Mia bob cut bounced as she walked towards the antic store. The repercussion from using her bloodline ability had worn off, and it even improved. Her control of commanding the wind grew stronger along with some other benefits. High-tense situations always improved her abilities, but tied with them were the great risks. It was also common for her talisman to run dry from such encounters. This was exactly why Mia was heading towards her supplier. The talismans she used required the paper to be made of a special type of wood. Luckily Mia's family provided her discounts or else she would be sleeping on park benches.

Mia didn't want to admit it, but it was unlikely she was going to complete the commission alone. Ghosts were tricky enemies that weren't easily beaten, and usually required a great deal of preparation to kill. Mia had prepared thoroughly, but the ghost was more troublesome than she had thought it to be.

Mia pushed open the antic store's door, and the familiar setting entered her view. The old decorations and wares gave the store it's dusty and aged feel, but amidst it all were three customer.

"It's You!" Mia was shocked, one the customer's frame resembled that of the student who she had encountered. While Mia wasn't a hundred percent sure this was the guy, his reaction said otherwise. The customer looked away and pretended she didn't exist as if trying to hide.

"Henry, you know this chick?" One of the other customers spoke. Mia noticed without a doubt that all three of them were young enough to be high schoolers. Add to Henry's unusual reaction, they practically confirmed her suspicion. But to be confirm, Mia needed time so she continued the conversation in a unique direction.

"Henry, huh? So mean, pretending you don't remember our night together? I had to walk myself home from that school dripping in sweat." Mia pouted as she looked up at Henry while probing him. Initially Henry grew confused, but figured out the hidden meaning right away.

"What the hell man!? We promised each other that were going to have our first times together!" Jared cried out in sadness.

"We never agreed to that." Henry blandly spoke.

"Yeah, you made that up in middle school." Charles emotionlessly backed up Henry's statement. Jared fell to his knee's upon finding out his friend's betrayal. Mia giggled as she watched the whole interaction.

"But at school, really? Have you no shame my friend?" Charles questioned. A wave of realization swept Jared's eyes.

"She is exactly your cutesy type, it all makes sense now. Yesterday, that 'something' you had to do was her!" Jared declared, Henry was shocked.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! It wasn't like that, I didn't do anything that night!" A slight tinge of red climbed up Henry's face as he tried putting the misunderstanding to rest.

"Ey kid, the guy gonna be over-" The old man's eyes widened upon seeing Mia, "Young Miss! Welcome, what can I do for you today?" The old man's mannerisms suddenly flipped becoming respectful and well spoken.

"Oh, just the regular." Mia told him nonchalantly trying to distract herself from her own self-induced blush.

"Right away!" The three watched flabbergasted as the old man practically sprinted to the back of the store.

"Okay, I'm believing you a bit now. I know for sure you aren't able to get the kind of babes with real status." Jared spoke firmly about his belief. Henry was stunned by his friend's observation, but that was replaced by anger seconds later.

"The pot calling the kettle black, how preposterous!" Henry retaliated in a posh tone, but just as Jared was about to speak the old man returned. In his hands he carried a bottle of ink and a stack of papers. Mia paid with her card and put the materials into her bag. That was when a man barged into the store.

"Now where's that book. I don't have all day, my time is worth a lot so hurry up." A well groomed middle aged man spoke. He wore rings and wore a monocle. It was if he had jumped from a former period of time to the current one.

"Larry my pal, why are you so up-tight? I know my presence does that to some, but please we've known each other for so long now. Now carry on, the favor I owe you shall not repay itself." The middle aged man who Henry assumed to be the book restorer ignored everyone else in the room.

"Patrick, these are the customer please show some respect. I can't have you putting so much mud on my store's reputation due to your behavior." The old man Larry reminded Patrick.

"Please these simpletons wouldn't understand the first thing about class. C'mon now hurry and pass me the book you oh so need me to restore. I am on a busy schedule no one else could possibly comprehend." The more Patrick spoke, the more everyone wanted to smack the guy silly. It was Larry who snapped first.

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"Patrick, Shut Up! Your Ruining My Reputation! Just Shut Up!" Patrick was stunned, and his eyes darkened but otherwise stayed silent afterward.

"Young Miss, I apologize for my friend's rude behavior today. Please let me fetch you some additional material on the house." Although Larry the old man spoke sincerely, it was possible to see how expensive the materials were based solely off his expression.

"I would've accepted another time, but since my bags already full. It's alright, I am fine without them." But then Mia turned to Henry and put on a classic thinking pose as she spoke softly.

"However, would it be alright if I drew on your floor? Is that all right? I just want to confirm something…"

"Of course, Young Miss. Go ahead!" Upon hearing his permission, Mia suddenly grabbed a brush from her hand bag and dipped it in ink. Confused, everyone watched as she crouched down and started drawing on the tile floor. Mia whispered a long string of words that went unheard when the pattern she drew suddenly lit up.

Henry saw a little humanoid creature with bushy white hair crawl out of the pattern. The creature's skin was a vibrant green, and it had really long ears that were pointy. The thing's face looked like it was covered by a slab of grey wood with two dark slits for it to see. But with his mana sense Henry noticed a more horrifying fact, this thing had no face. Or to be more accurate, its face was the very mask it wore. Henry doubted whether this thing was even alive, but the fact it was sitting on the floor right in front of him was no lie.

"Hey, Henry I think this girl is crazy. We should get out of dodge now." Jared whispered quietly to Henry. It was then Henry remembered her previous sentence. Mia stood behind the creature that no one else saw with a smile on her face. Mia had caught the mysterious student she saw that night red handed.

"Henry, it's so nice to formally meet you. My name is Mia and now, you better tell me about this Balford guy. I don't want to have to rough you up, do I?" Mia's tone slowly turned cold. It was then Henry remembered that this lady pretty much evenly fought head-on against a ghost. The said ghost that had the ability to end him like a chicken greeting his butcher. Raising both his hands in the air, Henry began sweating. No one seemed to notice that hidden in the shadows, the arrogant middle aged man Patrick suddenly tensed up upon hearing Balford's name.

"The diary, it's in the diary. That's all I know." While Mia didn't show any offensive abilities that night, and Henry wanted to resolve this peacefully. Just the thought of fighting against someone with defensive abilities as strong as hers sounded worse than a nightmare. Henry assured himself that he wouldn't even be able to escape if he wanted to. His friends were now thoroughly confused. One moment they saw the lady draw something on the ground, and then in the next Henry acted like she had a gun to his head.

"The diary?"

"Right here, Young Miss. I believe this is the one you are talking about, no?" Larry bowed as he passed the diary to her. Patrick stared intently at the diary as Larry handed over it over. Keeping a cautious eye on Henry, Mia began flipping through the diary. The more she read, the worse her expression got. By the end of the diary, a formless pressure crushed the shoulders of everyone in the room. Their breathing shortened and a wave of light headedness hit them all. All except Henry, he was awaiting judgement and hoped the verdict wasn't death.

"Do you know him?" Mia's tone was unlike earlier, gone was the cute girl and in her place a battle-hardened warrior.

"No ma'am, only from the diary." Henry spouted but instead of believing him, Mia looked down at the elf-like creature. The beast thing nodded its head as if to inform her Henry wasn't lying.

"Okay, it seems the situation is more serious than I thought. I have to go, here's my number if you remember anything else of use." Mia walked out of the room and the pressure crushing the everyone dissipated along with her. They all breathed a sigh of relief, but Henry frowned after he realized she took the diary with her. Henry could only frown helplessly as a possible clue be taken away from him. But upon remembering the grocery store closed when it got too late had Henry blitzing towards the lower floors with his friends.

—

A well-groomed middle aged man walked into a high rise office building. He greeted the receptionist expecting him and was led into an elevator. The elevator slowly descended into the lower floors until it stopped. The doors opened an a dark hallway greeted Patrick, but it didn't seem to disturb him. His cleaned and polished shoes echoed off the floor into the darkness. Soon he pushed open a door, but his palms began to sweat.

"Report," A cold voice of a young lady commanded Patrick. If it was anyone else Patrick would've berated them for their uncouth language. But this young lady wasn't just anyone.

"Traces of Master Balford have been found by a few students and a young woman in the form of a diary. The young woman who goes by Mia seems to possess knowledge of runes and is well versed in them." Patrick lowered himself subserviently.

"What about the students." The voice in the darkness once again asked.

"Nothing worthy of your attention, Mistress. They only seemed to have found the diary by chance."

"Tsk, unlucky. That Mia is from one of the big families, so we can't touch her… Damn, Brother! Why couldn't you let me finish the plans in peace." She sighed. "At least you left some decent minions for me to use."

"Anything else I have to attend to, Mistress?" Patrick asked as his eyes quivered.

"No, leave. Continue with the plans we'll change them as needed."

"Understood." With that Patrick left hastily. When the room was finally empty without anyone else but her, Julia sighed to herself. She picked up her phone illuminating herself in the blackness of the room. A gorgeous woman with young features showed herself in the light, and behind her was a school uniform from Blazing Storm Highschool. She dialed a number and waited for the recipient to pick up.

"Hello, dear. How are you this fine evening?" If Henry were in this room, he would've easily recognized this voice. It was the reflection less student's voice.

"How far are the plans." Julia got straight to the point.

"No, 'how are you, my sweet husband?', you need to relax." But all he received was silence.

"Just joking, just joking. The preparations are almost complete, stage 2 is soon to commence."

"Good." With that she hung up.