The Book [1]

I was restlessly pacing around in circles within my fairly large studio apartment, clearly on edge as to how my life took this bizarre turn.

The lights were dim, and curtains were drawn, but since it was late afternoon, the room wasn't completely dark.

After finally exhausting myself, I collapsed onto the couch and began chewing on my nails while staring up at the false ceiling above, lost in deep thought. 

It was a bad habit of mine to bite my nails whenever I felt stressed, but right now, I was too overwhelmed to care about correcting it.

What had me so worked up? 

Well, right in front of me, on the small center table, lay a peculiar-looking book with blood-red leather covers and golden binding.

The book's front was inscribed with cursive writing in golden ink that read: "Demonology 424: A Detailed Guide To Summon Your Own Familiar." 

To call it a strange book would be an understatement of the century.

Since it was the weekend, I decided to dedicate the entire night to reading it, finishing it in one sitting, and what I read left me shell-shocked.

The book talked about countless fictional and supernatural topics, such as angels, demons, and other entities that do not—or at least should not—exist in the real world.

It also briefly mentioned the presence of some thought creatures and god-like beings known as the Aspects of Heaven and Hell.

But the book didn't delve too deeply into such topics.

Instead, it elucidated on summoning these beings—particularly demons—into the mortal realm and forcing them to take a binding vow.

This binding vow was essentially an obligatory oath that the summoned being had no choice but to accept if they chose to heed the summoner's call.

The oath stipulated that the summoned demon would sign a contract with the summoner.

After that, the summoned entity would serve the summoner until the contract's conditions were fulfilled or its duration expired.

So, essentially, anyone could summon a magical entity and force it to do their bidding.

Of course, the book also warned about the dangers of forcefully enslaving a being of higher existence, especially since we mortals aren't even a fraction as old as the creature we could summon forth.

It advised against meddling with forces beyond our comprehension since no one truly understands the divine or demonic will. Therefore, it strongly discouraged summoning a familiar.

…And right after that lengthy and apprehensive warning, it proceeded to explain exactly how to do just that.

So, how did I stumble upon such an odd book?

Well, it's actually quite a funny story. 

I was in the school library yesterday, trying to hide from a group of troublesome bullies, when my eyes landed on it in the historical literature section.

Almost instantly, I felt drawn to it, as though it were calling out to me, promising me the unimaginable power that I had always secretly yearned for.

Intrigued and admittedly a bit unnerved, I took the book and came straight home.

How or why did this book end up in the historical literature section? I had no idea.

Was it some kind of elaborate prank, or perhaps a piece of world-building for a D&D-like game that someone misplaced there? Again, I had no clue.

But what I did know was that I was going to perform the summoning ritual described in the book.

…Okay, maybe I was a bit crazy to even consider summoning a demon into the mortal realm, let alone into my own apartment.

Or perhaps I was crazy to believe that such a thing was even possible in the first place!

But I felt compelled to give it a try! If it was real... If magic was indeed real, then I wouldn't care if I got killed by the supernatural being I was about to summon.

I would die a happy death knowing that there was more to this mundane world than what everyone had led me to believe.

I would die with no regrets if I could just perform magic – real magic – once in my life!

"God, maybe I really am crazy."

I stopped biting my nails and rose to my feet, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm my racing heart. First, I needed to think everything through with a clear mind.

If what the book described was true, and I truly ended up summoning a higher-dimensional being, it would undoubtedly be dangerous.

The book detailed crafting wards and protective spells to fend off the summoned being in case it attempted to attack the summoner, though such instances were unusual and rare.

It also emphasized the importance of constructing the summoning circle from rock salt or silver, rather than simple chalk, to securely contain the demon within the circle like a prison.

But would all these preparations truly be enough? After all, I wasn't a wizard! In fact, I had never done real magic, if such a thing even existed! What if I made a mistake? What then?

As these troubling thoughts incessantly bombarded my mind, I decided to head to the bathroom and splash some water on my face.

"Haaa," I sighed as the cold water met my skin, and I leaned against the edge of the washbasin. Gazing straight ahead, I saw my reflection in the mirror.

Long jet-black hair cascading down my neck, dark circles under my glassy, dull green eyes that were devoid of light, and a slightly chubby face with a few acne scars here and there.

My body was also a bit on the heavier side. I had recently started hitting the gym, but I was still far from being slim.

I had also begun a skincare routine, but I had yet to see significant improvements in that department, too.

I wasn't exactly ugly, but not far from it either.

"No wonder she rejected me," I sneered at my reflection, recalling a particularly heart-wrenching moment before shaking my head firmly to clear my mind.

"Focus!" I admonished myself aloud.

Yes, I needed to focus on the task at hand.

I needed to make a decision.

Was I going to take a risk and perform the ritual or discard the book? Though deep down in my heart, I already knew what I was going to do.

…Throughout my life, I had never been truly happy, especially after growing up. The last few happy memories I could recall would be from my childhood when Claire and I spent every day together.

We used to explore parks while pretending to be on dangerous 'adventures' like the little nerds we were, read new fantasy stories together, or simply enjoy each other's company during lazy vacations.

Those were the days when I was at my happiest, the peak of my life. And when those days ended, my life started heading downhill.

I had always had issues with my stepfather, but during that time, he started physically abusing me. My mother, as always, turned a blind eye to his animalistic behavior.

I'd hide the scars he left me with by rolling down my sleeves, but everyone in the class knew what was happening to me at home. 

However, instead of supporting me, they ridiculed me. Made fun of me. Bullied me. That bullying followed me till this day into my senior year of high school.

My only solace was Claire. I liked being with her. She was so supportive and cheerful, the one person I always looked forward to seeing every day. 

In the desolate darkness that veiled my life like a burial shroud, she was my guiding beacon. My never fading starlight.

I admit, I liked her.

However, I knew she only saw me as a friend, so I wasn't heartbroken when she found herself a perfect boyfriend – Alex.

I was genuinely happy for her. Or, at least, I tried to be.

Alex Myers was what every high school boy wanted to be. He was naturally compassionate, generous, athletic, really smart, and effortlessly cool.

In fact, he seemed almost too perfect, both in looks and personality. But if even all that wasn't enough, he was also filthy rich!

I won't lie, I felt a twinge of jealousy toward him at first, but as I got to know him, I couldn't help but like him despite desperately wanting to hate him.

The problem with Alex wasn't just that he could make even the most gifted men jealous of him but that he was, in fact, genuinely kind.

He might just be the most selfless and noble man to walk the face of the Earth. One can't possibly bring themselves to hate him.

More than once, he stood up for me against bullies and lent a helping hand when no one else would. He even went as far as to call me a friend, not caring in the least about how it might impact his popularity or school status.

If this world were a novel, he would undoubtedly be the main character.

And Claire? She would obviously be the heroine.

But then, where did that leave me?

If this world were a novel, what would my role be? A villain? Ha! Not likely. I don't have what it takes to be one. And in the slice-of-life genre, there are no villains.

Instead, there are side characters—thousands of them, with only a few main leads in the spotlight. That's what I was—an extra in their story.

Pathetic.

Truly pathetic.

My entire existence was pathetic.

All I ever did was run away from my problems. I lacked the courage to confront my challenges, so I constantly avoided them, stifling my growth.

I ran from instead of standing up to my stepfather. I ran from my home. I ran from my bullies. And I even ran from my true feelings for Claire.

Until now, I had truly been living as an extra.

Perhaps that's why I loved reading fantasy novels. I enjoyed envisioning myself as the protagonist—the one around whom the world revolves, the one who gets the girl, the one who always wins no matter the odds.

That's also why I loved the idea of magic. The feeling of empowerment it gave—the ability to reshape reality and achieve the impossible!

Perhaps it was just another form of escapism, a coping mechanism. Maybe I was trying to run away yet again. But I often wondered...

What if the genre of my life wasn't slice of life?

What if it were fantasy instead?

What if magic truly existed in this world?!

Perhaps then, instead of being relegated to the sidelines, I could have been a main character, too! I would've faced my problems and prevailed! I would've never run away!

But alas, that wasn't the case...

I was just an average teenager, enduring a miserable existence, berating and scorning myself at every turn, barely surviving in a world where fantasy seemed dead.

…Or so I thought until yesterday! Until I stumbled upon this book!

This book was my chance to see if magic truly existed! My chance to rewrite the genre of my story! My chance to turn my life around!

I was prepared to take the risk! After all, even a glimmer of hope for a better life was preferable to enduring my current wretched existence.

I didn't care if it was a prank or some made-up material for a game; I was going to perform the ritual described in that book and use magic.

I was going to summon a demon!