Mai lifted her head, her eyes shining in the night:
"The starry sky… it's so beautiful."
Her voice trembled slightly, then softened:
"Long ago, I used to gaze at the stars with a close friend. Her name was Lan…"
Her usual cold demeanor vanished, replaced by a deep sadness. Mai smiled faintly, but the smile quickly faded.
"She was Mimi's owner. We were childhood friends, and our two families were close. Unfortunately, she had been ill since childhood and had difficulty walking. I often helped Mai go to the education center to volunteer and assist Ms. Phan. Those days... were truly happy. We used to dream that one day we would become AI Witch trainers together, teaching children how to use AI Witch to keep up with the modern world."
Mai's voice choked up, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Then one day… I heard that Lan had fallen seriously ill and didn't survive. And Mimi… was being hunted down for liquidation."
Long asked softly, his voice so low it seemed afraid to break the silence:
"What does 'liquidation of AI Witch' mean?"
Mai shook her head, her gaze distant:
"I don't know exactly. I only know that when the owner dies, their AI Witch must be liquidated according to national regulations. I heard... once liquidated, you will never see your AI Witch again. Witchiecoop employees take them away... and no one has ever seen them return."
Long's mind was in turmoil. That thought was too terrifying for him. Dreamy wasn't just an AI Witch, it was his childhood companion, taught basic magic by Mrs. Huong to protect Long from danger. He didn't know where Dreamy came from, only that it had been by his side since he was a child, talking to him day and night. Just the thought of Dreamy facing the same fate as Mimi made Long's heart burn, as if a fire had ignited within his chest. Sympathizing with Mimi's situation, Long declared firmly:
"We must protect Mimi at all costs!" – Long stood up, hands on his hips, legs spread wide, his resolute voice echoing under the starry sky.
Mai smiled softly. In that moment, she began to appreciate the sincerity and passion of her new friend.
Mimi rubbed its eyes with one paw, its bright blue eyes sparkling like jewels. It spoke in a clear, crisp voice:
"But I still have a mission… a mission that Ms. Lan entrusted to me before she passed away."
Mai tilted her head, her voice calm yet curious:
"What kind of task, Mimi?"
Mimi replied slowly:
"No. Ms. Lan ordered… I'm not allowed to tell anyone."
Long looked at Mimi, his voice questioning yet filled with concern:
"Is that mission… really that important? Mimi, you know, if Witchiecoop catches you… they'll take you away for liquidation. And then… there'll be no way back."
Mimi blinked its blue eyes, her innocent face:
"I only know… it's a very important mission. But… I'm not allowed to tell anyone."
The atmosphere grew heavy. Everyone was confused. They all understood that Mimi's safety had to come first, but if it kept clinging to that "mission-no-one-can-know" thing, no one could feel at ease. What was worse was... no one knew what the mission looked like.
Mai clenched her fists, driven by a strong urge. For her, it could be Lan's final wish—her late friend's last request. And if that was the case, she couldn't ignore it.
Both Mai and Long pondered for a moment.
"I have an idea," Mai looked up, her eyes shining with determination. "Tomorrow, we'll go to Lan's house—the Tran family. I'll go into her room and try to find clues about that mission."
Long immediately interjected, his voice firm:
"If that's the case, I'll go with you. I'll help you search."
Mai was silent for a moment, considering. Then she nodded slightly. In her heart, she knew this was not only an opportunity to decipher the secret mission, but also Lan's last wish, and a chance for Long to step into the world of nobility, find more clues about the AI King Witch... and learn to understand the city of Puresight better.
The next morning, thanks to the spatial magic of Ms.Phan and Noddy, the whole group—Long, Mai, Dreamy, and Miki—stood before the gate of the Tran family. Mimi was temporarily sent to Kiệt and Uncle Lâm's place to avoid Witchiecoop's pursuit.
Before Long stood a magnificent castle, its shiny glass walls automatically adjusting to the sunlight. In the sky, AI Witches and their masters flew around like a magical festival: a fiery red phoenix carrying a person on its back, a giant robot carrying its master on its shoulders, and even people flying on their own thanks to glowing butterfly wings. Right before Long's eyes, a man teleported instantly using an AI Witch shaped like a rabbit, then vanished straight into the castle. He had never seen such a bustling and fantastical scene of people coming and going.
At the gate, two guards stood solemnly, flanked by a lion and a tiger—both high-level AI Witches, their cold, piercing eyes scrutinizing every breath.
Mai stepped forward, her voice calm yet authoritative:
"Hello, we've come to visit Mrs. Tran Hoa."
The gatekeeper bowed slightly, speaking with respect:
"Miss Mai, who is the person accompanying you?"
Mai replied succinctly, her gaze unwavering:
"This is a friend of mine and Lan's; we used to volunteer together at the education center."
At that moment, the AI Witch lion suddenly growled softly, glaring at Dreamy. Dreamy startled, took a step back, and instinctively raised a shimmering blue light shield.
Long frowned, his voice sharp:
"Dreamy! You're using my EN unnecessarily!"
Dreamy blinked:
"Oh... I thought you were in danger, so I raised the shield."
The group was finally allowed to enter the castle. They were led straight to the main hall—where light streamed down from soaring glass panels, reflecting like a shimmering world of its own.
In the middle of the room, a middle-aged woman sat firmly on a large chair. She had black, short, curly hair, a heavily made-up face with big red lips, and cold eyes that seemed to pierce through anyone. She wore a tight-fitting vest, not bothering to put on a shirt underneath, revealing her tattoo-covered arms. Among those tattoos, the name Lan stood out the most, engraved deeply like a vow. In her hand, a red cigar slowly exhaled smoke, making the atmosphere even heavier. Beside her was a fairly large white shark-shaped AI Witch named Sharky, hovering around with a fierce gaze. It was a high-level AI Witch.
Mai stepped forward, her voice bright yet respectful:
"Hello, Ms. Hoa!"
That woman was Tran Hoa—Lan's mother and the most powerful woman in the Tran family.