Lin Wan crouched inside Rose’s cage, gazing out.
The place where they were trapped felt like an abandoned factory. Ruined materials littered the ground, and judging roughly, no one had been here for about four or five years.
She didn’t know what method Rose had used to keep Headquarters from rescuing them, even after three days since her capture.
And Lu Yuan… had been taken away for a whole day now.
How was she doing? Had she already fallen?
Lin Wan instinctively glanced at the corner where the Magical Girls, stacked haphazardly like dolls, lay motionless. She closed her eyes, unwilling to imagine or face the thought of Lu Yuan having lost her soul.
***
The harsh scraping sound of the factory gate sliding open made Lin Wan snap her head up.
Rose stood at the doorway, her black dress still immaculate. Her lace gloves were stained with fresh drops of blood. With one hand, she dragged an unconscious figure whose head lolled to the side, utterly lifeless.
Lin Wan recognized her—Lu Yuan.
“Lu Yuan!” Lin Wan pounced against the glass barrier, pounding it with both hands. “Wake up!”
“So attached to her?” Rose stepped up to the barrier. “Here, take her back.”
She casually tossed Lu Yuan’s body into the cage like a ragdoll, the impact heavy against the cold floor.
Lin Wan rushed forward, urgently checking the Transformation Crystal embedded in Lu Yuan’s chest.
The Crystal was still there.
Lin Wan exhaled in relief and looked at Lu Yuan’s face again.
Lu Yuan was still alive, barely.
Her Combat Suit was almost torn to shreds, the exposed skin covered in bruises and fine cuts. Deep ligature marks stained her wrists and ankles, almost bleeding through.
“Rose! You?!” Lin Wan’s voice trembled as she looked up.
Rose tilted her head, a disturbingly crooked smile curling on her lips.
“Just… had a little chat.” She lightly licked her fingertips, savoring something. “I have to say, she’s still quite… moist.”
***
Lin Wan helped Lu Yuan sit up, letting her lean against her. Lu Yuan’s breathing was shallow, brow furrowed tightly, her body twitching occasionally even in unconsciousness.
Rose observed their pitiful state for a moment before suddenly speaking:
“By the way, I have some good news for you.”
She bent down, regarding Lin Wan holding Lu Yuan like a pet.
“A new friend will come to keep you company tomorrow.”
Having said that, she straightened up, the hem of her black dress swaying as she turned and left.
Silence fell again inside the cage.
Lin Wan lowered her head and carefully brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to Lu Yuan’s face. Her lips were cracked and dry, clearly dehydrated.
“Water…” she murmured, “Water… give me water…”
Lu Yuan’s unconscious mumbling made Lin Wan quickly scan the surroundings. She remembered Rose throwing in half a bottle of mineral water yesterday, now lying in a corner.
Lin Wan gently propped Lu Yuan against the wall and crawled over to retrieve the bottle. Shaking it, she saw there was about half left.
Back beside Lu Yuan, Lin Wan twisted open the cap but hesitated.
Lu Yuan’s eyes were tightly shut, lips trembling slightly, unable to swallow on her own.
She tried bringing the bottle to her mouth, but water dribbled down Lu Yuan’s chin, soaking her torn collar.
“This won’t work…”
Lin Wan bit her lip, hesitating briefly before tilting her head back and taking a sip herself.
The cold water swirled in her mouth. She leaned down, gently pried open Lu Yuan’s jaw, and kissed her.
At the instant their lips met, Lin Wan felt Lu Yuan’s eyelashes flutter.
She slowly used her tongue to transfer the mineral water, placing a hand on Lu Yuan’s neck to feel for the faint tremors, making sure she swallowed it all.
After several repetitions, the half bottle was finally finished.
For some reason, Lin Wan found herself reluctant to pull away. A strange ache welled in her chest—she sensed an unfamiliar feeling toward Lu Yuan.
***
“Cough, cough…”
Suddenly, Lu Yuan began coughing. Lin Wan hurriedly released her lips and patted her back gently.
Between coughs, Lu Yuan’s tightly shut eyes finally cracked open.
“Lu Qian?” she murmured faintly.
Lu Qian? Who was that?
Lin Wan froze for a moment.
Lu Yuan coughed a few more times, sitting up and shaking her head, immediately denying the name she had just spoken.
“Lin Wan… it’s you… why are you so close…?”
“Uh!” Lin Wan blushed and stepped back. It seemed Lu Yuan had no idea she had just kissed her.
“Idiot… you can’t even tell who I am…” Lin Wan scolded through tears. “If you do something reckless like that again for me, I’ll… I’ll…”
Her threat faltered halfway, and she pressed her forehead against Lu Yuan’s shoulder, feeling her weak breath.
Lu Yuan smiled, struggling to lift a hand to stroke Lin Wan’s hair.
“That crazy woman didn’t manage to do anything to me. I’m still fine.” She took out the Transformation Crystal from her chest and showed it to Lin Wan. “See? She didn’t manage to steal this.”
“The main thing now is to figure out how to escape…” Lu Yuan tried to stand.
“You’re in no condition to move yet…” Lin Wan warned.
Lu Yuan steadied herself against the wall and rose slowly. Her legs trembled, but her gaze cleared as she scanned the surroundings, passing over the vacant-eyed Magical Girls in the corner before returning to Lin Wan.
***
“Time is life,” she said.
“By the way, are you a new Magical Girl too?” Lin Wan stood with her and asked. “I don’t remember seeing you at Headquarters.”
Lu Yuan wanted to complain but didn’t have the energy.
“Strictly speaking… I’m not even considered a rookie.” She pulled out the Crystal, which flickered with a dark mist. “This Crystal isn’t even mine.”
“Not yours?” Lin Wan looked puzzled.
“Uh… it’s a long story. This Crystal belongs to Su Li, but I borrowed it to save my life.” Lu Yuan scratched her head, explaining.
“Su Li Captain’s?!” Lin Wan suddenly brightened as if she’d had an idea.
“I have a way to get help.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Yuan asked.
Lin Wan suddenly grabbed Lu Yuan’s wrist. “Every Magical Girl can sense her own Transformation Crystal! If I help channel some magic into it, Senior Su Li will definitely find this place!”
Lu Yuan was stunned, glancing down at the Crystal on her chest. “This thing can be used as a GPS?”
“Not GPS—it’s a deeper soul link,” Lin Wan explained urgently, lightly touching the Crystal’s surface. “Like… like the telepathy between twins.”
“But there are two conditions: first, the Crystal must be activated; second…” She hesitated, “the holder must actively inject magic.”
Lu Yuan smiled bitterly. “The problem is, it seems like we can’t use magic here.”
“That’s okay. We only need a little magic. I can transmit it to you.” Lin Wan said firmly. “Rose’s magic is probably not an absolute block on magic supply, just interference. We can’t cast spells, but we can still transform—that shows it.”
“What do I need to do?” Lu Yuan asked.
Lin Wan suddenly blushed, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. “Um… magic transmission requires… requires…”
“Requires what?” Lu Yuan tilted her head, not noticing Lin Wan’s embarrassment.
“It requires… mouth-to-mouth…” Lin Wan’s voice grew softer. “Because besides one absolutely forbidden method, this is the most direct way to transfer magic…”
The cage fell into an awkward silence.
Lu Yuan’s mouth twitched. “Are you serious?”
“Really!” Lin Wan stomped her foot anxiously. “The Jasmine Star Doctor told us this during the Magical Girl rookie training!”
“Alright, fine, let’s just call it artificial respiration.” Lu Yuan wiped her face. “But if this gets out, I’m telling everyone you forced me.”
Lin Wan was a little displeased, but this was clearly no time to argue.
She took a deep breath and slowly leaned toward Lu Yuan.
Seeing Lu Yuan’s face drawing closer, Lin Wan’s heart pounded hard. Although she had secretly kissed Lu Yuan while feeding her water, now that she was openly transferring magic, she felt nervous.
Hmm… almost there.
Lin Wan closed her eyes.
“Wait!” At the last moment, Lu Yuan pressed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure this will work? What if Rose senses something?”
“That’s why we have to be quick!” Lin Wan gritted her teeth. “Three seconds is enough!”
“Alright, alright…” Lu Yuan turned her face aside, blushing a little.
After all, she had never kissed a girl before. This was her first kiss! She wanted to take it seriously.
Suddenly, Lin Wan leaned forward, her hair faintly scented with jasmine brushing Lu Yuan’s cheek. Her slender arms wrapped around Lu Yuan’s waist, pulling her close.
Wait, it’s just a magic transfer—was hugging really necessary?
“W-wait… uh!”
Lu Yuan tried to protest, but her lips were already sealed by Lin Wan’s. In Lin Wan’s clear blue eyes, she saw a glimpse of her own startled reflection.
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