Another World Magician
Alt Korean Title: 속임수의 마법사 (The Magician of Deception)
Written by: [Xirus]
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Kim Jiwon, coasted down the slope toward the orphanage, one hand balancing a small white box tied with a red ribbon. Inside: a birthday cake, honey cheese cake. Nari's favorite.Today is her birthday.
The sky had darkened. Thunder rumbled in the distance like a low, growling warning. Wind danced through the trees, stirring dry leaves across the pavement.
He turned the corner.
Stopped.
The box tumbled from his hand and hit the ground with a muted thud, cake frosting smearing across the cardboard.
Smoke.
Crimson-orange flickers licked out from shattered windows. The orphanage was on fire.
A distant scream pierced the air.
"JIWON!"
Miss Baek was sprinting barefoot across the yard, hair flying, soot streaking her apron. Behind her, a group of crying children huddled near the playground. Flames surged behind them.
"What happened?!" Jiwon yelled, voice cracking.
Her eyes were wide with terror. "Som…someone threw bottles into the kitchen. Gasoline. It was deliberate."
The fire roared from within. Crack! Craaaack! The roof groaned like it was in pain.
"Nari," Jiwon gasped. "Where's Nari?!"
Miss Baek shook her head, eyes tearing. "This morning, Sh..She said she wanted to wait for you… in our favorite spot…"
No…
Jiwon turned and sprinted straight into the smoke.
BOOM!
The front door gave way under his foot, exploding inward. Black smoke billowed out, thick as tar.
Snap—crackle—pop!
Wood split and hissed under the growing blaze. Every breath tasted of ash and gasoline.
"NARI!" he screamed.
The heat was unbearable. Wallpaper peeled from the walls. Paint bubbled. Glass shattered! as windows burst from pressure.
CRACK!
Part of the stairwell collapsed behind him. He didn't stop.
He pushed forward, leaping over debris, using his sleeve to shield his mouth. A high-pitched whine filled his ears. The floorboards beneath him groaned, warped by flame.
Upstairs. The library.
It was supposed to be safe. Their quiet haven. Their dream room.
He burst through the half-melted door.
Books were already catching flame—some blackened, others curling like dying leaves. Shelves leaned dangerously. Papers flew like dying birds through the air.
"Nari—!"
She lay curled in the corner beneath the large arched window, coughing, barely conscious. Clutched in her arms were two things: the worn fantasy novel she loved… and his childhood photo album.
The book was opened to a page.
The villainess dying in a fire.
Alone. Unloved…
Little Nari lay curled up under a thick blanket, her face pale, a damp cloth resting on her forehead. Her nose was red, and her voice wavered between a sniffle and a pout.
"This is all your fault," she grumbled weakly. "You kept vanishing…"
Jiwon, sitting cross-legged beside her bed, rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, I didn't think you'd actually go out looking for me—even in the snow. I didn't expect an idiot to catch a cold."
Nari turned her head, her eyes glossy with tears. She wasn't really mad. Just cold, sick… and scared.
Seeing her expression, Jiwon softened. "Okay, how about this? Since today's your birthday, I'll grant you a wish."
"You promise?" she asked, peeking out from under the blanket.
He nodded without hesitation. "Promise."
Nari sniffled again, her voice small but clear. "Then promise me you'll read my favorite book for me… every birthday. And…" She hesitated, cheeks warming. "Call me 'big sister' on my birthday."
Jiwon blinked, then smiled. "Sure. My big sister. Now, let me read for you."
Later, as they lay together in Nari bed, the old book open between them, Nari stared at the page in silence.
The villainess stood tall amid the flames, proud and alone—abandoned by the world she once tried to protect.
"Why didn't anyone help her, Jiwon?" Nari asked softly. "She stood so strong… and brave… all by herself. If a magician had appeared back then… wouldn't she have had a happy ending too?"
Jiwon didn't answer right away. He just watched her eyes trace the page.
"Hey, Nari," he finally said, "Do you like magic?"
She nodded. "Mhm. I think magic is amazing."
Then, with a quiet smile, she added, "Because with magic… sadness disappears, and smiles reappear." while looking into Jiwon eye . "Then…," Jiwon whispered, He reached toward her ear with a flourish, as if plucking something from thin air. With a proud grin, he revealed a honey candy nestled between his fingers.
"Ta-da."
Nari blinked, surprised. Her lips trembled—then curled into the faintest smile as Jiwon placing the candy in her palm and whisper "please don't be sad anymore, big sis."
Jiwon dropped to his knees, scooping her up, cradling her to his chest.
"Hey. Nari. I'm here. I got you."
Her eyes fluttered open weakly. "You came…"
"Of course I did."
She coughed, lips trembling.
"I love you, Jiwon"
Soft word but unheard to Kim Jiwon.
The ceiling above them groaned.
Grrreeee—
A floorboard cracked. Embers rained down. A bookshelf teetered, its contents ablaze.
Jiwon clutched her tighter. "Nari! You like magic don't you?"
"What?"
"Close your eyes."
"Why—?"
"It a gift for you birthday. My final trick. I will teleport you outside."
Smoke stung his eyes. He stumbled down the stairs, vision blurring.
Past the crumbling hallway.
To the cupboard beneath the stairs.
To his hideout.
The secret passage.
He pulled the panel open with a loud clack, revealing the narrow tunnel—damp and tight, but still passable. As soon as he about to push Nari into the tool shed…
He kissed her soot-streaked forehead. "Don't look back.Happy birthday,bis sis"
"I—"
"I love you, big sis. Live well."
He pushed her through.
She who is unconscious, fingers trembling. Lips slowly move ."Wait…Ji—!"
But he had already closed the panel to block it till she safely out since only one person can pass through at a time.
CRRRAAAASH!
A bookshelf from the upper floor plummeted through the collapsing ceiling.
Jiwon turned just in time to see a wall of flame and wood crashing toward him.
He smiled.
"Maybe the last trick... is how I disappear."
BOOM!
Thunder rumbled like an angry drum.
Wind howled against a window pane.
But it wasn't fire.
It was warmth.
Gentle hands.
A woman's voice.
"Elric… Elric Waisz. Wake up, my baby—were you having a nightmare?"
He blinked. Unrealized that water dripping down his cheeks
A black-haired woman held him close, her arms glowing softly with light magic. Panicking as it her first time handling a baby. Outside, lightning split the sky. Inside, her voice trembled with worry, but her embrace was steady.
"You're safe now, little one…"
He looked down at tiny, pale hands. He was… a baby?
A crib sat beside the rocking chair. Toys. Stars embroidered on a blanket. Magic crystals glowed faintly on the ceiling, like constellations.
He pondering "Unfamiliar ceilings".
He wasn't in Seoul anymore.
He wasn't Kim Jiwon anymore.
"Elric…" she whispered, stroking his cheek.
Elric Waisz.
That was his new name.
He giggled—not from confusion, but from something else.
Relief.
For the first time in his life… he was being held. No illusions. No tricks. Just warmth.
"I guess I'm a magician after all, big sis" he thought.
Then closed his eyes.
And whispered in the silence of his soul,
Nari… I hope you're still smiling out there.