One can imagine the ideal of surprises in many forms. Some imagine fortune, others sudden joy, and some imagine opportunities that change the course of their lives. For Hanabi, however, surprises had recently become something far more complicated.
Over the past few days, a few encounters had etched themselves deeply into his memory. Moments that seemed small at first, yet lingered longer the more he thought about them.
The market incident was one of them.
Whenever that moment returned to his mind, it always carried a strange weight. If he had stayed there longer even by a little bit he would have been caught in the explosion. The thought alone send shivers through his spine and made his stomach tighten. Despite he's innocence of how the fate, it doesn't blur him from the line of danger.
Another surprise came in the form of something much quieter. Something almost harmless on the surface. The book.
Its existence alone was already something that felt impossible. Now he was learning things from it, things he was not even sure he should know. The more he read and interact, the more he felt like he was stepping into a world commoners river themselves with their own blood, just to have what he's gaining.
Some surprises brought fear, some brought curiosity, others brought opportunity.
But today, the surprise waiting for him was something entirely different, as such brought him anxiety.
Mother Lilith's room was, strangely enough, the noisiest room in the orphanage when no one else was around. Not because of people, but because of the clock.
A rather large clock hung on the wall, its ticking echoing clearly through the room. Each movement of its arrow sounded louder than it should have, filling the quiet space with a steady rhythm.
Mother Lilith sat behind her desk, buried in stacks of paperwork. Sheets of parchment lay neatly arranged in front of her, some already signed while others waited patiently beneath her hand.
Hanabi sat on the opposite side of the room, Stiff, unnaturally stiff. His back was straight, his hands resting on his knees, and his eyes occasionally drifting toward the ticking clock. The sound felt louder the longer he sat there.
He had no idea why he was called here.
A child being summoned to Mother Lilith's office rarely meant anything pleasant. Usually it meant trouble.
Children were often called here after doing something wrong, fighting, breaking something, sneaking out, or causing problems they did not even realize were problems. Children being children rarely understood the consequences of their actions until someone explained it to them in a very strict tone.
Hanabi knew this well, he had seen many others leave this room with red eyes and lowered heads. Mother Lilith was kind. but when it came to discipline, she don't think twice or hesitate. And no child wanted to face her wrath, which was why Hanabi felt uneasy. Because as far as he remembered… he had done nothing wrong, or at least, nothing obvious.
But that thought alone made him even more nervous. There had been times before when he only realized his the wrong action he did after being scolded. And that memory was not comforting.
The clock continued ticking, but for Hanabi the world suddenly felt slower, as Mother Lilith continued writing. The silence stretched longer than Hanabi liked.
Then suddenly.
"Read this." Her voice broke the silence without warning.
A piece of paper slid across the desk toward him. Hanabi blinked in surprise, but he did not react loudly. Carefully, he picked up the sheet. His eyes moved across the words.
Latest Crime Record
Kidnapping
Over 23 children reportedly missing within 4 months.
Location: Ziatian Domain — Residential Zone
Hanabi stared at the paper for a moment longer. The words felt heavy, when he review, the meaning from the message only getting worse.
"Do you know what that means?" Mother Lilith asked.
Her tone was calm, but Hanabi now felt like he was being interrogated.
"Uhh… um…" his throat tightened slightly.
"There's… kidnapping going on…"
The words came out awkwardly.
Mother Lilith stopped writing and leaned back slightly in her chair.
"That residence area is located far northeast," she said calmly. "And the market is near the north." She paused. "Do you know what that means?"
Hanabi thought about it quickly. "The crime… isn't too far from the market?"
"Correct."
The answer came immediately.
And at that moment, Hanabi finally understood what she was implying. His chest tightened. Everytime he went to the market, he's always alone.
Mother Lilith continued speaking. "I know you are a careful child," she said. "But I am not foolish enough to gamble with your safety."
She picked up her pen again.
"Even if those kind of crimes only move closer to the market, you will not go there anymore. No matter what."
Her tone was firm, there was no room for negotiation. Hanabi quietly nodded.
"Yes, Mother Lilith."
But even after leaving the room, the conversation refused to leave his mind.
"BOOK!"
Hanabi whispered urgently the moment he returned to the cave.
"Is there a way for me to easily find specific items inside the pouch?"
Mother Lilith's warning had stirred something inside him. As given by the warning, he was left with no choice but to rely on what he have and think for some sort Preparation. If danger truly spread toward the market, he needed some way to defend himself.
The problem was obvious. He had no weapon, no training, No real experience. The only thing he had was the mysterious pouch.
And the items hidden inside it.
Which made things complicated.
Each item seemed valuable, in fact it's far too valuable for someone like him to casually use. He already had to hide the pouch from everyone around him. Even the thought of using those items already felt risky. But danger did not wait for heshesitation
ANSWER:
The pouch possesses a function in which every item stored within it is assigned a specific name.
Hanabi leaned closer.
"As long as the name is spoken, the item will emerge without the need for physical retrieval.
For a moment, Hanabi simply stared at the page. Then relief slowly spread across his face. A solution, something rather far simpler than what he initially thought. All he needed to do now was learn the names of the items. By asking the book about such, he's initial problem will decreased by a lot.
Later, he returned to his training, or to what he believed was still a one.
Hanabi still struggled with controlling the energy he produced. Sometimes it flowed easily, while other times it scattered before he could focus it properly. He wasn't even sure if he was doing it correctly.
The book never praised him, it never commented on his small improvements either.
Yet he continued. Because despite the slow progress, there were results. Small ones but still a results.
Bored and anxious for being unsure from the improvised method he took, curiosity eventually got the better of him.
"When will I learn offensive magic?" he asked.
The book answered immediately.
Answer: All necessary basic training has not yet been completed. Follow the procedure for better results.
Hanabi stared at the text with an annoyed expression.
"Even for a book you're pretty insensitive," he muttered. The book gave no reply.
Days later, an unusual event occurred.
Work at the orphanage suddenly stopped.
All the boys gathered together for an urgent task. Backpacks were prepared, cutting tools were brought along, and at the front of the group, Hanabi led the way.
Not too far from the small cave, from the plain field of grass near the road, he had discovered something unusual earlier that day.
Tall grass had been flattened across a wide area. Some sections looked uprooted entirely. The signs were clear, something had fallen there, Something big. It's highly possible to be a wild creature from outside the barrier.
Creatures crossing the barrier usually resulted in one of three outcomes.
First: the creature dies and disintegrates completely.
Second: the creature survives for a considerable amount of time and becomes extremely dangerous before dying and disintegrate.
Third and far rarer: The creature dies, but parts of its body remain intact mostly edible.
Which meant meat, a lot of meat.
When Hanabi first discovered the location, he had carefully inspected the surroundings.
There was no sign of danger. No movement Nor sound. After reaching the end of the trail. The only thing he saw was a massive remains of a creature.
A mountain of meat. He had immediately run back to the orphanage to tell others.
And now everyone followed him, excitement buzzed through the group. Some boys sang while walking, others listened quietly, smiling. In the middle of their march, everyone shared the same anticipation.
Food, Good food, a that might supply their needs for days or weeks.
When they finally arrived at the site, the reaction was immediate, gasps, shouts, laughter. Their impatience and the feeling to celebrate, around the place.
The enormous carcass lay before them like a blessing from the heavens. All exhaustion from the walk vanished instantly. The boys rushed forward impatiently.
Even though everyone understood the truth, that even if they fought for who will get their backpacks full first. There was far too much meat to collect in a single day.
The creature was massive, It would take them at least three days of work to harvest everything. But no one complained. If anything, they looked forward to it.
That night, excitement filled the orphanage.
Those who stayed behind prepared the kitchen. Others cleaned the basement where the meat would be stored. Everyone worked together. For once, the orphanage felt more like a celebration hall than a place of quiet routine.
The boys returned from washing up, though some grumbled. As the blood stains refused to come off easily.
Finally, the food was ready. Dish after dish was placed onto the table, one after another.
Even Mother Lilith looked quietly grateful at the sight. For children who rarely enjoyed or experienced such meals, this was something special.
Hanabi sat among them, watching, listening, Smiling quietly. He felt proud And grateful.
He never imagined he would witness a moment like this.
His fellow orphans were laughing, excited, happy.
It was the kind of scene he had never even dreamed about before. For the first time, Hanabi truly sensed the meaning of doing something right. Even if he didn't fully understand why.
And as the feast continued, he knew one thing for certain. There was still plenty of work waiting tomorrow. Much of the creature remained at the site. But that was tomorrow's problem.
Tonight, everyone deserved their joy.