Chapter 194: The day after.

Noah had barely slept.

He was sitting in his seat inside the classroom while watching the blackboard without paying attention to what the teacher was saying.

He had tried to sleep after the fake Stella left his house, but it didn’t work.

Every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the conversation.

"Is your current life better than the previous one?"

That question kept repeating in his head.

It hadn’t been a guess or a coincidence, and the fact was that the Great Mother knew.

She knew that Noah had had another life, about the magical girls, about his relationships, and she probably knew a lot more.

’How?’

It was the question that worried him the most.

The goddess knew his past because she had been the one who brought him to that world and that made sense, but the Great Mother...

Noah couldn’t find any explanation.

’What the hell does that woman want with me?’

He rested his chin on one hand, since there was also something else, and that was that the Great Mother had entered his house using Stella’s face.

She had spoken with Emma, Sarah, Ava and had sat next to them.

She had eaten with his family and, although Noah noticed that something was off, he didn’t know it was the Great Mother until she decided to reveal herself.

That was possibly the worst part.

’In the anime it wasn’t mentioned that she could do that.’

She could pass herself off as Yume, Luna, Iris, Aria, Ren, Hikari and even Ava.

Noah closed his eyes for a few seconds, since he didn’t want to think too much about that possibility, but he had to.

If the Great Mother could copy other people’s appearances as perfectly as she had copied Stella’s, then they could no longer trust solely in what they saw.

The teacher spoke.

"Reed."

Noah opened his eyes.

"Yes?"

"Could you answer the question?"

Noah looked at the blackboard and had no idea what the question was.

"...Could you repeat it?"

Some students laughed and the teacher sighed.

"Pay attention in class."

"Yes, sorry."

Noah lowered his head.

’Perfect.’

He couldn’t even concentrate.

For the rest of the class he tried to force himself to listen and managed it for about five minutes, but afterward he went back to thinking about the Great Mother.

He also remembered how fast she had moved.

Noah had tried to activate an ability, but he hadn’t even had the chance, since she had appeared in front of him in an instant.

Afterward entire hours of his memory had disappeared and, when he woke up, he was back home again.

’Did she take me back?’

Probably, but he didn’t remember anything.

That meant the Great Mother could knock him unconscious without effort and do practically whatever she wanted with him.

The idea didn’t sit well with him at all.

Finally, recess arrived and Noah put his things away, but Iris, who was still sitting next to him, looked at him for a few seconds.

"You’re acting weird today too."

Noah looked at her.

"Me?"

"That’s right."

"I’m just tired."

Iris kept watching him.

"You didn’t sleep."

"How do you know?"

"You have bags under your eyes."

Noah touched under his eyes.

"Ah."

Iris went back to looking at her phone.

"You should sleep."

"Thanks for the advice."

Noah was about to stand up when he felt a vibration and he knew that sensation perfectly, so he stayed still.

’Is it...’

He discreetly took out his phone and the Golden Clover app was open with a new notification appearing on the screen.

[Item available.]

Noah sighed.

"Of course."

Iris looked up.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Noah touched the screen and the app showed another message.

[For the new candidate.]

Noah already knew who it was before continuing to read.

[Stella Lumina.]

"Of course."

Iris looked at him again.

"You’re still talking to yourself."

"I’m thinking."

"Out loud."

"I know."

Noah kept reading.

[Deliver the magical item to Stella Lumina.]

A light appeared in front of him.

Noah reacted quickly and covered the area with his body to keep the other students from seeing anything.

The light disappeared, leaving a small object in his hand, which Noah examined.

It was a kind of brooch with a clear gem in the center and small golden details around it.

The design was elegant.

Noah closed his hand immediately, looked around and no one seemed to have seen it, so he put the brooch away.

Then he realized something.

’Wait a second.’

The object had appeared now, not yesterday, and Noah felt relief.

"Thank you."

Iris frowned.

"To whom?"

Noah looked at her.

"To no one."

Iris went back to her phone while Noah rested both hands on the desk.

’Thank all the existing gods.’

If the brooch had appeared the day before while he was with the Great Mother, he didn’t want to imagine it.

She could have taken it and maybe that was precisely what she was looking for.

Noah frowned.

’Did she know Stella would be chosen?’

That seemed obvious.

The Great Mother must have been watching Stella for a while to be able to copy her way of being, but that meant she knew Stella would be a candidate before he did.

’How can she know something before the app?’

Another question added to all the others.

Noah carefully put the object away in one of his inner pockets.

This time he couldn’t lose it.

His next priority was to find Hikari, since after what had happened between them, there was a pending conversation.

Besides, if they were going to recruit Stella, Hikari needed to know.

Noah left the classroom and found Hikari several minutes later in a quiet area near the library.

She was sitting reading some notes, so Noah approached.

"Hikari."

She looked up.

"Noah."

Her tone was neutral, too neutral, so Noah took a breath.

"Can we talk?"

Hikari closed the notebook.

"I’m listening."

Noah sat in front of her and for a few seconds he didn’t know how to start, so he decided not to complicate it.

"Sorry."

Hikari blinked and Noah continued.

"For yesterday."

"Which part?"

Noah lowered his head slightly.

"For trying to control everything and being stubborn."

Hikari stayed quiet while Noah continued.

"You were right."

That got a reaction and Hikari raised an eyebrow.

"Can you repeat that?"

"Don’t push it."

"I want to confirm I heard right."

Noah sighed.

"You were right about what you said."

Hikari adjusted her glasses.

"Continue."

"I tried to solve everything alone."

Noah rested his arms on his legs.

"I thought that if I could control every encounter and every situation, then everything would end up working out."

Hikari watched him attentively.

"I already knew that."

"Let me finish."

"Alright."

Noah took a deep breath.

"I was also unfair to you."

Hikari didn’t respond.

"First I told you I trusted you."

She lowered her gaze a little.

"Afterward, when the conversation with Stella went wrong, I started thinking again about how to fix everything on my own."

"Yes."

"And when you proposed that I approach her to help you, I simply refused."

Hikari crossed her arms.

"That too."

Noah frowned.

"Could you make this a little easier for me, you know?"

"I’m letting you talk."

"I guess that’s enough."

Hikari remained silent and Noah continued.

"I’m not going to promise that I’ll stop worrying."

"That would be impossible."

"But I am going to try to stop deciding everything alone."

Hikari observed him for a few seconds and finally spoke.

"Apology accepted."

Noah smiled.

"Really? Thanks..."

"But you’re still stubborn."

"That won’t change quickly."

"I know."

The atmosphere relaxed, so Noah thought for a moment and then discreetly took out the magical item.

Hikari’s eyes widened slightly.

"Is that...?"

"Yes."

Noah showed it for a few seconds before putting it away again.

"It just appeared."

"Then you can recruit her now."

"Exactly."

Hikari looked at the pocket where Noah had put the brooch.

"What do you plan to do?"

Noah stayed quiet, since he still wasn’t sure.

Until yesterday he would have thought about organizing another interaction and maybe preparing Hikari.

Maybe looking for a new opportunity for the two of them to talk, but after running into the Great Mother, everything had changed.

Noah looked at Hikari.

"First I need to tell you something."

She frowned.

"What happened?"

"Not only to you."

Noah stood up.

"To everyone."

Hikari closed her notebook.

"That sounds serious."

"It is."

Over the next few minutes, Noah started sending messages both to the group and to the personal numbers of Yume, Luna, Iris, Aria and, just in case, Ren.

He also told Hikari to stay with him, since he couldn’t explain something like this over messages, but needed to talk in person.

Coordinating everyone during a recess wasn’t easy.

Aria tried to suggest a student council room, but Iris said any place would do, while Yume asked three times if Noah was okay and Luna was more direct.

[Is there danger?]

Noah replied.

[Not for now.]

That was enough for Luna to appear a few minutes later and, finally, they managed to gather in an empty room.

Noah closed the door and Yume was the first to speak.

"What happened?"

Luna observed his face.

"You didn’t sleep."

Iris pointed.

"I told him the same thing."

Aria crossed her arms.

"If this is related to some threat, it would be convenient to activate a barrier."

Ren looked around.

"Is it necessary for all of us to be here?"

"Yes, it’s very necessary."

Noah’s answer made them stop talking, so he took a breath.

"What I’m going to tell you happened yesterday."

Yume turned serious.

"Did someone do something to you?"

"I’m fine."

"That doesn’t answer what I asked."

"Yume."

She closed her mouth and Noah continued.

"Yesterday Stella came to my house."

Iris looked up.

"The actress?"

"Yes."

Ren looked at him in surprise.

"Why did Stella Lumina come to your house?"

"Supposedly for work related to my mother Sarah."

Aria frowned.

"Supposedly?"

Noah nodded.

"Because it wasn’t really Stella."

The place fell silent.