Spiritualism

Despite the ample use of magic, the repairs to the school would not be finished for some time. Still, education had to happen and so the regular operations were resumed as soon as possible. Where structures were too damaged by the demon fire – and had to undergo lengthy decontamination – classes were outsourced.

Mingyu had passed the charred corridors that once led to classrooms on his way to the library, quite glad that several regiments of students were deployed at locations far away – on permanent class trips so to speak.

This left him alone in the room overflowing with books. Once again he intended to consult the grimoire, but this time with much less of a clear goal in mind. Well, his final aim had not changed, but he wasn’t going to keep looking for a potion to solve his problems.

The like-a-lot brew he had created not long ago had only seen one use. It was a datapoint of one, but Seungcheol had gotten terribly sick from it. At least he couldn’t think of any better explanation. Jeonghan had told him that the dorm leader had basically puked his way through heaven, tainting their divine holyday quite a bit.

Mingyu didn’t feel too guilty. Seungcheol reveled in the attention his angelic crush bestowed upon his sick self.

Now however, the tall boy started opening the grimoire and his thoughts drifted back to his own problems. Once he made it past the warning pages that couldn’t be skipped, he focused his thoughts, hoping the book would just read his mind, even though he was aware that it didn’t quite work that way.

“How can I make Wonwoo fall for me? How can I gather the courage to ask him out? Is there no way magic can help me? Answer me you waste of paper.”

With a deep sigh, he resigned to his fate and pulled up a chair. He’d have to read a lot of English, searching page after page for some obscure or difficult charm that his formal magical education had skipped. And by now he was pretty sure the book showed itself to him in English just to spite him personally.

As soon as he opened the translator app he didn’t feel like reading anymore. Why did magic have to be such a chore?

With his head buried in his hands, Mingyu’s fingers softly brushed his own hair left and right in a comfort gesture.

“I just want him,” he whispered. “I adore him so much. I want him to adore me, too.”

Paper rustled. A soft indoor breeze gave Mingyu goosebumps. The light flickered and a deep humming sound filled the air.

It was the air conditioning unit, breaking down as it sometimes did. The huge, antiquated air vents pumped air to – or from? – the room in a highly inefficient manner. Wasn’t there a spell for this or something?

Anyway, Mingyu looked back down at the book in front of him… and gasped. The page had changed. With some difficulty, he worked through the text. But the title alone sped up his heartbeat.

ADORE-ME (AMULETT)

1.1.1a History

The amulet of [illegible demonic runes], commonly called the “Adore Me” (henceforth AM), is an underworldly talisman (see page 12, list of talismans) embedded into a magically hardened gold plate (see page 56a, strengthening solids) to form an amulet that can be worn indefinitely (see page 93/sup-page 9b for wearable magic).

The AM was created by the horrifying blacksmiths of [more demon runes] within the terrible chasm of [runes again], forged through the abominable process of [many, many runes] under the rule of ultra-demonic god-emperor Travis (see page -12.5 for list of underworld rulers, [negative pages inaccessible in overworld]).

Mingyu took a risk and skipped a few paragraphs until he found the section with a title to his liking.

1.4.1 Use

The AM has the property of causing one sentient being to adore one other. This process is completely controllable by the one in possession of the AM and has never been reported to fail.

The boy skimmed his way through more sections – many more than could have fit on the page by conventional physics - until he found the one he desperately searched for.

3.1b Whereabouts

Although the AM has been broken in half (see Section 2.1.3 and 2.4.1 through 2.4.97) each half has retained the power of the full amulet. Only one half is known to still exist for certain. The right one. It is located in the Valley of Crimson (see page 5xv4Pgr for a map [to access map, invert geometry of universe leftward]).

Mingyu took a quick glance down to see what page he was on. The number was nine digits long. He would never find this page again. Perhaps he was the first human to ever see it. He carefully transcribed all relevant information in a post-it and ran back to his dorm.

Now he only needed to go to hell.

*************************

The class wasn’t complete. Only wizards and similarly magical beings exited the bus – mundane students learning about algebra somewhere in a container.

Soonyoung hopped off the vehicle and stretched his sore limbs. “Woah,” he said without hesitation. “So pretty.”

The beach ahead was beautiful. Sunlight bouncing off the gently moving ocean, sending shimmers across the majestic scenery.

“Bit too chilly to go swimming,” mumbled Jun. The vampire wore a huge cap to shield his eyes from the sun. The massive shades did their part, too.

Jeonghan got off the bus last, all other students spreading out as he opened his wings. He didn’t like to be crammed into a bus seat on the best of days, but since he had lend his wings to Seungkwan for the duration of his holyday a little while back, he was extra careful with his glistening white appendages. He still occasionally complained about having gotten his wings back with a few feathers crooked.

”We wouldn’t go swimming anyway. We have an objective. And I for my part fully intend to comply with the assignment to achieve my academic potential. If you were more like me I wouldn’t have to keep you in line all the time.”

Just as the angel had finished reprimanding his classmates, who habitually hadn’t listened, the teacher gave instructions. Groups of three. Well, that was easily arranged.

Soonyoung, Jun and Jeonghan were soon on their way to the beach, walking along the shore to find a good spot for the day’s lecture: sand manipulation.

Far from the rest of the students, the trio got to work. Soonyoung used a wand, the others didn’t have to. Walls rose from the ground, white and golden, as silicates joined together into a solid structure.

Towers with thin, gothic windows; battlements along the outer wall; turrets along the inner construction; three floors of grandeur. The castle was a reflection of the caster’s minds. And as such, it wasn’t finished. Ladder horn snail shells grew impossibly to decorate the towers; conches adorned the entrance; and a thousand mother of pearl splitters from the ocean lined the walls.

Blowing on his smoking wand, Soonyoung looked behind them. They had walked far from the rest of their class but with some squinting he could see what was going on. Other groups had created small arches, small pillars or, at best, life sized statues.

“Did you guys lay it on a bit thick, maybe?”

The supernatural creatures shrugged in unison. Soonyoung, still cooling his wand, decided that he would just take the A+ and not question it. This was truly a magnificent fortress.

As the boys explored the inside, their stray magic found its way into the sea. Little critter began to grow a bit… and a bit more. Big, meaty claws picked up a seaweed wrapped stick. Crustacean brains kicked into gear.

*************************

Mingyu had vacated the library abruptly.

The grimoire had not been closed.

Rustling, ever rustling, paper grew. More pages spawned. Some expanded in size – more scroll than page.

Paper spilled onto the ground. Paper spread out between the shelves. Paper took hold like ancient roots, wiggled like kraken arms, twisted like oak twigs in the wind.

Ever rustling, evermore rustling, the tentacles of bleached and bent and coffee stained and folded and drawn on and unread paper vines grew into a forest.

Tendrils reached into the air vents.

*************************

Wonwoo had been too lazy to unsubscribe from the newsletter of the temple where he had gotten his prophesized artefact. As he saw the promotional mail arrive on his laptop, he briefly wondered if he should confess that the powerful beanie had fallen victim to a flaming beast from hell.

Nah, too much work. He’d just add the mail address to the spam filter.

But… he should at least read the mail. Maybe it was worthwhile.

It turned out to be advertisement. Of course.

He scratched his beanie – not a magical one – or rather, he scratched his hair through his headwear. The monks were having an exhibition of spiritual items from all over the world. Good for them. Still, Wonwoo wasn’t going to leave the dorm just to look at dusty old stuff. He had learned that the monks had an odd sense of what was valuable – or remotely sensible.

But that picture! Those runes were demonic. They had an actual magical object at their exhibition.

Wonwoo read the item description. “The Adore-Me amulet has been known to give its user the power to make any other person adore them. It was broken long ago and only the left half could be saved in a private collection. Now, for the first time, it is available to view for the general public.”

He needed the amulet. But first he had to make sure he knew what he was getting into. But how to look it up? In the library? No, too much effort. The internet was a great source for obscure magical lore. Or, at least, sufficient. Sometimes.

*************************

The uppermost floor. Dark hardwood shelves bursting of folders. A massive desk. A tablet computer next to an astrolabe. A sliver sigil on the chest pocket of the strict man’s suit. “Pledis School” in shining letters.

“Chan, Chan, Chan.”

The headmaster had a busy schedule, but this student demanded personal attention. Now that the rebuilding was mostly organized, the headmaster finally had the time to tend to this particular problem case.

“Chan, I have held conference about your… incident with… well, with everybody.”

He really had. Meeting the Council Concerning Criminal Conjurations and the School Advisory Board had turned into consulting the High Tribune and the Association of Twilight. He had even spoken to the Greater Gabfest.

They all had told him the same. And the very thought of it seemed to make his tie constrict around his neck.

“It’s okay, headmaster,” said Chan, very quietly, “I’ve already packed. You’ll never hear from me again. I’m so very sorry. I’ll… well, I wish I could say that there’s a way for me to make up for all this. When do I have to have moved out? I’d like to say goodbye to a few-“

“No, Chan.” The headmaster, buried his head in his hands and took a deep breath before meeting the boy’s eyes again. “There’s no place you’d be less dangerous. You are talented, almost to a fault. Everyone agreed on one thing: You’d only be a ticking time bomb if you escape our supervision.”

“So…”

“You stay.”

Chan jumped, causing the principal to step back with in irrational touch of fear on his face.

“Mansae!” the boy yelled.

“Alright, calm down. You are not to leave the school grounds without my personal permission. And you have to leave your wand in a safe place.”

“Of course. But what safe place?”

“I will install a locker in your bedroom. Like a weapon’s locker, but forged from reinforced mithril-titanium alloy. The safe will be delivered in three to twelve workdays. In the meanwhile put your wand on a high shelf. Don’t even think about using it.”

“No wand, got it.”

“Alright. You are dismiss- Ah!”

Chan made the half circle around the desk and hugged the headmaster tightly, ignoring the man’s struggles to escape like a cat that didn’t want to be petted anymore.

“Don’t worry, principal-nim. I’ll just reread all my dinosaur books. No magic at all. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I have plenty… to worry about. And… I can’t breathe… Chan... Stop it.”

[Here we go again. Compete with magical artefact plot device, obligatory beach episode and an excited Chan. (*whispers* and a suffering Seungcheol.) I hope the second arc is as well received as the first one. Brownie points to anyone who sees the Spongebob reference.]