I never really thought much about what I was doing with my life. As a second year high school student, the concept of being a grown up was something unfathomable. I’m positive that most high school students have a change of heart about what they want to do in life. So why? Why do the teachers care so much about these damn career plan forms? It isn’t like they were never kids before.

A piece of paper that was meant to be filled out with my future goals and aspirations was crumpled into a ball and tossed randomly back into my backpack.

“What is wrong with just putting down that I want to be a magician?” I asked myself as I started to browse through the selection of occult books in the second-hand book store in my neighborhood.

I loved to come here after a tough day at school. Today, I was supposed to hand in my career form, but I just couldn’t bear to. Thinking back to how everyone else had filled out their forms with their dreams and goals made my blank piece of paper seem so pathetic.

It was not that I had forgotten to do the assignment, or didn’t have any dreams of my own. Like most people, I dreamed of having a well paying job, a house, and a wife. However, that stinking form kept asking for specifics. That is when I realized that I had no specific well paying job that I wanted, no style of home that really appealed to me, and no person that I even remotely desired to be my spouse.

The store was located in a small plaza, and completely dwarfed by the large clothing stores that flanked it on both sides. In total there were only five rows of shelves. While the amount of books available left something to be desired, the contents were something rarely found in any other store. From old and forgotten classics to nosebleed inducing adult books, one could find unique books in this dusty store. That included books about the occult.

Despite being in high school, I still had an unhealthy obsession with magic. It all started when my parents invited a magician to my birthday party when I turned six years old. Since then, I had read every book and watched every show I possibly could as long as it pertained to magic. This resulted in kids my age thinking that I was an anime otaku, but in reality I was a magic otaku. To think that there was something beyond normal is something that I cherish in the back of my mind.

Oh this one looks extra cool. I thought to myself as I picked up a small yet thick book with a strange magic circle design.

The leather was a dark brown with patches lighter than others, a sign of the books age. Upon opening the book I noticed that the pages are stained yellow from passing time. Having the appearance of a western style book, the words were written in a bizzare symbol like language. It was as if someone mixed Nordic runes and hieroglyphics. Yet I could understand the contents completely.

DO YOU DESIRE KNOWLEDGE?

“What?!” I gasped as I dropped the book and looked around nervously. To my knowledge I was the only patreon that is in the store, and that voice was most definitely not the owner’s voice. In fact, I could hardly even call it human. It sounded both young and old, both masculine and feminine.

DO YOU DESIRE KNOWLEDGE? I CAN PROVIDE IT, AND MAKE YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE COME TRUE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE A PACT WITH ME.

Ah, I really wish I had some holy water! What the hell, am I about to get possessed? Not many things creeped me out, a handy result of spending years studying the paranormal . This wealth of knowledge just became a double edged sword as facts about how the most popular western belief that magic stems from creating a contract with a demon. I’m going to a church as soon as possible.

My feet slowly began to shuffle away from the pile of books that I was looking at. While keeping my eyes glued on the demonic book, quietly reciting a buddhist chant followed by a christian prayer. Just as I reach the exit for the genre section, the leather book flew into my chest.

Winded by the sudden impact, I fell onto my knees and gasped for air. Looking down I saw the book was clinging to my body as if it was glued on. Using both arms, I tried to pry the damn thing away from me, but it is no use. I am so Fucked.

DAMNIT KID! I GRANT WISHES FOR GOODNESS SAKES, JUST LET ACCEPT ME AND I’LL MAKE YOUR MOST DESIRED DREAM A REALITY. JUST ACCEPT ME. I AM MORE LIKE A GENIE IN A BOOK, YEAH LET’S JUST GO WITH THAT. I’M LIKE TOTALLY NOT A DEMON. NO DEMON HERE.

That is total bullshit. Your voice is like, completely demonic. Sweat poured down my face as . I did my best to stand still.. How should I react? Screaming in terror would be a normal reaction, but a part of me desired to know what this book can do.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“There you are! Don’t you dare go entering random people again!” a shrill scream travelled into my ears. From the pitch the voice obviously belonged to a girl, and from the tone I can tell that she was flustered.  

Craning my neck I caught a glimpse of the voice’s owner. It was a girl wearing a school uniform. The jacket was a dreary navy blue color, it covered a perfectly pressed white blouse, and the skirt was matching color to the jacket.

QUICK BOY! BEFORE THAT DAMN BiTCH TAKES ME AWAY AND LOCKS ME UP. DID I MENTION THAT I CAN ALSO TEACH YOU MAGIC? LIKE TOTALLY REAL AND COOL MAGIC. JUST PLEASE LET ME IN!!!!

Inside of my heart I could feel the confliction tearing me apart. Any rational individual would clearly never even consider the possibility of letting some unknown supernatural force enter their body. Yet from what the girl said it was clear that this was not the first time that this book tried to possess someone. She must have a way to take the book out if something goes wrong right? Alright Mr. Book, I accept your proposal.

GOOD! YOU WON’T REGRET THIS BOY. HAHA IF I SUCCEED THIS TIME, MAYBE THAT OLD FREAK OF NATURE WON’T DESTROY ME. HAHAHA.

Eh?! The strange feeling that I’ve been conned fizzled in my brain. Looking back a couple of seconds ago, I did make a rather impulsive decision. Although this did not seem like the first time this has happened, why does Mr. Book’s words make me feel so uncertain. Ah! Wait before you do anything tell me what happened to everyone that accepted your proposal!

HEHE, NO TAKE BACKS!

Before I could retort, a searing pain originated from my chest. A blinding light radiated from Mr. Book as he entered my body. The best way to describe what I was feeling is to imagine a gasoline dosed lump of coal that was just ignited.

“Save me! Someone please save me!” unable to endure the after effects of Mr. Book entering me, I thoughtlessly let out a shriek.

Writhing on the old carpet floor, I rolled around in an attempt to stop the spreading of the burning sensation. Of course it was all futile since there was no fire, but my brain had no longer thought things through. The only thing on my mind was stopping the pain any way possible.

Forcing my eyes open I rotated them in the direction of the girl who was yelling just a second ago. Based on all the recent evidence, it was safe to assume that the girl had some sort of connection to magic. Although this theory might have be too hastily formed, I could only rely on her to save me at the moment.

As I parted my lips to call out to my potential savior, I saw that she had already closed the gap and was standing not very far from me. What caught my attention was not her eyes filled with concern nor her perfectly white face which was cutely scrunched from worry, it was the brilliant sight of white and blue stripes that were normally hidden from view by the navy blue skirt that is wrapped around it.

“What beautiful stripes.” I laboriously wheezed. My brain finally stopped functioning properly and so the worst possible words left my mouth without being filtered.

Regardless how hard it was to focuse due to the rather unpleasant sensation slowly spreading throughout my body, I could see that worry filled face frost over in less than a second. The once watery brown eyes could not have become any more deadpan.

“Yuta! Yuta what’s wrong?” the old man who owned the store blurted out as he hobbled over from behind the counter.

There is a God! Thank goodness, I thought that I would be killed off from this girl’s stare before this pain could do me in. Tears streamed down the sides of my eyes as the man I had gotten to know pretty well over the past few years through consistent patronage came to my hour of need.

“Shroud! Foggy Mind!” A familiar shrill yell came from next to me.

Before I even had a moment to process what was happening, a curtain of shimmering light encased everything around me. Simultaneously, the old man stopped walking and stood silently in place for a couple of seconds, his eyes looked glossed over as if he was lost in thought. When he seemingly regained consciousness, his face morphed in confusion as he scratched the back of his head. It was like he had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard he tried, all that resulted was wasted effort.

Releasing a sigh, the old man turned around and hobbled back to his comfortable chair behind the counter. “I must really be going senile, I was in such a hurry to do something I even forgot my cane, but goodness me, I can’t seem to remember what it was. Oh? When did Yuta-kun leave?”

“I’m right here! Help me mister! Please, call an ambulance! I’m dying!”

No matter how hard I yelled, the old man ignored all of it. Somehow the light curtain completely warped the owner’s vision and kept all sound from escaping.

Holy shit! That girl really does know magic! She has to help me. It is her fault anyways for letting loose something this dangerous. I turned my sight back to the girl, and almost spat a mouthful of blood from her apathetic gaze. Screw it I am going to power through this. I will learn magic! And the first thing I am going to do is kick this haughty bitch’s butt. I gritted my teeth in determination while digging my fingers so deep into the palm of my hands that started to bleed.

It was then that I heard a familiar voice in my brain.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT! ONCE I FINISH THE BESTOWAL PROCESS YOU WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DO ANYTHING! HOLD ON KID THE PROCESS IS ALMOST OVER. SOON YOUR WISH TO A MAIN CHARACTER WILL BE FULFILLED!

It’s no good…. Those were my last thoughts before the pain suddenly flared, and I passed out.