Longing in Memories

(Sun Yao)

"You should have told me sooner that someone was taken away!"

Thump--

The middle-aged man, halfway through his sentence, was knocked unconscious by Falcon, who was annoyed by this.

To knock out an unarmed ordinary person—is this really something a magical girl should do?

The Other Side, Aunt Lin Xi used her magic "Memory Record" to trace the images in her office and research lab, and quickly got results.

"Did you see when they left?"

"Yes, about fifteen minutes ago, when we were still in the sky... a magical girl in black robes took Yuehan and Heat Haze away."

Miss SpiCa asked, "How did you know it was a magical girl?"

"She activated the same Teleportation Halo as Anjie, something ordinary people without magic couldn't do. Miss Anjie even thought she was unique, but she never expected that her beloved Chairman Sun had a spare key."

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know, I don't know where they teleported to."

Auntie's magic has this drawback.

She could only see what actually happened, but couldn't know the cause and effect. The researcher also seemed to know nothing.

Seeing that the trail had gone cold, the aunt asked, "Chief of Staff, what should we do?"

"The area below is almost entirely forest, making it difficult to find... No, Yuehan's health isn't good; she couldn't possibly be hiding in the forest... What facilities are nearby...?"

Miss SpiCa was resting her chin on her hand and muttering to herself when Miluno suddenly spoke up.

"There's a small reservoir on A2, and a hydroelectric power station on the dam that could hide people. I think they're very likely to go there."

"There really aren't any other facilities around here... You and Falcon are quick, go scout ahead."

Falcon nodded in agreement.

The "Anjie Mummy" behind Miss SpiCa raised her hand and created a Teleportation Halo on the office wall.

"This leads to the sky. Since A-Ji has other magical girls, you two need to be careful... Falcon is a bit reckless, so keep an eye on him, Miluno."

"Clear."

Falcon scratched his head without offering any explanation, then picked up Miluno and left through the portal.

After the two left, only Ms. SpiCa, Aunt Lin Xi, and I remained in the Airship Research Institute's office.

Well, Miss Anjie can't be considered a person yet.

I asked, "Does Dad know we're watching him?"

"It's impossible that he didn't know. Given his consistently cautious nature, when he decided to take the risk, he already assumed we would see through him... He doesn't usually interact with us much because he doesn't want us to notice."

SpiCa said this, and her aunt chimed in, "Unable to contact Secretary-General Anjie, they abandoned this place and moved people away; that's certainly a very careful decision..."

I couldn't get a word in edgewise when they were talking because, comparatively, I didn't know my dad very well.

"Wait a minute."

A ringtone came from inside SpiCa's "bandage outfit," and then she pulled her phone out from her chest.

"... Where is this hidden?"

It wasn't a phone call, just a text message, but her expression turned serious.

Aunt asked, "What's wrong?"

"A-Ji's counterattack has begun; he wants Sirius and me to go to a branch meeting."

My father is in charge of the Association's external affairs, which includes image projects, so it's perfectly reasonable for him to convene a meeting of the Association's senior management.

If it weren't for this critical juncture...

"Why not just say no?" I said.

"I can't refuse. It's a meeting about this media storm, and we're here for an informal search, so it can't be used as a reason... Looks like I have to go back."

How will you get back?

"I called for a wormhole."

SpiCa waved his phone, his tone as casual as if he had just hailed a ride-hailing service.

She then asked, "What are your plans?"

"Can we keep Anjie?"

"Yes, as long as you don't remove the White Silk binding her, she won't be able to control her body and will obey your commands."

No matter how you look at it, SpiCa's magic really does seem like that of a villain.

Aunt replied, "Then you go back and keep Chairman Sun occupied. I'll continue the search here. There are many memories left in this research room. Perhaps I can trace back to records of Chairman Sun's personal appearance."

The distinctive buzzing sound of a wormhole emanated from below the airship; it was likely the one the branch was using to connect to SpiCa.

"I should probably go now, Ceruno."

She greeted me.

"Huh? Oh!"

I understood and took out my wand, putting Bubble Membrane over SpiCa to protect her from the pressure inside the wormhole. She nodded and jumped into the red Teleportation Halo.

I asked, "So what do I need to do?"

"Come with me."

Taking out the camera I'd been carrying, my aunt grabbed my wrist, stepped over the unconscious on-duty officer, and re-entered the deserted research lab.

"This place holds the memories of your mother. I've come to show you what she was thinking about during her nearly ten years in a coma..."

What she sees seems to be able to be recorded by a camera.

Do people in a vegetative state experience longing?

"Yes, but her longing has nothing to do with reality, and what she records is not what actually happened."

Lin Xi held a DSLR camera in one hand and the lens in the other, aimed it at the empty hospital bed, and pressed the shutter.

Click.

A very crisp sound.

"What did you photograph?" I asked, craning my neck.

"Let me think, shouldn't this be called 'love'?"

"... Um, huh?"

That sounds a bit odd.

"You'll understand once you see it for yourself."

"..."

Taking the heavy DSLR camera, the scene in the photos was anything but a cold hospital bed.

My mother, whose face I've almost forgotten, and my father, who was once young, held my hand when I was still a child...

I wasn't very fat when I was a child...

Mmm...

A sob involuntarily rose in his throat, and warm tears blurred his vision.

"My father just wanted to wake my mother up."

My voice has a thick nasal tone.

"Yes, but he chose the wrong approach."

In my aunt's and the others' opinion, my father might be wrong.

But he must have had no other choice but to kidnap a magical girl to steal the Star Crystal.

"Ceruno, do you think... your father was forced into a corner by reality, which is why he had no choice but to make this difficult decision?"

"Well, he wouldn't have done that before."

"But there are some things that you shouldn't do, even if you're forced into a corner."

"I know, so I'll go with you to correct Dad's mistakes... and then we'll figure out a way to wake Mom up."

But this is not easy.

Over the years, Dad must have tried countless ways to wake Mother up, right?

It was precisely because all his attempts had failed that he set his sights on the Star Crystal.

But even if using the looted Star Crystal could awaken the mother, it cannot be called "correct".

--Since miracles called magic exist in this world, there must be a way to awaken her.--

This is something my dad told me before.

I agree with this viewpoint, but I don't agree with his actions...

That's not how you use the miracles of magic!