The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 30

“…Hey.”

“How much longer are you planning to hide in here?”

A slick, writhing tentacle slowly flipped through the comic manuscripts scattered across the floor.

Using its lone remaining eye…

The Dreamfiend silently examined each page.

The bedroom itself was astonishingly plain.

Nothing about it hinted at the owner’s age.

Or even her gender.

White walls.

Wooden flooring.

Simple curtains.

A neatly made bed.

A bookshelf packed tightly with manga and novels.

And a single bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

That was everything.

Much like its owner…

The room was spotless.

So immaculate that it almost felt obsessive.

The faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, giving the room an atmosphere eerily similar to a hospital.

“If you keep lying around like this…”

“I’m going to disappear soon.”

“You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“If I die because you refused to help…”

“Wouldn’t that practically make you a murderer?”

The Dreamfiend finally looked away from the manuscripts.

Its single eye shifted toward the corner of the room.

There…

Wearing loose pajamas…

Bai Mian sat curled into herself, hugging her knees tightly against her chest.

She remained silent.

“…Leave me alone.”

Only after a long pause did she finally respond.

“Can’t you leave by yourself?”

“Why do you have to drag me into this?”

“…Easy for you to say.”

The Dreamfiend glanced down at its own battered body.

“Just look at me.”

Its current appearance was almost impossible to describe.

It resembled nothing recognizable.

A fist-sized lump of writhing black flesh crawled across the floor.

A single eye protruded from its surface.

One thin, sticky tentacle extended from the grotesque mass…

Allowing it to interact with the outside world.

It was that very tentacle that had been turning the pages of Bai Mian’s comics.

Seeing that Bai Mian remained indifferent…

The Dreamfiend’s voice softened.

Almost pleading.

“…Please.”

“I only have you now.”

“Bai Mian…”

“Aren’t we friends?”

“Friends help each other, don’t they?”

“…We’re not friends.”

Bai Mian slowly shook her head.

“I already know.”

“You’re an Aberration…”

“Aren’t you?”

The Dreamfiend’s lone pupil trembled slightly.

Perhaps…

That was the only way it could express surprise.

“…I am an Aberration.”

“But…”

“I’m a good Aberration.”

“A good Aberration?”

Bai Mian looked unconvinced.

“Do you really think I’m a child?”

“That’s just prejudice.”

The Dreamfiend replied calmly.

“Haven’t you heard?”

“Sometimes magical girls fall…”

“And become Aberrations.”

“If magical girls can become monsters…”

“Why can’t an Aberration become kind?”

“…”

Bai Mian fell silent.

She quietly stared at the trembling black mass lying on the floor.

When it had first appeared…

She had nearly fainted from terror.

But after living with it for several days…

Her fear had gradually disappeared.

Now…

It simply looked…

Pathetic.

“I’ve never hurt anyone.”

The Dreamfiend’s voice quivered with sorrow.

“So why are those magical girls hunting me?”

“…Do you know how painful it feels…”

“To be hated.”

“To be bullied.”

“Even though you’ve done nothing wrong?”

“…You understand that better than anyone.”

“…Don’t you, Bai Mian?”

“…”

The words stirred painful memories.

Scattered comic manuscripts.

Pages trampled beneath countless feet.

Her own helpless sobbing.

And…

Mo Li’s mocking laughter.

Almost instinctively…

Bai Mian hugged her knees even tighter.

Curling herself into an even smaller ball.

It was a tiny movement…

But one that revealed her desperate search for safety.

Whether it was a safe place…

Or someone willing to accept and comfort her.

“I understand your pain.”

“I can feel it.”

“That’s exactly why I came to you.”

“…I’m here to help.”

“…Help me?”

Bai Mian looked at it in confusion.

The Dreamfiend continued speaking.

Its voice became softer.

Warmer.

Almost hypnotic.

“Yes.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Because…”

“We’re the same.”

“My power allows me to weave dreams for humans.”

“You’re a manga artist.”

“We’re both creators.”

“We’re artists.”

“It’s only natural that ordinary people fail to understand us.”

“They’re obsessed with meaningless everyday things.”

“But that doesn’t give them the right…”

“To torment us.”

“…You are talented.”

“I can promise you that.”

Its tentacle gently lifted one of Bai Mian’s manuscript pages.

“Look.”

“These elegant compositions.”

“These clean lines.”

“I can tell immediately.”

“This isn’t something an ordinary person could draw.”

“You have talent.”

“So tell me…”

“Can you really accept spending the rest of your life hiding in this corner…”

“Watching your gift slowly rot away?”

“…Talent?”

Bai Mian lowered her eyes.

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“If I really were talented…”

“Then why did everyone laugh at my drawings?”

“That doesn’t make any sense…”

“…No.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Completely wrong.”

The Dreamfiend suddenly fell silent.

As though carefully considering its next words.

Finally…

It let out a long sigh.

“…I admit it.”

“You once possessed talent.”

“But now…”

“It’s gone.”

“…What a pity.”

“What a terrible waste.”

“…Gone?”

Bai Mian looked up in confusion.

Fear slowly filled her eyes.

“Yes.”

“It’s gone.”

“Bai Mian.”

“I can say this with absolute certainty.”

“Your future as a manga artist…”

“Is already over.”

“W-Why?”

“Why would you say something like that?”

Her lips trembled.

Only moments earlier…

It had praised her talent.

Now…

It was declaring her hopeless.

The sudden reversal left Bai Mian completely shaken.

Her fragile confidence shattered once more.

“Because…”

“You’ve already lost the one thing every true artist needs.”

“Their edge.”

“Their pride.”

“Without those…”

“You’re already dead.”

“It seems…”

“Ever since you were bullied…”

“You’ve become nothing more than a frightened coward.”

“Hiding alone in the corner.”

“…What a waste.”

“Such an incredible waste.”

The Dreamfiend sighed again.

Each sentence dug deeper into Bai Mian’s heart.

“…No…”

“That’s…”

“Not true…”

She tried to argue.

But the words emerging from her lips sounded weak.

Empty.

Broken.

Because…

Deep inside…

She knew.

The Dreamfiend wasn’t entirely wrong.

Slowly…

She buried her face against her knees once again.

Silence filled the room.

Only after a long time…

Did Bai Mian finally lift her head.

“…Then…”

“…What should I do?”

“Simple.”

The Dreamfiend’s eye narrowed.

“…Take revenge.”

“…Revenge?”

The word instantly brought Mo Li’s smug, hateful smile to Bai Mian’s mind.

“That’s right.”

“Revenge.”

The Dreamfiend’s voice became almost reverent.

“Revenge…”

“Is humanity’s oldest.”

“And most sacred form of justice.”

“Through revenge…”

“You destroy your weakness.”

“Your suffering.”

“And the one who caused it.”

“I promise you…”

“Once that’s done…”

“You’ll be reborn.”

“Your talent…”

“Will awaken once again.”

“B-But…”

A trace of hesitation crossed Bai Mian’s face.

“I know exactly what you’re afraid of.”

The Dreamfiend seemed to smile.

Although it possessed no mouth…

The calculating gleam within its lone eye…

Made it resemble the serpent from the Garden of Eden.

Coiled silently among the branches.

Watching Adam and Eve.

Its forked tongue flickering patiently through the air.

“…Don’t worry.”

“I’ll lend you…”

“The power you need for revenge.”