Akari's head throbbed as she blinked back into consciousness, sprawled on the hard concrete of a cramped alley. Next to her, Agent Collins let out a pained grunt, signalling his own reluctant return to the waking world with a low groan.

"What... what happened?" Akari managed to rasp, struggling to sit up. Vague images swirled in her mind—the demoness's crippling shockwave, then nothing but blackness.

Collins winced, pressing a hand to his forehead. "She hit us with something, knocked us out in one hit. I've never seen anything like it."

"But she's not that powerful," Akari argued, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Apparently, she is," Collins said grimly. "We underestimated her."

Anger flared within Akari as she clenched her fist. They had been so sure of their strategy. "We need more people. We have to stop her before she hurts someone."

"Wait a minute," Collins interjected, his hand raised to slow her down. "Don't you find it odd she didn't finish us off?"

Akari paused, the weight of that thought settling on her. The demoness had spared them, despite having the chance to do otherwise.

"You're right," she admitted. "Demons don't usually show mercy."

Collins nodded. "Let's just watch her for now. If she wanted us dead, we wouldn't be talking about it."

"But she attacked those men earlier," Akari recalled, the image of the demoness feasting on them vivid in her memory.

"She mentioned sparing them. Maybe we were too quick to act." Collins's uncertainty was palpable. "Let's check in with the team."

A swift command to their team and few minutes later text message confirmed that the men were alive.

"Well, she told the truth," Collins said, raising an eyebrow. "Let's hold off on any hasty moves."

Reluctantly, Akari agreed, seeing the sense in waiting. "Okay, we'll wait. But I'm keeping a close watch on her."

Her determination was unwavering. "Good thing we're in a class together. I'll monitor the guy she's replaced, wait for her to make a mistake."

"Replaced? You're sure of that?" Collins asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"Positive," Akari replied, her voice firm. "She must've assumed his life after getting rid of him. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"But she actively avoided killing," Collins reminded her, sceptical.

"Then she's hiding him somewhere," Akari retorted, her frustration evident.

Seeing no point in arguing, Collins gave in. "Just be careful. We can't mess this up again."

Akari nodded, her mission clear. She was determined to expose the demoness's motives and shield everyone from whatever she was plotting.

Lilia dragged herself home, feeling utterly spent. The run-in with Akari and Collins had taken its toll emotionally more than anything. She texted her parents to let them know she'd crash at her sister's place that night. What now?

A wave of relief washed over Lilia as she reached Ren's apartment. The place was a welcome sight after the day's ordeal. She knocked gently, and the door opened to reveal Ren's puzzled expression.

"Lilia? What brings you here?" Ren asked.

"It's been one heck of a day," Lilia exhaled. "Mind if I come in?"

Ren nodded, stepping aside to let Lilia in. She sank into the couch, letting out a weary moan. As Lilia settled in, a tiny black cat hopped up next to her.

"And who is this?" Ren asked, eyeing the cat.

"He's Alistair, Lilia's familiar from the game," Lilia replied, her energy waning.

At his name, the cat transformed into a small, impish creature, offering an exaggerated bow. "Alistair Wellington, at your service," he spoke in a reedy tone.

Ren jumped a bit. "Oh! Well, nice to meet you, Alistair."

Alistair scrutinized Ren with a critical gaze. "Charmed," he responded, not quite hiding his sarcasm.

Lilia gave Alistair a stern glance before filling Ren in on recent events and today's encounter with Akari and Collins.

Ren listened closely, nodding. "Got it. I'll see if I can pull a few strings to get them off your back for a while."

Lilia's face lit up with gratitude. "Did I ever tell you you're the best?"

Ren gave a supportive smile. "Always. Now forget all that for a bit. Anime sound good?"

They settled into an evening of anime and light conversation. To Lilia's surprise, Alistar warmed up to Ren, and they bonded over their favourite series. When Lilia's transformation finally reversed, James was instantly overtaken by exhaustion. He collapsed on Ren's couch and fell into a deep sleep.

Sunlight filtered in through the blinds the next morning, rousing James from his sleep. For a brief moment, he felt disoriented, his mind blank on his whereabouts. Then, like a tide rushing in, the events of the previous day swamped his thoughts.

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

With a groan, James sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The digital clock on the wall read just past 7 AM—school would start soon.

"Time to get up already?" Ren's voice drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the rich aroma of brewing coffee.

"Yeah, I better get going," James called back as he rose to his feet, his body resisting the movement, weighed down by the remnants of sleep.

He had a quick bite to eat and shared a swift goodbye before heading to school, Alistair ambling beside him in his cat form. His mind was a whirlwind of anxiety about what awaited him there. Would Akari still be in his class? What if she tried to expose him or attacked him right there?

Entering his first class, James tensed up. But Akari was just sitting at her desk, staring out the window, and didn't even glance his way.

James took his seat, keeping an eye on her. Yet, for the time being, she seemed content to ignore him. The morning passed without incident, though Akari's presence kept him on edge.

At lunch, his friends picked up on his unease. "You okay, man?" Nathan asked, concern etching his face. "You seem off."

"Yeah, I'm fine," James responded, his voice carrying a hint of falsehood. "Just had a rough night."

His gaze couldn't help but drift to where Akari sat alone, methodically eating her lunch and jotting down notes. What was she planning?

The afternoon classes seemed to stretch on endlessly. James couldn't shake the feeling of Akari's eyes fixed on him during the last period. What did she want? Was she biding her time to confront him after school?

Though she remained a silent observer, not once approaching or revealing her intentions, her scrutiny left James uneasy. As soon as the final bell rang, he hurried to the exit, only to find Akari already there, as if she'd anticipated his every move.

"We need to talk," she said bluntly as James approached.

He froze, unsure how to respond. Akari took a step closer, her eyes narrowed.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but it ends now," she continued, her voice low and threatening. "If you know what's good for you, you'll tell me exactly what you're planning."

James stared at her, perplexed. "What are you talking about? I'm not planning anything."

"Don't play dumb with me, demon," Akari hissed. "You may have everyone else fooled, but I see through your lies."

She took another step closer, fury simmering beneath her composed exterior. "Now, tell me what you've done with the lad whose life you've stolen, or things will get very unpleasant for you."

Realization dawned on James. "There's been a misunderstanding," he began carefully. "I'm just me. I haven't taken over anyone's life or anything like that."

Akari scoffed. "Sure, keep spinning your web of lies. But know once I find out the truth there will be consequences."

Her tone sent a chill down James' spine. But before he could react, a blur of black fur darted between them, hissing menacingly. Alistair, still in cat form, planted himself firmly between James and Akari, back arched and fur standing on end.

Akari recoiled slightly, then scoffed. "I see you still have your little familiar to protect you." Her lip curled in disgust.

She leaned down to stare Alistair in the eyes. "Anyways, I've told you everything I wanted to say." And with that she turned on her heel and strode away, leaving James alone to process what just happened.

"James! There you are!" Mia's voice startled him, and he turned to see her waving energetically. She rushed towards him, apparently not noticing his discomfort.

"Hey, how about we hit the library? I want to look something up," Mia offered with a playful nudge. "What do you think?"

James hesitated, not feeling quite sociable, but a distraction might be welcome.

"Yeah...yeah, okay," he conceded without much enthusiasm.

With a bright smile, Mia linked arms with him and set the direction. James glanced behind one more time, then resigned himself to her lead. Alistair, in his feline form, followed discreetly, eyes alert.

Mia filled the silence with talk as they navigated between the bookshelves, and James offered nods, only half engaged, his mind elsewhere.

Suddenly, Mia said, "Oh, and speaking of weirdness, Akari said some bizarre things when we were at the milkshake bar."

James tuned back in. "She did?"

"Yeah, she launched into this spiel about magic and even brought you up."

"Me?" His voice edged with anxiety.

"Yup, said you and I were special, that I've got potential as a sorcerer or something," Mia reported, brushing off the idea. "Really, that girl's odd."

"You don't say," James murmured.

She eyed him. "She's not hassling you, is she?"

"A bit," James admitted with a sigh.

Mia tsked. "Keep your distance. She's trouble."

James couldn't agree more, if only avoiding her were that straightforward.

"And get this," Mia went on. "She gave me a number to call, and they tried to recruit me."

James blinked, surprised by the revelation.

Mia chuckled dismissively. "As if I'd fall for some cult pitch." Then, doubt laced her words, "Magic's not real, is it?"

James paused. His recent experiences left him uncertain. "I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "Strange things do happen."

Mia's eyes sparkled. "Exactly! So, I did a little digging and even found this ancient divination ritual." She lowered her voice, excitement building. "I tried it, and I swear it worked!"

"Really?" James wavered between scepticism and curiosity.

Mia nodded, laying out a bunch of odd items from her bag on a nearby table. "Each thing has its purpose," she explained as she arranged stones, candles, and vials.

James found himself drawn into her enthusiasm, even with the doubts gnawing at him. Could there be truth to all this?

"Time for a quick future reading," Mia announced, rubbing her hands together. She chanted over the items with closed eyes. When they snapped open, she looked at him intently. "Two lives, bound yet apart. Darkness looms, but light guides. Ultimately, only one shall remain."

They sat in heavy silence after her words. Mia shook her head, as if clearing a fog. "Did I zone out? Anyway, cool, huh?" She looked at him for validation.

James masked his unease with a nod. "Yeah...cool," he echoed. What did her words mean? And how could he possibly explain any of this to her? For now, he simply smiled and hoped she wouldn't probe further.

Mia began packing up the assortment of items she had laid out, a satisfied smile on her face.

"So, what did you really want to look up here?" James asked. "Don't tell me you dragged me to the library just to do a divination ritual."

Mia laughed. "Okay, you got me. I'm actually trying to find some books on real spells that I can try to learn. Ever since Akari mentioned magic, I can't get it out of my head. I want to see if I actually have potential for it."

She leaned in conspiratorially. "Who knows, maybe you have some talent too. We could be the next great sorcerers!"

James pondered this. His recent experiences had certainly opened his mind to the possibility of magic. And if these spells could help control his abilities, it might be worth looking into.

"Alright, you've convinced me," he said. "Let's see what we can dig up on magic."

Mia's eyes lit up. She grabbed a pile of old books with mystifying titles and ushered James to a table tucked away in a remote corner. For the next hour, they poured over the texts, searching for any useful information. Most contained obscure references or cryptic symbols that left them baffled.

Finally, tucked into the back of a book on ancient philosophies, they discovered a weathered leather notebook filled with strange diagrams and runes. Mia turned the fragile pages carefully, squinting at the unfamiliar writing.

"This looks promising," she murmured. "These symbols must be part of some magical language."

James peered over her shoulder. The cryptic notes mesmerized him, yet their meaning eluded his grasp. His gaze drifted to a rough sketch depicting a robed figure conjuring fire in their palm. Could these be instructions for actual spells?

A gentle nudge at his leg broke his concentration. He looked down to see the black cat gazing up intently.

"What is it, Alistair?" James asked under his breath.

"Mistress, that's mystic script," came the hushed reply.

James' eyes widened in surprise. According to Endless Fantasy lore, mystic script was a written language used by the rune mages for their spells, but what was it doing in here? The notebook was clearly older than the game itself. Perhaps this mysterious text held more significance than he realized. Could it help him with understanding his condition?