Percy's irritation from his earlier encounter with Carlos and his lackeys clung to him like a stubborn shadow. He hated how they still managed to worm their way under his skin, even after all this time. His first instinct was to push it all down—bury it under layers of cold logic and dismissive arrogance.
But Angelica, perceptive as ever, felt the shift in his mood.
She squeezed his hand firmly, a silent yet deliberate anchor pulling him back to the present. Her touch was grounding, as if telling him, Let it go—I'm here.
Percy turned his gaze toward her, his sharp blue-golden eyes softening. She always knows he mused with silent admiration. He gave her a small smile before leaning in close, his lips brushing against her ear.
"I'm fine, really."
To seal his words, he pressed a tenderkiss against her temple, his lips lingering just long enough for her to feel the quiet reassurance behind them.
Angelica, now accustomed to Percy's natural tendency to tease and reassure in the same breath, smiled warmly and reciprocated the kiss without hesitation.
They continued their walk toward the Spatial Section of the bookstore, passing by a peculiar sight—a lone customer, lounging in a chair, a book covering their face, seemingly asleep. Percy paid them no mind, his focus on reaching the section.
But the moment they stepped inside, Angelica's entire body tensed.
"Huff—huff," she gasped, struggling against the sudden heaviness in the air.
Percy, so attuned to space element, barely registered the shift at first. To him, the environment felt natural, comfortable—but when he caught sight of Angelica's labored breathing, his ease shattered.
"Angel?" His concern sharpened his tone, hands reaching to steady her as she clutched at her chest.
Then—just as suddenly as the pressure had assaulted her—it disappeared.
Angelica exhaled a shaky breath, confusion flickering across her features.
And from the direction of the 'sleeping' customer, a voice murmured, "Fascinating."
Percy's head snapped toward the sound, his instincts immediately sharpening. The stranger, who had previously been dozing, was now standing, a lazy smile stretched across their lips as they observed Percy and Angelica like an intriguing puzzle.
"Uh—I'm fine?" Angelica reassured Percy, still slightly disoriented.
Before Percy could interrogate the stranger, they took a step forward, flashing an effortless grin.
"Dalton. My name is Dalton Greeves. Nice to meet you!"
Percy's immediate reaction?
He didn't like him.
There was something about the sparkling forest green eyes, the platinum-blonde hair, and the too-relaxed demeanor that rubbed Percy the wrong way. (Why does he look like he walked straight out of a damn fantasy novel?)
But more than that—it was the way Dalton looked at them.
Like he knewsomething they didn't.
Angelica, naturally warm and polite, responded first. "Hello, my name is Angelica Warren," she said, offering a kind smile.
Percy, still scrutinizing Dalton, reluctantly followed. "Percy Atlas Magus. Likewise."
Dalton's gaze twinkled as he took a step closer. Percy instinctively stepped back, shifting Angelica slightly behind him in a subtle yet protective stance.
But the tension barely had time to settle before Dalton stepped into the Spatial Section himself—
—and immediately staggered back, coughing slightly as he struggled to breathe.
Percy's sharp gaze flickered with interest.
(So, it wasn't just Angelica.)
Dalton, steadying himself, let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.
"As you can see," he mused, rubbing the back of his neck, "the elemental sections of this bookstore are selective. They only allow those with a matching element to enter comfortably. That's why you, Angelica, had trouble breathing earlier."
Percy hummed in understanding, while Angelica's eyes widened in realization.
Dalton, catching their expressions, elaborated, "It's a security measure—to prevent theft and protect individuals from exposure to dangerous elements."
Percy nodded slowly, the pieces clicking into place. (So, the bookstore itself is enchanted to reject those incompatible with an element? Interesting…)
Seeing the curiosity light up in Percy's expression, Dalton grinned, clearly enjoying the conversation.
"Ah, don't mention it," he brushed off, though there was a pointed awareness in his tone.
Percy caught it.
Dalton knew more than he was letting on.
But before he could dig deeper—
"By the way," Dalton added, flashing another charming smile. "You two make an adorable couple!"
Angelica froze.
Percy's brow twitched.
And for a split second, an ominous chill crept into the air.
Dalton noticed.
And his grin only widened.
Angelica, slightly embarrassed, opened her mouth to respond, but Percy interjected smoothly. "Thank you. I'm actually the lucky one to have found such an amazing girlfriend," he said, flashing a confident smile.
His voice carried such conviction that Angelica found herself speechless, her heart fluttering despite the complicated emotions tangled within her.
She remained silent, torn between the warmth Percy's words brought her and the nagging guilt that refused to fade. (Camilia.) Her mind whispered the name like a ghost, a reminder of the love she had never truly let go of. But now wasn't the time for that.
Dalton chuckled, amused by their dynamic. "You two are something else," he remarked, shaking his head lightly.
Sensing the need for a subject change, he turned to Percy. "So, I take it you've awakened the Space element?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes gleaming with interest.
Percy offered an awkward smile, feeling a rare sense of camaraderie with Dalton despite only just meeting him. "Was it that obvious?"
Dalton chuckled lightly, crossing his arms. "Not at all. Most people wouldn't have noticed. I just happen to be very observant."
Angelica, intrigued, shifted the topic. "Dalton, what book were you reading?"
Dalton raised the tome for them to see. Its cover was an abyssal black, the lettering seeming to shift with the flickering lights above. "Principles of Dark Magic," Angelica read aloud with ease.
Percy, however, frowned, his vision failing to process the shifting text. "Angel? How can you read the title?" he asked, his confusion evident.
Angelica tilted her head at him. "What do you mean?"
Dalton watched the exchange in amusement before stepping in. "Ahem, I think I can explain that," he said, drawing their attention. "The books here are enchanted to reveal themselves only to those who are compatible with the element they belong to."
Percy raised an eyebrow, still puzzled. "I don't get it."
Dalton smirked, leaning slightly closer.
"It means this girl might have the Darkness element."
A new voice cut through the conversation before Angelica could react. "Or she could just be a complete anomaly," came a dry, unimpressed tone.
The trio turned to see Elizabeth Nightshade standing before them, her violet hair as striking as her perpetually exasperated expression. Her aquamarine eyes assessed them with the scrutiny of a professor judging a student's barely passing paper.
Angelica blinked, surprised. "What?"
Dalton sighed dramatically. "Elizabeth Nightshade,as deadly as ever," he muttered, frowning even as a smirk tugged at his lips.
Elizabeth's unimpressed gaze flickered to him. "Mr. Greeves,you're on your third and final strike in this store.Do behave, or I'll throw you out myself," she warned, her tone carrying the weight of a guillotine blade.
Percy immediately took note of the tension crackling between them. Interesting.
Angelica, however, had no patience for their verbal sparring. "Wait, you mean I might actually have the Darkness element?" she asked, her voice hesitant.
Elizabeth sighed, as if already exhausted by their lack of comprehension. "No, this babbling baboon doesn't know what he's talking about," she corrected, gesturing vaguely toward Dalton.
Dalton scoffed, his pride visibly wounded. "I am not a baboon!"
Elizabeth ignored him entirely.
Instead, she turned to Percy and Angelica. "Step out of the Spatial Section so I can examine this properly," she ordered, already walking away as if expecting them to follow.
Percy hesitated, his instincts always wary of those with power, but Dalton gave him a nod. "Despite her being an absolute thorn in my side, she's the most qualified person to explain whatever's happening here," he admitted.
Reluctantly, Percy led Angelica out of the section, keeping his hand on the small of her back as a protective gesture. Once outside, Elizabeth took Angelica's hand, her fingers tracing along the lines of her palm as she muttered to herself.
"As I expected," she murmured before finally releasing her.
Angelica flexed her fingers, her brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Elizabeth exhaledsharply, as if debating how much patience she was willing to expend. "Your innate elements are in conflict," she explained. "Neither one has fully awakened because they're constantly trying to overpower the other."
Percy's expression hardened. "You just said 'elements.'Plural." His mind immediately began running through the implications, already calculating the risks. "Are you saying Angelica has two innate elements residinginside her?"
Angelica inhaled sharply at the revelation.
Elizabeth's response was clipped and merciless. "Not 'residing,' idiot," she corrected with an eye-roll."She was born with two elements vying for dominance. Neither has won yet, and if this continues, the effects on her body could become permanent."
Angelica's heart pounded. She had spent so long yearning to awaken her element, but now she wondered—had it been delayed for a reason?
Percy clenched his jaw, his mind racing.
Both Percy and Angelica were utterly taken aback. "What?!" they exclaimed in unison, the weight of Elizabeth's words pressing down on them like a sudden shift in gravity.
"What do you mean?" Angelica pressed, her voice laced with urgency.
Elizabeth, ever the no-nonsense type, ignored the obvious panic and instead asked a pointed question, her tone clinical. "Have your periods been increasingly painful and sporadic, with the pain originating from your sacral chakra?"
Angelica, unfazed by the sensitivity of the topic—despite being in the company of two men—nodded. Percy, on the other hand, tensed slightly, not out of embarrassment, but out of growing concern.
Elizabeth barely gave her time to breathe before continuing. "And have you noticed a delay in processing sensory details? Like taking longer to comprehend what you see, hear, or feel?"
Angelica's lips parted as she processed the question. After a moment of reflection, she gave a slow nod. Now that she thought about it… yes. It had been subtle, but it was there.
Elizabeth sighed, as if confirming a suspicion, she hadn't wanted to be right about. "I feared as much."
Percy, barely holding himself back from interrupting, clenched his jaw. His instinct to understand, analyze, and immediately fix things was kicking into overdrive. But he knew better than to derail a conversation when crucial information was being shared. He forced himself to listen.
"It's fortunate you're here," Elizabeth remarked, already reaching behind her. "If this had gone on any longer, it could've become life-threatening."
Percy's stomach dropped. Life-threatening?!
Before he could voice his alarm, Elizabeth pulled out a small black pouch, rummaging through its contents before retrieving two 20 mm stones—one black as the abyss, the other crystal-clear, radiating a gentle light.
"This black one is a Darkness Embryo, and the clear one is a Sylph's Hearthstone." She placed them into Angelica's hand with little fanfare. "Each of these can accelerate the awakening of your innate element."
Percy, still not fully grasping the process, turned to Dalton for clarification. "Okay… and what is she supposed to do with these?"
Dalton, unfazed, answered smoothly, "She can cook them into a meal, boil them into a drink, crush them into powder for a bath, or—"
Elizabeth, with her usual bluntness, cut in. "Or she can just swallow them. Less effort."
Angelica's eyebrows shot up at the suggestion, while Percy stared between the two as if they had just told him to casually eat a chunk of solid mana.
"You're both making this sound way too normal, and I'm not following," Percy admitted, his skepticism evident.
Elizabeth exhaled sharply, muttering something about dealing with intelligent fools before elaborating. "These stones temporarily enhance compatible elements within the person who consumes them. In Angelica's case, they'll push one of her conflicting elements forward, forcing it to fully awaken."
Now that explanation actually made sense.
Angelica turned the smooth stones over in her palm, a sense of trepidation settling over her. Which element would take over? Would she lose the other one forever?
Curiosity sparked in her mind. "How did you even know which elements I have?"
Dalton and Percy perked up at the question as well, eager for insight into Elizabeth's methods.
Elizabeth, however, merely scoffed, crossing her arms. "That's my business."
Percy barely held back an eye-roll. Of course, she wouldn't share.
"Just be thankful I offered to help," Elizabeth added, already turning on her heel and walking away as if she hadn't just dropped a bombshell on them.
Angelica blinked, then chuckled softly at the sheer rudeness of it all. "Thank you!" she called out, genuinely appreciative despite Elizabeth's demeanor.
Percy, meanwhile, kept his gaze locked on Elizabeth's retreating figure. For someone who talked big, she sure left in a hurry. His sharp eyes caught a subtle flush on the tips of her ears before she disappeared behind a bookshelf. Embarrassment?
Interesting.
Dalton smirked, breaking the moment. "Well, I'll be damned. Elizabeth isn't usually that forthcoming with strangers—especially not after your boyfriend here nearly caused a scene the second he arrived."
Percy exhaled, shaking his head as Angelica stifled a laugh. It wasn't his fault Carlos was an idiot.
Dalton, still relaxed, gestured toward Angelica's hand. "Either stone should help reveal the power of your innate elements. But if you want to fully balance them, you'll need a Harmony Gem eventually. Otherwise, this power struggle inside you will never stop."
As Dalton spoke, he casually retrieved a small leather bag, but something was off. A faint shimmer of shadows coiled around his fingertips as he slipped the book inside, and in the blink of an eye, the bag seemed to swallow it whole before settling back to normal.
Percy's eyes sharpened.
That—
That wasn't normal.
Dalton had just manipulated Darkness.
And Percy wasn't about to let that go unnoticed.
"Looks like it's time for me to head out," Dalton announced, adjusting his posture as if preparing for departure.
Percy, feeling an unexpected twinge of disappointment, responded with a lighthearted pout. "Aww, so soon? Just when we were having fun."
Dalton blinked in mild surprise at Percy's reaction before chuckling. "Yes,unfortunately. I have other obligations today. But who knows? Fate has a way of making sure paths cross again."
With a final nod, Dalton turned and walked away, leaving Percy and Angelica standing amid the bustling bookstore.
"He was really sweet to help," Angelica remarked, watching his retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.
Percy hummed in agreement, his mind already considering possibilities. "Yeah… I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into him again during the entrance exams."
Pushing aside the lingering thoughts of Dalton, Percy refocused on their task. His lips curled into a mischievous grin as he turned to Angelica. "Now, let's grab what we came for—and maybe a few extra things for my soon-to-be elemental mage girlfriend."
Angelica rolled her eyes but smiled at his teasing. "Alright, alright," she said, feigning exasperation. "I'm going to check out the Darkness and Wind sections for potential spells. You take your time with the Space Spells."
She disappeared into the aisles, leaving Percy to browse.
An hour later, the two regrouped at the checkout counter, their arms laden with spell books. The cashier, an older gentleman with a precise yet unnervingly cheerful demeanor, efficiently tallied their selections.
"Your total comes to $1,865.59. With tax, that will be $2,052.14."
Percy's brow twitched at the hefty sum, but he quickly retrieved his white AMX card, swiping it through the terminal with practiced ease. Angelica, standing beside him, shifted uncomfortably, guiltcreeping into her expression.
She had been the one who suggested this shopping trip. Letting Percy cover the expense, especially when some of the books were hers, didn't sit right with her.
Percy, sensing her unease, gently took her hand and squeezed it, offering her a reassuring smile. Don't worry about it, he mouthed, effortlessly dissolving her guilt with the warmth in his gaze.
The cashier, having observed the silent exchange, maintained his professional demeanor but slid in an offer with a perfectly crafted salesman's smile.
"Sir, for an additional $100, you qualify for our Bronze Membership. It includes a 5% discount on all purchases. Would you like to upgrade?"
Percy tilted his head, considering. "Eh, why not? Go ahead."
"Excellent choice," the cashier said smoothly. "Please complete your payment and enter the required demographic information on the keypad. I'll process your membership ID."
Once the transaction was finalized and the membership credentials were handed over, Percy and Angelica hurried toward the parking garage, realizing they had left Michael waiting far longer than intended.
Upon arrival, they found Michael leaning casually against the SUV, arms crossed, his lips pressed into a neutral line. Though he said nothing, the subtle shift in his brow revealed his mild impatience.
"Sorry for the delay, Michael," Percy offered, climbing into the car.
Michael simply sighed and started the engine. "As long as you didn't buy the entire store," he quipped dryly.
Angelica, now flipping through one of her new books, chuckled. "No promises."
Meanwhile—
Dalton stood atop a nearby rooftop, watching the pair enter the car. His emerald eyes flickered with amusement as he observed Percy through the tinted windows.
"Hmm," he mused, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I hope you make it past the entrance exam. It'd be a shame if you didn't."
The streetlights cast his silver hair in a soft glow as he turned, stepping into the shadows of a nearby alley.
"I'll see you soon, Percy Atlas Magus," he murmured before disappearing into the darkness.
Back at their apartment—
Percy instructed Michael to search for and purchase a harmony gem for Angelica, a thoughtful gesture that earned him a grateful kiss on the cheek before she retired to her room for the night.
Unbeknownst to them, the day had slipped into evening, the city bathed in the soft luminescence of the rising moon.
Settling into his own space, Percy cracked open Martial Arts: Spatial Techniques & Spells, his mind eager to digest the knowledge within. The book held an intriguing array of applications for spatial magic—some subtle, some devastatingly powerful.
Just as he was beginning to get absorbed, a familiar ping echoed in his ears.
"Beta?" he called out instinctively.
A blue screen materialized before him, followed by the system's usual chipper greeting.
"Infinite Omega System reinitiating network connection—Hello, Master!"
Percy's lips quirked upward. "Beta, how was the update?"
The system's digital voice practically beamed with enthusiasm.
"Oh, you won't believe the new features that were added!"
Without waiting for his command, a screen materialized, flooding Percy's vision with new information.