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Chapter 3 ― The Woman In Black

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The rest of the day passed in a hazy and dizzy blur. Musa couldn't wrap her head around what was happening to her.

First the fire and now the lullaby? Something had to be really wrong with her.

At first, she was sure the never-fading feeling of being watched was just a product of her own imagination and boredom, a trick her mind had created for her while she waited for their friend's arrival with the pixies. But now… Now it had to be something else.

It wasn't like her to feel like this. Not at all.

And then, there was the stupid melody that seemed to be inked on her mind. She couldn't forget it, even if she tried; and boy, did she try. At noon, she had sneaked to the potion lab and experimented with seven different potions that could make her forget everything to do with the house and the song. But as she so much feared, it didn't work. If so, the lullaby stuck with her with bigger intensity than before.

The only thing she got while doing so was avoiding Flora and Tecna; she knew both fairies would be able to see that there was something troubling her, and until Musa didn't figure herself out, she couldn't explain to others what she had to endure.

As Tecna would've put it, it was illogical explaining what you didn't understand yourself.

When the next day rolled up and Musa wasn't near of getting some proper sleep, she decided that enough was enough.

Clearly, the creepy woman wanted something from her. The fairy didn't know what exactly, since said woman went ballistic on her whenever Musa tried to approach the hag coolly.

Perhaps she was waiting for some action on my part? The girl pondered while walking to Alfea's library. Well, if that's the problem next time I see her I'm gonna blast her so hard she'll regret bothering me.

Content with her thoughts, the musical fairy opened the heavy library's door and walked inside. As every time she came here to finish some report or delayed homework, the place was dead silence, with only a few people on the tables besides the working staff. For a girl who sure loved music and crowded clubs, Musa found enjoyable her time down here. She wasn't bothered and could actually get something done. So, with an encouraging sigh, she walked up to the counter and got ready for her investigation.


Maybe I should've thought about it before coming here.

Musa nibbled on her lower lip while explaining the librarian what kind of book she needed, her foot tapping lightly against the floor in a new beat.

Do I even need a book?

"I'm sorry dear, that kind of information should be on the local library, not here." The elderly woman looked at her through her glasses and offered a small smile. "Maybe you could look for something more… Historical?"

Musa nodded at the lady and watched as she retreated to the back of the library in search of her dear book, then sighed as she realized the research would be more complicated than expected.

She had asked her for any book or newspaper that talked about arsons or fires in the nearby zones, but came out without results. Just as she predicted. The librarian, then, had asked her the description of the woman whom she wanted information, and after thinking about it, a thought popped in her mind. In her dreams, the woman had been dressed in luxurious clothes and jewels, and even though she never got to see her face, the rings and bracelets she wore on her hands were prove of her wealth. That, and the fact the lady owned a two-story farm-house with a countryside, were proofs valid enough.

The librarian came back with a hard-cover, red-velveted book in her arms. It was thick, and looked dog-eared. Musa watched it curiously before carrying it on her arms.

"This book contains an incredibly and detailed explanation of Magix' wealthiest families over the past century along with their respective family trees and historical information." The old woman stated proudly. "I hope it helps you in your search."

Musa beamed at her.

"More than you'll ever know."

After thanking the woman, she secluded herself in a table far away from the others and started looking for some real answers.


Two hours had passed since she arrived, the girl wasn't even half-way through the book and her eyes were already closing.

Okay, it wasn't her fault she couldn't sleep at night but it pissed her off not being able to stay awake either.

Groaning in frustration, Musa stretched her arms over her head and took a deep breath. In the time of two hours, she had learnt about two whole dynasties that married for a greater goal and then died in an accident without future heirs.

"What a tragic, shitty ending" The girl muttered under her breath.

At first, the accident caught her attention, but after reading that the whole fiasco happened more than eighty years ago made her stop.

She didn't exactly know how old the woman was or for how long she lived, by her dreams, she would say at mid-forties, but even so the year was still hard to get.

To get through that she decided to trust her instincts, and right now they were telling her to get some food down her stomach. So that's what she did. The fairy walked to the cafeteria, which was almost empty, and grabbed some snacks along with coffee before returning to her safe place.

Sitting down on the chair again, Musa opted for trying something new. She placed the book in front of her, and with her eyes closed, opened it on some random page.

A smile grew on her lips when she realized what she had done. On the first page was the image of a woman in her early forties with dark auburn hair braided at the top of her hair in a small bun. Her eyes were crystal blue and seemed to be in a deep trance and the expression on her small face screamed serenity in every way. The next page didn't show any family trees but a great summary of her life instead.

Musa read it eagerly while she traced the woman's name at the top of the page. Christine Haworth. The name didn't ring a bell to the girl, so she couldn't understand why her ghost had decided to ruin her nights.

Apparently, Christine had belonged to one of the wealthiest families in Magix before her parents deserted her for marrying a commoner whose name wasn't known. Once the couple married and fled somewhere far away from her family, he died in work accident, leaving Christine widowed and without any way to support her or the baby. Yes, she had been pregnant when that happened. The woman returned to Magix and asked her parents for financial help, and when they refused, she married someone who could provide her a stable and committed relationship. One month later, the man died under unknown circumstances and Christine inherited all his wealth. Some people blamed the woman for her husband's death but the police never found enough proof to arrest her. When she gave birth to her baby girl, she hid herself and the baby in an old farm-house that was property of Christine's family. A week later both died in a fatidic fire where there were no survivors.

Musa's breath caught in her throat when she read the last part. As much as she despised the woman, she pitied Christine for the life she was obligated to live. She only wanted to be with her loved ones, and in the end died for it.

"But still… What does this have to do with me? I never met her." The fairy grumbled confused.

She kept on reading until she neared the end of the page.

Christine also won herself the name of The Woman in Black when she started dressing in black clothes after her husbands' deaths.

"Interesting…" Musa mused to herself before closing the book and standing up. "Looks like a little trip to the Magix Local Library is needed now."


Making sure nobody was watching her, she put on her black hoodie and started walking to the gates of Alfea, ready to catch the bus that would leave her in Magix.

She was almost at the door when somebody's deep and husky voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, pixie?" The smirk was evident in his voice and Musa's heart couldn't help but skip a beat at the sound of it.

So much for needing time.

"It's fairy. And I'm going out." She said as collected as possible. She knew that if she snapped, he would know something was up, and Musa didn't want to drag anybody into this mess.

"I can see that." Riven turned her around and looked onto the deep blue eyes he had come to like so much. "What I meant was why aren't you moping around like the others?"

Musa stared at his curious but guarded magenta eyes and sighed.

"They chose them. Not us. They're the ones who had the chance, and as much as I want to stay here and worry about it, I've got things to do." Riven bit out the grin that wanted to make its way to his face. I knew there was a reason why I liked her more than the others. If he had any doubts before, now everything was clear to him. There were so many similarities between them that it was enough to scare Riven more than anything. Hell, even their thoughts worked the same. Taking his silence as a sign to go, the fairy separated from the specialist and proceeded to walk away. "Now, if you'll excuse me I―"

Riven's hand shot out to grab her forearm, making her stop twice in less than five minutes.

"Not so fast, fairy." Musa wasn't used to have him stand so close to her and his mere smell was enough to give her chills down her spine. She hated the effect he had on her but it was something she couldn't control. "You still haven't answered my question. Where are you going?"

He watched the girl shift her weight to the other foot before biting her lower lip. Damn. What he would give for being the one to do that. Meanwhile, Musa was debating whether if she should tell him or not. She knew he was able to pick up on her lies, so lying was pointless.

"To Magix's Local Library."

"Why the hell would you want to go somewhere so boring?" Riven frowned at the sound of library. He couldn't remember the last time he entered one.

"You know, some people like to work on their homework thoroughly to get a good mark." Musa teased with a smirk of her own.

"When did you decide to become an exemplar student? Last time I checked, you didn't even bother with assistance."

A slight blush covered her cheeks at the mention of her midnight sneak-outs from last year. She thought nobody knew about them. How had he known?

Her lips parted opened in the attempt of defending herself as Riven watched amused how easy it was to annoy the blue-haired fairy.

"That's beside the point." Musa grumbled embarrassed. "And for your information, I'm at the top of my class!"

"Sure thing…" He mocked.

"Well, seeing as you don't have anything more to say, I'll go now." With her arms now crossed she marched up to the gates.

"Wait! I'm coming with you." His voice made her stop again.

"What?" Was he messing with her? Because if that was the case she didn't have time.

"Are you deaf?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "I said I'm coming too."

"You want to come with me? To a library?" He nodded. "Why?"

"You said it yourself. I'm tired of hearing them worry over Brandon and the others, they'll come back. All that moping around won't do them no good." He explained exasperated. "Besides, where's the fun in annoying you if you aren't going to be there?"

Musa shook her head and shrugged.

"It's your choice. I'm not going to stop you."

Plus, some time alone with him wouldn't hurt anyone.

"You couldn't even if you tried." He replied smirking. "Come on, we'll go faster in my bike."

Musa followed him to his leva bike and grinned inwardly. After what happened between them two days ago, she thought things would be back to plain uncomfortable, but instead found herself wrapping her arms around his broad back in a trip to the library. Not very exciting, but still they managed to get through a conversation without arguing and awkward silences. The fact that neither of them brought up that incident reassured Musa enough.

The engine roared to life and as they got further and further from Alfea, Riven basked in the feeling of having Musa glued to him with her small hands squeezing his lower back and her head pressed against his shoulder blades, also praying that the musical fairy couldn't feel his frantic pulse through his shirt.


"Can we leave now?" Complained the magenta hero for the seventh time in three hours. When she had told him she needed to finish some delayed essay he never expected it to be so damn long. If he had known, Riven would have stayed behind. The fairy didn't even glance at him during that time.

"For the last time, no. I'm not finished." She snapped while writing something down on her notebook. "I told you you'd get bored in here."

Musa didn't need to look up at him to know he wasn't amused by her answer. But she had told him, it wasn't her fault that he now regretted coming.

"And tell me again, why can't I just leave?"

"Because you're my ride back to Alfea and it was your idea coming here with your bike. So you're gonna have to wait a little more." She answered with a roll of her eyes.

"You said that one hour ago." He pointed out grumpily.

"Well, if you had helped me instead of complaining all the freaking time I'd be finished by now." She fixed her stare in his magenta eyes and waited for an answer.

"Fine." He grunted before getting up. "I'll help you."

Riven walked to one of the laptops that were available for the clients as Musa trailed behind him, curious as to what he was planning to do. Sitting down in front of the device, the fairy told him what she was looking for and before he typed it down on the local news' web.

Thousands of links connected to arsons and fires appeared on the screen. Musa sighed, there was still loads of work to do.

Her eyes scanned quickly some of the headlines until one perked up her interest.

"Click on this one." She told Riven while pointing it with her finger.

"Why do you need to know about fires and burned houses, anyways?"

"I told you, it's part of the homework." She was surprised by how smoothly the lie escaped her lips, it wasn't usually like this.

"Whatever. Here says that a fire burnt a whole farm-house down about seventeen years ago. A woman died with her newly born daughter in the fire and…" While Riven read out loud the police report, something in Musa's mind clicked.

"Is there a concrete date?" She interrupted excitedly with a hand on his shoulder for leverage.

A chill made its way through Riven's body at the contact.

"Yeah. May 30th." He answered curtly, hoping she wouldn't notice his change demeanor.

"Wait," She gasped, comprehending how important the day was. "That's my birthday. And you say the house burnt seventeen years ago?"

"That's what it says." He shrugged, not paying attention at what the fairy was inquiring.

"So, the very same day the woman died with her daughter was the exact day I was born?" Her heartbeat increased at the realization.

Was that the reason she was after her?

"Looks like it."

"Fascinating." She muttered while writing it down on her notebook. Looks like Christine had some explaining to do. "Does it say something about the house?"

"What's left of it remains at the outskirts of Magix, almost entering the forest." He pointed at the photo that some journalist had made the day it happened and saw that there was nothing left of it but black ashes and burnt wood. "Why?"

A smile crept on Musa's lips, making him wonder why he decided to come in the first place.

"Because it's time to pay the house a visit."