The Book

Many children gathered at the well to fetch buckets of water, while some bathed. Daily chores and activities at the orphanage were routine. Hanabi, however, was still serving a punishment for not bringing anything the previous day. The head nun had ordered him to wash dishes after breakfast for three consecutive days before he could go back to the market again. Hanabi wasn't too bothered by the task, despite it being something he disliked. He went about washing the dishes with a sense of annoyance yet didn't mind much as there's more something in his thoughts, the task was tedious, but Hanabi completed it without complaint. As he finished washing the dishes, Hanabi felt a sense of relief wash over him, while he thinking about the previous day's incident, which he had kept to himself. He had buried the pouch he brought along in the ground somewhere in the grassland, as he realized he didn't have time to check its contents.

The day of his punishment's end finally arrived. After finishing his meal, Hanabi deliberately left and headed to the grassland. As he traveled along the road, the morning sunshine warmed him up, and he welcomed it like an omen of good fortune. The silence of the place was almost melodic, with nature's sounds being the loudest, as he felt like, his feet is dancing in every step as he walk.

It's uncommon for people to visit the wide plain of the grassland except for specific reasons, such as hunting uninvited creatures that managed to pass through the nearby barrier. Despite this, Hanabi's strong ability to sense danger allowed him to perceive potential threats around him, in which gave him confidence about his own safety.

Upon reaching the destination, somewhere unknown from most people, and after confirming no one was around, Hanabi began to retrieve the pouch. It was small enough for an adult to grip with one hand and surprisingly light despite appearing packed, he wondered why it hadn't felt heavier or flown away from the wind as he's running at that time he took it. The pouch was made from a rather simple leather, folded and tied with a knot. He tried to undo the string the previous day, but found it too tight for his strength, reason why he brought a shard of a broken knife to cut the string. As he undid the pouch, it opened rather easily, as if expecting him. Hanabi speculated that it might be a magic item, especially since he can't see anything inside, since its covered by something dark like a shadow. Feeling fortunate, and not sensing any particular danger or anything similar, he inserted his hand without hesitation, hoping to find money or something valuable. However, his arm went deeper than expected, yet not touching inside the pouches leather while he's hand explore inside despite him already put his whole forearm and half of his arm. remembering his intention, he decided to pick up something the first thing his hand touched. He grab the very first thing he holds into and proceeded to pull his hand back, it was something he needed the each end of his fingers just to take a grip, yet he noticed that despite the thing seemingly large, it felt weightless which did not gave him hard time to take it out. As he's saw he realized, the item he's holding into is a book, and the part of the book he hold through his hand is where all the page were held. After the realization, disappointment washed over him, but he remained composed, thinking that the book might still be a magic item. The book was enormous, as its height reached through his neck from the ground, with a cover that seemed old and faded red, despite its size and thickness, it felt weightless, further supporting Hanabi's assumption that it was magical.

Without much thought, while hoping that his speculation was right, Hanabi flipped the cover, which made the first page glowed with a golden light, illuminating the surroundings without being blinding. As the glow vanished, it left a single phrase on the page: "Ask and shall be answered." Unsure what it meant, Hanabi turned to the next page, which was empty. Frustrated, he flipped through more pages, finding them all blank. Hanabi unconsciously vocalized amidst his confusion, asking, "What does this book do anyway?" The book responded as it flip to the next page and the sheet glow like the first one. The book imprinted a lot of words giving him the answers the book might thought he needs and filling the paper completely, which Hanabi find exhausting to read and mostly don't make sense to him. Mother Lilith sometimes read them stories, before bed time, and occasionally teach them how to read and write. Despite all he still struggle to understand most words imprinted to the paper even though the book use the language he know and could understand. he grasped that the book could answer his questions, which he don't deny finding it useful and convenient. Yet wither he believes to it being magic or not he still decided to put it to test as he asked he asked, "Magic,". The book flipped to the next page which were provided him options base on his request, along the list he found the word "learn," which sparked his curiosity that made him not think twice and immediately choose it.

The book opens to the next page, which also glows like the previous pages did, shortly after, within the middle of the page is a circle seems to be a symbol of something, which gave him a strong sense of familiarity, yet could never put his fingers on it. The book guided him through a process, instructing him to place his palm inside a circle. As he did so, the book glowed, right after while being in a process, Hanabi felt something inexplicable happening, he suddenly felt somewhat weak, as his inside was being suck by something really strange and unpleasant. Despite all, above the circle, something written which told him not to remove his hand while in process, which he followed, despite the foreign discomfort. As the process completed, right after he removed his hand, the book again flip the page to next, in which where Hanabi supposed stats was written, in rather specific description. From their he saw his present status which made him wonder about the average stats human have, as he view further he noticed the description shown that the best one he got among everything was magic. Yet since he chooses to learn magic the book change the page again, to provide him the information he asked.

As Hanabi read his stats, a strong gust of wind snapped him back to reality. He realized the value of the book and the danger it posed. He's aware about the chaos might begin if the item will discovered by anyone else. Speaking of which, a wild idea comes to his mind while thinking what to do, since the book process magic, he asked the book to create a barrier that would coat the place with barrier that would shield and hide him at the same time. The book responded, releasing magical particles that coated the area like a bubble, He watched in great amazement as the barrier was forming while realising a dust of particles made of magic that glows in rainbow as it fall to his face.

As Hanabi ran back home as fast as he could, he almost lost track of time after being overly entertained from the book. The place grew darker, and he realized with great anxiety that he had forgotten his task again. Thinking about it filled him with dread, knowing Mother Lilith wouldn't be easy to deceive. He noticed the sun dipping below the horizon and feared facing not one but two reprimands.

In a flash of inspiration, given by the dire situation he realized he was having, before he left He, remembered, the pouch. He rummaged to it dileberatly while removing anything he thought was not neccesary, while gathering leaves he thought might be edible vegetables as he might not know the name but he recognized it as safe since he constantly sees it being in display at the market. As he stumbled upon another pouch, hoping it contained money, he opened it and was relieved to find some. With time running out, he grabbed the money and vegetables and hurried back, leaving everything else behind.

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