exhaled heavily, feeling a brief wave of relief.
Yet many questions still remained unanswered. If the old woman was already dead then where had that shop truly come from? And why did it appear only for him? Was it because the clip had to reach him no matter the cost, because it was already marked into his tattoo?
Perhaps it did not matter whether the creator of that stall was alive or dead, perhaps what was written within the tattoo would simply twist the world until it became reality before his eyes. Maybe it was the fate of the hairclip... but why exactly the hairclip was so important in the first place? What kind of connection did it actually have?
"I must calm myself," Kael whispered to steady his own thoughts, "if the tattoo is what makes me face these things then surely it will also bring me before the two trees themselves one day. Maybe that's when I can get my answers. I just have to hold my mind steady and keep moving forward."
Suddenly, a small hand waved in front of his eyes, breaking him out of his drifting thoughts, and when he looked forward he found a little girl standing there, her long lavender hair flowing gently behind her head, her soft blue gown adorned with ribbons swaying slightly, and her eyes shining as purple as they could be. Her hands rested firmly on her waist as she fixed him with an irritated look, her voice sharp as she said, "Hey, mister… where did you wander off to, huh? I've been shouting at you all this time and you didn't even bother to turn your head a little. How rude of you!"
Kael's eyes narrowed as he looked down at her, a hint of surprise flickering across his face. "What? Arienne? What are you doing here?"
The girl tilted her head back and raised her voice, refusing to be outdone, "What am I doing here? Tell me instead what you are doing, mister. Did your girlfriend dump you or what? Standing here in front of a tree with that gloomy face of yours? And have you even checked the time… the lunch hour has long passed already and you still didn't come to train me. Do you have any idea how excited I was for today? You promised that finally you would teach me how to cast a spell, and yet here you were… staring at a tree, of all things."
Kael felt the skin of his face twitch as he rubbed a finger against his ear, the thought slipping through his mind almost unbidden, "Sometimes I really wonder if this girl is even a child at all." Then he spoke aloud, his voice carrying a lazy calm, "Can you slow down a little? And just so you know, I don't get dumped by anyone since I don't even have one to get dumped by. I was busy with my work, that's why I was late today."
Arienne puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms with a huff, "Hmph! If you were busy you could have told me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know how important your work is to you, but at least you could have said something, couldn't you? Oh well, forget it… if you buy me something to eat, I can forgive you. I suppose I can manage with that much."
Kael let out a slow breath, his eyes glinting with a hint of coldness as he asked, "Alright then… what do you want to eat?"
Arienne's eyes lit up immediately, a spark of delight flashing within her purple gaze as she looked at him, "You'll actually buy me something?"
"Yeah, sure, I can do that," Kael replied without hesitation. "So, what do you want?"
She didn't answer at once, instead she stepped forward, grabbed his hand tightly in her small palm, and declared with no room for argument, "Okay, let's go to the middle of the market. I'll look around and then I'll tell you."
Kael's eyes drifted down to where she was holding his hand. It felt warm in his palm, and that warmth tugged at something distant within him, as if somewhere in his childhood he had also held someone else's hand like this before. Whose hand had it been back then?
The thought slipped through his mind only to fade as quickly as it had come, and he shook it away as he began walking forward into the market with her at his side.
As they moved through the crowd, Arienne kept glancing around with eager eyes, her attention shifting from one stall to another in search of something to eat. Watching her, Kael could not help but be reminded of Arwyn, since she too seemed just as mad about food as this little girl, and that resemblance stirred an odd mixture of amusement and helplessness inside him.
After a while they stopped in front of the familiar cake shop he had visited yesterday with two beautiful beauties accompanying of course, and Kael slowed his pace, looking toward it before turning his gaze to Arienne. "Want to grab some cake?"
Arienne gave the shop a glance, then looked back at him, her tone brisk and sure, "No, mister. I've already tried plenty of cakes from there with Darian. In fact, Darian sometimes bought me even more, so not this time." She turned her head forward and pointed suddenly, "There… buy me an ice cream."
Kael followed her gaze and found a walking stall ahead. With a small nod he stepped forward and bought an ice cream, handing it to her. The way her face lit up as she received it made her look almost overjoyed, and Kael found himself smiling faintly at her stubborn but strangely endearing demands.
"Well then," he said, watching her with calm eyes, "let's head out. You want to learn to cast magic, don't you?"
She gave a firm nod, and so Kael continued walking. Yet the very next instant his steps faltered, his heart almost ceasing its rhythm. He swallowed hard, and if he had been eating ice cream himself he would have surely choked and thrown it away without a second thought.
A few meters ahead of them, walking gracefully through the crowd with the poise of a queen, was none other than his wife. Her silver hair glistened in the light as she moved with precision, her presence commanding attention without effort. She had not noticed him yet, but the sight struck him with enough force to still his breath.
"What is she doing here of all times?" Kael's mind raced, his eyes shifting quickly to the side where Arienne stood happily enjoying her ice cream, her small hand still holding his. The realization struck him like lightning. "I can't let her see Arienne. Even if she doesn't speak to me here, at home she will question me about everything. And the worst part is that I have no answer to give her."
The crowd seemed to shield him for now, and she had not noticed him yet, but he could not take chances. His eyes darted around until they found a narrow corridor between two shops. Without a moment of hesitation he leaned close to Arienne and whispered quickly in her ear, "Don't say anything, just come with me. We need to hide now."
Tightening his hold on her hand, he guided her swiftly into the narrow corridor, where by chance he found a small space that could serve as a hiding spot. He pressed his back against the wall and motioned with a finger to his lips, signaling her to remain quiet.
Arienne only tilted her head in confusion but obeyed, choosing instead to keep eating her ice cream while watching him with curious eyes.
From his position Kael could not see the road clearly, only the faint movements of shadows. He held his breath and waited, listening to the sound of his own heartbeat until, seconds later, he looked slightly, and finally, a glimmer of silver hair passed by, confirming that she had walked beyond their hiding place.
Only then did Kael dare to lean out slightly, catching sight of her moving farther into the crowd. Relief poured through him, and he released a heavy sigh, whispering under his breath, "Good… she didn't see me."
But when he turned back, the moment shattered like glass breaking inside his chest. His eyes widened, his body froze as though every ounce of strength had been drained away, and even the simple act of breathing felt impossible, as if the air itself had abandoned him.
Standing in front of him, by some miracle and perhaps by some cruel twist of fate, was the woman he had been trying so desperately to avoid, though she was tilting her head slightly in that way that always unsettled him.
Kael suddenly gasped before quickly steadying himself, his gaze falling on Arienne who still had not noticed Seraphina's presence. He let out a long sigh and forced a crooked smile, "Ah, Captain… what an unexpected way to run into you."
Seraphina's steps were slow but measured as she came closer, and of course Arienne eventually turned around, curiosity instantly lighting up her small face as she looked to see who Kael was speaking with.
Yet there was no spark of recognition in her eyes, perhaps she had never seen Seraphina before or perhaps she simply could not place her. Either way, she only wore a curious and innocent expression as if staring at some mysterious stranger.
Seraphina paused directly before Arienne, her eyes lowering briefly to the girl before shifting coldly toward Kael. That glance alone carried more sharpness than any blade, and Kael instantly understood what she wanted.
"Explain…" Her voice was steady and chilling, as if the word itself could cut him in two.
"Well, that was fast," Kael thought, his throat tightening. "I thought she would avoid me… wait, no, did she already see me earlier and just pretended not to notice… this woman…"
He cleared his throat, meanwhile Arienne only stared at Seraphina with wide eyes, perhaps realizing that now was not the time for childish interruptions.
Seraphina's gaze lingered on him for a few moments, then slid toward the little girl beside her who was chewing her ice cream as if none of this mattered. "Strange," she said coolly, "you look oddly familiar to me. Have I met you before?"
Arienne tilted her head innocently, "No..."
Kael's mind spun quickly, "Well, that should have been expected… she met her before maybe when she was little, but she doesn't remember… now what should I tell her? At least she hasn't misunderstood anything yet."
He forced a smile and said, "Captain, you know I am a healer, right? By coincidence I ended up in a rather complicated situation and discovered this little girl suffering from a terrible curse. I healed her and made her a promise. Oh, how funny! Did I not tell you before that my healing magic is very effective against different types of curses?"
Seraphina raised a single brow, "Your healing magic can dissolve curses as well, hmm? So you are a rather unique kind of magic user then. But it still cannot heal your own wounds, while you've always had to wrap yourself in bandages, how very pitiful."
Kael stiffened at her words, his mind muttering, "She is mocking me… I should stay calm, but it's difficult…"
Seraphina did not let him recover, "So tell me, what are you really doing with her here? Or perhaps I am the fool for even asking such a question."
Kael exhaled softly, steadying his voice, "No, Captain, you are not. You see this little girl dreams of becoming an adventurer one day, and I promised to help her make that dream real. So I am teaching her how to survive in this world. After all, I am the weakest adventurer of all time, and yet I am still alive, living perfectly. That must count for something. Of course, the girl is so stubborn that she often forces me into situations… though I suppose I do it willingly too, since I gave her my word. And besides, I am a very honest person as well."
For a while Seraphina said nothing, and Kael's heart grew uneasy under the weight of her silence. Then she finally spoke, "So what you are telling me is that you are my student, yet you have taken a student of your own as well. And I know you well enough, Kael, to know that you are not exactly the kind to do such things out of pure kindness. I assume there must be some payment involved. Surely you are not the type to do this without gain, am I wrong?"
Kael quickly looked away, pretending he had heard nothing.
"Well, I suppose it is fine," Seraphina said, her voice cool but strangely yielding. "If you pass on what you have learned, you will only improve further in the process. I dislike admitting it, but you have gained more experience than many would expect after running from the monster. I do not mind you having a student, as long as you understand that a small payment will be expected from you in return from now on."
Kael darted a glance at her, his thoughts bristling, "Who asked you to train me in the first place… and now you want payment from me too."
Yet aloud he only said, "What kind of payment, Captain?"
Seraphina hesitated, then looked away as if it were something trivial, "Well, I do not mind if you treat me from time to time. That would not be impossible for you, would it?"
Kael's lips twitched as he thought, "Says the one who already eats the dinner I cook every night…"
Then, glancing down, he muttered, "Do you want an ice cream?"
Seraphina's brows twitched, "Do I look like some kind of child to you, Kael?"
He blinked and shrugged, "Then what do you want?"
Before Seraphina could answer, the little girl who had been quietly finishing her ice cream looked up at her with wide eyes and asked with shameless bluntness.
"Hey, miss… are you mister's girlfriend?"
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(Chapter Ended)