Chapter 22: The Torn Diary

September 21, 2220. Rain.

For several days, the rain had been relentless, bringing with it a biting chill.

Having temporarily dismissed the housekeepers under various pretexts, the house had grown increasingly dishevelled over the past few days. Thankfully, there were no leaks.

It was clear I wasn’t adept at managing my daily life. If only she were here.

A giddy smile touched my lips. The thought of her arrival tomorrow filled me with such excitement that sleep became an impossibility.

Finally, the skies would clear.

I couldn’t burden her with everything. I needed to buy candles, make a wish on my birthday, and this time, perhaps she wouldn’t refuse me.

Had it already turned midnight? I had to fall asleep quickly; I couldn’t possibly greet such an important day with dark circles under my eyes.

██, see you tomorrow.

Gu Xuanyu’s gaze drifted to the bottom of the page, her eyelids slowly lowering.

Though each stroke of the pen appeared light and carefree, Gu Xuanyu found herself unable to recall the vibrant mood in which they had been written.

She distinctly remembered the next day had brought an unusually heavy downpour, the rain only ceasing gradually towards evening.

The subsequent events were etched clearly in her memory, even without the diary’s aid. Logically, the original entry should have concluded here.

Yet, as she turned the page, her wine-red eyes were instantly met with countless words, dense as an ant colony, arranged with an unsettling precision.

Upon closer inspection, she observed that while the handwriting was meticulously neat, it bore a hint of childishness, as if painstakingly copied from a practice book by a child learning to write.

The content, however, left Gu Xuanyu stunned for a long moment, unable to fully process it.

‘Xuanyu likes Silver Moon. Xuanyu listens to Silver Moon. Xuanyu will be the best magical girl. Xuanyu loves Silver Moon more than anyone.’

The ink above had long since dried, but the subsequent entries were conspicuously fresher, appearing to have been added later.

‘Do not try to approach the man named Ye Qing. He does not like Xuanyu; he will reject Xuanyu. Only by staying away from him can Xuanyu find happiness. Forget him, Xuanyu only needs Silver Moon, and that is enough.’

The instant her eyes registered the name ‘Ye Qing’, Gu Xuanyu’s mind erupted in a deafening roar. A searing, sharp pain immediately followed, leaving her no room for coherent thought.

So engrossed was she that she failed to notice the sound of running water had long since ceased.

Gu Xuanyu clutched the desk, her heavy upper body trembling. One hand pressed tightly against her temple, blue veins bulging on the back of her hand, her slender fingers almost digging into her skin.

Only after a prolonged struggle did the tearing pain finally subside. A torrent of jumbled information flooded her mind, yet she found herself momentarily incapable of processing any of it.

A faint, almost imperceptible sound drifted from beyond the door – the soft scrape of a trailing bath towel against the floor.

It wasn’t until Silver Moon appeared at the threshold that Gu Xuanyu finally registered her presence, turning to stare blankly back.

Noticing the scene, Silver Moon showed a fleeting flicker of surprise, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

Even when confronted by the magical girl she had so carefully cultivated, Silver Moon maintained her usual impassive expression.

It was a habit she had adopted from Ye Qing, perhaps, or a facade she had worn for so long it had subtly woven itself into her very being.

Her amber eyes, calm as still water, fixed upon the bewildered Gu Xuanyu. After a moment, Silver Moon’s youthful voice broke the silence.

“It’s nothing, Xuanyu.”

Gu Xuanyu faltered for a moment, the alarm in her heart unconsciously softening.

Silver Moon advanced slowly, her damp, bare feet treading lightly across the floor. She moved with such ethereal quietude that it was almost impossible to feel any sense of alarm.

“It’s alright. Go back to sleep.”

This tone of resigned gentleness was precisely her customary ploy to manipulate Gu Xuanyu. Whenever she adopted this particular cadence, Gu Xuanyu would instinctively bestow her trust without reservation.

True to form, Gu Xuanyu remained seated, still dazed, her wine-red eyes reflecting a profound confusion. It seemed a single, soft summons would be enough to make her docilely obey.

Just as Silver Moon prepared to speak again, Gu Xuanyu suddenly bit down on her tongue, using the sharp jolt of pain to force herself awake.

Though her manipulated memories remained a chaotic jumble, this did not prevent her from regarding the white-haired girl before her with unadulterated hostility.

Just as at that utterly ruined birthday banquet, the silver-haired girl’s hostility was palpable. Her sharp, wine-red eyes fixed intently on Gu Xuanyu.

“Don’t come any closer.”

She snatched up the diary, fearing Silver Moon might get her hands on it.

Seeing this, Silver Moon sighed, a note of resignation in the sound.

“What is the point of this? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just dutifully fulfill your responsibilities, as you once did?”

Her approaching footsteps remained unhurried, seemingly unconcerned that the magical girl she had personally groomed might make any move.

Indeed, despite the profound suspicion churning within her, Gu Xuanyu found herself unable to strike at Silver Moon.

The power of magical girls stemmed from love and bonds. By controlling their affections, one could effectively control that power.

As a mascot, Silver Moon’s role was to embody their beloved, drawing all the magical girls’ love onto herself, thus ensuring they would willingly serve her purpose.

“I don’t understand your stubborn attachment to the past,” Silver Moon continued. “But forgetting it would benefit everyone. Surely, you don’t want to drag Ye Qing into a magical girl battle, do you?”

At her words, Gu Xuanyu felt a wave of disorientation. Fragmented, familiar images flickered before her eyes, vaguely transporting her back to that dreadful night.

A profound sense of powerlessness caused her to collapse onto the chair. Her beautiful, wine-red eyes stared vacantly at the diary, now filled with forced ‘affection’.

Silver Moon approached her, offering a perfunctory comfort.

“Don’t be so childish. You are a magical girl now…”

“So what?”

Tears welled in Gu Xuanyu’s eyes as she stared, utterly distraught, at Silver Moon.

This deceiver who toyed with her heart, manipulated her memories, this scoundrel who blackmailed her with ‘love’…

Though Silver Moon possessed angelic white hair, the flawless countenance of a lover, and an enchanting, youthful voice, Gu Xuanyu felt only a chilling cold as she drew near.

The cold was so profound it made her tremble involuntarily.

Silver Moon fell silent for a moment.

“I fail to comprehend why you insist on fixating on a specific object of affection when you could simply offer your love to me wholeheartedly,” Silver Moon stated. “Humans truly are troublesome creatures…”

This time, she wasn’t merely mimicking Ye Qing; she was voicing her genuine feelings.

“Do I need to explain your responsibilities as a magical girl to you again?”

Under Silver Moon’s calm interrogation, Gu Xuanyu merely clutched the worn diary tightly, biting her lip and remaining utterly silent.

“Because very few possess the potential to become magical girls, you must bear this responsibility: to protect humanity from the clutches of evil organizations.”

Upon hearing this familiar rhetoric, Gu Xuanyu let out a self-deprecating laugh.

She wished she possessed no such potential at all.

“You magical girls gain immense power, capable of rivalling evil organizations. To restrain this power, your love must be controlled. This is the very purpose of us mascots.”

“From the moment of my creation, I have been tasked with seeking out and guiding magical girls. I had already formed contracts with many others before you; your existence is not unique.”

“So, I’m actually a terrible magical girl, then?” Gu Xuanyu’s voice was so low that it was impossible to discern her true thoughts.

Silver Moon shook her head.

“No, you are exceptional. Your only problem is loving the wrong person. Correcting that is all that’s required.”

Seeing Gu Xuanyu remain silent, Silver Moon reconsidered for a moment, then spoke again:

“If you cannot adapt to accepting me as your beloved, I can still…”

“Enough.”

Gu Xuanyu cut her off abruptly, her tone unusually heavy with irritation.

She had no desire to listen to Silver Moon’s words, nor the strength to refute them.

All she could do was make a decision, one that was both difficult and yet devastatingly simple.

“This damned magical girl business—let whoever wants it, have it.”

With a calm demeanor, she raised the notebook, which had, at some point, become damp with tears.

Her slender fingers paused briefly, exerting force on the corner of the leather cover, and then, under Silver Moon’s astonished gaze, she tore it in half.