CHAPTER 1: AN UNUSUAL DAY

[Yan! Mage! OC X Fem! Reader]

TW: Yandere themes, kidnapping, stalking, unhealthy love, obsession, based on an existing story.

A veil of fog covered the field, nothing could be seen. Nothing but the mysterious white mist. However, the inhabitants of the valley could hear, among the mountains, the screeching of machinery. Incessant screeching and running gears. If one looked out of one’ s window, and watched closely, one could see the silhouette of a moving fortress. Slowly making its way through the green meadows on the outskirts of the town.

Further down, the town slowly awakens. Stores open, the train emerges from the tunnels under the city and voices are heard.

“The daily newspaper! War breaks out up north!”

“Buy fresh bread! Fresh from the oven!”

“Ladies, come in! For we have the best quality fabrics!”

Among the stores in the center, there was a very special one. It was a headwear store, the most prestigious for producing the finest hats.

A tall, two-story building. Its red walls attracted the attention of the villagers. And in the smallest room of the store, a young woman was working.

She afforded a good view, for her window overlooked the meadows and the mountains in the distance. Sitting, her skilled hands worked with thread and needle. Stitching details on hats, making each one different and unique. In her childhood, she had learned to sew from her mother.

That is how she discovered her passion for fashion.

She worked in silence, while female voices could be heard from the other room. Some were saleswomen, others were buyers. However, they were all talking about the styles of each garment.

Knock! Knock!

The young woman’s concentration was interrupted. Yet, she was not bothered.

“(Y/N)? Are you already working?” asked a woman in her mid-40’s, “Don’t you want to go out to breakfast with us? We can close up store for a few hours.”

This woman was Lady Farnsworth, the owner of the shop where (Y/N) worked. Tall, elegant, brown-haired and slender.

“No,” the young woman politely declined, “I want to finish these. You all go and have fun.”

“All right, have a great morning,” her boss replied, walking away.

Only when they were all leaving, one of them shouted with excitement.

“It’s Belmont! That’s his castle!” she pointed out the window, the other girls were shocked at the blonde girl’s discovery.

The chatter about hats changed to the mage’s wandering castle. We all know who he is.

They say he is a sorcerer whom no one recognizes, his face and personality change with each version of the story. The only thing that remains the same in every retelling is his particular taste for beautiful, young women. For it has been said that every woman he is interested in, receives gifts and is blessed with good luck. Another thing does not vary either, and that is the disappearance of the young women who were once his companions. No one knows where they disappear to, no one knows if they are still alive.

That is why they call him the mage of hearts, as it is believed that he feeds on the hearts of those who love him deeply.

(Y/N) looked out of her window, watching the castle disappear in the mist.

“Oh, what a pity,” said one.

“Did you hear what happened to Chiara? They say he tore her apart and-” the voices trailed off along with the story. They all know what a danger that man, or being, is. But they do not fear.

The girl with (H/C) locks arose from her seat, stretching a little. Since her inspiration had been halted, she might as well take a quick break.

She surveyed her work table. Hats, threads, fabric flowers and feathers were scattered all over the place. She sighed, grabbing her own hat and heading out the door.

As she stepped out into the building’s central courtyard, a shadow of airplanes cast a shadow over her. And yet she didn’t look at the sky, since she didn’t want to preoccupy her mind with the idea of bombings in the city.

To exit the building, she had to walk through the store to the front door. On her way, she caught her reflection in a mirror. Stopping in her tracks, she looked at herself for a moment. With a smile, she analyzed her appearance before leaving.

She was wearing a red dress below her knees, with long sleeves, and a black bow at her neck. Her hair was tied up in a braid, to keep it from falling over her face as she worked. And of course, her hat. Which was colored cream with hand-embroidered daisy flowers.

A casual outfit for a casual day.

The bell on the door announced the young woman’s departure, but of course, all the women had already left and there was no one left.

Outside, crowds of people lined the streets. There would be a parade in the main street, bidding farewell to the soldiers on their way to war. While it was a joyous moment, she knew it would not last long. Overhead, light aircraft were deployed in parade formation as well. Their engines announced their swift passage through the clouds.

Everything else aside, the city was moving normally. Tractors, trains, cars, all were moving at their normal pace. A lot of smoke was coming out of the chimneys, as well as from the mentioned means of transportation.

(Y/N) ran quickly when she saw that a tram was about to depart. With luck, she reached the passenger compartment. Nevertheless, there were too many people and she had to stand on the door step of the vehicle. Holding on tightly, she began her journey.

The bell rang, indicating the start of the tour.

While she was outside, she couldn’t help it anymore and raised her gaze to the sky. There were more planes than cars, the noise was incessant. Flags were unfurling in the sky and some buildings. The whole town was supporting the local kingdom, repudiating the neighboring kingdom. And all this started because of the disappearance of the prince. Can you imagine? Starting a war for losing your son. Complete madness.

The people didn’t seem to realize that it was really crazy.

She only hoped that the war would not come here.

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Crossing almost the entire city, I arrived at my destination. The railway station was crowded. I got off and started walking, I have to get to my sister’s as soon as possible.

I decided to take shortcuts, through the narrow streets and alleys. There was the occasional soldier walking around, but I managed to avoid them. Being around armed men gives me an edge of fear, I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Walking down stairs between the corridors, I could hear the laughter and exclamations of the citizens. The parade looks not far away. Remembering that Sadie left me the address of her new job, I reach into my pocket quickly for the piece of paper. To my luck, I find it and unfold it. My sister’s elegant handwriting is unique.

It only says the address of a street and it already looks like a letter made by the king himself. Sadie is very consistent with her personality and lifestyle. I admire her for that.

“Hm, that’s weird…” I think out loud, trying to find the street written, there was no indication in this area. The houses had no numbers and didn’t seem to be occupied at the moment.

My eyes are glued to the paper again, neglecting the road.

It is then that my world collides, literally. I didn’t see the young soldier in front of me, so I couldn’t stop in time. He was tall, blond, light-eyed. He looked like a decent man.

“Ooh, looks like you got lost, little mouse,” he says to me with a smile on his face.

Never mind, he’s a disgusting degenerate.

“No…” I hesitate a moment to find my voice, “I’m not lost.”

“But you look lost,” he tries again. As if from thin air, his partner appears at his side, perhaps they were standing guard together.

“I’ll buy you a cup of tea, how about it?” the blond said.

“N-no, my sister is waiting for me-” I try to walk away, retreat.

“This little mouse is very cute, I must admit,” said his companion, a more adult man than the first.

It can’t get any worse. Two men, asking questions and making out-of-the-ordinary comments. Not leaving me alone…

“How old are you?”

“Do you live around here?”

“Please, let me through!” I demand, now I’m really annoyed by their attitude.

They, instead of moving away, leaned closer to my height. They were intimidating.

“See? No girl likes your mustache,” laughed the first soldier, hugging the other by the shoulders.

What can I do to get out of this?

Just as I was about to be asked more questions, a set of footsteps echoed behind me. My fear was that it was another soldier and I would have to deal with three men who don’t know how to take a NO from a young woman.

However, a gentle and serene voice comes to me.

“There you are, darling. Sorry I took so long. I’ve been looking all over for you~” a hand rested on my right shoulder. Turning my gaze slightly, I see a large ringed hand. And against my back, I felt the warmth of a torso.

Both soldiers see the person standing behind me.

“Hey, we’re busy here,” says one of them, somewhat irritated by the presence of this stranger.

“Oh yeah? I thought you guys were leaving already,” the stranger said calmly, but under that tone, anger could be detected. And with a wave of his hand, both soldiers began to march off into the distance.

The hand returns to its place on my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Don’t hold a grudge against them, but be careful next time,” his voice rang so close to me. All I do is turn my head toward the stranger.

And I finally see him. Taller than me, thin, pale skin, brown hair a little wavy and over his shoulders. The striking thing about him were his eyes, light blue like the sky in April.

His clothes were casual. A white blouse, a lavender jacket over it, and dark blue pants. With some pieces of gold jewelry and emerald stones.

Seeing that I gave no reaction, he continued talking, bending a little to my height.

“Where are you going? I’ll be your escort~” his smile appeared friendly, so my nerves relaxed a little more.

“J-just to the bakery,” I stated with a slightly cracked voice.

“Alright,” he said lowering his arm from my shoulder and taking my hand, “Don’t freak out, but I’m being chased.”

“Huh?” I whispered as he did.

“Act normal,” he gave my hand another gentle squeeze.

He put my hand on his arm, like any escort, and walked me slowly. My free hand remained on my chest at all times, my heart was pounding. So much commotion for just one morning. Whilst we were walking, I could feel his gaze on me from time to time. As if he was waiting for me to give some indication of discomfort.

Behind us, suddenly, extra footsteps were heard. Several extra footsteps, it kind of resembled a crowd.

“Forgive me,” he whispered with a smile on his face, “I got you involved.”

He quickened his pace just as I was about to turn to see who was following us, and we began to run hand in hand. In front of us, slimy black creatures appeared from between the walls. They wore white hats and shoes.

“This way!” he exclaimed, turning a corner, walking toward the parade crowd. However, more creatures sprouted from the walls in the distance, cornering us.

“Hold on tight,” he instructed, bracing his hand under my waist and taking a big leap upward.

Seemingly as if by magic, they both flew up to the sky. I could see the whole town from here. The cool breeze blew my dress and his jacket. I kept my legs bent while he seemed to keep walking without difficulty.

“I need you to relax, and keep walking,” he explained very close to my ear as the wind made it impossible to speak. I did as he asked, stretched out my legs and walked. Standing next to me, he took both of my hands and raised them to the level of my head.

“See? It’s not that hard,” he chuckled a little, trying to see my face. I kept my composure as much as I could, after all, this was an unusual day.

With each step we slowly descended to the ground, but not before passing over a few rooftops. The view was wonderful, everything looked like a dream.

He leaned towards me again.

“Very good,” he whispered to me. I replied with a friendly smile. People did not look like they saw us walking in the sky.

I was able to identify the large bakery building a few meters away. The young man continued his harmonious pace until he reached the balcony at the very top. Once there, he carefully helped me to step onto the railing and regain my balance on solid ground. Then he landed as well.

His hand slowly let go of mine, tenderly caressing it.

“I’ll try to keep them away from here,” he told me, “Stay inside a while longer before you leave.”

Impressed with this stranger, I smiled in disbelief at what had happened only minutes earlier.

“Yes,” I replied short of breath, albeit happily.

“That’s my girl,” his eyes softened at the sight of my smile and he beamed as well. Before leaving again, he gave a quick bow and jumped backwards into the street. Falling slowly. Worried that he had jumped from the top floor of the building, I ran to the balcony to check on him. But I couldn’t see him anymore, he had disappeared.

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In the main dining room, people were all over each other. It was as crowded as any place in town during this parade. Sadie found herself catering to thousands of people at once, especially men interested in her. Asking questions about when her shift would end or if she had a date. The soldiers wouldn’t let her do her job, but she was used to this kind of attention.

She knew she was beautiful, and she knew the others knew that. Regardless, she learned to cope with these situations with grace and elegance. Declining all who proposed to her. She wanted a quiet life.

“Here you go, come back soon,” she would say goodbye to each customer who finished their purchase.

Sadie’s green eyes made her unlike anyone else, almost no one has green eyes in the city. Plus, with her chocolate brown hair, she was a real eye candy.

Another young woman who worked there approached Sadie, whispering something in her ear.

“What? My sister’s here already?” she said in surprise, leaving everyone and running to the stairs to get to her younger sister.

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Quick footsteps resounded on the steps, I turned to see who was coming. Of course I recognize the sound of those heels, she’s the only one who wears those during work.

“Sis!” greeted Sadie happily, “Heard you came from heaven! That you landed on the balcony!”

“So, it wasn’t a dream, it really happened,” I said in a some-what trance.

"Sadie, do you want to use my office?” asked a man behind me.

“No thanks! We’re talking between sisters, if you’ll excuse us,” she declined.

Sadie then led me into the bakery kitchen. Between the boxes of groceries, we sat down and started talking about my day.

I told her everything, the soldiers, the stranger, the flight in the sky. Everything.

“Huh? Then he must have been a mage,” she whispered so no one would hear her.

My heart raced once again at the thought of that handsome stranger.

“But he was so kind to me,” I smiled, “He rescued me.”

“Duh, of course he did,” Sadie remarked, “He wanted to steal your heart! You got lucky, (Y/N)”

I turned to look at her, she can’t be serious.

“If that mage was Belmont, you would be dead by now and he would have eaten your heart,” she spoke to me as if what I experienced was close to death, and maybe to some degree it was. I mean, the poor guy was being chased by unhuman creatures.

“Nah, I don’t think so,” I sighed thinking about it, “Belmont does it to the most beautiful ones…”

Sadie brought a hand to her face, sighing wearily at this topic over and over again.

“There we go again,” irritated she mentioned, “You have to be careful! These are war times and more dangerous than before! They say that the witch of misery is back…”

I could no longer hear what my sister was saying to me, I could only think of the warmth of his hands. His kindness and the gentleness in his voice. He was not an evil sorcerer, not with that facade. Surely there is another explanation.

“Are you listening to me?” my older sister interrupted.

My blank stare gave her answer, to which she furrowed her makeup-covered brow.

On second thought, I think it would be better to keep her out of it. I stood up, grabbing my hat and shaking out my red skirt.

“Well, I’d better go,” I said without looking her in the eye, “I just wanted to know if you were all right.”

Accompanying me to the back door, we quickly said our goodbyes there.

She grabbed both my hands as I was about to leave.

“(Y/N), did you think about what I told you? About changing jobs?” she asked me, “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in that store?”

“That store meant a lot to mom and dad,” I said a little nostalgic at the memory, “Besides, I enjoy what I do.”

“But-”

“I’m leaving now,” I said quickly, turning and starting to walk. Behind me, my older sister’s voice called me back.

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On the way home, on the tram, I thought about my sister’s words. I like my job, I’m good at it. And about the stranger, I don’t think he has bad intentions towards me. He looks like a determined and classy young man.

The scenery bathed in orange brought me more wistfulness than ever, there is nothing in particular that I remember during a sunset, but…it’s a feeling that springs up from time to time.

Maybe…

Cling! Cling!

The bell signaled my stop.

My path was already empty. The parade was over, the streets were full of confetti and papers. No one was in sight. Yellow lanterns guided my way in the fullness of the dark night. The stars were not visible, the sky was cloudy. Some houses were lit from the inside, others were not.

The hat shop was already closed. Fortunately, I always have my key copy.

Entering, the bell chimes loudly. I don’t worry about that, since there’s hardly anyone renting a room here. Just me and the landlady, the other girls live nearby. The colorful carpet made my footsteps sound quiet. The showcases featured hats on display.

My hands crawled over the tables, searching for the box of matches and the alcohol lamp. Before long, I found them. And so, the light was made.

Cling! Cling!

What?

Turning to see the front door, there was a woman dressed in dark green. Her silk dress with feathers at the neck was striking. A large hat of the same color covered her face.

“I’m sorry, dear customer, but the store is now closed,” I said politely. I swear I locked the door.

The woman advanced towards me, I could see her black hair under her hat.

“What a disgusting, out of fashion and dusty hats,” she looked around and said in a venomous voice, “And you certainly are plain.”

My anger was immediate, burning in my chest, forcing me to say the following

“Please get out of my business,” my gaze steady as I walked toward the entrance. I opened the door and with one hand motioned for her to depart.

“You are quite brave to stand up to me, the witch of misery,” she turned around with a threatening flare.

It was then that I understood who she was…

Hands grabbed me from behind, they were those black and slimy creatures from a while ago. Only now they were dressed in lilac suits. My sight returned to the witch, who was already in front of me. Her black clawed hand rested on my chest, right on my heart.

“You will never sew with passion again, I wish you this curse,” she dug her claws deeper into me, but only to emphasize her malediction. I felt dizzy, and the hands dropped me to the floor.

At that the witch walked past me, pleased with her deed.

“The best thing about this spell is that you won’t be able to tell anyone about it,” she whispered to me.

And just as I was about to get up to face her, I heard her last words.

“My regards to Belmont.”

Cling! Cling!

The Mage of Hearts (Snippet) [Yan! Mage! OC x Fem! reader]

[Yan! Mage! OC x Fem! reader]

A work in progress, based on the movie “Howl’s Moving Castle”.

…

“How old are you?”

“Do you live around here?”

“Please, let me through!” I demand, now I’m really annoyed by their attitude.

They, instead of moving away, leaned closer to my height. They were intimidating.

“See? No girl likes your mustache,” laughed the first soldier, hugging the other by the shoulders.

What can I do to get out of this?

Just as I was about to be asked more questions, a set of footsteps echoed behind me. My fear was that it was another soldier and I would have to deal with three men who don’t know how to take a NO from a young woman.

However, a gentle and serene voice comes to me.

“There you are, darling. Sorry I took so long. I’ve been looking all over for you~” a hand rested on my right shoulder. Turning my gaze slightly, I see a large ringed hand. And against my back, I felt the warmth of a torso.

Both soldiers see the person standing behind me.

“Hey, we’re busy here,” says one of them, somewhat irritated by the presence of this stranger.

“Oh yeah? I thought you guys were leaving already,” the stranger said calmly, but under that tone, anger could be detected. And with a wave of his hand, both soldiers began to march off into the distance.

The hand returns to its place on my shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Don’t hold a grudge against them, but be careful next time,” his voice rang so close to me. All I do is turn my head toward the stranger.

And I finally see him. Taller than me, thin, pale skin, brown hair a little wavy and over his shoulders. The striking thing about him were his eyes, light blue like the sky in April.

His clothes were casual. A white blouse, a lavender jacket over it, and dark blue pants. With some pieces of gold jewelry and emerald stones.

Seeing that I gave no reaction, he continued talking, bending a little to my height.

“Where are you going? I’ll be your escort~” his smile appeared friendly, so my nerves relaxed a little more.

“J-just to the bakery,” I stated with a slightly cracked voice.

…