I stared intently at the metal container sitting on the small table beside my bed.
I swallowed.
Whatever has to happen, has to happen, right?
I sighed.
If you have to drink something, then you have to drink it.
As my good red-haired friend used to say: people die when they're killed.
I shook my head and covered my face with one hand.
I'm already thinking stupid things.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I picked up the container and kept my eyes fixed on the gelatinous liquid inside.
I hope you give me the answers I'm looking for.
If some being wants to control my life, so be it. I have nothing with which to oppose it.
But if you want to hurt my little sister, that's different.
With everything I have, I will oppose you.
Even if I have to stand against everything.
I raised the container to my mouth.
The liquid, a deep, dark blue, gave off a faint scent. It was difficult to describe. There was something ethereal about it, something that didn't seem to belong to any familiar aroma.
I drank it.
The sensation was cool and smooth in my mouth. The liquid slid down my throat and continued into my stomach.
Then...
Boom.
Boom.
My heart began pounding violently.
The sticky liquid seemed to come alive inside my body. A strange sensation spread from my stomach, as though countless long, thin tentacles were unfolding through every corner of my body.
Cold.
Stimulation.
Pain.
Everything happened at once.
My body began convulsing.
My vision quickly became blurry.
The colors intensified.
Reds became redder.
Blues became bluer.
Blacks became blacker.
They all blended and overlapped like the strokes of an Impressionist painting.
For some reason, my mind felt light.
Strangely light.
Despite the convulsions, I remained lucid.
It was like being lost in the middle of an ocean, unable to tell where the sky ended and the sea began.
Little by little, my surroundings became discernible again.
The colors returned to normal.
Then a grayish mist appeared.
Everything became blurry.
All around me were shapes that were difficult to describe.
Transparent objects that seemed as though they didn't exist.
And deep within...
Flashes of light.
Bright and pure.
In different colors.
They seemed to possess a life of their own.
Or perhaps they contained such immense knowledge that my mind simply couldn't comprehend it.
This is...
Magic?
Mystery?
I turned my head.
That's when I saw it.
I was still standing in the same place.
My body continued convulsing.
For a moment, I couldn't understand what I was seeing.
Until I realized it.
That's me.
The instant I understood that, my consciousness plunged downward.
I felt as though something had grabbed hold of me.
My perception rushed toward my own body.
And then...
Everything fell back into place.
The mist quickly dispersed.
The colors returned to normal.
The bright, crystal-clear halo, along with those nonexistent objects, vanished instantly.
My consciousness returned to my body.
But something was wrong.
I felt as though my head were swelling.
It was like I'd been violently ripped away from somewhere.
Everything I saw left countless afterimages.
And then came the murmurs.
Countless.
Eternal.
They flooded my mind and ears.
—Castle... Sephira...
—Castle... Sephira...
Shit.
I grabbed my head.
I feel like it's going to explode.
It was unbearable.
Violent thoughts began invading my mind.
I frowned and shook my head.
Think...
Think...
I forced myself to think about my sister.
My parents.
Everything we'd been through together.
Little by little, the murmurs began to fade.
They became faint whispers.
Until, finally, they disappeared.
Everything around me ceased to matter.
I could only think about my sister.
My thoughts became calmer.
Lighter.
And, finally, my entire being settled down.
Still shaken, I shook my head.
I took a deep breath.
Once.
Twice.
Until I managed to calm the chaotic emotions still coursing through my body.
I looked at my hands.
Nothing.
I checked my body.
Nothing unusual either.
I quickly went to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.
Nothing.
Aside from looking exhausted, there were no obvious changes.
Until I saw my eyes.
My gray eyes...
Had darkened.
Far more than usual.
They were so dark that they looked like a bottomless abyss.
A deep gaze.
Far too deep.
—What...?
I relaxed my mind using the same method as before.
Little by little, the color of my eyes returned to normal.
I splashed water on my face.
Then I returned to my room and collapsed onto my bed.
I stared at the ceiling.
For now...
That was all.
Before I drifted off into dreams, I managed to glimpse faint auras floating in the air.
So this was...
Spirituality?
The potion had also given me knowledge related to it.
Not just knowledge.
Somehow, I also knew how to use certain abilities.
It was strange.
I didn't remember ever learning any of this, yet at the same time, I felt as though I'd always known how to do it.
I suppose I'll have to test it later.
Right now, I want to sleep.
What a pain...
I yawned.
Well...
I'll check it later.
...
Fire-red.
Faint auras illuminated each of my limbs.
Every part of my body seemed to be covered by an aura of a different color.
Spirit Vision.
The ability I gained after consuming the Seer potion.
I walked around different parts of the house for a while. During that time, I was able to confirm something.
Objects such as chairs, tables, and the other things around me didn't possess the spiritual aura I could see covering myself.
Curious.
I also felt that I could learn things more easily.
Even my memory seemed to have improved.
I could remember things I hadn't even realized I remembered. Even the most insignificant details remained in my mind with strange clarity.
Nyahahaha.
I have an advantage over those genius guys.
Just one quick review...
And I can remember everything.
I also now have fairly clear knowledge about the following Sequences.
Although only up to Sequence 5.
Apparently, the potion I consumed is part of a pathway with higher levels.
Will I eventually become as awesome as Superman or Batman?
Puff.
Seriously, the names of these potions are pretty peculiar.
Everything seems to be related to a circus.
Will the potion after Sequence 5 be called something like Master of the Circus?
And will my special ability be...
summoning rabbits?
Seriously.
I don't find that particularly troublesome.
It's just a rather strange quirk.
—Shit... my head is starting to hurt.
The pain concentrated in the center of my forehead.
I closed my eyes and breathed slowly.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Little by little, the pain began to subside.
I'd discovered that calming my mind, or simply emptying it for a few moments, was surprisingly effective.
Monks and Shaolin practitioners are experts at that sort of thing.
Should I learn from them?
It doesn't seem like a bad idea.
If I can control my mind better, maybe I can also control these... things better.
I'll have to find out if there's a shrine somewhere nearby.
Maybe I can find a monk or priest willing to teach me how to calm my mind.
...
—Onii-chan, here. I brought you the soda you wanted.
—Umm, thanks. How did it go?
I'm playing video games right now, sitting on the sofa in the living room.
—It went well. We did a lot of shopping. My friend's mom bought us lots of food.
She looked at me suspiciously.
—Are you okay, Onii-chan? You've seemed a little strange since this morning. You're different.
Puff.
—Different how? The only thing that happened is that I had an epiphany.
Instinctively, I activated my Spirit Vision.
My sister also emanated that aura, with different colors flowing throughout her body.
But there was something else.
A white layer of aura covered her body.
What is that?
A person without problems? Someone who's perfectly normal and healthy?
I'll find out later.
I'm still practicing with this Spirit Vision. I don't even know how to activate and deactivate it at will.
I know it's something magical, but staying in this state all the time must take a toll. Besides, I can't see everything normally like I used to.
Tsk.
I'm a rookie. I barely know how any of this works.
Thank God I can learn things more easily now.
I wasn't playing all day, you know?
I may be a loner, but I have a pretty good grasp of the overall situation.
I just need time.
—At least everything is fine.
I sighed.
Komachi simply shook her head and went back to her room. Before going upstairs, she told me:
—I'm leaving some food out. Help yourself. There's plenty left over from our outing.
—Ahh... I have classes tomorrow. Hopefully Hiratsuka-sensei won't pair me up with another guy who doesn't care about anything.
If she paired me with a beautiful girl, I'd consider it.
But after the mistakes I made at my previous school, I don't dare do anything.
I'm kind of a coward in that regard.
But so what?
I don't need anyone else's opinion.
I grabbed a straw and began drinking while continuing to play on my phone.
The news continued playing in the background.
I wasn't paying attention to it, but there was no harm in listening.
As usual, they were repeating the same thing.
The discovery.
And the illnesses several people had begun experiencing after coming into contact with something unknown.
Seriously.
Those people running on a hundred percent adrenaline don't think about the consequences.
Their problem.
Japan is peaceful thanks to its systems of discipline, healthcare, and cleanliness.
And if something happens, they simply deal with it and move on.
Mmh.
Looking at the clock, I saw that it was 7:30 p.m.
I'd said I'd buy the materials for tomorrow. We had to bring some things to make a model for class.
I don't want to take too long.
I grabbed my bicycle and headed to the store.
Ding.
—Welcome, young man —the friendly cashier greeted me.
I nodded and went to pick out my materials.
While grabbing a box of instruments, someone bumped into me.
—Sorry.
I lowered my gaze.
It was a little girl dressed in a gothic-style outfit.
—It's fine.
When I shifted my field of vision to the other side, I saw various kinds of toys for children.
My gaze stopped on one in particular.
"Beginner's Magician Kit."
The classic wands, cards, and other things.
Especially a triangular pendulum.
I suppose it's for fortune-telling.
They always put things like that in circuses, wearing cloaks and acting mysterious while pretending to discover your future.
—Excuse me.
I went to one of those places when I was younger. I don't have any particular interest in it. It was just an experience.
—Excuse me.
I don't think Komachi would be interested in this stuff.
Better buy it just in case.
It's not like I'm buying it for myself and planning to experiment with it so I can become a master of the circus in the future.
That's not it.
—Heyyy.
Hmm.
I lowered my gaze.
It was the girl calling me.
—What do you want? Are you looking for your mother?
I hadn't paid much attention to her appearance. I already had everything I needed, so I could leave.
—Ehh... girl.
—Youuu.
She pointed at me.
She placed her other hand on her hip and looked up at me firmly.
—You're really rude, Hikigaya-kun.
She said it bluntly.
Huh.
She knows me?
I stared closely at her face and sighed inwardly.
The annoying midget from my class was standing right in front of me, putting on a complete gothic-girl act.
I never thought I'd see her like this.
I'd already known about her tendencies, but this was a drastic change. Unlike in the classroom, where she kept a reserved and composed attitude around other people.
Who would've thought?
Well, to each their own.
I'd better leave. I don't want to get involved in some cosplay event.
I have other things to do.
So, if you'll excuse me...
—Oh... Gokou. What a coincidence, running into you and seeing you dressed so peculiarly.
I greeted her quickly.
—Do you live nearby? That's nice. I wish you the best at whatever event you're attending. See you.
—Hikigayaaa...
I sighed.
She stared at me with a slightly flushed expression and pointed toward a high shelf filled with action and fantasy manga.
I sighed again.
—Hikigaya-kun... you found me out. Phew... Could you do me a favor? Could you get that manga down for me? And I'll never mention this to anyone.
Hmm.
It was that manga about the dark hero and his enemy/girlfriend, a gothic queen.
Looking at the manga and then at the person standing in front of me, I'd already figured out where she got all those lines about the Nightmare Queen and magic.
Considering how tiny she was, I had to admit it was pretty funny how difficult it must have been for her to reach it.
Puff.
I saw her trembling slightly as she stared at me like a hawk.
All right, girl. Calm down.
Kids these days are something else.
I calmly grabbed the manga and handed it to her.
—Youuu... thank you. Please forget you saw me like this.
—No problem. See you.
I paid for everything and left.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced back.
I saw her watching me with the manga in her hands.
I sighed.
That girl needs some company.
Too bad there's no one like that around.
...
I sighed.
—Seriously... why did I buy this?
I looked at the box again.
"Beginner's Magician Kit."
Everything has a reason, right?
It's not all lost.
In case no one had noticed, the potion's name is quite specific.
"Seer."
Who are seers?
People who can divine your future, past, or present through rituals or various methods of fortune-telling.
You can find plenty of them in the city center, at small stalls or in more secluded places. There's all kinds of stuff.
Cards, the typical crystal balls, even hypnosis.
They'll tell you anything just by shuffling a deck of cards.
People hungry for money.
I may not consider myself the smartest guy around, but I am pretty observant.
The potion's name had seemed suspicious to me, but after drinking it, I experienced many things.
So, as the name suggests, it's not that strange to think about all of this. After all, these days you can find just about anything on the Internet.
There are even classes for learning about this kind of stuff. Shamans, magicians, and the like.
I already bought it.
I won't have time to practice today, and I don't have anyone who can help me, either.
I'll try tomorrow.
For now...
I'll finish off those annoying Bloodborne DLC bosses.
There are priorities, you know?