Yesterday was a strange day, full of odd occurrences. It started out as usual, with me waking up at 4:30 in the morning and getting ready for my first of two shifts for the day. The first strange thing was my dingy mirror that was stuck to the wall of my dim bathroom. It had been cracked. I saw silver fractures webbing across its surface and deep into the glass. It must have broken last night. I had just gotten back from visiting my sister in the hospital, and by the time I was home, I must've been out of it. So I wrote it off as a stupid mistake.
After I left home, I noticed nothing else that was out of place, so I just let the cracked mirror slide to the back of my mind. I had more important things to do anyway; bills weren't gonna pay themselves. My first shift of the day was uneventful. I was doing my usual opening shift at a small coffee shop in town. However, my second shift was where things turned strange. I was working the graveyard janitorial shift at some office or another, and as I was looking in the office bathroom mirror. There, I saw my reflection smiling back at me. At that moment, I understood what people meant by the uncanny valley effect. A perfect reflection of my face stared back at me. The almost permanent dark circles under my eyes were still ever-present. My emerald green eyes still looked dead. However, the reflection had its mouth split in a too-wide Cheshire grin. I somehow knew everything I was seeing was real, and for a second I thought I was now seeing ghosts. The graveyard shifts had to have finally caught up with me. After that, I just left the job. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything creepy, like ghosts or shit like that. I rushed home, and once I got inside my dingy apartment, I slammed my door shut and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. Then, as I walked back into my bathroom, like an almost perfect reflection of the morning, I noticed the bathroom mirror was fine. In fact, it looked cleaner than I had ever seen it, and as I looked into it I saw my reflection again. It still had a far too wide Cheshire smile on its face. It reached towards me, and I swear I saw the hand go through the mirror. Then everything went black.
My eyes slid back open. I saw rays of sunlight filtering through the half-drawn curtains; and I thought I had dreamt it all. I hoped to the gods it had been just a dream. What if it wasn't though? What if this were the dream? I couldn't tell. Maybe this was the afterlife. I mean, no one had ever returned to confirm or deny it, so it was possible. However, as I rose from my pillows, the covers slowly sliding down my unfamiliar but comfortable pyjamas, I realised I had no clue where I was. This wasn't my bedroom, nor was it the hospital; in fact, I had never seen a place like this before. The walls were forest green on one side and on the other they were a pale green; the ceiling was white while the floor was a darker walnut. Chocolate-brown shelves filled with books that I don't remember existing stood flush against one of the walls, and on one of the shelves I spotted a picture frame. As I moved closer, I saw a young boy, who looked about seven, with two adults who looked like his parents. They were outside in some forest that I couldn't recognise, but it felt familiar. The boy himself had long and unkempt but fluffy white hair, but what drew me most were his eyes. His irises were white as snow. The only thing that differentiated the irises from the surrounding sclera was a thin black ring surrounding them. As I kept staring at the picture, I felt memories slam into me with what felt like the force of a freight train. I remembered everything about the boy — his past, his present, and as I sifted through his memories, I realised that I even knew bits of his future. I had become Loki Astreus. The cursed boy from my novel, the blind seer. The hero's best friend, a boy cursed forever to be second place in his own story.
It can't be true, I thought. This had to be a sick dream. A dream I was about to wake up from. Maybe in the hospital or my bedroom. Maybe this was some weird life flashing before my eyes moment right before everything faded to black. But deep down I knew that wasn't it. I knew that this was my reality and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. This all felt far too real for it to be some strange dream… which means I have to make a plan to avoid my impending fate. You see, Loki had an interesting fate. He has two unique traits. One called {Eyes Beyond Time}, and the other called {Peerless Charm}. {Eyes Beyond Time} possesses two effects. The first effect is passive; it allows him to see a few seconds into the future when he is in mortal danger. Whereas the second effect is active; allowing him to choose how far he sees and for how long he sees the future for. However, the ability has a major drawback. Every time it activates, it takes a portion of his sight as payment. First, it takes away his ability to see colours. Then it moves on to other parts, eventually making Loki blind. His other trait, {Peerless Charm}—at first, doesn't sound bad. However, its effect makes it so that anyone at a lower mana rank than him will be intimidated by his presence. Sometimes it can cause them to revere him, like a faerie from the old tales. Other times, it can cause people to fear him as if he were the embodiment of the Devil's beauty. The effect grows stronger with the higher disparity between ranks. His beauty, while unparalleled in every reality, overwhelms individuals of lesser power with its harrowing nature.
However, all is not lost. Since I wrote the novel, I know a way to cure his blindness. It's an item that was owned by a villain in the original novel. I need to find the 'Blindfold of the Cursed Seer' which, if I remember correctly, is in an abandoned temple that can be found within the city that I live in.
"Status." My smooth androgynous voice rings out. The moment the word slips from my mouth, I see a pale blue translucent screen pop up before my eyes.
----[Loki Astraeus]----
[Rank:] (Full Nebula)
[Age:] 18
[Stats:]
Strength - (E)
Dexterity - (D-)
Constitution - (E-)
Intelligence - (E+)
Mana - (D-)
Charm - (EX+)
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[Affinities:] {Mirror}, {Stellar}, {Shadow}, {Sound}
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[Traits, Talents, and Skills]
Traits: {Eyes Beyond Time}, {Peerless Charm}, {The Magician}
Talents: {King of Assassination}, {Genius}, {The Heart of Magic}, {The Magician's Hands}
Skills: {Stealth}, {Magician's Tool Box}, {Dagger Arts}, {Sacrificial Vision}, {Mana Manipulation}, {Enhanced Perception}, {Heart of the Cards}
[Combat Arts:]
Arts:
{Zodiacs Dagger} Grade 5 - 4th Constellation Mastery - Cancer
- Constellations Mastered: Sagittarius, Scorpio, Gemini
{Magicians Waltz} Grade ??? - 1st Act Mastery - Curtain Call
- Acts Mastered: Intermission
Mana Techniques:
{Cosmos of Stars} - Three-Star System
[Domain:]
Domain: {-}
Weapons:
Twin Thieves Daggers - Grade 4 - Historical
Daggers used by the two greatest thieves throughout their moonlit escapades.
{Moonlit Flit:}
Under the light of the moon, these daggers grow sharper and more durable, even allowing their user to escape into shadows.
Equipment:
As I viewed my status screen, I noticed something strange. 'What's all this stuff about the magician? Also, wasn't he supposed to have only the Shadow and Stellar affinities? Something is off…' My thoughts tapered off as my confusion grew at my status screen that didn't follow the book. However, as I focused on the specific portions, a new screen popped up to the side with a description.
Trait - {The Magician}:
[Magician] has descended upon the world. The [Arcadian Records] looks forward to the show that [Magician] will bring to this world. Do not disappoint us, oh weaver of magic.
"… What the fuck?" The words slide from my mouth unbidden. The description was just too strange. 'Why is the [Arcadian Records] being mentioned here of all places..?' From what I could remember, the Arcadian Records was what gave people the status window. However, later on it's discovered that it's the driving force of the universe and something that holds the records of everything ever created. So, it being mentioned here, near the beginning of the novel, should be impossible. My eyes flickered, and I looked over my status again. The descriptions of the other changed parts materialising below the original description.
Talent - {Heart of Magic}:
As the {Magician}, you are able to use any form of magic. Your world is reflected in magic, and it's only held back by your imagination.
Talent - {Magician's Hands}:
You are the ultimate performer. Your hands shape magic. Your fingers manipulate the threads of the marionette puppet. Cards bend to your will. The {Magicians'} hands are unlike any other.
Skill - {Magician's Toolbox}:
A good {Magician} is prepared for anything. These white gloves allow you to store things considered as your tools or form your own tools using mana.
Tools of the {Magician}:
- Knives/Daggers
- Playing Cards
- Tarot Cards
- Marionette Wires
- Wands
- Masks
Skill - {Heart of the Cards}:
The {Magician} embodies the heart of the cards. Any card thrown from your hand flies true and finds its mark.
"Huh… these are… great, aren't they?" I couldn't help but ask myself if I was seeing things right. These skills were insane. Good, to the point that only the {Hero's} status and skills beat them. Perhaps this adventure won't be so bad after all.