So here I am, fifteen minutes later, walking home, staring at the number that girl gave me. Apparently, her name was Miko, at least that is the name she wrote in her contact info. 

I was unsure if that whole guild stuff would lead to anything good, but I could not help myself get excited anyway. Maybe this excitement would have turned into anxiety if I had known how my life would change from this day on. 

There was a general idea in the public about what magic guilds do; mostly, they are responsible for the safety of the people. They are the ones clearing the so-called dungeons that randomly appear worldwide before the creatures living in them can escape. 

And they do such a good job that for over fifty years, not a single outbreak of a dungeon monster has been recorded. This fact led to rumors that these creatures did not exist in the first place and that magic was also imaginary and not real at all.

But the people believing in everything wanted to save the poor mages from the obligatory military service for magic users. Until eight years ago, any magician who had reached the age of eighteen had to start working at a government-run institution and fight for the public, risking their lives.

After the politicians decided to end the magic service, the whole guild stuff became a profit-based company thing. And without forcing them, only one thing convinced mages to continue clearing the dungeons. 

Money

So what was this whole guild invitation about? I can't fight, have never fought, and never intended to try, even if the good payment sounded tempting.

That is the reason why I never registered as a witch. I was too afraid of being recognized as a magic user. I was afraid of getting involved in something dangerous because of that status. Except for my father and brother, no one knew that I was actually a witch, although I had never learned to use magic except for my self-taught healing abilities.

The idea of using my magic to heal random people without a license came from a lack of money and a lucky accident. My ex-boyfriend and I had one or two drinks too many, and he started talking about how great it would be to instantly get sober again. So I tried to heal him, and somehow it worked.

After that, I had to end our relationship because he wouldn't believe the lie that he just dreamt about me using magic.

And since Miko asked for my services, does that mean they need me for healing? But why me? Aren't there any registered witches? Someone with experience? And how did she know that I was able to use this kind of magic? Someone must have sold me out.

I guess it is best to wait for more information in that regard, and in the end, I can just try to refuse her offer, maybe... But she definitely could force me into doing it. 

I'm overthinking again. It's not like I'm not already used to sudden changes in my life.

My biggest problem is that I easily get excited but also fear everything irregular and new. How does this fit with the fact that I am constantly looking for new jobs? Well, the excitement just wins over the fear.

I actually love being in my comfort zone… who even needs character development? I stopped with that some years ago. 

If I join a guild, I definitely can't continue working for my private customers; I hope they don't snitch on me and tell the police about my services. In the end, they are almost as screwed as I am if they admit what we did. 

And it is not like I got that many customers anyway, but I will surely miss the generous payment. I am curious about what a regular mage earns monthly. 

Is it fine if I write Miko a message right now? It's almost 2 a.m., but come on, I really need to share my thoughts with her.

>>Hello, sorry for the disturbance! I just wanted to ask when should we meet again?" << 

A second later, my phone rang. She was calling. Somehow, I expected her to be that kind of person.

"Hello," I answered quietly. 

"Hey, kind of unexpected that you messaged me already; you wanted to hear my voice again?" 

"I don't know since you are the one calling. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not that sure about your offer anymore." 

"Already? I mean, it is understandable. You agreed way too fast, but I bet you are excited." 

"I can't deny that, but…" how did she know? I am sure most people would feel anxiety, not excitement. 

"Listen, your ability is something awesome, and I saw that dude's face! I know that you are ready for bigger tasks."

"His face?" I asked, confused. 

"He looked pleased; you are sure that you just healed him?" 

I gasped. "Y... Yes!? What else should I have done?" 

"Hmm, I don't know much about making men happy." 

I heard her chuckling; she was definitely mocking me. 

"I..." I was speechless and could hear her laughing in the background; that was embarrassing. 

"Okay, I am sorry, but yeah, we can meet later today. About ten hours from now should be fine…We could eat lunch together and go to the guild office afterward." 

"Sounds good, I guess… thank you for the talk." I tried to sound a little angry but failed terribly.

"Hey, I want you to do something for me, so don't mention it, call me whenever you want." 

And she hung up. I could have sworn I heard her sigh on the other end a second before the call ended. 

She actually seems like a nice person. Somehow, I want to know what it's like to work with her. But on the other hand, she gives off this unsettling vibe from these people who want to sell you a vacuum cleaner at your door, but better. Surprisingly, I really want to buy a vacuum cleaner from her right now. 

After some time, I arrived at my castle, aka my 35m² flat in an apartment building, and it is fairly cheap considering it is very close to the train station. 

My first destination was the kitchen. I was not super hungry, but I bought these super sweet chocolate-filled croissants packed in way too much plastic yesterday. So, I started nibbling on one of them and went into the bedroom, which was also my living room.

I sat on my bed, taking time to think about today again. But I did not manage to wrap my head around what happened. In my defense, my heart was beating so loud that it was hard to focus on anything else. I would love to talk about everything with anyone. 

I'm curious what Mom would have told me, probably to go for it, to take this chance. 

I could ask my dad, but I'm unsure how he would react to a call in the middle of the night from his only daughter, who contacted him only once or twice a year after moving out. 

These thoughts are depressing; I'm pretty much alone, aren't I?

That's unfair. 

My excitement is gone. 

Give it back. 

Please.

MIKO

It is in the middle of the night, and I am super exhausted. I'm way past my bedtime, which, by the way, is self-imposed because no one tells me when to sleep.

I don't get paid to lure on a small criminal/wannabe mage that my guild leader wants to recruit. She wants a healer! I never asked for one; why am I the one doing this job? 

I know that a healer is something very rare; healing was scary for most magic users since you interfere with another human's natural healing, somehow speeding up biological processes.

So, our guild would profit massively to get someone like her in our rows. Luckily, the whole blackmail strategy I worked out a week ago was a huge success, and I almost feel bad about playing with her feelings like that. Ultimately, she seemed to be a nice person and will get her reasons to take on illegal jobs like that. 

My leader also told me that she is not registered as a witch, which will be a problem in the guild application process, but that's nothing I need to care about; seemingly, I am just the errand girl bringing Kayla from one place to another. 

But to be honest, this last week was the first time I wished to dive into a dungeon again; killing monsters feels more righteous than stalking someone, waiting for them to make a mistake, and forcing them to join your guild. I consider apologizing to her someday. 

◆◆◆

I will never apologize! I slept like a rock, showered, and prepared to meet Kayla again. But she did not pick up her phone; I called her like ten times and wrote her several messages, but she ignored me. 

Breathe, Miko, relax. You expected her to ghost you. You would probably do the same in her situation! 

I was certainly not proud of my next move, but it felt necessary. 

Some days ago, I accidentally followed Kayla to her home after she left the pub. What I want to say is I know where she lives, and I will drag her out of her apartment with force if needed. 

Since she lives around twenty minutes away from my place, I took one of the few E-Scooters that were placed in our city. 

I was blown away after reading about them coming in a local magazine. The town we live in is more known for its high average age and special offerings aimed at seniors. 

Finally, I stood right before her door, and her last name seemed familiar, but I could not pinpoint where I heard it before. More important was this girl, who opened the door just to instantly shut it again. I got a glimpse of her face, and she looked bad, really bad, like she did not sleep a single second last night. 

Her eye bags looked unhealthy, and I felt a little bit responsible for all that. 

I started talking to the closed door. "Sorry that I just turned up; I wanted to apologize and talk about everything… So please let me in!"

Why was I apologizing again?

While talking to myself, some feelings in me awakened. I never felt like that before… Kayla had this aura of a small, stupid puppy that needed someone to care for her.

It is not like I wanted to take care of her, but I could end up as the person that not only brought this healer to our guild, but I could also be the person that raised her to be a great witch.