The Ancient Magus' Bride: Those Awaiting a Star

When Angelica sends Chise a parcel of magic supplies, it includes a present: a book Chise read as a child. Elias asks her to tell him the story behind it, and Chise recalls a chapter of her past. As a little girl she discovered that she could see beings invisible to ordinary people, a gift that brought her nothing but trouble. Others thought her strange, and after her mother's death her life at home grew ever harder. One day, after another quarrel, Chise ran away into the forest, where a huge rat-like spirit began to chase her.

Trying to escape, she found an unusual building hidden among the trees: a vast library run by Riichi Miura, who called himself a forest mage. He was surprised to see a child there, since the library was shielded from most spirits and ordinary people could hardly find it. Riichi let her stay and gave her a library card, and the place became a rare refuge where she could be near someone who did not find her strange. She returned again and again, growing attached to him, and one book, a story about a lonely little star, came to mean a great deal to her as a reminder that light can be found even in the darkest moments. But that peace was shattered when the rat spirits broke into the library and began destroying the books.