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StLQ Chapter 18 - Lollipop
🕑 Added 2025-08-13 16:58:09 +0000 UTCA void hole. Flickering through our door like a gluttonous monster having devoured my family. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to collapse on the ground right then.
I gritted my teeth and immediately ran to the door. I threw my hands on the handle.
Locked.
I reached into my pockets, only to find my keys missing. In my rush to meet the investigators, I’d forgotten my fucking keys.
I wanted to shout. What the hell was happening? Why now?
The void hole was definitely potent enough for me to activate it outside. I ran to our warehouse and grabbed the same coil of rope I’d used outside Luna’s house. I sprinted to a ditch hidden behind our backyard and tied myself to a tree.
The void hole and its tendrils fluttered inside the house. I didn’t see its core directly. I strained my left eye, trying desperately to grab onto its fluttering tendrils.
I caught on, and the vision activated.
***
I’m alone… Luna thought. In Kai’s house.
His mother’s house.
Luna sat on the couch, doing nothing at all.
Specifically, she sat on the edge of the seat with her back respectfully straight. Getting too comfortable could be dangerous. There was always a fine line between comfort and disrespect. A little slouch was probably acceptable. Kai didn’t seem to care about what she did. But what if Luna crossed the line and got just a little too comfortable? She’d be kicked out.
I’m alone. Nobody will see me slouch.
Slowly, Luna let her back go round until her head pressed against the back of the couch. She lay there for a minute until her head started to feel the hard edge of the couch’s backrest. The position wasn’t comfortable at all.
Can I go lie in bed again? No, that probably wasn’t allowed. The bed had been comfortable—the softest, most comfortable thing Luna had ever felt—but beds were for sleeping only. Going back to bed when the sun was up was definitely disrespectful.
What about the couch? With only Luna in the house, the couch had enough room to lie down. There were pillows as well as a two-colored woolen blanket with diamond patterns on it.
That must be a rich blanket. Not for me.
One of the pillows was a dark beige. It looked like the cheapest pillow—the type that Mother could have maybe bought for Luna if she scored perfectly for enough tests straight.
Luna nervously picked it up. She stared at it for a full minute. Am I allowed to use this pillow? Probably not. I haven’t asked. Not that she would have dared to ask anyway.
But the house was empty. Luna was alone. Sneakily, she placed the pillow neatly in the corner of the couch. She watched it for another minute, contemplating whether this really was a good idea. Until eventually, she lifted her feet on the couch and pressed the back of her head against the pillow.
A clock ticked somewhere in the next room over. Luna heard it vaguely over her heartbeat. Her nervousness grew. She felt her face getting hot.
My feet are on the couch! Luna suddenly thought. She sprung back to sit and flung her feet off of the couch. Couches were for sitting! She placed the pillow back to the spot where she picked it up from.
That was stupid, Luna thought. No more risks.
Laying on the couch definitely wasn’t allowed. What about the floor? Was Luna allowed to lie down on the floor?
No, definitely not. That would get the clothes dirty. The clothes that Kai’s mother had graciously lent to Luna. If anything happened to the clothes, Luna would probably just die.
Another concerning thought came to her. I haven’t channeled mana in over a day! I haven’t studied a single book! Luna had read a passage of magical safety for first years to Kai’s little sister, but that didn’t count as studying. Luna hadn’t learned anything.
She glanced at Kai’s textbooks on the table. Most of them were books from last semester. They wouldn’t be of any use.
Gods, Luna couldn’t just do nothing. She had to study somehow. Would channeling mana be allowed in this house? Probably not. Channeling mana without supervision was definitely not allowed.
But Luna had to practice. She just had to. She closed her eyes, sat at the very edge of the couch, and began channeling mana from her core.
Not a minute later, a sound came from the front door. Luna flinched, pushing mana off of her body. Mana dissipated to the air as a small mist-like cloud. She waved her hand, trying to clear the mist, heart racing.
The lock clicked, and the door opened. Luna sat still, preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. Please be Kai, she thought. Kai was unpredictable and weird, but at least his antics usually led to positive outcomes. Being in the same room with him felt safe.
His mother, however…
Well, she was Kai’s mother.
“We’re back,” a voice said. “Kai, are you home?”
Not Kai, Luna noted. Not Kai!
She sat straight in the most respectful position she could imagine, listening to Kai’s mother help Nelly take off her winter wear. A wall still separated the living room from the entrance. Luna had a moment to prepare. I’m alone. Kai is not with them. He can’t save me.
With their winter wear finally off, Kai’s mother peeked into the living room while carrying Nelly. The little girl’s eyes were closing on their own out of exhaustion. Kai’s mother spotted Luna, and a smile appeared on her face. “Oh, hello. Is Kai somewhere?”
“He left to meet t… the Headmaster,” Luna said. She cringed at the stutter and sprung to her feet. It was rude to talk while sitting if the other person still stood.
“Ah, I spotted Donovan outside your house,” she said. She placed Nelly on the couch, where Nelly sleepily hugged a pillow, eyes wandering off. “Looks like they’re interrogating people right now.”
“Yes,” Luna said.
Yes—what kind of response is that? She cringed again, head trying to figure out what she should say next. Mother always got mad when Luna had stupid answers, claiming Luna wasn’t supposed to speak like a nervous idiot.
So Luna added, “Is my mother in trouble?”
Kai’s mother smiled lightly. “She’s bound to be in trouble. I doubt there’s any reason to save her. She has done wrong, and she will be punished. What do you think? Are you looking forward to what’s next?”
I don’t know what’s next, Luna thought, let alone whether she was looking forward to something. Survival was the only thing she hoped for after disobeying mother in such an extreme fashion.
“I think so?” Luna said.
“Your new home will be more pleasant. Changing lifestyles always feels odd, but you’ll get used to a new life quickly.”
“Um, yes, hopefully,” Luna said. Gods, will Mother actually be taken away? Will I actually not have to see her?
“Donovan can probably help out with scholarships to finish school. Has the academy been nice?”
“Yes, I haven’t failed any tests,” Luna said,
“Kai tells me you’re at the top of every class. You must study hard. We haven’t hindered your studies, have we?”
You have, Luna thought, but she didn’t know how Kai’s mother would react to that, so Luna didn’t mention it. “No, not at all.”
Kai’s mother was silent for a moment. She looked like she wanted to talk with Luna but had no idea what they should be talking about. The expression was all too familiar to Luna. Everyone looked similarly awkward after Luna’s second or third one-word responses. She winced internally.
Kai’s mother didn’t give up. “I’ve also been studying a little bit of magic, actually. A funny spell. I’ve been planning on using it on Kai. Would you like to test it first to say if it would work?”
Luna blinked. So Kai’s mother did know magic. Not good. “Yes, of course!” Luna said. “Please show me.”
“It’s very complex,” Kai’s mother said with a grin. What did that face mean? Luna couldn’t read the expression at all. “I’ll need a bit of help. Could you hold your hand up?”
“Like this?” Luna asked, holding her left hand up.
Kai’s mother took hold of her hand. A complex spell that Kai’s mother planned on using on Kai? Was it mind control? Luna hoped Kai’s mother couldn’t feel her heartbeat.
Kai skips lessons ahead as well. His mother is strict!
“Now lift your right foot,” Kai’s mother said, still with an odd smile. What was she going to do?
She must be trying to see whether I did something disrespectful! Luna thought. I was alone. Of course she wants to see what I did!
Luna quickly ran through her thoughts, thinking over all the bad things she’d done. For the most part, she had acted modestly. But she had channeled mana, and laid down with her feet on the couch!
Just to be safe, Luna focused on dark thoughts, shutting her thoughts and trying to hide them from mind magic, while she lifted her foot as was instructed. It didn’t seem like Kai’s mother was very good at mind magic. If Luna could redirect the attack, she could avoid being caught.
“Yes, just like that,” Kai’s mother said. “Almost done. Now do a spin for me.”
She moved Luna’s hand, as if guiding a spin. Luna followed, heart beating a thousand times a minute. Her body filled with nervous pressure, an anticipation for the attack. She balanced on one foot, performed the spin, focusing on her mind, awaiting the needle that would pierce her head. If she could grab her thoughts before Kai’s mother could grab them—
The spin finished and Luna was faced with the wide grin of Kai’s mother. The woman guided Luna’s hand down, opened Luna’s palm, and placed something on Luna’s hand.
“Surprise!” she said.
Luna’s heart stopped for a moment. She blinked. On her hand was a wooden stick attached to a colorful twirling piece of candy.
A lollipop.
The same type Luna had seen sold at markets. The same type of lollipop Luna had once mistakenly asked Mother to buy, only to receive a lecture about how mages didn’t eat silly things like lollipops.
Luna’s limbs were shaking. Was there no attack? No mind reading? Kai’s mother wasn’t trying to see if Luna acted wrong?
Nelly was suddenly fully awake, seeing the lollipop. “Mooom, where’s mine?”
Kai’s mother smiled and handed another, slightly smaller one to Nelly.
She glanced back at Luna. “Sorry, that was a lame trick wasn’t it?” Kai’s mother said with an awkward laugh. She saw Luna’s expression and asked. “Is everything alright?”
“I…” Luna sniffled, voice trembling. “I can’t accept this. I’ve been too disrespectful. I don’t deserve it.”
“You’ve been a wonderful guest,” Kai’s mother said, confused. “We haven’t had guests as refined as you in years.”
“But…” Luna said. There was a lump in her throat. Why was she admitting to any of this? “While you were away, I- I laid down… with my feet on the couch. I picked up one of the pillows without asking. I… I channeled mana without permission!” She glanced at the lollipop again and sniffled, vision blurring. Why was there a lollipop in her hand? What had she done to deserve it?
“Ah!” Nelly said, momentarily forgetting her own lollipop. “Mom made Luna cwy!”
Luna’s face was red. She shrunk back, forgetting her straight posture. Idiot, idiot, idiot! she repeated in her head. Calm down, stop crying!
It wasn’t working. Something in Luna’s head seemed to break. The instincts she’d trained weren’t working; the wall that forced her to stay calm wasn’t there. The more she fought, the more tears escaped. Mother’s voice rang in her head. “Luna, you little shit, stop crying!”
She hid her face with her free hand, shrinking back in a pathetic attempt to hide. She had the urge to run. This was a disaster. She’d be kicked out.
The lollipop was still in her hand, with its beautiful twirling rainbow of colors.
She had always wanted to taste one.
Seeing it only made her cry harder. Her throat was so heavy she couldn’t breathe. She wanted to disappear.
“Luna, it’s alright!” someone said. Kai’s mother placed her hands on Luna’s shoulders. Luna felt light pressure on her shoulders as Kai’s mother guided her gently to the sofa.
The gentle hands stayed put, holding Luna in place. She curled back on the couch, shrinking further. Idiot, idiot, idiot, Luna repeated in her head. She’s not using mind magic! There’s no need to cry!
Something hugged her from the waist. Luna glanced to her left and saw Nelly, Kai’s sister. Nelly’s eyes were teary as she looked up at Luna.
“Everything is okay,” Kai’s mother said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Slowly, Luna’s panic calmed. She still trembled, deadly afraid, but her logic started to beat her emotions. Kai’s mother sat down next to her. The woman’s face was red, embarrassed, and her posture was awkward. As always, nobody knew how to act around Luna.
But she wasn’t trying to read her mind. Kai’s mom wasn’t even upset.
Luna stared aimlessly at her lollipop. Her throat was heavy, and her voice was frail. “Is this… really for me?”
“Of course,” Kai’s mother said. “But only if you want it.”
Another wave of pressure moved up to her throat, then her eyes. She tried to fight back for a second before giving up. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and Luna placed the lollipop into her mouth.
***
Confusion woke me up in the snow-filled ditch. The emotions from lich sight lingered in my head. Nothing life-threatening had happened. The event I’d watched was probably the most mundane that had ever turned into a lich sight.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and sniffled. The emotions I’d felt, however, were some of the most intense lich sight had given me.
All because my mom decided to give Luna a little lollipop.
“Those two idiots…” I muttered as I climbed out of the ditch. My head was all jumbled up. I required multiple minutes to calm down from the insane emotions I’d experienced through Luna.
I was freezing. There was a good chance I’d get sick from falling asleep in the winter twice now, but really, I was just happy Luna was safe.
I headed to the door, still locked. This time, instead of panicking, I knocked like a normal person would have.
Mom opened the door. “Ah, good, you’re back.”
“Hey.” That was all I managed to say. My head wasn’t working.
Mom struggled to look me in the eyes, and her voice was flustered. She asked, “Were you interrogated? How did it go?”
“Well enough,” I said. “Why?”
Mom nodded, lingering in and out of eye contact. She spoke quietly. “I’m sorry for doubting you. You were entirely right. Luna cannot be allowed back to her mother anymore.”
I smiled. I took off my boots, then without warning, I gave my mom a hug. “Thanks mom. For being kind.”
This time, she didn’t slide back by instinct or ask me what was wrong. She smiled and returned the hug. “Luna is, um… slightly flustered right now. Be calm around her for a bit, please… I offered her a lollipop. Here’s one for you as well.”
A laugh came on its own. I accepted the lollipop, thanked mom, then headed to the living room.
On the couch sat the cutest, most nervous little troublemaker. Luna nibbled the lollipop from the very top, as if she wasn’t sure what exactly she was supposed to do now that she had tasted it once. Her face was red beyond just her eyes, but she wasn’t crying anymore.
I sat next to her and got to work on my own lollipop. For a while, we said nothing. The lollipop was one of those big stubborn ones that Nelly had never managed to finish even as an adult. The type that replaced the sense of taste with just sugary stickiness if one somehow managed to get close to finishing it.
Luna must have been getting close to that point. “I usually just bite off the end,” I said. “These lollipops are damn stubborn. And they never taste as good the next day if you save them.”
“It’s… kind of hard to eat,” Luna said. Her way of eating was so silly in the cutest way possible.
I chuckled. “Do you like it?”
“It’s sweet,” Luna said. She sniffled, though her voice had mostly calmed down. “But also hard.”
“Yes, that’s a pretty good description of a lollipop,” I said. “Lollipops are pretty and showy on the store shelf, but kind of ordinary once you actually have one.”
Luna let out a giggle with a vague smile on her face. “So I’m supposed to bite the rest?”
I grinned. “Once you’re tired of licking it, biting is definitely a more effective strategy.”
Luna stared at the slowly melting lollipop. She opened her mouth, and like some frog devouring a fly, she placed the rest of the lollipop in her mouth. Crunching followed, lollipop bits filling her cheeks.
This girl killed me once, I thought while chuckling at the sheer silliness in front of me. This poor girl who likes lemonades and lollipops.
I considered whether I should tell Luna about how the meeting with the child protectors went. If there weren’t any caveats, I was positive that Luna would be freed from her mom. Watching her, however, I didn’t think she’d want to learn the news right now. There would be plenty of time to talk about serious matters later.
For now, we just let time flow. We played with Nelly—this time, Luna was far more involved, sometimes even smiling—after which we ate more of mom’s cooking. This time, a simple bean soup with bits of chicken. My tastebuds were still tainted by lollipop sweetness, making it hard to taste anything at all.
Importantly, Luna wasn’t shrinking away from the food, or from my mom. She even chuckled a little when my mom told a stupid joke about two birds crossing the road.
I’m fairly certain I had a smile plastered on my face for the whole evening. The winter became dark, and our glowsticks and the crackling fireplace replaced sunlight. All that existed in the world at that moment was our comfy kitchen and living room, filled with silly jokes and laughter.
That laughter didn’t originate exclusively from my family, but from Luna as well.
Watching the scene from the couch—my little sister’s toys spread all over our old living room, Nelly playing with a new red-eyed playmate, one whose face I had somehow tricked into smiling, while mom cleaned the kitchen in the background, alive and healthy—the feelings were quite indescribable. I felt warm and happy to a disbelieving level. The situation was like a dream.
Luna’s eyes looked different. Her usual defensive and analytical eyes turned more curious, slightly less wary of her surroundings. She wasn’t sitting on her knees with her back straight, but sideways to better play with Nelly.
Little things still startled her, like my mom speaking behind her back without warning, or when Nelly suddenly stood and took running, but those things still only startled her. It would take time for Luna to adjust to a more normal life.
No matter where the future went, whatever the outcome for Lokora’s disaster became, at the very least, for one evening, I had made Luna despise her life just a little less. That made me happy.
It won’t end here, I thought. Luna deserves a family too. She won’t be abandoned in the cold ever again.
The warm happiness continued for another hour. A long time in the moment—but still an eternity too short.
As was always the case, reality, with its annoying problems, always came back. At seven thirty-five, a knock came on our doors. We all perked up, playtime coming to a pause as if a monster had knocked on our doors.
Mom went over to check it out. We heard her chatting with someone. A minute later, she came to the living room, eyes serious. “It’s Headmaster Donovan. He wants to talk to you, Kai, and Luna.”
I glanced at Luna. Her posture was perfectly straight again. But her eyes were sharp, looking determined.
“Let’s go,” I said with a nod. “We’ll settle this now.”
Luna returned the nod. We stood, Luna still wearing my mom’s sweater, and faced the headmaster at our doorstep.
