Colma opened her eyes in a daze.
Several Firefly Bugs fluttered lazily past her eyes and settled on a shelf behind the bar. They probed a small puddle of blue liquid at its edge with their mouthparts. Soon, their plump bellies swelled and glowed a faint blue.
Cherry Blossom Tavern.
The name flashed through the witch's mind. With it, her heavy thoughts were dragged little by little from the depths of a bottomless sea, lighting one point of awareness after another.
Who am I?
What am I doing?
Why am I here?
The questions sounded simple, but their answers were anything but. They surfaced one after another, filling out her awareness like a snowball rolling down a mountain, growing faster and larger.
I'm Colma, the North District Grand Wizard and vice dean of Edge Academy.
This is my home.
Someone attacked me... in my own home.
She raised an arm and studied her skin, so pale it looked almost translucent. She felt as though she could see the faintly trembling blood vessels and pink muscle beneath it.
Phew.
She slowly breathed out a long, cold breath. She remembered now. She had welcomed Edge Academy's other vice dean to Cherry Blossom Tavern and poured him a drink, only for him to ambush her. They were both Grand Wizards, and since she had advanced first, she should have held a slight advantage. But he had produced a Legendary Grade talisman.
That wasn't fair!
Anger flared in her heart, bringing a flush to her pale skin. Her Magic Power bubbled like boiling water, setting the entire tavern humming. Bottles rattled against one another on the shelves. The Firefly Bugs, still drinking the pale blue liquor, shook their wings uneasily. They wanted to flee, but could not bear to abandon the treat before them.