"The time we have spent together is drawing to a close, and before you depart, I would like to remind you that the physics exams will begin early next week. Therefore, prepare yourselves well, study hard, and make sure you obtain the best possible grades."
...
The countdown to the exams had begun to press on my nerves more than I could count.
After the professor announced in her usual tone that the physics exams would start next week, I felt as though she was stealing what little peace of mind I had left, which made me wish I could disappear and evaporate from this world filled with exams and endless assignments.
'Here we go again.' I sighed deeply as I watched the professor head toward her desk on the left side of the hall and sit down.
This was supposed to be my last week without worry, but when I thought about it again and put a few things in order, I realized that I was forced to make use of these few remaining days to review the subjects.
….
Ring ring ring
At that moment, the bell rang loudly in my ears, announcing the end of the lecture.
'Is this a university bell, or a prison siren that went off by mistake?!' I thought sarcastically as I toyed with the pen between my fingers in an automatic motion. The sound felt more like a call to hard labor in the mines than a simple signal to get up.
I am not entirely sure, but if I had the freedom to choose, I would probably lean toward preferring hard labor. At least there, no one would expect me to be a genius or to solve the mysteries of the universe before lunch.
I can no longer remember what was going through my head when I chose to enroll in the physics department. It can be summed up by saying that I was trying to be special or innovative, like an Arab version of Stephen Hawking.
Especially since I was already quite skilled in computers and programming.
I leaned back against the chair, feeling a momentary relief after three continuous hours of a mentally draining lecture, and let out a deep sigh. 'Oh, I drifted so far away from enrolling in the computer science department? What a disgrace. This is truly frustrating.'
I shook my head helplessly and added with feigned indifference, 'It doesn't matter. I just need to set this aside for now.'
This respectable amount of questions that keeps knocking on my mind again and again, even to this day, still completely incapacitates me from finding any clear answer to silence it.
In any case, there was one thing that eased the pressure slightly, which was my joining the department alongside my childhood friend Ayman. He is the kind of friend who gets you stuck in a chain of trivial disasters, but at the same time makes you a partner in those unexpected gains.
Every time I try to connect these problems together quickly, a saying comes to my mind that goes, "There is no bravery in staying aboard a sinking ship."
Based on this principle, I had sent a request file to change my major before the exam period began.
I did not tell my friend about it, because if he found out, he would submit the same request, and it would very likely be viewed as a collective attempt to evade responsibility or stir trouble with the administration, which could provoke a negative reaction and lead to my request being rejected outright.
Some might think my behavior reflects a kind of selfishness or individualistic thinking, but believe me, this is what it takes for me to get off this sinking ship.
At that moment, the classroom filled with the sounds of books closing and pens hitting desks, while the students began gathering their belongings in preparation to leave.
Most of them had no difficulty with physics at all. They chose it out of enthusiasm and genuine interest, completely unlike my experience.
Even my friend Ayman was not in a better position than me. The only difference in our paths is that he has not yet realized that the ship is already sinking.
I began preparing myself as well, entering a phase of checking that everything was ready. While organizing a few things, I glanced through the window overlooking the courtyard, crowded with students moving about in chaotic activity.
Nothing in that daily chaos caught my attention except for a small group of birds that had landed on one of the fences to rest before flapping their wide wings again and rising into the sky in beautiful natural harmony, drawing a spontaneous smile on my face.
'You come to my hell and leave. Wow, what a beautiful privilege.'
I lowered myself back onto my still-warm seat, breathing out in relief, waiting for the congestion at the classroom door caused by the random and unorganized exit to clear.
Among everyone, Ayman was trying, like the others, to push his way through the crowd to get out. Amid the shoving and distraction, his eyes stopped on me while I was still seated in my place in the sixth row. He pointed at me with a quick smile and said, "Amanai, wait for me at the exit! I managed to get an invitation you can't miss from that group I told you about. Don't worry, I won't make you wait long!"
I watched him shout those inappropriate comments out loud in the middle of the crowd, and I felt the urge to cover his face with my hand from sheer embarrassment.
'You pervert. If I can hear you while sitting here, how could others not hear you?' I thought sarcastically to myself, then decided to reply with cooled indifference. "Alright. Enjoy your time. Don't worry about it."
Before Ayman could turn around, a sudden hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find one of his classmates whose name I did not know. He was smiling with a sly grin that revealed he had not missed a single word of what was said. "Oh, did you think you were talking in a soundproof room?"
"Would you like to enjoy yourself with the girls from the art class without exposing me?"
Ayman brushed the hand away from his shoulder and looked at him mockingly. "Get lost, you giant horse."
His friend froze in place, his eyes widening in shock he could not hide, asking in a voice mixed with denial, "Since when am I classified as a horse?"
Ayman laughed quietly while rubbing his forehead. "I'm not trying to stop you. I just want to protect you from the sight of your miserable face when they send you back disappointed. I don't want you spending the night begging me to mediate and fix what your tongue ruined."
The words were sharp, but they carried the nature of advice coated in poison, frankly.
"You bastard, it seems you got a little too excited to say something like that." Their friend was starting to lose control of himself.
It was unlikely they would dare to get into a physical confrontation now, especially since many heated arguments and insults had already occurred between them before. In addition, the professor was completely busy fiddling with her computer, making it unlikely that things would escalate beyond exchanging words without breaking into a fight, at least for now.
After a long and tedious back-and-forth, their voices gradually lowered as they moved away from the classroom and headed outside.
As the congestion at the door subsided, I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the hall, then headed toward the main exit of the university.
I took out my phone with the habitual automatic motion and pressed the power button, the screen lighting up in my face as my eyes quickly moved between messages and notifications.
When I exited the university gate, the sky was high and layered with dense gray clouds, sending a cold breeze that gently brushed against my face.
In contrast, the street was filled with noise due to the chaotic dispersal of students, each heading toward their own destination. Anyone standing where I was would likely think it was a small city within the university.
I continued walking calmly through the crowd, watching the tired and hurried faces, until I reached the bus stop.
When I arrived at the bus stop, I found that all the wooden seats were occupied by bodies exhausted from work. I did not feel annoyed and simply stood at the edge of the sidewalk, leaning my back against one of the poles.
Long and boring minutes passed as I waited in front of the bus stop before my bus, number [I-17], finally appeared.
However, my luck, as always, refused to make it a good day.
The bus was crowded to the very last seat and did not even bother to stop.
"Not now. Please, not now," I screamed internally as I heard the repeated announcement. All I wanted was to go back and throw myself onto my bed as quickly as possible.
Before I could refocus on my phone, a voice rising from the increasing noise caught my attention, calling my name clearly and repeatedly.
"Amanai! Amanai! Amanai!"
I raised my head in surprise and found Ayman running toward me lightly, like a clown who had just finished giving a bad performance.
Seeing him run like that reminded me that I was supposed to wait for him at the university gate as we had agreed during the lecture. I had completely forgotten about waiting for him.
His voice was no longer distant. He was now standing in front of me, panting from the run.
He stopped right in front of me, leaning his body forward and gasping for breath. He was panting so hard that he could not form a complete sentence at first. I watched him with feigned indifference, trying to hide my embarrassment over forgetting to wait for him.
After he caught his breath, he lifted his head to me with a look carrying some tension and questioning. "The computer science department released an announcement with the names of the new students. Your name is among them. Did you change your major without telling me?"
'Me? In the computer science department?' I thought with bitter sarcasm.
To everyone else, the transfer had already happened and the name was written on the list. But for me, it felt like waking up in someone else's body.
I also did not want to be in this confusing situation in front of my best friend, which was exactly what I had been trying to avoid.
Words resisted me and crowded my mind as I searched for an excuse that would satisfy him without exposing the truth or hurting his feelings.
With plenty of experience lying to my parents and to him as well, my tongue found itself uttering a lie I had not planned beforehand. "What list are you talking about? I haven't made any changes at all. If I had, that would have been the first thing I told you. Maybe… maybe there's some mistake… or someone else with the same name. As you know, the university is full of students."
At that moment, I clearly noticed Ayman's steady gaze piercing through me as if he were trying to read something deeper than what my face showed. Then he simply replied, "I don't know, man. I was surprised when I saw your name there. For a moment, I thought you were more talented in technology than I expected. But if you say it's not you, then there must be a mistake or someone else sharing your name."
He nudged my shoulder lightly as he continued, laughing. "Anyway, I believe you. Even if you did transfer, I'd submit a transfer request and follow you. Do you really think you can run away from me, you sly one? Hahaha."
I gave him a faint smile. "Heh, your face tells me that getting rid of you is impossible anyway."
A feeling of regret boiled inside me inescapably, knowing full well that the truth, no matter how much I tried to hide it or delay it, would eventually surface. It might be tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, then certainly at some later time, when I would have no choice but to face it.
Yet the lie only made things more complicated and worse. I thought that I could have told the truth from the beginning, but why did I choose the path of lying?
Because I am simply a coward, running away from facing unpleasant truths and preferring to postpone them, fully aware that postponement would not change reality.
As my tangled thoughts raced, I noticed that Ayman's gaze was no longer directed at me, but fixed on a point behind my feet. This made me turn around and follow his gaze until I saw something I had not noticed before. It was a book with a brown cover.
"Amanai, is this your book?" Ayman asked.
"Of course not," I answered quickly. I was completely certain that it had not been there when I arrived a short while ago.
"Most likely someone dropped it recently," I offered, as I bent down to pick it up. The moment I touched it, I noticed the strange coldness of its cover.
"Is it normal for heavy books to be this cold?" I asked as I lifted the book to my chest, examining its weight and chill.
The cover was adorned with finely engraved ornaments on glossy leather, giving it an allure similar to old books despite its modern appearance. Compared to any book I had touched before, it was without a doubt the most unique.
I opened the book slowly. It was decorated with red patterns and contained instructions written in several different foreign languages from around the world.
"Ayman, do you think Arabic is among them?" I said in a confident tone.
"Maybe you'll find something that helps identify the owner of the book," Ayman waved his left hand in agreement.
The pages were yellowed and stiff as I flipped through them one by one, starting with the first, which did not contain what I was looking for, then moving to the second and third, continuing my search for the page with the Arabic version. Finally, after a bit of waiting and careful flipping, I reached my goal and discovered the Arabic version clearly written on the fifth page.
[Greetings, O Summoners. It seems that this book falling into your hands indicates that you possess a measure of good fortune. All that is required to invest this fortune is to follow the steps below:
First: Choose a blank page from among the pages of the book.
Second: Use any means you see fit to obtain a drop of your blood.
Third: Use your blood to draw a five-pointed star. Precision in measurement is not required.
Fourth: Make sure to close the book immediately after completing the drawing.
Fifth: Reopen the book. If you notice that the drawing is still present, then know that you have been accepted.
Sixth: Be fully prepared to receive your personal number.
Once these steps are completed, your acceptance becomes effective immediately. Here the instructions end. Until then, do not attempt to understand. We thank you for your cooperation.]
Ayman and I exchanged long looks over the book, as if we were staring at something beyond the bounds of logic. In truth, that was exactly how it began to feel. This kind of thing brought me back to the atmosphere of the famous Japanese series Death Note.
"Is this a prank book?" Ayman asked as he tried to touch the cover with the tip of his fingers.
He leaned his head forward further and began reading the instructions again. "A drop of blood? A star? Is this a black magic book, Amanai?"
Seriously?
I had never been someone who believed in traditional superstitions, such as charms and legends. I could not be convinced by them, and I do not think I would accept them unless I saw something with my own eyes. Still, this might be a good opportunity to experiment.
I smiled faintly as I said, "Hmm. Instead of scaring me, it actually made me more interested."
I continued flipping through the book, and page after page, I realized that it was not a simple guide, but contained many carefully organized pages. Each page held a star drawn in colors resembling different shades of blood.
"Wait, these are the same procedures mentioned in that text. Is it possible that there were people who tried this as well?" After thinking about it, I could only assume that these pages documented records of those who had used the book before me.
Some of the drawings looked faded, as if they were old, while others appeared vibrant and full of color, exactly as described in the instructions I had read.
A strange shiver ran through my body as Ayman took a step back.
"Amanai, this isn't normal. Close the book and step away," Ayman said in a tone mixed with fear.
But my curiosity was clearly dominating me, and I felt as if there was a special connection between me and this book. I turned to Ayman, pretending indifference. "Let's just try."
Ayman shook his head several times and said, "You're really crazy."
I left him without a reply and placed the book beside me on the sidewalk seat, then began searching around for something I could use.
After a brief search, I noticed a broken piece of a water bottle near the sidewalk and picked it up with extreme caution. The edge of the glass seemed perfect for the task.
I closed my eyes for a moment before quickly pressing the tip of my finger against the glass edge, feeling a sharp sting as a small, thick drop of blood seeped out.
I moved it toward the center of the blank page I had carefully chosen in the book, my motions hesitant.
This, however, did not pose a major obstacle according to the instructions given earlier, as flexibility in execution had not been emphasized. Despite my hand trembling slightly during the attempt, I noticed how the blood flowed easily and smoothly, following the lines I had drawn in my mind.
I continued drawing with my thumb, trying to maintain the star's order as accurately as possible. By the time 80 percent of the drawing was complete, the blood had spread sufficiently to cover a large portion of my thumbnail.
After finishing the final line, I closed the book quickly. My heart was pounding hard while Ayman watched me as if he were seeing another person in front of him. He said, "It's better if you don't let anything happen."
After a few moments, I opened the book slowly. The star was still clearly visible, and the blood had dried quickly, though its sheen remained.
Beneath the star symbol, a number appeared that had not been there before, engraved in raised lettering like red ink, gradually transforming into a word.
[Summoner 003]
"My God, this looks very real."
It never crossed my mind that fear could feel like such a tangible entity, until the moment I read the phrase written on the page in front of me.
"Summoner 003? What does that mean?" The question kept pressing on my mind, forcing me deeper into a spiral of thought, while a deep sense of regret quietly seeped into me alongside rising tension.
Ayman stepped back, then another step, his eyes wide with shock and his face growing paler by the second. He was no longer looking at me as a friend, but as a ticking bomb about to explode. His limbs trembled as he tried to move away from the aura beginning to emanate from the book.
"I told you not to touch that! Didn't I warn you about messing with that book?" His voice trembled, regret mixing with fear in his features, as if he had seen a dark fate swallowing the place.
A large number of students gathered around us, curiosity and concern overtaking them as whispers began to rise from every direction.
Everyone was stunned by Ayman's unstable state. He began looking around as if something invisible were chasing him, his facial features like a painting drawn in terror, darker than I had ever imagined could befall him.
I cannot deny that my shock was immense. I was used to seeing him naturally composed. But now, it seemed that the legends he had always spoken about with faith were drawing close to completely destroying him.
I rushed toward him, trying to reach him before it was too late, but my vision soon began to distort and intertwine with a thick fog creeping around me.
"What is happening to me?"
Suddenly, I caught a quick flash that snatched my sight. My eyes barely managed to perceive a small part of it before it vanished in the next moment. All that remained were blurred images of people and faces, and the sounds of students' whispers rushing toward me.
"What happened to him? He looks really bad."
"Someone please call an ambulance immediately."
"Did someone attack him?"
"He's losing consciousness!"
I glimpsed all of this only for moments before darkness covered my field of vision and I lost consciousness immediately.
"Can I really understand what happened?"
No answer came, except for the sound of my heartbeat fading along with my awareness of reality. It could be said that my body and mind were no longer fully connected.
All I managed to hear in my darkness was a voice welcoming me in an irritating manner.
"Summoner number 003. We hope your past life was miserable enough for you to cling to your next world until the very end. Welcome to the world of Lorival. Live long. Please."
"Allow me to repeat."
"Summoner number 003. We hope your past life was miserable enough for you to cling to your next world until the very end. Welcome to the world of Lorival. Live long. Please."
[Summoner 003]