Chapter 2.3

“What’s going on?” When Dora came back into the dorm room, she saw the tears flowing down my face and became startled.

Sniff. “I’m not crazy.”

“Okay. You’re not crazy. There, there.” She wiped the tears from my eyes and studied my face.

“Hey, did you… tell Noah how you feel and get turned down?” she asked carefully.

“No!” I shouted with an upset face.

Why was that the first thought that crossed her mind? Did she think that Noah would just naturally turn me down as if she knew that I didn’t stand the slightest chance? I was annoyed by this, but now wasn’t the best time to get into that.

I felt like opening up and telling Dora about everything that’s happened to me, but if I told her about my situation, I know exactly what she would say. I didn’t want anyone, especially my good friend, to start treating me like I’m some kind of crazy person.

I bit my lower lip and looked over at the spot on top of my desk which had now become the respawn point for whenever that book reappeared.

“Oh, did something happen while you were studying?”

When I grabbed the book and opened it, Dora got the hint that I didn’t want to talk anymore about the issue. She stood up and patted me on the back before walking over to her desk.

Regardless of whether this vulgar book, that somehow only I could see, was just some stupid novel or something with a deeply hidden purpose, the fact of the matter was that I was going to go insane and not be able to pass my exams unless I get rid of it.

I gnawed at my lower lip and pressed my fingers against my browline.

It automatically repaired any damage that was caused to it and no matter where I put it, it will always find its way back to my room.

Obviously, this was no ordinary book, but at the same time, it hasn’t been cursed nor enchanted with any kind of magical spell either. I mean, even the Tower of Magic said as much, so that must be true.

If the supernatural power of this book was not coming from magic, then that left only one other possibility.

It couldn’t be… Does this book have some connection with the temple?

This was a very convincing hypothesis. So convincing in fact, that I gulped and gazed down at the book with grave eyes.

***

Theology was a subject that didn’t have any exams, so it was rare that anyone would put a lot of effort into learning the material. Instead, students would study for other subjects during the class when it was exam week.

Ordinarily, I would doze off like the other students or prepare for the exams of other subjects during theology at this time. However, I was on a mission to discover the truth behind that novel with the scarlet cover, so I actually opened my textbook this time with revived motivation.

Our scrawny middle-aged theology teacher began the class with a lot more energy and enthusiasm than usual. Despite that, I believed that I was the only one really paying any attention.

We moved on to a section about basic theological doctrines in which the history of the temple was brought up.

I was following along in the textbook, keeping a careful eye out for anything that could be related to that burdensome novel. Just then, my eyes came to an abrupt stop halfway through a paragraph about some book that foretold the future.

“A mysterious book in which the future is written. The people called it the Book of Prophecy.”

The sentence from the textbook that I had just silently read was repeated aloud by the teacher.

It was at this point that I raised my head and listened intently to what the teacher was saying.

“The second century was a chaotic time when demons ran amok and evil spirits came and went as they pleased. It is said that even at that time, the Book of Prophecy was in existence. Hearing of how it could foretell the future, many people desired the book, yet only a select few were able to read it. Those with the ability to read the book were referred to as prophets. They, through the Book of Prophecy, were able to predict many disasters that had yet to come, such as the appearance of the Dragon of Light and the Demons’ Raid. And in doing so, the people were able to put a stop to them. However, after the second century had passed, the country developed, became better organized, and saw the foundations put in place that signaled the beginning of a more civilized era. As a result, the vast majority of evil spirits were driven away and relative peace was established for many generations to come. So, there was no further need for the prophets, and not long after, they all gradually disappeared and fell onto the pages of history.”

The teacher went on with the lecture, but my mind kept buzzing with what was said about the Book of Prophecy. This was the information that I was primarily after. Much of it sounded vaguely familiar as it was standard knowledge, but all of it was taking on a completely new meaning for me.

Also, I now strongly felt that my suspicions about that scarlet book were legitimate.

Perhaps this…

Instead of taking notes, I glared down at the scarlet-covered novel now wedged in between my many notebooks.