Chapter 4 - I’m not a chuuni

She stolled through the emptying corridors of the school, stopping when she spotted an… infected… waiting for them to disappear in the crowd before starting to walk again. Sometimes, she even closed her eyes, their sight too ugly for her to bear. Finally, after fifteen long and tedious minutes of start and stop, she arrived at the school’s exit. She smiled at the sight of her friends waiting for her.

“Why aren’t you gone yet?”

“Dude, you’ve been sick all day, why would we left you just like that?” Marcus said in disbelief.

“I’ve called my mom. She’s still at work, but she’s okay for going to your home to drive me and Marcus home, so we can escort you home safely.” Added Lauriane, all smile.

“What? Oh, you shouldn’t have bothered yourself.”

“We have, and for good reason! Not saying what could happen to you in your state.” Retorqued her friend, anxious. They’re really to sweet for me.

“...Thanks, I’m really unworthy of you two.” But she smiled as she said it.

“Of course you’re worthy. Now stop babbling nonsense. We’re here to take you home, and we will do it even if we need to drag you behind us!”

The rest of the journey went on peacefully, Lysandre grateful to her friends to not have left her alone. Well, peaceful overall, except when Lyza felt sick again when a woman with some sort of deformed arm extension boarded the bus. At that point she was more than glad her friends had insisted going with her, as she hid her head in Lauriane’s neck. She felt quite silly afterward, blushing furiously when the interrogatives gazes of her friends fell on her.

Around one hour after they took the bus, they arrived at Lysandre’s home. A bit far from Lastreau, the house was an old and tiny farm, which meant it was big for a house. Another advantage of not being in the city itself but in the country side was the space it offered, with the big garden and all. Everything is far from home but at least I’ve a big bedroom. Not so bad a deal after all. She thought like each time she saw her home.

“Mom, Dad? I’m home! Lauriane and Marcus are with me!” She screamed while entering by the front door, but no one answered.

“They’re still at work it seems.” Lysandre commented for her friends. “Come in, we’ll grab something to drink and eat while we play before your mom come to take you two back.”

“That sound like a plan!”

“what do you propose we play?”

“Cole Protocole? I just want to chill out.” Marcus proposition recieved an unanimous yes and they set of to to Lysandre’s bedroom after taking the snacks. Sadly, the owner of the room had to watch her friends play from the side, her wounded right arm a too big disadvatage when wanting to play an fps.

Lauriane’s mom got to the house around 7:30 pm, time when Lysandre would have started cooking anyway. The rest of the evening went by quitly. She ate alone by orders of her mom, both her parents too busy at work to come home early. They’ve been put through quite the shift since last wednesday. Dad I understand, but what of mom? She wondered while eating her rice, sweaping through social medias with her trusty tablet, actively ignoring thet book that had put itself in her pocket.

Fuck, I can’t take it anymore! She stopped putting the dishes in the dishwasher, too annoyed by the old book. For thet second time since her… accident, she took it directly instead of letting it follow her. She ran to her bedroom.

The room was clearly harboring two colors : perfet white on the walls facing windows, and deep blue on the walls where windows were. The ceiling was a mix of blue with a white square in its center. Her bed was a large mess, with controllers just lying around, emptied soda cans and chips bags. Other colors were grey and black, mainly harbored by the numerous bookshelfs that cover a third of the walls. Enthroned on the middle of the room was her PC, with her consoles, a gamestation 4 and a Zbox one Z, the Zbox still turned on with Cole Protocole paused. A big mirror stood near her dresser, and she took a look at herself. White skin that lacked the sun contrasted her black eyes and messy long black hair, still tied in a now wacky ponytail. She was clothed in grey and black, black jeans, black shoes, grey loose shirt to try and hide her more than heavy bosom. I’ve backache just thinking about it. She stretched a bit. I know a lot of girl would kill to have a chest like this, but for once it would be nice to talk to a guy without he thinking my eyes are thrity cm down from my head. She cast one more look at her before pulling herself together. It was 8:30 am. Now stop stalling a look at the book. You’ve already admitted you saw things to your religion teacher, why stop reckless things now? In truth, she was frightened, frightened that by looking at it, she would have the last confirmation Wednesday wasn’t all a dream. Frightened that she wouldn’t have it, that she was delusional.

She sat on her bed and took a deep breath, book in her hands. She closed her eyes, reopened them. Ok, here goes nothing! She suddenly opened the book around half the way in it and looked.

No. She turned a page. No. And another one, then reviewed every single one of them from its start to its end. It’s fucking blank! Her hand shook from blooming rage and she threw the book away, letting her head fall in her palms. What’s fucking wrong with me? What’s going on, for fuck’s sake! I can’t be making all ot this up, Laeticia told me she saw things too! She started hyperventilating and tears flowed along her cheeks. The lights started flickering and cold took the place of heat, but she kept crying, unaware of the changes.

“New host… crying?” Asked a voice, both male and female, both young and old, both far and close, snapping the girl out of her tears’ outburst. “W-what? Who’s there?” She swept a gaze over her room but saw nothing. Suddenly her eyes fell on the open book spread on the floor.

“Who... am I?” The voice seemed tired, exhausted. “I… I am sleepy… who are you?” The voice was indeed coming from the glowing book. Sleepy? “I’m called Lysandre…?” She answered. I’m really a fool, talking to a book. Ha, but I guess since it started it, I’m not that silly. “Lysandre… a… good name. Hello, host Lysandre.” The book started hovering on the air, pages turned up, back down, and floated toward the girl, stopping at less than one meter in front of her.”I am… happy, to make your acquaintance, host. The Pact as been sealed six days ago, but you… never opened me, until now. Let’ see… if you can wield me…” Suddenly Lysandre was on her knee feeling drowsy, her eyes closing against her will. “Stand up if you want… to wield me, or… sleep for all… eternity…” She was so, so tired. Her day had been mostly full of shit, she had pucked, had felt sick all the time, her headache worsening. She wanted to lie down and just sleep… Urgh… Something was keeping her awake, like when you wanted to go to bed but some steady pain didn’t let you. The back of her right hand was burning her more and more painfully, keeping her awake against her will. Why don’t you… disappear! Once again rage was steadily blooming in her mind and finally overtook her. Oh fuck me! Why can’t I just go to bed… The pain was nearly unbearable and she started rising. I can forget the pain if I play a bit… It was reminding her of the night she spent playing LoC while her ear burned her. So tired, urgh… She put a foot on the ground and fought gravity to stand upright, looking at her PC. After what seemed an eternity, her foot were on the ground, if not firmly anchored, and she even tried to take a step toward her chair. Suddenly, pain and exhaustion disappeared. She shook her head, trying to shoo her confusion away. What the fuck just happened to me?!

“You’ve breached… the first seal? Amazing… no human managed to do that… ever?” The voice seemed quite pleased behind all its drowsiness.

“Breached the first seal? What does that mean?” Lysandre was lost.

“Let’s… assess you a bit… so I can go back… to sleep…” The voice said without paying attention to the girl. Lysandre was on the verge of asking another question when the pages started turning over faster and faster until they stopped dead. From the white paper, a ball of light emerged, floating toward Lysandre, starting to circle her. A bit freaked out, she tried to step back and fell sitted on her bed. The ball revolved faster and faster, nearly becoming a circle of light around her. However, strangely, it was casting myriad of shadow all around her where only light should have been and, without her seeing it, a fine veil of ice started covering the sheet around her.

“Yes… Shadow, and Frost? I can work with… that. Peculiar. Good, that’s done… back to sleep…” The voice faded as did the light surrounding the book. Soon enough it fell on the ground.

...What?

***

She had looked at the book for quite some time now, unwilling to pick it up from the ground. I nearly died, right there… She realized, and the mere thought of it froze her blood. Ironic. She looked at her hand. Seems like the reason I’m still alive and not sleeping for all eternity is the poison from the demon blood… She smiled but her eyes held no warm. She bent and picked up the reason of her near-death experience. Shadow and ice it said… She opened it, without any clue what she was searching for but her nebulous curiosity got rewarded right away. On the very first page on the book, Well, the first page not right beside the back-front cover page, was written two things. The page was cut in two by a long black ink slash, with some words and pictures on the upper and lower half of it. ...That’s not latin alphabet, nor is it Cyrillic or chinese or anything I know. Yet, strangely, she could read it.

For those whose foes need to be cooled down, and don’t fear getting their hands dirty. Said the book on the top half, with a strange diagram showing three sucessive hand positions, a strange picture of a human on which a hand was laid down and a strange inscription.

Ishtr-Al-Ybysll

Ishtr-al-ybysll? She read the words one or two more time before trying to make them roll on her tong.

“Is..htr-al- ybys...ll.” One more time, more quickly and in one go.”Ishtr-al-ybysll.” and another time, more passionately. “Ishtr-al-ybysll!” Cloud started falling slowly from her hands and when she looked at them, ice had appeared on her palm. Shet let the book go, stunned, and it fell on the floor, which was becoming quite common already. She looked at her palm with eyes like saucers, not knowing what to say. Is that fucking magic? “Ishtr-al-ybysll!” She incanted again, and again ice appeared on her palms. It’s fucking magic! Holy shit! She looked at the book with disbelief. So this should be a… a grimoire? I’ve a fucking grimoire? She took it back and looked at the second would-be incantation.

For those who need to not be seen, embrace the shadow, let them flow around you. Once gain, diagrams showed hands moves and a picture of a human shrouded in darkness, with another strange inscription.

Ashrall-I-Flootkr-A-Mel

“Ashrall-I-Flootkr-A-Mel!” She said fluently, surprizing even herself. Shadows started converging toward her, gathering before disappearing like snow under the summer sun. Holy shit, it’s Magic!

***

She was still at it when she heard one of her parent come by the main door. If the pronunciation hadn’t be an issue at all, the moves in the other hand had seen her blocked, not able to pull them out correctly. Fucking cast! She looked at her clock. 10:30 pm. Oh shit, I my homeworks! She extended her hand toward the could-be grimoire but hesitated a bit. It’s useless to keep trying, I need my two hands to do it. Let’s focus on school for now. Reluctantly, she took the book and put it in one of her drawer. However, it had other plans, as she quickly realized. The grimoire started levitating to position itself at her waist, where it clung at her belt. ...Ok? That’s absolutely not sketchy, right? She smiled. Bah, the worst that could happens is people thinking I’m a Chūnibyō. Still, she tried to take it from where it was and, each time she put it somewhere else, it went back to its original position.

“Lysandre Hypatia Derissie, come here now!” Oh fuck she used my full name, what did I do again. “On my way!” She answered her mom back

She ran down the stairs as fast as she could with her cast. “Yes mom?” Her mother was looking at her, more a frown really. “I know you’ve a cast and you went to school today, Lysandre, but that’s no excuse to let the kitchen in this state!” She scolded the girl while pointing at the stove. Fuck! I forgot to finish cleaning! “I’m sorry mom really really sorry I’ll do it right away I just forgot sorry.” She said in one breath “I hope so young woman!” Her mom looked exhausted and only watched Lysandre cleaning during one minute before going to take a shower. It would be nice if last wednesday’s grace period had extended a bit more. Not fun to have the trauma but not the advantages. She took another fifteen minutes to clean everything and went back to her bedroom right away. Still homeworks to do and it’s already 11 pm. No washing for me today. The thought didn’t bother her a lot since her dwindling sleeping time was taking all her worries. Well, all her worries that weren’t already occupied by demons and magic and death of course. Not washing was becoming more and more a somewhat trivial problem as her night went on...