"You should really watch where you're going. Something really bad could have happened," said the girl, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, you're right…s-sorry to ask you but do you know where the books about m-magic are I-if you know?" said in a nervous tone.
"Oh yeah, I do. They're right over there." She pointed to a tall bookshelf near the back of the library. "But what for?"
"I'm trying to learn how to do magic!" Rei said happily, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
The girl raised an eyebrow. "You? Magic?" She gave him a skeptical look. "You don't really seem like the type."
Rei frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged. "I dunno. You just give off more of a… knightly vibe than a mage one."
Rei sighed. "I get that a lot… but I still want to try. Who knows? Maybe I have some hidden talent!"
The girl smirked. "Well, good luck with that. Magic isn't exactly easy, y'know."
Rei nodded determinedly and walked toward the bookshelf, his fingers tracing over the spines of old tomes. He had no idea where to start, but if he was going to be stuck as a knight, maybe a little magic could make things more interesting.
Rei scanned the book titles, his fingers brushing against the dusty spines. Introduction to Arcane Theory, Elemental Basics, The Flow of Mana A Beginner's Guide… There were so many, and he had no idea which one to pick.
"Need help?" The girl's voice startled him. She had followed him to the shelf, her arms still crossed as she leaned against it.
"Uh, yeah. There's just… a lot." Rei admitted.
She chuckled. "Yeah, magic is kinda complicated. You gotta know what kind you wanna learn. Fire? Ice? Healing?"
Rei hesitated. "I… don't know."
The girl studied him for a moment. "Well, if you're serious about this, you should probably start with The Flow of Mana. It'll help you figure out if you even have any magic in you." She grabbed the book off the shelf and handed it to him.
Rei took it carefully. The cover was old, the leather binding worn from years of use. "Thanks…" He glanced at her. "By the way, I never got your name."
She smirked. "It's Lyra."
"Lyra, huh? I'm Rei."
"Yeah, I got that from the way you were loudly announcing your goal to the entire library," Lyra teased.
Rei turned red. "I wasn't that loud!"
She just grinned. "Sure, sure. Anyway, good luck with the magic thing. If you explode, try not to do it near me."
With that, she turned and walked off, leaving Rei staring after her. He sighed and looked down at the book in his hands.
Well… guess it's time to find out if I can actually do this.
He carried the book over to a nearby table, sat down, and flipped it open. The first page was filled with diagrams of mana flow, showing different ways it moved through the body. He furrowed his brows.
"To access one's innate magic, one must first feel the flow of mana within…"
Rei closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He focused, trying to sense something—anything—inside him. But all he felt was… nothing. Just himself, just the same old Rei.
His excitement faded a little.
What if I don't have any magic at all?
He shook his head. No. I can't think like that. I have to at least try.
Rei continued reading, determined to figure it out, unaware that Lyra was watching him from across the room, an amused expression on her face.
[what will happen next?]