"What are you kids doing?" The landlady's voice came from the doorway, cheerful but surprised.
"Huh… Aunty! Welcome!" Dusk quickly sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His hands were red from scrubbing the floor with a wet cloth. "We're cleaning today! I'm free today."
"I yam helbing bwotha," Dawn said proudly from the side, her mouth full of rice cake.
The landlady raised an eyebrow, suppressing a laugh. "Oh? And how exactly are you helping, little one?"
"Ehehehe… ganbare ganbare bwotha!" Dawn waved her sticky hand like a cheerleader. A few crumbs of rice cake scattered onto the freshly cleaned floor.
The landlady couldn't help but laugh. "You two are hopelessly adorable." She placed a small basket of fruits on the table, chatted a bit about the weather and the market gossip, then left with a warm smile.
Once the door closed, Dusk sighed, tossing the wet cloth aside. "Alright, back to searching…"
He crawled under tables, opened drawers, checked old cupboards, even climbed up to the attic. Dust clung to his hair and face. He was looking for something — anything the witch might have left behind. But all he found were cobwebs, old nails, and the scent of mold.
The shadows lengthened as the sun sank, painting the room in dull orange. Dawn eventually fell asleep on the floor, her hand clutching the rice cake she'd been eating. Dusk looked at her, then at his dirty hands, and sighed again. "Maybe this was all pointless."
Outside, the last light faded. A single mosquito slipped through the window bars and hovered in the air for a moment. Then it darted away, vanishing into the night sky.
On the opposite building's terrace, Lock stood under the pale moonlight. His owl rested silently on his shoulder, its eyes glowing faintly gold. The mosquito landed beside him, shimmered, and transformed into a wisp of light before disappearing completely.
Lock's lips curved. "Good kids. They actually searched, and they didn't tell their landlady or the church."
"Good kids, good kids," the owl hooted, bobbing its head.
"Are you an owl or a parrot?" Lock sighed, rubbing his temple. "Still… I need that thing. Sorry, kids." His gaze softened as he looked toward the little house across the street. "But I'll have to take it — no matter what."
The owl tilted its head. "Partners or not?"
Lock smirked. "Partners… for now."
He snapped his fingers, and the two vanished into thin air, leaving only a swirl of dust dancing in the moonlight.
Inside the house, Dusk and Dawn slept soundly, unaware that their fates were already being quietly rewritten.
Morning sunlight filtered through the worn curtains, painting the room in gold. Dusk woke early and tied his boots while Dawn rubbed her eyes sleepily. They soon made their way to the church.
Dusk worked during the day, cleaning and carrying water, while Dawn played in the garden, chasing butterflies between the benches.
Old Lady Elara, who managed the church's kitchen, adored her. "Here, little one," she said, handing her a warm bun and a sweet smile. "If your brother ever bullies you, come to me. I'll twist his ears until he apologizes."
Dawn giggled. "Noo… my brother never bullies me!"
Later, during his break, Dusk sat beside Richard.
"So," Richard began, glancing at Dusk. "You said you wanted to become a Knight?"
Dusk nodded, hesitating for a moment before speaking. "Yes… I want to learn how to fight."
Richard raised a brow. "That's quite sudden. What brought this on?"
Dusk hesitated again. He couldn't exactly say that he felt so weak in front of a Sorcerer. But the image of Lock's smirk — the way he played with illusions, the calm power in his voice — burned in his mind.
He clenched his fists. "cool... Knights are cool."
"Right?" Richard face lits up.
He nodded slowly, understanding more than he showed. "Hmm… not a bad reason." He leaned back and folded his arms.
Dusk waited without interrupting.
"It's not impossible. I could introduce you to the apprentice training. But…" He leaned back. "You've got a job. And your sister. You'll need time and money. Real training doesn't happen here. You'll find only third-rate mercenaries in this city. You'll have to go to another one. Somewhere larger. Maybe even the capital."
Dusk tried to follow, but his head spun. Knights, potions, training cities— it was too much. And he couldn't just leave Dawn. He clenched his fist silently.
He still had that one Diane coin, but he couldn't reveal it. What if Richard thought he'd stolen it.
He forced a smile. "I'll… think about it."
Richard clapped his shoulder. "That's good. Thinking before leaping — that's the first step to surviving as a Knight."
Dusk smiled back.
---
Later that evening, in the same alley , Dusk and Dawn stood once again in the narrow alley where they'd first met Lock. The shadows seemed deeper this time.
"We didn't find anything," Dusk said, lowering his head.
Dawn's hand crept toward the owl, but when it turned its head a full 180°, she quickly pretended to fix her shoe.
"Hmm…" Lock stroked his chin. "Maybe the witch sealed it with magic. I do have a charm that could find hidden objects. But…" He paused dramatically.
"But what?" Dusk asked.
"You'd need to either be a Sorcerer to use it—or perform a little ritual." Lock's tone turned almost playful.
"Magic ritual?" Dawn asked eagerly, stepping forward.
Lock grinned. "Indeed." He pulled out a tiny silver crab, no larger than a pinky finger. "This charm will reveal hidden things. Just recite this chant — Monstra mihi res occultas prope."
He handed the crab to Dusk. "However," he added, "without magic, it won't respond. Since you both are just ordinary kids. You'll need to make an enchantment liquid. Mix these ingredients, rub it on the back of your hand, then chant."
Lock scribbled something quickly onto a sheet of paper and passed it to Dusk and then he took a small rat toy.
Dusk blinked at the paper. Then blinked at Lock.
Lock blinked back. Then slapped his forehead. "Right. You're illiterate."
"Fine," he muttered, sitting cross-legged on the ground. "We'll do this the proper way. You're my partner now, aren't you? And partners learn together."
Both siblings froze. The siblings froze in dread. That word— teach— it carried the same chill as a cold bath in winter.
The owl tilted its head, feathers puffing up. "Teacher mode… Teacher mode…"
"Shut up," Lock said through gritted teeth. He pointed at Dusk and Dawn. "Now, repeat after me. With feeling."
The siblings exchanged terrified glances, then repeated the strange words with hesitant voices.
The owl sighed dramatically, looking at the kids with a hint of pity like a person.
The night breeze carried their mismatched voices—Lock's sharp tone, Dawn's giggles, Dusk's muttering, and the owl's sarcastic hoots—echoing down the narrow alley like the world's strangest lesson.