Chapter 153. The Dopey Niffler
A small point of light lit the edge of the sky, then gradually spread to the surroundings, eroding the nearby clouds.
Next, a brilliant red glow appeared, the sun rose, the darkness was pierced, and the world returned to light.
Olivia's younger sister, Kiana, lay on the soft bed, unease showing on her wrinkled face.
"No, no..."
Kiana squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling without stopping, fine beads of sweat welling from her forehead.
After a moment, Kiana let out a violent scream, sat up at once, curled into a ball, and clutched her head in pain.
"Don't, don't..."
Kiana moaned in pain, clawing at hair like dry straw.
She had just dreamed again of the things she experienced in the cave, and again of those hateful wizards who brought her nightmares.
Kiana hugged her head, trembling, and only after a long time did she realise that she had already escaped their clutches.
Kiana let out a long breath, slumped against the headboard, and the loose skin of her body trembled with her movement.
After sitting blankly for ages, Kiana forced herself to pick up the wand on the right-hand bedside table and gave it a gentle wave.
Curtains patterned with little bears slowly opened a slit, and sunlight rushed to spill into the room, driving away the darkness.
Kiana lifted her arm, looked at the radiance cast across her crumpled skin, and slowly stroked it with her fingers.
Watching skin like old tree bark shift with her movement, she bit her trembling lip stubbornly.
Then her gaze passed through the glass window into the distance, towards that brilliant dawn that represented life and hope.
Kiana's eyes slowly filled with tears, her emotions collapsed completely, and tear-drops the size of beans rolled down.
Her vision blurred, and everything within sight was veiled, wrapping that dawn.
"Sister... I can't hold on much longer... what should I do..."
A pained, struggling smile surfaced on Kiana's face, and in a voice only she could hear she murmured.
While in the cave she had longed to be rescued, thinking that after getting out life would return to its proper track and become good again.
But after being rescued, the hardships in reality were gone, yet the torment in her mind pressed on her until she could not breathe.
Her appearance now was uncanny and frightening, from head to toe only bones and quivering skin, hardly even a person.
Whenever anyone's gaze fell upon her, she felt pain like being cut a thousand times, and she did not dare face it.
This room had become her final refuge, she did not dare take a step out, let alone speak of returning to normal life.
And most crucially, the drive that kept her alive had disappeared...
When locked in the cave, she had yearned to see her sister again, and now that they had reunited, she felt satisfied.
"Perhaps it's time for me to leave... I'm sorry, Sister..."
Kiana thought in silence, a relieved smile appearing; she seemed to see Death standing beside her, bowing like a gentleman.
Kiana flicked her wand, the drawer beside her opened, and parchment and quill flew out.
She thought for a moment, directing the quill to move laboriously across the parchment, leaving crooked strokes of her last words.
But halfway through, the tightly closed door suddenly clicked, the lock was undone, and it slowly shifted open a crack.
"Is Sister here?"
Kiana started violently, hurriedly put the wand back where it had been, and stuffed the paper and quill under the pillow to hide them.
Then she quickly wiped the tear-tracks from her face, took several deep breaths, lifted a smile, and faced the one coming with her best appearance.
But to her puzzlement, the door only pushed open a small crack and then fell still, and Olivia's figure did not appear.
"Is someone playing a prank, intending to watch a freak like me for a laugh?"
Kiana thought this, and at once a mocking smile came to her face; who would care about her besides Olivia?
Kiana used her wand to close the door and was about to take out the paper and quill to finish her unfinished final letter.
But out of the corner of her eye, at the doorway she suddenly saw a little fellow of endearing clumsiness.
It was a tiny Niffler, sitting on the floor, scratching its belly with its paws, its round black eyes curiously taking in the surroundings.
"Why is there a Niffler?"
Kiana pondered for a moment, then muttered as if realising something, "I remember—yesterday my sister said she knew a friend who could become partners with magical creatures; is this his Niffler? Who let it in? Sister? Or that person? Or the Niffler itself?"
"Nifflers seem to like shiny things..."
Looking at the Niffler's endearing clumsiness, Kiana put aside writing her final letter for the time being.
Her gaze swept across the room, searching for an item that would interest a Niffler.
But unfortunately, she did not find any.
Afraid she would be saddened at the sight of her own appearance, Olivia had long since put those things away.
Kiana had no choice but to point her wand at the tabletop and murmur an incantation.
Under her efforts, a small toy turned into a shiny metal cap.
With a plop, it slipped to the floor, rolled a few times, then lay face up on the floor and went still.
Alert light flashed in the Niffler's eyes, and using both hands and feet it scurried quickly towards the metal cap.
On the way, because it was going too fast, it even tripped by accident, curled into a little ball, and rolled a few turns like a spinning wheel.
Watching the Niffler's comical look, a smile unwittingly surfaced on Kiana's face.
Seeing the Niffler pick up the bottle cap and lift it to give it a happy kiss, she raised her wand again, wanting to make another.
But before she finished the spell, she could not help coughing a few times and felt a stab of pain, and her body could not take it.
"Sorry, I can't make any more for you..."
Kiana spoke, and the mood that had just risen sank again.
The Niffler seemed to understand Kiana's words; it tilted its head and looked for a while, then took the metal cap out of its pouch again.
Then it trotted to the bedside, straightening its body with effort, blinking its little round eyes; with both paws it held the cap up, trying hard to pass it up.
Kiana stared, stunned at this scene; after a moment she came back to herself and, pointing at her own chest in surprise, said, "You're giving it to me?"
The Niffler could not speak, but it made itself plain; the paws holding the cap lifted a little higher.
Kiana turned her body sideways and, very carefully, stretched her hand towards the metal cap, afraid of startling the Niffler on the floor.
Only when the cap settled safely between her two fingers did she relax a little.
The Niffler stood on tiptoe, waved its paws vigorously, and kept twisting its body to point into the distance.
"Do you want me to play with you?"
Kiana asked tentatively, and then she carefully tossed the bottle cap.
The Niffler leapt up with a cheer, trotted to where the cap fell, caught it, then returned quickly and offered the cap to Kiana again.
A radiant smile bloomed on Kiana's face; she took the cap again and threw it, this time a little farther.
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