The story of the book
Oscar, somewhat confused, responded, "What do you mean by 'that'?"
"I'm referring to your magic. Do you simply utter certain words and it happens?" Zak elaborated.
Oscar, now understanding, said, "Oh, I see. I had forgotten that you haven't yet attended a magic school. I specialized in the words magic course. It's quite complex, so I won't delve too deep, but at my current level, ascension, I can envision something and articulate it into existence."
Zak, astonished, exclaimed, "Is that so? That's quite fascinating."
Oscar added, "Well, once you become a student at Netherwick School, you'll gain a deeper comprehension of the magic world."
Zak then affirmed, "I see, that is something I look forward to."
"Can you employ elemental vision?" inquired Zak, leading to a puzzled expression on Oscar's face. "Do you mean elemental sight instead?" Oscar asked for clarification.
"Yes, that's what I meant," Zak confirmed. The confirmation cleared the confusion off Oscar's face. "I'm well-acquainted with elemental sight usage," Oscar noted, "but I'm curious, why do you want to know?"
"I want you to use elemental sight on me to reveal my elemental aura," requested Zak. To this, Oscar agreed.
Oscar then proceeded to study Zak carefully. An ordinary observer would have noticed a minute change- Oscar's brown eyes morphing to a shade of gray. As his eyes returned to their natural hue, he declared, "Something unusual is happening. Your body is half-infused with an elemental aura, but the other half isn't."
"I've heard a friend who has elemental sight mention that once. Is this a normal occurrence?" Zak queried, seeking validation for this anomaly.
"Perhaps, perhaps not," Oscar responded uncertainly. "I cannot assertively conclude, as this is my first encounter with this phenomenon."
Zak pulled a disappointed face upon hearing Oscar's uncertain reply.
"Don't worry, I will conduct an inquiry into this matter," reassured Oscar, knowing Vellis could maybe provide useful insights. "In all honesty, I have never come across anyone who exhibits an elemental aura in half their body while the other half remains devoid of it."
While nodding in understanding, Zak along with Oscar exited the conversation and headed back indoors. Upon reaching the interior of the house, they noticed Vellis casually loitering around a glass table.
"Welcome," Vellis greeted them before her curiosity got the better of her. "May I ask how you came into possession of that arcane red-covered book? If one of the potions recorded therein is capable of such wonders, I dare think what potential the others hold."
Intrigued by the proposition, Zak approached the glass table, pulled out a chair and sat opposite Vellis. Oscar, also piqued by the conversation, likewise selected a chair and joined them.
Reflecting deeply with a gaze fixed upwards, Zak heaved a heavy sigh. He was trying to recollect the series of events that led him to acquire the red covered book. He turned his gaze back to his companion, Vellis, before recalling, "It happened three days ago, just before bed."
Continuing his narrative, he recalled stepping out onto his balcony late at night to survey the city under the moon's watchful gaze. "I believe it was around 9:30 to 10:30 pm," he noted, remembering his nocturnal vigil. His eyes had been drawn to a flickering streetlight, winking intermittently in the deep shadows. To his surprise, underneath this beacon of unpredictability, he came across the red covered book.
Vellis then attempted to piece Zak's account together. "So let me guess. Your curiosity drew you towards the faltering streetlight and you picked up the book?" he proposed.
Zak shot down Vellis's speculation with a simple, "Nope."
Vellis, intrigued, pressed further, "So how did you end up with the book?" With that, Zak proceeded to delve deeper into his tale, unraveling the mystery step by step.
Upon a single blink, I perceived the disappearance of the book, which led me to conclude it was time for sleep. Upon drifting into slumber, I was captivated by a dream, wherein I discovered the red-covered book. As I opened the book within my dream, it glowed brilliantly and abruptly, I awoke to the morning light.
Straightening my bed, I discovered the book nestled in my bedding, a peculiar circumstance given it was the identical book from my dream. Zak chose not to disclose to Vellis his encounter with the mysterious man, as he remained unsure of the man's identity and intentions.
Vellis, after hearing about the captivating event, commented, "What an intriguing story, albeit, it sounds fabricated." Staring at Zak, he promptly responded, "I assure you, what I have narrated is nothing but the truth".
"Did you disclose the existence of this enigmatic book to anyone else?" Inquired Vellis, with a puzzled look on her face. Zak replied, "Indeed, I did. Fascinatingly, she was capable of viewing the pages and their content."
"That's unusual," responded Vellis, her curiosity piqued. She then questioned him, "Didn't you mention having concocted one of the book's potions yesterday?"
"That's accurate," Zak confirmed. While resting her hand on the smooth glass table, Vellis put forth a hypothesis. She mused, "Perhaps our inability to read what's written in the book is a consequence of your potion creating. However, this is purely conjecture and lacks solid proof," commented Vellis.
Following this up, she asked another question, "Is the individual whom you showed the book's contents presently in the house?" Zak replied, "I'm uncertain, I would need to verify. Please bear with me for a moment."
Subsequently, Zak sauntered towards the wooden door on the opposite side of the front entrance, which led to the living room. He made his way down the hallway to the last door, behind which was Melody's room.
After Zak rapped on Melody's door, he could hear her voice tell him to wait a moment before she cautiously opened the door. "Pardon the interruption, Melody. I was wondering if you might be able to assist me - or rather, my potion instructor, Vellis, with something?"
"What is it that she requires help from me?" Melody questioned, her countenance clearly perplexed.
Zak promptly replied, "Don't worry, it won't involve much of your time. She simply needs to ask you a couple of questions."
"Alright," Melody agreed, stepping out of her room. She closed the door behind her and proceeded to follow Zak down the corridor and towards the living room. Vellis was still positioned around the glass table.
"Hello," said Melody as she approached the glass table. Vellis responded, "Good afternoon, I believe you're Melody, right?"
Melody, standing instead of taking a seat to save time, confirmed," Yes, that's correct." She then asked, "So, what questions do you need answered?"
Vellis, with the red book on her lap, raised it for Melody to see and queried, "When you initially saw the contents of this book, you were capable of reviewing them, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct," confirmed Melody, before briefly glancing at Zak and then returning her gaze to Vellis.
"I would like you to browse through the book and tell me if anything that stands out," requested Vellis.
"Is that all?" inquired Melody.
Vellis, affirming the simplicity of her request, replied, "Yes, that's all. You may resume your previous activities afterwards."
"Alright," acknowledged Melody. She then proceeded to pick up the red book and started flipping through the pages.