Since moving to the bigger city, Umbra has not been able to accompany Katie all the time, like in Louisiana. There were no forests or shady trees to be hiding spots for him. Therefore, knowing her Umbra was nearby made her feel protected.
Katie ventured to step through the school gate and realized many gave her a fearful look. What's wrong? Why everyone looked at her scarily?
She faintly heard a piece of news along her way to the classroom. Four students did not go to school because of illness. Some were hit by a car, some fell from a ladder, and some were hospitalized due to food poisoning.
The four students were Reina, Ayla, Freya, and Philia.
Katie remembered her mentioning all four names to her Umbra. Is it just a coincidence? It must be just a coincidence.
Worse rumors spread widely across the school. Whoever hurt Katie would be harmed. They considered Katie a dark wizard. This rumor made Katie increasingly isolated.
Despite hearing the creepy rumor, some children disbelieve of the rumors. They were even challenged to oppress Katie. Some deliberately dropped their drinks in Katie's dress, others intentionally stretched their legs to make Katie fall.
And every time someone bullied Katie, everyone had a mysterious accident. Either it was an illness or minor accident. Rumors about Katie being a wizard were getting raging. No one else dared to approach her.
This made Katie felt lonely, and her mood worsened. She increasingly dislikes school and wanted to stop going to school. At the same time, she felt curious. How is it possible for people who try to trample her had an accident on the same day? This was too coincidental.
An accident wouldn't happen simultaneously, would it?
She saw a janitor sweeping dry leaves when she was walking the school corridor. That person was wearing a hat covering his face.
She knew she never was acquainted with any janitor, yet why did she feel familiar with that person's back?
Umbra!
Without a doubt, that person was her Umbra!. What did Umbra do at her school? And posing as a janitor, that is?
Is it possible the one who harmed her friends was Umbra? But why??
Katie wanted to confirm this. She immediately looked for the man when she got home from school. She did not go straight back and walked along following the red Macaw bird.
Somehow the bird seemed to know that Katie was looking for her Umbra. The bird led Katie to a grass field where people rarely came. Then it landed on the shoulder of the man whom she familiar with.
"Are you looking for me?"
Katie swallowed nervously. What's wrong with her Umbra? Katie felt that the person in front of her was not the Umbra she knew.
She wanted to go home. She did not want to see the usually gentle Umbra turning into a frightening person.
Katie wanted to run away. Her feet followed her wish and began to step back.
"If you leave now, you cannot ask what you want to ask, Kei. Because you have decided to run away."
"I did not run away."
"That's good, then. I never taught you to hide or run away. If you have something to say, say it now." It's about time you found out your identity—continued Umbra in the heart.
Katie's heart fluttered in fear. She was afraid to hear the answer. Katie's hand clenched in front of her chest as she asked.
"Am I a witch? Why are there rumors that I am a witch?"
"It's just a rumor, you don't need to mind it. Besides, I was the one who spread the rumor in the first place."
What!?
Hearing this, Katie's eyes widened wide.
"Why? Don't you know that rumor corners me even more?" Katie remembered something more crucial. "Are you the one who hurt my friends?"
"..." Umbra straightened up as if agreeing to the question.
"Why? Why did you do it? So that the rumors would sound more real?!" Katie's voice rose higher as the wind around her was blowing hard again, unnoticed. "Why are you making my life difficult?!"
Umbra glanced at the sphere of wind that now surrounded Katie. He firmed his feet so as not to be thrown by Katie's artificial wind. While the Macaw bird has flown away from his shoulder.
"You want to know the answer? Why don't you overflow everything now? Spoil ALL your heart's content."
"You want me to do it? Good! Because I HATED MY HAIR! WHY DO I HAVE UNRULY RED HAIR? WHY I CAN'T BE MYSELF? WHY I CAN'T USE MY REAL NAME? WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS?!
WHY?!WHY??!!"
BOOM!!