What is Magic? - Less than 2 Days Left

The girl eyed Sekai with suspicion. "So you still won't tell me your true identity?" She said accusingly, and Sekai raised his hands defensively.

"I AM telling you my true identity." He huffed, "It's you who won't believe me."

"No random high school kid can see through a Perception Spell and Feng Shui Alteration." She shot back at him, "You're something different, and I want to know what."

"Maybe I am," Sekai muttered, the watch around his wrist felt like it was tightening. He couldn't help but peek at it again, seeing the numbers arrayed on its screen:

45:54:34

"Something wrong?" The girl cocked her head curiously, and Sekai quickly shook his head.

"It's nothing - and besides, shouldn't we be more worried about our friends downstairs? Why are you getting chased?" Sekai asked,

Annabeth looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before huffing, "You don't need to know." She stated,

"Seriously?" Sekai replied with a miffed tone. "I help you and you don't even tell me what's wrong?"

"You chose to get involved recklessly." Annabeth countered, "For the record - none of us were going to harm you."

"But they were going to harm you." Sekai argued back, "What kind of person just lets someone get potentially murdered in front of them? Especially by strange guys with swords?"

"A normal person." She shot back, "Whatever. Do what you wish. I need to get out of here."

With that, Annabeth began walking away, but Sekai saw the glint of metal on a nearby building.

"Annabeth! Duck!" Without wasting time, Sekai tackled her downright as nothing less than an arrow sailed through where her head was mere seconds prior.

Annabeth went down with a yelp, initially planning to admonish Sekai until she saw the arrow.

"Winds of the World, Protect this humble Warrior who seeks your aid." She quickly recited these words, right on time to blow away another three arrows.

Getting up quickly, Annabeth grabbed Sekai by the hand.

"Hang on - don't tell me you plan to-" Sekai began, but was rudely cut off by her dragging him off the building, he didn't even have time to scream before he suddenly felt his descent slow, and the pair came to a gentle drop in the alleyway.

"Don't underestimate me." She said casually, "Let's get moving."

"Eh...? Weren't you going to abandon me...?" Sekai asked, and Annabeth huffed.

"I was." She said nonchalantly, "But you seem too pathetic to handle yourself."

"Those types of things hurt a man's pride y'know..." Sekai muttered, but if Annabeth heard him, she didn't show it.

"So what even is the plan anyway?" Sekai asked, and Annabeth paused.

"See...the thing is..." Annabeth, once confident, became bashful, and Sekai couldn't help but suppress the urge to facepalm.

"You have no idea where to go, do you?" Sekai sighed, and she reluctantly nodded.

⸻

If Sekai had a nickel for every time he led a strange girl home, he'd have two nickels. It wasn't a lot, but there was something to be said about his life if it happened twice in less than a week.

"Sekai?" His father called, "You're home late."

His father stood up, "Are you alright?"

He was about to talk about Annabeth, but he realized that the girl he had entered his home with was not being mentioned at all, his father wasn't even looking her way.

'Is this a 'Perception Spell' that she was talking about?' He wondered, whatever trick she was using, it was clear that his father could not see the girl at all.

"I'm fine, I was just out with Antei." Sekai stated, and Hidoshi nodded.

"How'd it go?" He asked, and Sekai immediately felt a wince of regret. He didn't get a chance to talk to her after what happened.

"It went fine, she had to go home early though," Sekai stated, satisfied with his answer.

Hidoshi apparently decided not to pry any further, and let Sekai (and his invisible companion) pass without further issue. Sekai's mother was apparently taking a nap, so they didn't need to worry about her.

After taking up some food for Annabeth to eat, Sekai finally took the initiative to ask questions.

"Alright, first thing: Why the heck didn't my dad see you? And why can I?" Sekai demanded, and Annabeth sighed.

"You really don't know anything do you?" Annabeth stated, "Well since you let me into your house, I might as well draw you into our little corner of the world."

Sekai nodded, and Annabeth continued speaking: "What I did was a Perception Alteration Spell."

"It makes you invisible? Then why can I see you?" Sekai questioned, only earning him a rude flick from her on the forehead.

"I said Perception Alteration, not Invisibility nitwit." She huffed at him, "I don't make myself invisible, an invisibility spell is an incredibly complex use of Light and Wind Magic."

"Perception Alteration involves manipulating the human mind instead and is much simpler. By altering the Feng Shui around me, I can alter people's perceptions of me to that they don't notice me. I am still technically visible, but it's more like I'm in the corner of everyone's eyes. I am seen, but I am not noticed." She explained,

"What's Feng Shui?" Sekai asked, and Annabeth sighed again.

"Okay...I should've expected that...I should've expected that." She muttered to herself a few times, before continuing. "Feng Shui is both an idea and the natural energy of the world. 'A place for everything and everything in its place', you know, that kind of thing. It revolves around how everything is connected, whether we know it or not, by manipulating it, you can affect how people see the world and - to an extent - manipulate metaphysical quantities like 'luck' or 'fate'."

Sekai could feel his head spinning a bit from all the information, but after a few seconds of digesting, finally began to get it: "So you manipulated Feng Shui to make my dad purposefully not notice you?"

"Yeah, the fewer people who see me the better." She nodded,

"Okay, next question: Why are you being hunted down?" Sekai asked, and Annabeth sighed.

"It's because of this." From her side, she pulled out a heavy-looking book.

"A book?" Sekai leaned over it,

"Not just any book." Annabeth said, "It's my master's - Kassandra Sharpe's - life's work. Kassie Sharpe's Magicum Inquisitionis is a collection of all of her magical research in one grimoire."

Sekai was about to reach out and read it when Annabeth slapped his hand away.

"Don't just try touching it recklessly! There's only one copy in existence!" She scolded, "And you probably wouldn't even understand it's contents anyway."

"Why not?" Sekai asked,

"Because you don't seem to know the first thing about Magic," Annabeth told him, "Otherwise, we wouldn't be here."

"Okay, then teach me." Sekai said, and Annabeth shook her head.

"I'm already putting you in enough danger as-is." Annabeth stated, "This type of information isn't what you share casually over a cafe table. The magical world is a close-knit community, Mages go out and select apprentices which they teach for years. All while evading Witch Hunters and those who would misuse their power."

"Witch...finders?"

"The people who were chasing us." Annabeth informed, "They're called Witch Hunters. To be exact, these are from the Holy Trioran Order." She bit her thumb worriedly.

"Still...how'd they find us all the way out here?" She wondered to herself,

"Maybe someone told them your location?" Sekai shrugged, but Annabeth shook her head.

"No, because I haven't contacted anyone since I got here." Annabeth said, "Well, there's no point in thinking to much on it."

"Okay then..." Sekai was unconvinced, but he too had more questions. "Okay, so why is that book so important to the Witch Hunters."

"Well, the Witch Hunters are kind of the anti-thesis to mages, they view magic as heretical since it artificially manipulates the energies of the world. They view it as us trying to play god." Annabeth sighed, "Any form of magical progress - especially a compilation like this - is a major blow to their cause. That's why they want this book - to destroy it."

⸻

"Well?" One of the Triorian Witch Hunters questioned a girl, who was lost in deep focus.

"Give me some time. It is not easy to pick out a singular mana signature from such a distance." She shot back,

"Oh you insolent bitch." The man snarled, "If you weren't a member of that Cursed Unit then you'd be dead by now-"

"Enough, Artois." Another Witch Hunter entered the scene, his black cloak had golden trimmings on it, and beneath it was a wide assortment of weapons, and what was especially prominent was the gleaming sword at his waist.

"Let the girl focus without you blustering in her ear every three seconds." He ordered,

"Apologies Huntsmaster, just seems like this is taking an awfully long time," Artois said, with barely veiled contempt.

"I said that's enough. I won't have you insinuating treason amongst our ranks." The man stated, "Vaelea?" The man turned to the girl questioningly,

"I have managed to determine she hasn't left the area, but for an apprentice, she's surprisingly skilled at hiding." Vaelea responded,

"Keep looking, we can't let that damn book leave our grasp." The Huntsmaster ordered,

'Kassandra Sharpe...once we find your apprentice and your grimoire, you'll come running soon enough.' He thought to himself disdainfully.