Scene: My Bedroom
The alarm clock's relentless beeping pulled me from the depths of my sleep. I groaned and blindly reached out, slapping the snooze button with the precision of a half-awake ninja. The room fell silent again, and I sank back into my pillow, determined to steal a few more precious minutes of sleep. Yesterday's field trip to the museum had been exhausting, and the thought of facing the day seemed almost cruel.
"Hey, I'm heading to work," my dad's voice cut through my semi-conscious state. I cracked one eye open to see him standing at the doorway, looking ready for another day at the office. "I might be late, got some overtime. And your sister Kanao already left for the library to meet her friends for a school project. You'll be alone for a bit."
"Mmmph," I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head. The mere act of forming coherent words felt like a Herculean task.
Dad chuckled, probably at the sight of his half-mummified son. "I left a food tray on your desk. Eat it when you wake up, alright?"
"Sure," I managed to mumble, not bothering to open my eyes again.
With that, I heard him leave, and the house fell silent once more. I drifted back into the sweet embrace of sleep, trying to prolong the inevitable moment when I'd have to face the day.
When I finally woke up for real, the sun was pouring through the curtains, bathing the room in a warm glow. I brushed my eyes, still nestled in bed, and squinted at the brightness. Yesterday's events swirled in my mind like a half-remembered dream. Beast Seeker? Magic book? Annoying stuffed toy? It all seemed too absurd to be real. I almost convinced myself it was just a figment of my imagination.
Stretching and yawning, I sat up and glanced over at my desk. And there, in a sight so comically surreal it almost made me laugh out loud, was Pororo. He was sitting cross-legged, my breakfast tray in front of him, shoveling eggs into his mouth with my fork. To top it all off, he was wearing my headset, bobbing his head to music only he could hear.
"Seriously?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes again just to make sure I wasn't still dreaming.
Pororo looked up, crumbs falling from his mouth. "Oh, you're up. Finally. I was starting to think you were going to sleep all day."
I stared at him, mouth agape. "You...you're real?"
Pororo rolled his eyes, a surprisingly human gesture for a stuffed toy. "No, I'm a figment of your imagination. Of course I'm real! You think you could dream up something this fabulous?"
"Fabulous isn't the word I'd use, I'm gearing towards annoying." I shot back, climbing out of bed and walking over to my desk. "And what are you doing with my breakfast?"
"Well, someone had to eat it," he said with a shrug, taking a swig of orange juice. "Besides, you snooze, you lose."
I sat down and shook my head, still trying to wrap my mind around the absurdity of it all. "This is insane. Yesterday actually happened, didn't it? The museum, the Beast Seeker thing, the magic book? The beast?"
Pororo nodded, looking far too pleased with himself. "Yep. And you did a surprisingly decent job capturing that Will o' the Wisp. For a beginner."
"Great," I muttered, pulling the tray back to assess the damage. At least he left me some toast. "So what now?"
"Now," Pororo said, hopping down from the desk and brushing crumbs off his fur, "we need to keep training and capturing more beasts. Your Beast Seeker level won't increase on its own, you know."
I took a bite of toast and chewed thoughtfully. "And why exactly am I doing this? What's the point?"
Pororo sighed, like he was dealing with a particularly slow student. "Because it's your destiny, or something equally dramatic. Look, all you need to know is that if we don't capture these beasts, they'll cause chaos. And trust me, you don't want chaos."
"Chaos, huh?" I said, swallowing. "And how many beasts are we talking about here?"
"Lots," Pororo said with a shrug. "But don't worry, we'll take it one step at a time. Starting with the easy ones. You remember the tiers I told you about, right?"
"Yeah," I said, recalling our conversation in the forest. "Goblin and Fairy tiers are easy, Demon tiers are medium, Dragon tiers are hard, and God tiers are nightmare fuel."
Pororo snorted. "That's one way to put it. But you got the gist. The higher the tier, the tougher the capture. But also, the more powerful the beast you can summon later."
"So I can summon the Will o' the Wisp now?" I asked, intrigued despite myself.
"Yep. Handy little bugger, that one. Good for light and illusions. Might help you find other beasts or trick them."
I finished my toast and stood up, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. "Alright, so what's our plan for today, oh wise and fabulous Pororo?"
"First," he said, ignoring my sarcasm, "we need to practice summoning. Get a handle on calling forth the Will o' the Wisp. Then we'll head out and see if we can track down another easy-tier beast."
I nodded, feeling a strange sense of determination. Despite the absurdity of the situation, there was a certain thrill to the idea of being a Beast Seeker. And besides, I couldn't let a talking stuffed toy show me up.
"Okay, let's do this," I said, clenching my fists in a dramatic pose.
Pororo looked at me, unimpressed. "You might want to get dressed first, too."
I glanced down at my pajamas and felt my face heat up. "Right. Good call."
***In the Living Room***
Dressed and slightly more awake, I stood in the living room with Pororo perched on the coffee table. He looked at me expectantly.
"Alright," he said, "let's start with the basics. Summon the book. Remember, 'Book Open!'"
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused. "Book Open!" I commanded, feeling a rush of energy.
There was a bright flash, and the Eldritch Bestiary appeared, hovering before me. I opened my eyes and grinned. "Nice."
The sun poured through the windows, bathing the living room in a warm glow as I stood there, preparing to summon the Will O' The Wisp. Pororo, perched on the coffee table, looked at me expectantly like a strict master. I took a deep breath and began the incantation.
"By moon's light and shadows deep, Awaken beasts from ancient sleep. Sacred tool, transform."
Pororo was engulfed in a swirl of light and transformed into a staff, with intricate runes glowing along its length. With the staff in hand, I tapped the Eldritch Bestiary. Light emanated from the book, filling the living room with a radiant glow. Moments later, the Will O' The Wisp appeared, floating ethereally before us.
"Nice job," Pororo's voice came from the staff, sounding almost impressed. "Now, again. Practice makes perfect."
I repeated the spell two more times, each time summoning the Will O' The Wisp more smoothly. By the third attempt, I was starting to feel like a seasoned magician, though Pororo's constant critiques were wearing thin.
"Okay, I think I've got it," I said, slightly out of breath. "Happy now?"
"Delighted," Pororo replied sarcastically. "Though your form could use some work."
"Form?" I groaned. "What am I, a ballerina?"
When he finally deemed my efforts satisfactory, we flopped onto the sofa, exhausted. Pororo, back in his default form, snatched the remote and settled in as if he owned the place.
"Hey, give me that," I protested, reaching for the remote.
"Fat chance," Pororo shot back, flipping through channels with rapid precision. "I'm watching this fascinating thing called 'television'."
I rolled my eyes and tried to grab the remote again, but Pororo was surprisingly quick. "What spell do we use to summon people and things inside the TV?" he asked, eyes glued to the screen.
I snorted with laughter. "Are you serious?
Pororo looked genuinely puzzled. "We don't have TV in the spirit realm. How was I supposed to know?"
"Well, let me enlighten you," I said, grinning. "TV isn't magical. It's just a bunch of pictures and sounds."
Pororo looked disappointed. "That's...underwhelming."
We stayed like that for hours, the TV flickering with various shows as the afternoon stretched on. I began to relax, the surreal events of the past day fading into the background. Just as I was starting to doze off, Pororo jumped up, eyes wide and the red jewel on his forehead glowing brightly.
"I sense something," he said, his voice urgent. "A beast is nearby."
I sat up, instantly alert. "What kind of beast?"
"I'm not sure yet," he replied, the jewel pulsing on his forehead. "But it's close. Very close."
"How close?" I asked, getting to my feet.
Pororo's eyes narrowed. "Inside the house."
My heart skipped a beat. "Inside the house? Are you kidding me?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Pororo retorted, hopping off the sofa and looking around warily. "Prepare yourself."
My mind racing. What kind of beast could have sneaked into the house? And more importantly, how were we going to deal with it?
We began our search, moving cautiously through the house. Every creak of the floorboards and rustle of the curtains set my nerves on edge. Pororo led the way, his jewel acting like a radar, pulsing more intensely as we approached the kitchen.
Just as we were about to enter, I heard a voice that made my blood run cold. "Honey, I'm home."
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Tears welled up in my eyes as the familiar voice echoed through the house. It was impossible. It couldn't be.
Pororo tilted his head, confused. "Who's that?"
"It's...it's Mom," I whispered, my voice shaking.
"Good, another distraction," Pororo said, rolling his eyes. "Why do you look pale?"
"Because...because Mom died three years ago..."