you are a storm in transition (even as these words are being written)
Mairimashita! Iruma-kun
Original Female Character
Summary:
"Doesn't she come from a family of librarians? Always reading books, that's so dull."
Ridicule is no stranger to Paulina, and the feeling of inadequacy is an old companion of hers. The Ars Clan do not have the best of reputation due to their livelihood. But Paulina can't imagine herself being born in a different family. Caretaker of books, protector of secrets, keeper of memories. That is the role her family takes up in this harsh world. Theirs is not less important than the warriors and silver tongued diplomats. But it does wear one's spirit down to be told repeatedly that they are not enough. So a girl with braided hair and freckles folded into herself and stayed in place. Paulina believed she was content with being another librarian in a family full of them, until a chance encounter at Devillum made her realise that perhaps she desire for more.
(In which a girl finds her ambition, consults perhaps too many books, and learns to stand on her own two feet, while the darkness from the deepest crevices of the Netherworld slowly creeps in.)
Disclaimer: I do not own Mairimashita Iruma-kun
Title Nikita Gill
Warning: Typos, grammatical error. English is not my first language
Chapter 3
"That's the last of them," Paulina says as she runs a hand over the book's spine to calm it down. The book shudders in her hold, before falling still. Father pushes the trolley with one hand while he waves his other arm to summon the rest of the runaway book.
"You would think that our ancestors would have the sense to apply more charms instead of just Autokeep," He says as Paulina places the book inside the trolley. "Or do they expect us to do this everyday?"
"They were being cautious," Paulina replies. That, and they were too busy collecting texts and reading them. "And look, we can't skip wing day with this." Her wings flap to prove her point.
"I'm just saying. For the same group who figured out how to successfully set up Autokeep for miles to come and still allow wiggle room for adjustments, they didn't think this through."
Paulina lands on her feet. "They were working with what they got at the time, Father."
Father made a noncommittal noise at that. He hates it when books are capable of moving on their own. Autokeep may prevent their books from collecting dust or degrade in time, but it means nothing when the books already come in damaged or faulty. Half the work they do down here is to repair the books to working condition. The Ars Private Library had grown immensely in size for the last millennia; it would be practically impossible for Paulina to see each and every single text kept in this place repaired in her lifetime, for their collection is still growing.
Paulina loves their family library with all her being. She loves the dark mahogany bookshelves, the spiral pillars, the high walls. The floor is made up from black and white marble tiles in a checkered pattern, adding sophistication to the architecture. The ceiling is enchanted to look like the night sky, complete with glittering stars and little planets. Candles, braziers and every other illumination means by fire are strictly prohibited in fear of books catching ablaze, so they use light- element magic exclusively. Concentrations of light magic are stored inside lanterns installed throughout the facility. It is perpetually nighttime down here, and if one is not careful, they can easily lose track of time. It's a kingdom that belongs entirely to the Ars family.
Grandmother Eliza once showed her a neat trick to 'summon' a meteor shower. She charmed her bedroom ceiling to be pitch black like the night sky and together they spent hours throwing sparkles of light. Mother was vexed with Grandmother afterwards for making Paulina stay up past her bedtime, but she couldn't have been that upset since a couple nights later Mother showed her a trick of her own.
Books and stars and phantoms. How more romantic could it get? Simply put, this is the most magical library in the Netherworld.
Father's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Go on then. You don't want to be late for the first day of the second semester."
Paulina shot her father a sheepish smile "See you later, Father."
"Have a good day at school, Fruit Bat."
She gives him one last wave before she climbs the staircase. "I will."
Paulina barely spends a minute in the hallway before Great Aunt Alma appears from the other end.
"Paulina! There you are! Come here, darling," Great Aunt Alma stretches out her arms. Her long sleeves flutter like bat wings with every step.
"Good morning, Aunt Alma. I was just about to leave." Then Paulina took notice of the object floating just behind her. "Is that…?"
"Your jewelry box, yes. Now let me take a good look at you," Great Aunt Alma's eyes scan her form.
Today Paulina chose to wear a white dress with a square neckline that showed off her collarbone. The skirt flares starting from the waistline and stops halfway down her calves. For footwear, she picked the black kitten heels Mary Janes paired with short white socks. Her feet are still sore from training but Paulina won't let it stop her.
Great Aunt Alma nods in approval. "You look beautiful, darling. Now, allow me to add something…" With a snap of her finger the jewelry box opens. "I checked your horoscopes for this month AND did some divination myself to make sure. You need to have a circular object on your person. Ah, here it is," She raised a necklace for Paulina to behold. It is a simple enough design, a small single moonstone held together by delicate chains. "Now come on. Turn around."
Paulina obediently turned around. Fortune telling is imprecise at best and exaggeration at worst. With Great Aunt Alma it's best to oblige her and not contradict her. She probably wants to give her an extra push for today.
Great Aunt Alma put the necklace around her neck. "There you go." She gives Paulina a pat on the shoulder before taking a step back.
Paulina touches the stone, "Thank you, Aunt Alma."
"It will serve you well. Hurry along now. Your brother is waiting."
Indeed, Nova is already at the foyer along with Mother and Renfield. Mother crouches low in front of her son, fussing over his necktie.
"Paulina," Mother raises her head when Paulina steps into the foyer. "It isn't like you to take this long. Did the library give you trouble?"
"No, Mother. Auntie Alma stopped me to give me this," Paulina points to the necklace. "She told me that I need to carry a circular object with me today for luck."
Mother opens her mouth to comment but decides against it. "Come on. Tardiness is a form of-"
"Rudeness," Paulina and Nova answer together.
Renfield handed her her school bag. Almost immediately she felt the urge to double, and triple check its contents. The urge left her as quickly as it came once Paulina remembered that she did exactly that last night, right before she went to bed and after she wrote down her journal entry.
Everything was in order. All her homework is finished. Her attire does not violate the dress code in Jackapo, few rules they may have . There is no reason for her to get anxious. She's safe. Yet she still can't shake off this feeling that everything that could go wrong, would go wrong. Anything is possible in Jackapo. It's that kind of place.
If she can't escape, then at the very least... Paulina wants her first day back at school to be as painless as possible.
"Do not let your guard down, Paulina," Mother says to her as they climb into the carriage.
Paulina shot her mother one last look, "…I won't."
They drop Nova off at his primary school before making their way to Jackapo. The school is located underground means the carriage could only take her as far as to the school station. From there, Paulina will ride the transit along with other students. There is absolutely nothing graceful about being stuffed inside an already crowded vessel like sardines. Students of smaller size are given priority over the seats to avoid getting stepped on. Sometimes Paulina gets sandwiched between two larger sized students and her feet won't even touch the floor. And she must do it all over again when she heads back home.
Once they arrive at Jackapo station, students must follow a long tunnel. At the end of the tunnel one will find Jackapo's infamous 66-story tower in the distance. From there, you have the option to fly or take a pathway prepared for those who prefer to walk.
Heatwaves wash over her when Paulina exits the tunnel. A great magma river circles around Jackapo Institute like a snake. It serves as a natural barrier against beasts that roam around these parts, though occasionally they get close enough to warrant the teachers to deal with them. People getting crushed under falling stalactites is not unheard of. This place is dangerous, like every other corner in the Netherworld. Jackapo simply refuses to lie about it.
For all the harshness of the environment it is built on, Jackapo Institute does make an impressive sight. The Battle Tower stood out amongst the plateau of giant karsts with its bright crimson color. A forest of stalactites make up the 'sky'. Bats roam instead of birds. The light of the sun never touches this part of the Netherworld. It is not needed. Neither are the moon and the stars. It is a strange thing to think about, to not know what it is like to be kissed by the moon. This place is a world to its own.
Paulina never admired the view for too long though.
Fire and Ars do not mix. She flew down to the freshmen building as fast as her wings could carry her.
To prevent students and faculty members from being cooked alive, they installed temperature charms along the walls, running in tandem with the cooling system beneath the foundation. Whoever the architect of this school is, they have Paulina's eternal gratitude for their foresight.
Her heels make a 'clack' sound along the floor with every step she takes. Even though she has been wearing her Mary Janes almost everyday now except to go to the family library, Paulina is still not used to making so much noise.
Yet no head turns in her direction to glower or tell her to keep it down. She supposed it didn't matter when she was within Jackapo's walls. There are always loud noises to be heard somewhere, be it students fighting in the hallway, screaming from the Battle Tower, or explosions from a failed experiment and so forth. She is nothing more than a mouse skittering around in comparison. Small, unassuming, inconsequential.
Paulina finds herself in front of her classroom. Laughter can be heard from inside. A familiar dread rests in the pit in her stomach. Dread and fear go hand in hand. Paulina is used to both. She counts her breath until her heartbeat slows down, and opens the door.
Heads did turn this time. The gazes turn dismissive as soon as they realize that it is only Boring Paulina.
All but one person.
"Heyo! Paulina-chan!" Belial-Berry Razberry waves at her from his spot at the front of the classroom. That one action caused half of the class to look at her once more.
Paulina weakly returns the wave. "Hello…"
Razberry offers no more words, just a good natured smile, before turning his attention back to his followers. That's just how he is. A demon who follows his whims faithfully. Paulina knows that he didn't mean anything to it. She, along with the rest of the school, have seen enough to get a grasp of what kind of demon Belial-Berry Razberry is.
She headed to her seat. Her muscles are screaming. Mother made good of her promise. The training is harsher than Paulina ever experienced. A whole month of this…
That doesn't mean she can use it as an excuse to slack off. Her parents will have her head if her grades take a nosedive. Her scores from the final exam weren't bad, but not high enough to raise her rank. And she still has her Library Battra responsibilities too. It looks like the ability to survive won't be the only thing tested here. Paulina must showcase her capability with time management as well.
Right, she needs to figure out her schedule for the next four weeks. She doesn't want to skip out Library Battra even if it would mean extra hours of training. Paulina already told Father that she won't skimp out the evening shifts. Depending on the workload, Paulina might get off around midnight.
Paulina takes out her daily planner and favourite pen. School lessons end at 2 pm. Students either spend their time with their Battra or at the Battle Tower until 5. Great Aunt Minnie declared that there is no need for Paulina to attend Devilums so she can focus on the Dungeon Games. In exchange Father and her aunties will take turns to teach her. There would be barely any time for her to rest.
'As long as I get six hours of sleep, I will be okay,' Paulina scans over the dates and hours. 'I can always take a nap in the carriage.'
It will be difficult, but Paulina asked for this. She can't back out now. Protagonists in her novels always wentthrough heroic trials to obtain power. Now it's her turn.
The rest of the day dragged on at snail's pace. To top it off, their schedule for today is nothing short of brutal.
Torture Studies
Mythical Biology
Pharmaceuticals
Physical Education
Familiar Interaction
All the subjects Paulina struggled with crammed together in one day. In the span of a few hours, Paulina almost got impaled because a classmate wanted to prove he can juggle multiple blades, got covered in plaster dust in Pharmaceuticals class, and the PE teacher decided to hold a flying practise outside. Mythical Biology class went a little better only because there were no sharp objects or corrosive substances involved. That was until a Cayman Ball got loose inside the classroom. The rest of the class was pure chaos.
By the time Familiar Interaction class arrives, Paulina is bruised, exhausted, and dehydrated.
So much for having a good day at school.
Familiar Interaction class is held inside. Unlike with other subjects where multiple classes would attend together, Familiar Interaction only takes one class per lesson so the teacher can keep an eye on the students and their familiars.
Paulina stays close to the walls. Her classmates either gathered around Razberry or stay with their cliques. A few like Paulina would stand on the side by their lonesome. She looks at these young demons, at their loud smugness and easy boldness. This hall is much smaller than the Ars private library but it felt cavernous, with its stone floors and crimson red ceiling. Like being inside the maw of a beast. Or the belly of one even.
'I don't belong here,' Paulina thought as another trickle of sweat ran down her spine. The urge to run out of the doors never felt so strong.
Before she can act on her urge, the teacher arrives, barking orders. The class is now in session. One by one the students summon their familiars. Fire-breathing salamanders, speedy Scavens, Warthogs and their feared tusks, and much more. All powerful and great.
Razberry's familiar definitely takes the cake though. His is a Greater Daemon, easily the most impressive out of their batch. As usual, Razzberry's familiar is decked with accessories. The shoulder pads are new.
No one except the teacher pays her attention when Paulina's turn comes. Purple smoke heralds the arrival of her familiar. A loud purr reaches her ear as the smoke clears out. Paulina can't help but smile when Dewey, her familiar, jumped into her waiting arms. Dewey is a Demon Cat with spotted brown fur with a dark stripe running down her head to the tip of its tail. Great Aunt Beatrix told her that Dewey is a rare breed of demon cat for the lack of wings, unlike other feline species. To make up for it Dewey's breed has a long tail that spans several feet. It is capable of lifting a much larger foe, as long as the tail can be fully wrapped around them first.
Grandfather Goetia has a demon bat for a familiar and so does Father. Her great aunts all have demon owls. Mother has a Wyvern. Even the late Grandmother Eliza had a demon crow. Paulina had wondered what it meant for her to have a wingless familiar but those thoughts were banished from her mind the moment she looked into Dewey's round green eyes.
Dewey gently rubs her face against hers. Paulina kissed the top of her furry head in return. She feels Dewey's tail coil around her waist down to her legs.
There was a loud noise across the hall. Paulina buried her face in Dewey's soft fur and reminded herself to plant both feet on the ground.
Life at Jackapo Underground Institute centres around the Battle Tower. Literally. Faculty buildings are built to surround the great tower. So much so that there is an entire group of people separate from the student council or faculty staff dedicated to run the place. Supervisors, organizers, judges. That is not to say that the students' involvement is only limited to participation. The Library Battra and the Broadcast Battra have worked together since the conception of the school itself to keep records of competition results.
It is unavoidable to walk past the Battle Tower if one wishes to visit key parts of the school such as the cafeteria, the main hall or school gate. The same applies to the library. Already, an uncharacteristically large crowd has formed in front of the tower entrance as Paulina heads to the library. The double doors are firmly shut. Is that why...?
She is not bold enough to disregard school rules and fly over the crowd. Neither is she gutsy enough to brave against the tide of bodies. Maybe it will be better for Paulina to go around-
"Look! Here they come!" Someone shouts. "The Ringleaders!"
Heads turn to catch a glimpse of the illustrious group. Paulina watches as the crowd part to give way for the top students of Jackapo, also known as Ringleaders. People begin to call their names, hoping to catch their attention.
"The Young King Barnaby-sama!" "Salome-senpai! You look beautiful today as well!" "Did Moreau-senpai get taller?"
The demons near her begin to scuttle backwards. Paulina finds herself right on the front row. She has an unobstructed view of the Ringleaders… And so are they.
The Ringleaders walk past her. Leading the group is the current master of the 66th floor, Barnaby Belmont.
Paulina tries not to flinch when she catches a glimpse of those yellow eyes. Belmont Barnaby has the same eyes as Mother, but whereas Mother would look at her children with fierce love, Barnaby's gaze held nothing but cold disdain. It is usually directed to those he views to be beneath him, which is everyone who doesn't bear the name Belmont. That is to say, he dislikes everyone in equal measure.
For a split second there their eyes met and Paulina felt her heart stop.
"Eh? Did Barnaby-sama look this way just now?"
"No way. It's just your imagination."
"I swear he did-"
"Excuse me," Paulina squeezed past the two female students talking near her. A cacophony of noise breaks out as she leaves the crowd, but Paulina stamps down her curiosity and keeps on walking.
She had done a good job of avoiding Barnaby Belmont in the last few months. It's not that difficult. Different grades, different circles, different priorities. Barnaby doesn't care for her, a half Belmont. He merely… tolerates her existence, because she is half Belmont. Paulina herself doesn't want to be around him. It's bad enough that she has to suffer her (distant) cousin's presence at family gatherings, but at school? No, that would be too much.
Paulina released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding when she stepped inside the library. The scent of books, the old desks, the blessed silence... It's all coming back to her. Jackapo may not be her cup of tea but they still have this. Things don't catch on fire here. A place that actually welcomes her. Needed her. Sometimes (most of the time) it feels like Paulina only comes to school for the Library Battra.
Her poor senior is already neck deep with books behind the circulation desk. Six eyes swivel to her direction as Paulina stops in front of the desk.
"Hello, Arachne-senpai," Paulina tears her eyes away from the stacks of books and focuses on her senior. "I'm sorry for being late. There's a crowd in front of the Battle Tower."
"It's okay, Paulina-chan," Arachne-senpai replies airily. The bottom pair of eyes scan over the forms laid out in front of them, Paulina can see them moving, and the two other pairs focus on her. It must be so convenient to have multiple pairs of eyes. "The club meeting will be held at the end of the day. Bist-senpai and the other third years are off hunting down students with overdue books. That leaves us second and first years to hold down the fort until they get back. We already got so many requests and reservations—"
I can help with that, she thinks, Give me something to put my hands on. I'll sort out this mess.
"—and as usual we are short staffed. Better get a move on or we won't get anything done until next week. Kuzue-kun is already here." Arachne-senpai points to the shelving cart and Paulina knows what to do.
Jackapo has double the number of Babyl's student count, so theoretically their library is double the size of Babyl's as well. Not that Paulina ever stepped foot in the actual place. Naturally, the amount of books they have is bigger as well. Even senior students have difficulty finding their way in this maze. Coupled with people's unfortunate tendency to ignore library rules, books are more often than not misshelved. Only the Library Battra members can actually navigate this place, and first years such as Paulina are assigned as shelvers to help them understand the layout of the library faster.
Paulina pushes the cart past the Biography section when she sees her fellow first year Kuzue. It's almost impossible to miss Kuzue, not when he activates his Bloodline Magic Long Arms which allow him to extend his arms, giving him a wide reach. This ability makes him the perfect shelver. She can see his fisherman hat from where she's standing. Kuzue took notice of her and stretched his left arm. His hand stopped short before her face, palm open. Paulina smiles and taps her palm against his larger one for a high five. Satisfied, Kuzue retracted his arm back, giving her a wave while he's at it.
Paulina continued her way to the Fiction section. When she sees the state of the bookshelves, she can't help but grimace. It's only been one day yet a lot of books were already are still plenty of books left in the cart that need to be shelved… But Paulina can't just leave this section like this either. What kind of librarian sees this kind of mess in her library and does nothing about it?
She gets to work.
Father once taught her a levitation spell to make the books float near her. It would be less hassle that way. Yet Paulina needs to hold something in her hands, if only to keep them from trembling. She could use the same levitation spell on herself if she wanted to, but she decided against it. It's not about the pain, though it does serve a purpose. It is to keep her grounded. To prevent her from running away from this place.
Nothing ever goes right for her today—- No. Everything went wrong for Paulina ever since she enrolled in this school. All they care about here is their rankings. Of who gets to stand over the rest. Paulina sticks out like a sore thumb with her soft voice, her love for books, her meekness equated to weakness in her classmates' eyes. Everything she values is worth nothing in their eyes. It made her feel like a book shelved in the wrong section.
Maybe her need to sort this section comes not because it is her job as a librarian, but because Paulina wants to stop feeling helpless, if only for a little bit.
Paulina has no clue how long she's been there by the time she gets to the bottom of the bookcase. Kneeling will not let you reach it. You must press yourself flat on the floor just to get a look at it. Paulina doesn't want to dirty her white dress, so she leans forward and lays her torso between her thighs. Thankfully, the bottom case is not as messy, but there are still displaced books somehow.
It wasn't until the last book did she notice something is off. Paulina tried to slide the book but it won't get in. It felt like something else was already lodged at the back. She peers inside only to find yet another book.
'Probably someone who needed to stash their book real quick and then forgot where they put it,' Pauline mused. Students bringing forbidden or contraband items to school is not unheard off. Maybe it's porn or something equally problematic. Hiding this in a library would be smart. Like a hatchling in a snake den.
The cover page of the book shows a demoness dressed in red surrounded by men. The title reads Lilith's Choice. Paulina flipped the book around. Good, there is a blurb on the back-cover.
You are the plucky but penniless lady who is about to have your debut in Society. The Season is finally here and you are at the centre of court. Will you give your hand to your childhood friend who longed for you? Or fight alongside the warrior who hides his softer side underneath his armor? Will you be seduced by the charming millionaire who no one is unable to tame? Perhaps you will recklessly chase after the king, the strongest and most wicked demon of the realm? Turn the page and choose your happy ending!
A gamebook. Judging from the artstyle, Paulina estimates the year of publication to be sometime around her parents' time. Or maybe even before. But why would anyone hide this? A gamebook in Jackapo is completely on brand with the school. The content is hardly dangerous. It's just romance-
Paulina traces a finger over the book cover, and stops.
There is a trace of magic in the book. It is pulling her, tugging her mind to open the book. Is it enchantment? A curse? Paulina can't tell. What she is sure of is that this book is dangerous. All texts that beckoned a demon to read it bound to leave aftereffects on the reader. The best course of action would be to hand it over to a teacher or better yet, a cursebreaker.
Mind made up, Paulina turns around, ready to return to Arachne-senpai's side.
Only to make eye contact with Belial-Berry Razberry.
She knows exactly what will unfold if Razberry gets a hold of this book. Paulina can already picture it. He won't hesitate to open it and unleash whatever horror is stored inside. He will fall victim to it, which is already bad enough, or create an even bigger mess because he is that kind of demon. There isn't a day that passes without Razberry causing trouble in Jackapo, and naturally it just so happens that he decided to go to the library today. Her luck is just that awful apparently.
So Paulina runs away.
Well, not truly running. The library prohibits running within its halls. So she speed walks instead. As fast as her feet can carry her in these heels.
Then she hears Razberry call out from behind her. "Why are you running?"
Paulina looked over her shoulder. To her horror, Razberry is following her. Curiosity written all over him.
"Nothing!" Paulina replies while picking up her speed.
"Then why are you running?!"
If I tell you then there will be no stopping you. Though her fleeing is hardly any better. Some demons lose interest if the pursuit goes on for too long. Some obsess over it even more. Unfortunately for Paulina, Razberry is the latter.
What should she do to shake him off? Flying is forbidden in the library. Throw spells at him? Paulina wants to escape him, not to pick a fight with him. Nevermind that Razberry can easily take her out in a single move. Her illusion magic is rudimentary but it is her best bet without directly attacking Razberry. Invisibility! That will do it-
"Stop!"
Paulina felt the air knocked off her lungs as soon as she heard the word. A demon must obey the order of those of higher rank. And what Razberry just said is exactly that. An order. So Paulina stopped.
She keeps her head down as she hears Razberry's footsteps coming closer. His face then came to view. He had bent down to meet her eyes. His grin is ever present. Paulina can't tell if he is mad or annoyed, which makes him even more intimidating right now.
His eyes flicker to the book in her hold. "What do you have there, Paulina-chan?"
"A… A book."
"Yes, I can see that," Razberry straightens up. Now he is standing right in front of her. "What's so special about it?"
Paulina bites the inside of her cheek. Telling Razberry is definitely a no no. Has he noticed that the book is giving off magic? It is still trying to get inside her mind even now.
"Cat got your tongue?" Razberry asked in a joking manner. Or is he mocking her? Paulina can't tell.
Her lack of response made him tilt his head. Then his smile widened just a tad smidge. "Well then. If you're not going to tell me, I'll just have to help myself~"
Paulina was too slow to dodge when Razberry made a grab at the book. She did manage to hold onto the book. The demon boy looked down at her. He tugged on the book. Paulina digs her heels onto the hard floor board and tugs back. A new glint entered Razberry's eyes.
"Give me the book," He says.
"N-No," Paulina stutters. She tried to wrench the book free but Razberry held on. It's not fair that she needs to use both hands while he only uses one!
"Come on now," Razberry makes another tug.
"No." Paulina repeats, louder this time. Surer.
Then Razberry lifts his arm, the same one currently holding onto the book. He lifts it above his head and while their height difference is not that extreme, Paulina is forced to raise her arms in response. Razberry swings his arm left to right and Paulina has no choice but to sway her body in the same direction. This repeat for a few more times. Their eyes met and the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. Paulina is now sure that he is just toying with her at this point.
"This is kind of fun," He tells her. Well, at least he's not hiding it… "What if I… Do this?"
Razberry pulls back with more force compared to before. Enough to make her lose her grip. 'He could have done it right from the start,' Paulina realizes bitterly. 'He just wants to see me struggle.'
"No, no, no, no-" Paulina tiptoes to reach but Razberry simply holds the book higher. When her finger brushed against the endband he took a step back. Every time she lunges, he dodges her, "Razberry-kun, please..!" The desperation makes her do the unthinkable. Paulina crossed his personal space, grabbed onto the front of his shirt and yanked.
"Oooh," Razberry's eyes widened in surprise. "Getting feisty, are we? Now I'm really curious." He half turns his body and stretches out his arm, keeping the book out of her reach. "A quick peek never hurt anyone."
"Yes, it would!" That would be the worst scenario! Has the magic addled his mind? Did he even notice? Paulina must stop him at all cost. "Don't!" She leapt at him.
Razberry flips open the book at the exact moment Paulina touches it. Her finger skims over a dog eared page.
A bright flash of white entered her vision. She hears Razberry cry out in surprise. Paulina feels the magic taking hold on her but at that point, it's already too late. Her vision went dark.
1. Paulina's familiar Dewey is based on the Egyptian Mau breed. Make no mistake, it is still a demonic creature.
2. The Library Battra members will be based on mythical creatures. Arachne-senpai is obviously based on Arachne from Greek mythology. Kuzue is based on Kuebiko, a Japanese deity in the form of a scarecrow. Its name means long-reaching helping hand.
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