'What happened..?'
I was still disorientated after coming to, but I could hear the hushed sound of two voices. I sat up, and saw that I was under covers.
'Is this Eve's room..?' I felt the pillowy gray-and-pink mattress. It was filled to the brim with plushies on all sides.
'How do you sleep like this? I get having just one or two of them, but this looks like a mess waiting to be cleaned up every day…'
With the lights being off, the only thing illuminating the room was the door, which was slightly cracked open. I could only make out a few other things; for instance, I could see a few items on her bedside table, which was a slab of marble strung on brass. I saw a picture frame. It was of a woman smiling while pushing an older gentleman on a wheelchair. She looked quite similar to Eve, but had a more… mature(?) air to her; perhaps it was her sister or mother.
Aside from that, there were makeup compacts, delicate brushes, and other palettes of pigments. I also saw a few crystal bottles, which were filled with a clear liquid. I picked one up and sloshed it around; it moved fluidly without much viscosity to it. I opened the bottle and tried to waft it to see what kind of scent it was, but I found that there was no odor in particular that could be garnered from it.
'Oh, it's not perfume…' I closed it, placing it back down. I realized I might be prying too much into her belongings.
'I heard someone else talking…' I walked over to the door and was able to make out some of their conversation.
"...And you didn't find it strange that she kept feeling that tingling the entire time?"
"I didn't know she wasn't—"
"It wasn't life-threatening, so it's not a massive deal. However, keep in mind that it's not your life you're handling… Be more thorough."
"I understand…"
I pushed the door and walked out into the living area, finding that the other person was Nanik, still in business-wear—and he was reprimanding Eve. She was sulking on a chair with her head nestled down and arms tucked around her knees.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" I asked somewhat awkwardly. They both looked at me, and I could see relief wash over Eve's face,
"Tokei..!" She leaped off of the chair, landing on her feet with just a pitter. She clasped her hands together,
"I'm so sorry, I should've kept a closer eye on you there! You were out cold for two hours… H-how are you feeling?"
I replied, "Better now that my headache is gone…"
"Just as I said, my Euger took care of her." Nanik spoke from behind Eve, who pouted,
"I just wanted to be sure—you have a habit of lying, you know!"
"That's rich. Aren't you using your powers to make yourself look younger—"
"H-hey! You said you wouldn't bring that up!!" Eve ran up to Nanik and tried to cover his mouth.
"Slip of tongue." He swatted her hand away while looking at me,
"Tokei, do you recall what happened after you did the breathing exercise?"
"...I do, but it's hard to explain… It felt like I was transported into a different world. N-nothing was the same, a-and I couldn't see Eve anymore," I thought about how to articulate my next words,
"...But her voice could be seen as disturbances; it seemed like external interactions caused the space there to change." Nanik and Eve turned and looked at each other for a brief moment before Nanik inquired,
"Anything else?"
"It got about that far before I felt terrible and passed out." I shook my head.
"…That explains the state of the office," Nanik sighed.
"Huh? Did something happen there?" I asked.
"Yes. After you fell unconscious, the electricity was cut off from the room, and none of the appliances there are working properly anymore." He pointed to the ring light, which had now been brought out here,
"That thing keeps fluctuating on and off, so it's essentially out of commission; The rest of the electronics in the office are in the same state."
"But I'm sure I didn't do anything…" I curled my lips, feeling guilty.
"It's alright, Tokei, I can get the room fixed and replace everything later," Eve reassured me. I figured that she could replace them, but aren't they still quite expensive?
"She's only relaxed now because I told her I'd pay for them," Nanik added. Eve frowned at Nanik, but he dismissed her glowering and carried on,
"I believe the Sethnine injected into your system didn't stimulate your mansian, but something entirely different: a Physique."
'I haven't heard about Physiques before. But then again, I don't know about a lot of things right now…'
"What do you mean by my 'Physique'? And what's the difference between that and magical abilities?"
"Physiques are what are considered abnormal body states. They're innate, being dormant within the person since gestation," he elaborated,
"They can be stimulated through a multitude of stressors. In your case, the refined Sethnine simply acted as a catalyst for your Physique. For sorceras, that would be a cause for rejoice…"
An uneasy feeling crept in me; Nanik was being slow with his words. "But..?"
"Therein lies the question: Your Physique has manifested only now, and yet your mansian still has yet shown any sign of function…"
I felt butterflies in my stomach, "You mean to say…" I faltered.
"You are not a sorcera, Tokei."
"..." For an aching moment, I could only stare at Nanik in silence. I felt disheartened by his very simply-founded conclusion.
I awoke with a naïve mindset. I had wanted immediate answers—something, anything, to fill the gaps of my past, but I've just been a bumbling mess. I've pranced about without a clue of what I was accomplishing. I was avoiding reality. Now, I've had another door shut in on me.
I lowered my gaze, pursing my lips and balling my hands. "Then… What can I even do?" The words escaped me fleetingly. Tears of frustration beaded at the edges of my eyes. Eve didn't say a word, only giving me an apologetic look.
Haah~.
Under my silence, Nanik approached me. It was only now that he was in front of me directly that I noticed that he had a tall and imposing gait. He leaned towards me slightly, his near shoulder-length hair swishing, and reached a hand out towards my face. I flinched involuntarily, remembering an earlier moment in the cab. But the stinging pain never came.
Instead, a faint tap~ pushed my head back gently. "You're making a face again," he said, chuckling,
"It's not a good look on you."
"I know…" He watched as I wiped the edges of my eyes,
"...It's not necessarily a hindrance that you aren't drawn to magic."
"What do you mean?" I've experienced first-hand how versatile magic is. So, for him to say that it wasn't bad… It only felt like he was trying to console me.
"Although your Physique is a different case, there are many others who are not aligned with Sethnine. You've seen the cutting-edge technology at Annual Hotel, yes?"
"Yeah," I slowly nodded.
"That tech is not born from magic; it was forged through innovation and raw ingenuity. Do not attribute your incompatibility to hopelessness," He said while smiling faintly,
"...If your enigma was a neat present, it would be a giant, multi-layered one… Well-crafted presents are not meant to be opened quickly. Each layer should be peeled off with care—"
"Pffft-hehe~. What are you-sniff~ saying?" I couldn't help but laugh at his quirky analogy.
"I'm just saying—you shouldn't fret about it all now. Take everything that comes at you one-by-one, and the pieces will fall together."
"Thank you. And sorry, I don't know what came over me…" I scratched my head with some shame.
"No apologies needed."
"Wow…" Eve was stunned,
"A-are you sure he's not your dad?"
Nanik shot her a confused look, "And what even gave you that impression?"
"Oh, I don't know…"
…
"I'm driving this time," Nanik said.
I was surprised. "You can drive? Also, isn't this the same exact car that picked you up at the medical center?"
"Of course I can. I have a license. And I'm borrowing this car."
Nanik and I were in the parking lot of the apartment complex. Eve had to go to a photoshoot—and also find someone to repair the electrical issues that were caused by my Physique's activation earlier.
I would've opted to stay back in Eve's apartment, but Nanik said he also had something to do. I was concerned that my Physique would be triggered whilst nobody was around, so I asked if I could tag along.
…
Nanik drove us in silence for a few minutes before I couldn't hold in my curiosity, "…Do you think what I awakened is any good?"
Nanik stared at the road ahead, "As of right now—hard to say. It was first activated by Eve's Sethnine, but you can't remain in it for long," he gave a concise rundown, and then surmised,
"We could attempt the same thing again to see if the activation method's changed. Replicating it is the best thing you can do for yourself."
"You mean, like practicing being in that state?"
"Exactly. Attunement to Physiques can generally be developed through continued training. I would say it's similar to building muscle or gaining expertise with magical abilities."
"Hmm…" I looked out the window, recalling how it felt to be in that "world" (if that's what you would call it). I imagined the empty space, and how surreal my meager moments inside there felt like.
"It was a very existential experience… I'd like to return there and explore it some, but I'm not too keen on the whole pain side-effect."
"Such is growth; risk and gain are often intercorrelated… Speaking of risks," Nanik rapped his right hand on the steering wheel,
"How about a bet?"
'Bet? Is he bored or something? Why all of a sudden..?' I squinted my eyes at him with skepticism. He didn't seem to notice my glare, though; he kept looking forward with a poker face.
I shifted in my seat, "Does that have anything to do with where we're going?"
Nanik relaxed his shoulders and spoke calmly, "We're meeting with a seller today because I've been on the market for a base—a big one. Something more off the radar."
"Like a house?"
"No. I meant it quite literally."
"...What do you need something like that for?"
"It's not technically for me… For my staff," Nanik added vaguely,
"Space is needed to coordinate more operations and plans. A base would give them room to work without much interference."
I mulled over his words. 'He did leave for an "appointment" before, so he does business… I guess that explains it,' I nodded to myself,
"What's the bet, then?"
"—Whether or not I can cut the price by at least sixty percent. You think I can pull it off?"
"Uh, what're the stakes?" I prodded. Although he didn't voice it, it appeared that he had given the amount some thought before saying it. It made me feel less inclined to be hasty with my decisions.
"It's very straightforward," Nanik said while making a left turn at the light, "I win: you give joining my team some consideration; you win… I'll leave that up to your discretion. Could even be an I.O.U."
'Sus… He didn't even consider the stakes of losing… I would be an idiot to take the bet as is.'
I made an exaggerated smirk, "How about this? Instead, make it at least eighty percent, and you make them think it was their idea all along to sell for cheap." If Nanik wants to renegotiate, he'd still have to go lower than he originally planned—what an ingenious idea!
"..."
I leaned back, smiling coyly, "It's alright. You can take your time—"
"Sure."
"I-what?"
"I said, 'Sure. '"
"I heard you the first time, but… you're not going to deliberate over it?"
"I just did."
I don't understand him. 'Well, that was fast. I thought he'd been properly stunned by my proposition. His mind truly eludes me,' I sighed internally. Whether or not I was going to regret this was left to be seen.
Our bantering slowly derailed off to me interjecting and asking Nanik about any and every building I found to be remotely intriguing. You couldn't even blame me; the bustling inner cities of Trizen had way too many eye-catching architectural styles. For instance: one of the buildings we drove by was a building owned by Tretplex, which was apparently one of the largest companies involving web surfing and technology. Its contemporary wavy building style, accompanied by a similarly curved glass façade, made it stand out quite a bit.
…
We pulled into a long, bustling artery of a street. The traffic here was heavily congested. People were honking horns at street lights that seemed to be barely spaced apart, and pedestrians, either wearing formal or just casual wear, scurried along the walks and road crosses.
"This is something you won't miss about Trizen cities. They're always like this~," Nanik breathed out. He put his left arm on the door panel and rested his hand on his chin,
"Any time now…"
Finally, after about five minutes, the traffic opened up for a moment, and Nanik passed through and took a right at the intersection. He slowed the car down as he scanned the left street buildings' signages, "Tomes & Fables… There." He flicked his turn signal and, with a quick movement, twisted the wheel. The car weaved in between two others parked alongside the road. After adjusting the car a bit, Nanik pulled the key, shutting off the engine.
I exited cautiously from the passenger side and took in the aforementioned "meeting place". It was a weathered storefront that sat snugly in between an apartment-alley and a tailor's atelier; "↞ Tomes & Fables ↠" it read.
"We've arrived sooner than the seller, so you can check out the place in the meantime. It's a bookstore," Nanik said,
"You still have money, right?"
"Yup-!" If I remember correctly, I have some 9 Aero, 5 Mira, and 8 Arin remaining.
'I hope there's some interesting reads in there…'
…Ding~! Artificial door-strung bells rang as we opened the door.
"Welcome in." We were greeted by an elderly man who was wearing a black apron over a beige shirt and jeans, hugging a few boxes,
"Don't mind me and help yourselves!"
Nanik and I split up, with Nanik going back outside to take a smoke break. I wanted to take a look around, but I was kind of lost on which section I should check first; the shelves were like a maze.
Thankfully, it was a relatively small store, or I very likely would have gotten lost down the line in here.
The elderly man, who was leaning over, tidying up a box full of books and organizing it on a shelf of the "Arts" section, noticed me wandering about aimlessly. "Kid, are you searching for something?"
"Yes, but not for anything in particular… Are you the owner here?" I asked.
"Why, yes, I am," the elderly man said.
"Uhm…Do you, perchance, have any personal recommendations?—Genres, I mean."
He offered me a kind smile, grabbing a single book from the box. "You seem like you'd fit right in with our scholarly texts."
He straightened his back, placing an arm on his knee, "Here you are, kid." He handed me a hardcover book titled "[On Data]",
"An apple for a curious mind."
I held it in my hands. The book was a muted navy, plainly done with a matte finish, and was of moderately-hefty weight. Its title was embossed in a refined and unadorned typeface.
"How much for it?"
He elderly man thought, "With Goods Tax… 12 AE."
I considered it, 'The book's unassuming and kinda vague. What "data" exactly? It could be a hit or miss. Nevertheless, it's pretty cheap…'
"I'll take this, thanks." Even if it wasn't a worthwhile purchase, it could be a nice keepsake.
"I'm glad you found it to your liking. If you still want to look for other books, the Magicks and Sciences section could be a good start," he suggested.
"Ah, Okay. Um, by the way, I was wondering… Can I open the books to see what their content is about, or is that not allowed?"
"—It's a bookstore, do whatever you want, kid~," he said, waving me off as he retreated behind the counter at the far right end of the shop.
Taking his advice, I drifted toward the "Magicks" section first. 'I feel like a dunce whenever Nanik talks anything magic, so maybe this will clear up some of the terminology…'
Reaching toward the shelves, I perused the different books that lined them. I read the spines of some of the books I saw: "Finn's Thesis on Inorganic Structures: A Derivation on Earthly Magic and Which Soils are Best for Transference", "Jeguk's Concise Contemplation on the Interconnectedness of Mana Veins of Frog Species in Turun and Humans" (which was by far the least compact book in this section)...
'Why are all of these titles so long?!' They were mouthfuls, too. Unfortunately (or fortunately), they were too advanced for me to delve into as a beginner. I took some time scanning the entire shelf until I found one that piqued my interest:
" 'Mystique Compendium'... Doesn't sound half bad."
I read through the table of contents of the large book and found that it was the fifth edition of an older text containing elementary knowledge on Sethnine and the different specializations of sorceras. Additionally, there were a variety of lessons embedded with illustrations on weapon arts or combat arts that complemented sorceras and martial artists respectively.
Although the price tag was 34 AE, the amount of people that contributed to it, as seen from the "Acknowledgements" at the end of the compendium, convinced me that it was justified.
I grabbed the compendium and shifted over to the adjacent "Sciences" area. The section was furthermore partitioned into sub-sections, such as "Chemistry", "Physics", and "Tech & Computation". Since the first book I got from the owner probably belonged to the latter, I just slipped out one of the slim volumes over physics principles and applications.
Then, I noticed that, sitting near the back behind the shelf, there was a cardboard box container that was labeled as a discount pile. It was a haphazard stack of neglected books and works that were marked at just 5 AE apiece. However, what immediately caught my eye was a singular book that sat aloft the pile.
"Magical ME!"
It had a peculiar title, and the bold, glittering lettering on said title was hilariously flashy. Flipping it open, I discovered that it was an autobiography of none other than Farthington Redsworth, the child actor for Glankist from the Galactic Battle Saga. The synopsis, upon a further read, was a wild preview of his escapades. It ranged from vanquishing cosmic deities to winning completely made up awards, such as the "World's Greatest Ballroom Dancer" or "Best Monologues".
I snorted unconsciously, "What even is this? This is way too absurd. No wonder it's been thrown down here…" That being said, I had a feeling that it would be a fun read regardless, so I grabbed it from the pile.
…
Content with my picks, I came up to the front counter and handed the owner the four books. The elderly owner quickly slid the books through a scanner, but paused when he got to Farthington's book, "Oh? You know this feller?"
I nodded, admitting, "I watched Galactic Battle recently."
He narrated as though I'd just brought up a long-forgotten memory of his. "Heh. You youngsters are still fans of underground flicks, eh? Farthington Redsworth—now there was a prodigy in the making. He captured the hearts of many Galactic Battle enjoyers, and I was no different… A shame he was pushed out of the limelight when he got older; industry claimed he couldn't keep up, that he was too unconventional."
'I didn't know there were that many people who liked those movies. Perhaps I don't have a good eye for it,' I reconsidered my initial takeaways of the films. I was curious as to what his predicaments were now, given that it seemed like he wrote his autobiography not too long ago.
"So… What happened to him after?"
The bookstore owner closed his eyes and shook his head slowly after some thought, "In the past few years, he's practically vanished from the media. What you have on hand is one of the limited copies, but it's just that no one buys it these days," he placed the books orderly into a tote bag that had on it an ebony design of the outside of the storefront.
"...Now that I think about it," he said,
"He must be twenty-four or twenty-five by now. Just around your generation, I presume. I hope you can meet the lad in my place some day, haha!"
"Uhm… Yeah, I think that would be cool." I replied with an awkward face.
"Bah, Don't take this old man's words to heart. It's just that—it's been a while since I've had anyone with similar interests, so I started rambling a bit… Let me get you sorted." He typed on the keyboard of the register.
"It's 73 AE, kid." I gave him an Aero and received 2 Mira and 7 Arin in change.
"Thank you for your purchase," said the elderly owner, giving me an affable smile.
Then, Ding~!
The door opened, and in walked Nanik and another man—the "seller". He was a man who looked a little disorganized, wearing a slim-fit blue office shirt that was rumpled at the shoulders, paired with similarly wrinkled dress pants and his untidied black hair.
"Hello there, miss~!" The seller greeted with a merry and high voice, and made a swift movement, stopping right in front of me, offering a handshake,
"You're Mr. Iman's employee, yes?"
I took his handshake, "Uh- yeah… Something like that." I didn't want to cause any more unnecessary questions, so I just went along with it.
"Great..! I'm Hilgan, it's a pleasure to be of your acquaintance," he huffed cheerily,
"Now that she's here with us, let's get back to what I was mentioning earlier: I've hired someone to move out all of the degraded equipment in the base, so you needn't worry about moving it all yourself."
Nanik nodded, "Alright—"
Hilgan brusquely continued, "Of course, that means most of the refitting will have to be done on your end. But, but! I'll cut the price down by half… How about it?"
"...Before then, you think you could show me and her around the base? That's why I brought her with me today, after all."
Hilgan slapped his forehead, laughing self-deprecatingly, "Ah! How could I forget about that? O-of course! I'll set up a Conduit in a jiffy… Pops!" he faced the elderly bookstore owner,
"I'll be heading out for a bit!"
"I've been listening," the old man grunted,
"Don't go writing runes on the walls, alright, Hilgan?"
"I don't do that anymore, I've learnt," Hilgan rolled his eyes, turning back to me and Nanik,
"How about I draw the Conduit on you guys?"
"What's a Conduit, exactly?" I asked.
"—We call it that because it's a gateway connected to someplace else. I like to do it through inscribed runes—it functions kinda like a pipeline." Hilgan then pulled out a black marker from his pockets and pointed it at my arm.
"Here, hold out your arm. I can send you through first!"
"Oh, you can do it with something like that?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
Hilgan glanced briefly away, chuckling as he spoke, "It's not really a matter of 'can or can't' with me. Without this marker, I wouldn't be able to imbue runes… I'm still a Neophyte at Thirty, much to my Pop's dismay!" The old owner didn't make any comments to that. Hilgan's words suggested that there were specific distinctions between a "Neophyte" and higher order powers.
'I think Eve mentioned that she was an 'Eminent'. I can't really imagine her being strong, though…'
I raised my arm horizontally and Hilgan started writing on it. Somehow, the marker felt cold on my skin, making me feel ticklish. He stopped after writing a string of glyphs that traced a portion of my arm.
ᚽᛁ◟ᛁ ⸍ˎ ⸍ᚽᛁ◟ᛁ (ᛙ◟ˎ⠃).
"Have you ever gone through a Sethnic Gate before? It's pretty similar, I'd say."
"Huh?" Am I about to go already?
"—Guess you haven't; just a heads up: even if you don't have motion sickness, it won't be a pleasant experience the first few times around. I projectile vomited all of my lunch on the floor every time until after the tenth experience!"
He sounded quite proud of himself for some reason, but I think I could've gone without knowing that last tidbit…
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"I-I guess I am."
No later upon confirmation, Hilgan's left eye, which had been pitch-black in color, glew a faint blue around the outer edge of his iris.
He whispered, "Dagaz."
…