The sun seeped into the room accompanied by brightness and warmth. The brightness and warmth dispelled the darkness and coldness which had been loitering around since night till dawn like hungry tramps.
Accompanied by the light was the chirping of birds, singing happily about the bright new day. Then came the talking which toned up into shouting and then into babel of voices which rose into the atmosphere and became what could be described as 'perfect' noise.
Walter who had not slept up till morning couldn't help but stand up from the chair he was sitting on and reached out his right hand to grab the brown waistcoat which was resting on the table.
Hearing that his whole relatives had been captured by Castor and that he demanded a mystical item as a ransom, he couldn't help but feel tense all through the night. Although he was off duty, he wanted to go to the Arcane Safety Department and ask about the mystical item from Wilfred, the team leader. He hasn't heard of anything called the Book Of Mysteries and wanted to know what it was. By knowing about it, he would know why Castor wanted it so badly to kidnap his whole relatives and threaten their lives.
So he had done what you could call 'personal hygiene' since dawn and had been waiting for the sun to rise. After seeing the sun rise, he didn't waste any time going to the Arcane Safety Department.
He was almost leaving the house when he recalled something. The Imaginary Cluster! How could he have forgotten something like that!
He quickly changed his mind about asking Wilfred. First, he had the Imaginary Cluster which was adept at divination and secondly, asking Wilfred would only garner suspicion from the willy old fox. When he finally got the Book Of Mysteries, Wilfred would know he was the one who stole it since he was the one asking about it. Why go through the stress when you can do it at home?
Since he was also off duty he was very much relieved. He wouldn't have to stay at home and cook up silly excuses about why he didn't come to work. Giving silly excuses was not his thing—at least not his best talent.
He walked to the bedroom and picked up the jean trousers he had worn. Reaching to its pocket, he took out the mirror.
Immediately, he felt this dizziness again. His head began spinning fast and he saw everything moving around him, spinning with speed. And then his Magical Body began weakening. The same feeling again!
Remembering what Old Gee said about Imaginary Cluster being a chatterbox who loved chatting and being petted, a thought hit Walter. If he was going to stop having this dizzy feeling, he had to develope a good rapport with this Array six item!
"Hey," he greeted, running his hands across the frame of the mirror. Speaking to the mystical item, he couldn't help but feel awkward. He was speaking with an item for Goddess's sake! What if someone saw him? What would they think? That he had gone mad and needed at least a day at the asylum!
Duchy was one of those countries which had the best technology. This country did great in both magic and science, making its technology rise to a zenith level. The way technology experts combined magic with science made them produce jawbreaking results in technology. Due to this reason, the rate of deformity in the country was reduced to 20%. With magic and science, they could attend to medical problems within hours—even mental problems!
For some moments, Walter envied sorcerers and Arcane Guards in the Science Form magic schools. They could create and invent mind-blowing stuffs and were geniuses to begin with. They made unbelievable discoveries and broke records with them.
He then brought his attention back to the mystical item. Imaginary Cluster was not replying. It did not say anything since.
What's up with it? Walter thought. Why is it not saying a thing?
He then decided to try again. "Hey," he said in the softest voice ever—a voice which he reserved for his wife only.
No answer.
He frowned, "Why are you not talking? Old Gee said you could talk."
No answer.
"You don't wanna talk?" he asked again, becoming impatient.
No answer.
He took a deep breathe and then said, "Fine if you won't talk."
Then he heard it. He heard its voice. It was light as a child's but filled with a calm aura which soothed his body. He now realized while Old Gee said that chatting with the mystical item would ensure one's Magical Body wasn't drained. Its voice carried such effect!
"Please, please, please," it said. "Just leave me alone! I don't like you, can't you see it? Can't you tell when people don't like you?"
"..."
Walter was momentarily at loss. Gloomy as he was, he still felt the urge to laugh at what the mystical item was saying.
Getting over his shock, he asked, "You don't like me? Why?"
"You can ask all your enemies that question when you bump into them," Imaginary Cluster said. "Beginning with the fella who tried assassinating you. What was his name again?"
Walter's facial muscles twitched. This mirror actually knew about the assassination attempt?
"Yes! I remember his name!" it continued. "Dan Richards if I'm not wrong. Haha! One hell of a guy! Dude got his heart punched out into the damn wall!"
Walter cleared his throat. He wanted to ask about the Book Of Mysteries fast as possible and here was the same Imaginary Cluster talking like a talkative kid.
"Man, you're such a tough guy," Walter could hear it laugh loudly. "You literally tanked several countless bullets! You gotta teach me that martial arts! You gotta teach me!"
"I'm gonna teach you," Walter smiled. He was looking for the best means to coax it to stop talking and now he got the chance.
"Sorry, not interested," it said. Walter saw a silly face form on the mirror and then it vanished.
Seriously? Walter resisted the urge to frown. How could he coax this damn thing to stop talking?
He thought and thought till he finally came up with something. All this while, Imaginary Cluster had been talking.
"Are you a he or a she?" Walter asked.
"A he," Imaginary Cluster replied. "Don't tell me you've been seeing me as an animal or some nonliving thing?"
A frowning face appeared on the mirror. Seeing this, Walter smiled. He had gotten what he wanted.
"No," Walter said. "I thought you were some old mirror and picked up from my Grandpa's store."
"Hey!" Imaginary Cluster said. "I'm no old mirror, mind the way you speak to me!"
"No, I won't," Walter said. "Because you're some worthless stuff who can do nothing but talk all day long."
"Haha!" Imaginary Cluster laughed and then he said, "Seriously? Where did you get those last lines from? From some action movie you watched?"
"I don't know when I watched movies last," Walter said sincerely. "I've been always busy."
"Awwwn," an adorable face formed on the mirror. "What an adorable Arcane Guard."
Sigh...Walter sighed. He was not getting the effect he wanted.
"Tsk," Imaginary Cluster said. "I was just pulling your legs, don't feel bad already. So, what do you want me to tell ya?"
Pheeew...Walter heaved a sigh of relief. Although he knew the mystical mirror had already given in to demands, he didn't dare drop his good manners. He had to say, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, sweetie," Imaginary Cluster replied. "But don't see me as a gay."
Walter couldn't help but laugh, "You're a funny, talkative mirror. My name's Walter."
"Walter Anderson?" the mirror said. "Yeah I knew since thy kingdom come."
"I was gonna ask you something," Walter said.
"About myself?" Imaginary Cluster said. "Ask and count it as a bonus."
"..."
Walter was momentarily speechless. Bonus? So the rules are now set by you. Cool.
"Okay, so here's the thing," Imaginary Cluster said. "You can only use me twice a day. That includes questions about anything else but me. You see? I'm generous."
"More like you're selfish," Walter said. "Very selfish."
"Don't worry," Imaginary Cluster said, a smiling face forming on it. "When we become close."
"So when is that?" Walter asked. "When are we going to develope this closeness?"
"Hmmm...lemme say if you survive through all this."
Sigh...Walter sighed. He didn't even know if he was going to survive everything. He wasn't afraid facing Castor. What he was afraid of was stealing the Book Of Mysteries. How would he, an Arcane Guard, be a thief?What if he was discovered, how would he survive the attacks of the other Arcane Guards? How would it feel when he was arrested by the other Arcane Guards, more especially his own very teammates?
Getting out of his thoughts, he asked, "What's this Book Of Mysteries?"
"I will answer that one as a bonus for ya," Imaginary Cluster laughed. "Tell me thank you."
Before Walter had a chance to talk, a thick puff of smoke appeared on the mirror. Then countless dotted lights appeared on it and began blinking.
This scene was so beautiful for Walter that he became mesmerized with it. This was like a beautiful, starry night!
When he was about been caught up with the whole beauty stuff, the scene changed. On the mirror was depicted a book. Everything was hazy but Walter could still tell that it was a book.
"So it's actually a book," Walter said calmly.
"What did you think it was?" he heard the same childish voice. "A pen?"
Ignoring him, Walter said, "Tell me where the book is."
The scene changed immediately into the same smoke with countless dotted lights. Then it vanished to reveal a hazy place. In this place were many objects which Walter knew to be glass cases. In this glass cases were other objects which Walter didn't know what they were.
Then the scene moved. It was as if someone was moving with a video camera, doing some live stuff.
Walter saw the scene stop in front of a wall. Then it went right through the door and stopped in a dark room. Then everything shattered.
This...Walter was shocked. He knew the place. This place was no other place than the City Museum. The Book Of Mysteries was hidden at the Museum!
This filled Walter with fear. The museum was guarded by sorcerers who were at least at Array six! Who was mad enough to steal something from the noses of Middle Array sorcerers? That was suicide for an Array two like him! Even an Array seven couldn't face several Array six much less him, an ordinary and weak Array two. This was actually suicide!
"It's depressing huh?" Imaginary Cluster said. "I'm going to give you another bonus on this divination. This means you can still use me twice. Don't ask me why. I want to witness this whole stuff as quick as possible."
Walter secretly praised his generosity and then said, "Tell me my fate."
The scene changed to the starry sky and then began twirling, forming several loops of light. Then it cleared to reveal a star which was blinking brightly.
Walter frowned. What was that? He had no idea on astrology.
"I forgot you were some random guy from the School of Thaumaturgy," Imaginary Cluster said. "That's why I love hanging out with peeps from the School Of Astrology. I'll tell you nevertheless. That means your destiny is bright which means anything you do would be successful."
Pheeew...Walter heaved a sigh of relief. But he found the whole situation funny. How would he succeed stealing a guarded book under the noses of the sorcerers?
"I can tell you more about your destiny if you use the last chance to ask," Imaginary Cluster offered with glee.
"Never mind," Walter said. If he wanted to know, he'd just find a sorcerer from the School Of Astrology and ask. Then he said, "Tell me more about the Book Of Mysteries."
"Funny enough I don't know more," Imaginary Cluster said.
"Huh?" Walter was dumbfounded. How could Imaginary Cluster, an Array six item of the Astrology School not know?
"Sigh..." Imaginary Cluster sighed. "That Book Of Mysteries is very mysterious. It exceeds my level by far so I cannot know about it."
Walter frowned. Strange. If this Book Of Mysteries was that much mysterious, how was he going to get it? What if the main problem was itself and not the sorcerers?
But then after remembering that he would be successful, he waved every negative thought aside. If finding the book and giving it to Castor would save his family, then he'd do it by all chance.
He had considered reporting to the Arcane Safety Department but felt Castor would be watching from the shadows so he thought otherwise.
He then sat on the bed, thinking about how he would go about stealing this Book Of Mysteries.