Upon hearing the girl’s question, a young police officer stood up from his seat and saluted her.
“Report. Firstly, there is indeed no record of this girl in the national database. Secondly, she only appeared recently, with her earliest sighting coinciding with the emergence of the ‘Doll Vines’ Calamity at the shopping mall.”
“Prior to that, we found no trace of a little girl in the surveillance footage from the streets near this residential area.”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, the girl felt a flicker of curiosity in her heart.
“So, she just appeared out of thin air?”
The officer scratched his head. His scientific upbringing wouldn’t allow him to entertain such an absurd notion.
The girl noticed his hesitation. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Speak your mind. That girl isn’t normal to begin with.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The young officer straightened up and rephrased his words. “Officer, based on the current evidence, it does appear as though the girl materialized out of nowhere.”
The girl began to understand.
This girl was indeed shrouded in mystery.
And such a matter required someone capable of decisive judgment.
No wonder that Stella Rose had sought her help to resolve this.
Truly, a situation like this called for someone who could command authority.
Clearly, someone as inept as Stella Rose had no ability to handle this.
A ruler, after all, is born, not made.
The girl swept her long white hair back with her right hand and stared at the girl on the screen. Her interest in the black-haired girl was growing by the minute.
The girl’s name was Ivory, the young heiress of the Ivory family in Cloudhaven City. She awakened as a Magical Girl at the age of 14.
Now 16, she had already risen to the rank of a B-class Magical Girl.
Ivory sat back in her chair and motioned for the officer to resume his seat.
“Send someone to the property management of that residential area to investigate this girl. I want to see if she really did appear out of thin air.”
With that, Ivory took out her phone and dialed Stella Rose’s number.
Beep—beep—beep—
After a moment, a voice answered on the other end.
“Hello? Ivory?”
Confirming the connection, Ivory spoke.
“Hey, Stella. I’ve narrowed down the location. If you don’t mind, I suggest you spend the night at the entrance of Unit 2, Building 3.”
“If you’re not up for it, I can try to install some private cameras in the building. But I suspect that might raise eyebrows—who would fill just one apartment block with surveillance?”
“So, I still recommend you go yourself.”
“I could accompany you if needed, but—”
“No need. I’ll go alone. Thanks for all your help. Just send me the address. I’m still eating.”
With that, the other party hung up without giving Ivory a chance to respond.
“Ugh, how annoying!”
Ivory was slightly miffed.
She hadn’t even finished speaking before the other end cut her off, leaving no room for further explanation.
Stella Rose sipped her porridge and sighed as she looked at the now-ended call.
“Whew—good thing I hung up fast.”
She could guess what that girl was about to say next.
The eccentric whims of a young mistress were something she had no interest in indulging.
After finishing her meal, Stella called out toward her parents’ room, “Mom, Dad, I just made plans with a classmate to hang out at her place tonight.”
With that, she got up from the table.
“Be safe, and let us know if anything happens,” came her mother’s voice from inside the room. A child’s safety was always a parent’s foremost concern.
“Got it!”
Stella put on her winter coat, laced up her sneakers, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and left the house.
Arriving at Warm Garden, Stella got her first real look at the place’s dilapidated state.
“It’s even shabbier in person than it looked in the footage.”
Some things could never be fully grasped through images alone.
Only by seeing it firsthand could one truly comprehend the inexplicable atmosphere.
The winter night’s wind made Stella shiver, but she knew she couldn’t leave.
The residential area had no visible security, and Stella hadn’t even spotted the property management office.
“If it were Ivory, she’d probably send the police here to question the property management, wouldn’t she?”
Stella couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the nearly full moon in the sky, home to some of the pioneers who had emigrated from Blue Earth.
“Speaking of which, the Lantern Festival is just a few days away.”
“I’d love to see the sky lanterns released by the people of Lunar Province. Heh~”
Stella chuckled to herself at the thought.
But laughter alone wouldn’t help. She needed a plan to endure this freezing night.
“I can’t just rely on willpower, can I?”
This wasn’t some novel where sheer determination could keep her going.
After all, winter nights in the north could literally kill.
“Then again, maybe willpower is enough…”
Just as she was about to dismiss the idea as foolish, Stella recalled the heroes from her history textbooks—people who had indeed achieved the impossible.
If those predecessors could do it, why should she be afraid?
Magical Girls were meant to be heroes like them. From the very beginning, Magical Girls had borne the duty of protecting the world. A little hardship like this wasn’t enough to make her quit.
Having steeled her resolve, Stella found a nearby convenience store, bought a few dozen pieces of gum, and retrieved a folding stool from her backpack. At the entrance of Unit 2, she settled into an inconspicuous corner and began chewing gum to pass the time.
As the hours dragged on, Stella could feel her blood burning with restless energy, accompanied by the dizzying effects of sleep deprivation. All-nighters really were bad for one’s health.
Occasionally, late-night passersby would notice her and ask a question or two.
“Are you okay?”
“Shouldn’t you be home by now?”
“Miss, if you’re interested—”
The inquiries ranged from concerned to unsavory, but Stella brushed them all off with a simple, “I’m fine. Move along.”
The next morning.
Eve Nightburn put on her sunglasses and face mask, pulled up her hood, and left the house.
Exiting the apartment block, she turned and headed straight for the neighborhood’s exit.
Unnoticed by Eve, Stella removed her sunglasses, revealing the heavy dark circles beneath her eyes.
“Yaaawn~” Stella stretched, venting her frustration over the sleepless night. “Finally, it’s over…”
There was no mistake—that spectral signature was the same Worldburn Flame she had failed to capture before.
Stella didn’t have time to waste. She had to follow that girl immediately.
