When consciousness returned to me, I was lying on the floor, and the book was lying quietly next to me, as if nothing had happened. But something has changed.
The air around them seemed thick.
I raised my hand in front of my face and froze. A faint bluish haze streamed from the tips of his fingers, like steam on a frosty morning.
"What the"
I clenched my fist sharply, and the haze disappeared.
My heart was pounding so loudly that it seemed to be audible even through the wall. I got up slowly, went to the sink, and turned on the faucet. The water began to flow in a regular stream, but as soon as I *thought* about stopping it
, "Stop."
And the water froze.
Literally.
The drops hovered in the air, as if someone had pressed pause. I touched one carefully, and it shook, but it didn't fall.
** "Next," ** I whispered.
The water gushed into the sink again.
I stared at my hands, dumbfounded.
This is not a dream.
The book was on the table, dark blue now, with silver patterns that hadn't been there before. I touched it carefully, and the pages turned over to the "Water Magic" section.*.
The text has changed.
"1. Method: you must know the ancient language."
"2. Concentration: imagine water as an extension of yourself."
"3. Command: pronounce *"Aqua vere" with confidence."
I took a deep breath.
— Aqua veer.
The water in the glass on the table trembled, then *came to life* — a thin stream rose into the air, writhing like a snake.
I laughed.
I did it.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, sharp and impatient.
— Sato! Are you crazy in there? It was the voice of the neighbor downstairs. — Are you having a flood?!
I looked around. The floor was dry.
"What are you talking about?" I shouted back.
— The water is gushing on my ceiling, like in a shower!
I looked at the glass. The water in it was *bubbling*, even though I was no longer concentrating on the spell.
"Oh no."
"S—I'll figure it out now!" I frantically grabbed the book and threw it on the bed. The water in the glass immediately calmed down.
But it was too late.
The door flew open with a bang.
It wasn't just the neighbor standing on the doorstep.
Next to him, the *hostess* stood with her arms crossed.
"Well, Master?" Her voice dripped venom. "You're going to pay me for repairs now, too."
I slowly raised my hands.
—I'll... explain everything."
The hostess grinned.
— Explain it. At the police station.
Behind her, two men in black flashed by— men in formal suits, with cold eyes.
"Sato?" — one of them took out a badge. "You should come with us."
The book on the bed
shuddered.
And it went out.
(Something tells me that this is only the first step in a world where magic is not a fairy tale. And now I'm being hunted.)