For the next couple of hours, Jade and I worked tirelessly, moving equipment and materials between rooms. We were setting up a new containment chamber since our last experiment had rendered the original room unusable. The arcane spell had fused everything together, melting objects into one another until they became an inseparable techno-horror mass.


    I sighed, feeling the weight of the mess I''d made. The only option left was to somehow move the spell to a new space, but I had no idea how to do that yet. Worse, I''d have to spend millions replacing all the machinery and devices I''d lost. What a headache.


    "You really outdid yourself this time," Jade muttered as we passed the sealed door.


    I couldn''t argue with that assessment.


    Complicating matters further, the lab I was running was technically illegal. I hadn''t filed the necessary paperwork with the government to conduct experiments of this nature. The Thaumaturgical Research and Safety Commission had become increasingly strict after the Meridian City incident last year—something about a rogue experiment creating a temporary dimensional rift. If this kind of incident happened again and the supers picked up on the disturbances in the area, I''d be in serious trouble.


    Suddenly two objectives became clear in my mind. First, I needed to secure an official license for the lab while sourcing and purchasing the replacement equipment. Second, I needed to find someone with a techno-based meta-nature to help stabilize and streamline my operations.


    As I mentally outlined my next steps, Jade came running toward me, her tote bag clutched in her hand. "My phone isn''t working."


    I frowned and pulled my own phone from my pocket. A few taps later, I sighed. "Mine''s not working either."


    Great. I sighed inwardly. “Looks like it’s time to buy new ones.” Fortunately, most data was stored in the cloud these days, so I wasn’t too worried about losing anything important.


    “I’ll get you a new phone,” I added, glancing at Jade.


    She agreed, but not without pulling a cute scowl. “You’d better,” she muttered, crossing her arms dramatically.


    <div>


    <div>


    I gave her a knowing look for her antics; inwardly, though, I wanted to ask if wasn’t it her who wanted to accompany me during the experiment?


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    How infuriating!


    <hr>


    The Beyonder''s Academy library was nothing out of the ordinary—just a regular library, albeit one packed with more books and papers than anyone could ever hope to read in a lifetime. The scent of old books and coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the quiet rustling of pages. It was housed in a separate building from the rest of the academy, and I rarely graced it with my presence except during exams. And right now? It was exam season. Predictably, our entire class was spread out across the library floors.


    I found Alex on the third floor, sitting in the open study area where conversation was allowed. Most of the tables were occupied, students poring over their notes and textbooks, some muttering formulas under their breath. Honestly, I had considered sitting down and cramming some knowledge into my head, but in the end, I''d resigned myself to my usual strategy: scrape by with average marks. Studying just wasn''t worth the stress.


    "Hey," I greeted Alex, pulling up the empty chair beside him.


    He had a thick textbook open in front of him and was busy solving dimension and matrix-related physics problems. From what I could see, he was pretty good at it—better than I was when I had to tackle those nightmares for the first time. Physics and I had never gotten along, like oil and water.


    Alex set his pen down and leaned back in his chair, stretching with a groan that earned him a few annoyed glances from nearby tables.


    "Tired?" I asked, noting the weariness in his movements and the empty energy drink cans lined up at the edge of his desk.


    "I can''t think straight," he chuckled, rubbing his temples. "How could anyone solve and calculate these?"


    "Well, they are extremely important."


    "Important, my ass," he muttered, flicking his pen at the textbook. "I swear, this stuff is just mathematical torture disguised as science."


    I watched as he shuffled through his jacket, suddenly looking more alert.


    He pulled out his phone, practically bouncing with excitement as he turned the screen toward me. His account balance was displayed in bold numbers: a whopping four hundred and seventy million. His eyes gleamed brighter than I''d ever seen, and he looked ready to burst from sheer glee. I couldn''t help but smirk—it was clear he''d never seen that much money in his life. Honestly, I was relieved he couldn''t just run off with it; otherwise, I might''ve worried he''d forget all about us in favor of the cash.


    "Everything went well?" I asked, glancing up at him.


    Alex nodded eagerly, his fingers still hovering over the phone screen. "I followed your instructions exactly. No issues, no flags, nothing. It’s all there."


    "Good," I replied with a firm nod, relieved our small gamble had paid off. "Now, you can keep twenty percent for your help, and then initiate a bank transfer for the rest."


    Alex’s eyes widened slightly, his brain immediately switching to calculation mode. His lips parted slightly as he did the math, his expression flickering between disbelief and exhilaration.


    "That''s..." he started calculating in his head, "ninety-four million? Are you serious?"


    I leaned back, arms crossed. "Do I look like I’m joking?"


    "Not usually, but—holy shit," he breathed, his hands trembling slightly as he started the transfer. His entire demeanor was a mix of shock, excitement, and nervous energy. "This is insane. Do you even realize how much money this is?"


    To be fair, it was probably a lot of money for someone like him, who lived a relatively normal life. Well, relatively—if you ignored his current involvement in trying to dismantle a villain gang. There was no denying that the little group I was part of was completely mental.


    "I do," I said dryly. "Which is why I’d appreciate it if you didn’t have a heart attack over it."


    Alex let out a short laugh, shaking his head as he keyed in the necessary details. "Man, I don’t even know what I’d do with this kind of money. I feel like I should be buying a yacht or something."


    I snorted. "Please don’t. That would be the worst way to get attention."


    "Okay, okay," he relented, still grinning. "No yachts. Maybe just a really nice gaming setup."


    "Much safer."


    "Thanks again," Alex said, an embarrassed smile spreading across his face as he began the transfer. His hands trembled slightly over the phone. "You can call me if you ever do something like this again," he added, his tone eager.


    Did he just get hooked? I wondered briefly. In the end, he’d earned the money he received, so I didn’t feel bad about giving him a small chunk. He’d taken the risks, after all.


    “Sure,” I said with a nod. “We might be doing something similar at the end of this month. I’ll call you then.”


    Alex practically buzzed with excitement, his energy almost contagious. “You’re the best,” he exclaimed, and to my surprise, he pulled me into a hug.


    I hadn’t expected that, but… it felt good. How odd.


    "Alright, alright," I muttered, patting his back awkwardly. "Don’t get all sentimental on me."


    Alex pulled back, grinning. "Hey, let me have my moment.”


    For the next few minutes, we talked about random things—stuff happening around the academy, the city, or even beyond. Villain attacks, supers trying to save the day, and the status of the ongoing investigation. The news on that front wasn’t great; progress was slow. Although the city had managed to capture a few gang members, they hadn’t revealed much about where the rest of the missing people were being held.


    Alex frowned as he scrolled through the latest reports on his phone. "You’d think with all the tech and resources they have, they’d be closer to finding them by now."


    "You’d think," I echoed, my mind drifting to a troubling thought.


    If more than four hundred people were being kept underground, how were the villains feeding them? Assuming they were still alive, keeping that many captives nourished and stable was no small feat. Sooner or later, fear, malnourishment, or worse would set in, and they wouldn''t be able to use them for whatever cause they needed them.


    I tapped my fingers against the table. "They’ve got to be keeping them somewhere that’s at least somewhat sustainable."


    "Maybe," Alex mused. "Or maybe they don’t care if they make it out alive."


    That wasn’t a pleasant thought.


    I exhaled slowly, shifting gears. "Do you know anyone who’s good with computers?"


    Alex arched an eyebrow. "Other than me?"


    "Someone whose meta specializes in security breaches, digital tracking, or maybe even AI analysis."


    Alex blinked at me, clearly puzzled by the sudden question. I elaborated quickly. “I want to track if a large amount of food is being purchased and stored somewhere. Water, electricity diverted. If the villains are keeping those people alive, they’d need to feed, and keep them warm them. Maybe that could give us a lead.”


    Alex’s expression shifted, his initial confusion replaced by surprise. “Huh. That’s actually… a really good angle.” His fingers drummed against the table before he pulled out his phone. “Let me post a message in our class group. Maybe someone in there has the skills, or at least knows someone who does.”


    He began typing furiously, his brows furrowed in concentration. I watched in silence for a moment, then—


    Wait… class group?


    A pang of sadness hit me out of nowhere.


    What class group?


    Why wasn’t I in this so-called class group?


    A wave of melancholy washed over me. These people clearly didn’t consider me important enough to add to their little group chat. How tragic. All those hours spent around them, yet I was still an afterthought. Left out. Abandoned. A lone wanderer in the vast desert of social rejection.


    Alex, oblivious to my sudden inner turmoil, finished typing and looked up at me with a sly smile. “By the way, I saw Jade earlier on this floor,” he said, his tone dripping with amusement.


    I rolled my eyes. “Yeah? And?”


    His grin widened. “Nothing. Just thought it was interesting. She looked like she was deep in thought. Maybe even… avoiding someone.”


    I scoffed. “Avoiding who, exactly?”


    Alex shrugged, his smirk telling me exactly what he meant.


    Oh, please. Like if she had her ways, she would eat me alive. Avoid me? Ridiculous.


    Still, the thought lingered, a small, unnecessary itch at the back of my mind.


    I waved a dismissive hand. “She’s probably just reading or something. You know, doing normal, productive things. Unlike you.”


    “Hey!” Alex feigned offense. “I’m being incredibly productive right now. I’m actively seeking out underground tech specialists for a top-secret operation. That’s gotta count for something.”


    I let out a small chuckle. “Sure. You’re basically a spy.”


    “Damn right I am,” he said proudly, tapping his phone screen. “Alright, sent the message. Now we just wait.”


    “Let me know when you get a reply,” I said, standing up and stretching.


    Alex gave me a mock salute. “Aye, Captain. If I crack the case before you, I want a bonus.”


    I snorted. “Dream on.”


    And with that, I quickly skittered away from Alex, shaking my head at his antics.


    I began strolling through the tall rows of bookshelves, letting my eyes scan over the endless spines of books. Of course, I wasn’t just wandering aimlessly—I was looking for the other half of myself. I didn’t need anyone to tell me Jade’s location; as long as we were within a few meters of each other, we could feel each other’s presence. It was just how our meta-natures malfunctioned—or resonated, depending on perspective.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I wandered for a while, my attention occasionally drawn to the sky and clouds outside through the tall windows. It was sunny, and the bubbling clouds were picturesque, almost unreal in their softness. The way the light spilled into the library was oddly calming.


    Still, I quickly refocused and pressed on. The library was too big for to be scoured in dozen minutes.


    After about ten minutes, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar.


    She was far enough away that we hadn’t noticed each other’s presence yet, but I recognized her instantly. Jade was standing between two shelves, flipping through the pages of a book, her brows furrowed in concentration. She was scowling slightly, and it made her look unintentionally cute.


    Her style was expensive, fancy, and elegant; this much we had in common. She wore a fuzzy gradient cardigan that faded from soft white to deep brown at the cuffs, its pearl-like buttons adding a vintage charm. A crisp navy pleated midi skirt flared gracefully as she moved, cinched at the waist with a brown leather belt that accentuated her polished look. Dark brown cowboy boots, adorned with subtle embroidery, peeked from beneath the hem. A structured brown leather handbag dangled from her fingers beneath the book she carried, its gold hardware gleaming under the light.


    Her soft waves cascaded over her shoulders, framing her delicate features, with a pair of gold hoop earrings catching the faintest glimmer—a perfect blend of refined sophistication and effortless grace.


    I had to admire her gift for fashion. It wasn''t just about wearing expensive clothes; Jade had this supernatural ability to make anything look runway-ready. No—it went beyond the clothes themselves. She was just naturally stunning, turning everything around her into something extraordinary by simply existing.


    Of course, her tastes weren''t exactly budget-friendly. Our three shopping trips together had been educational, to say the least. That "simple" fuzzy cardigan? Probably from some limited artist collaboration that cost more than a month''s rent. But Jade never seemed bothered by price tags, treating thousand-dollar purchases like they were pocket change. And now, after our lottery win, her already impressive spending power had reached new heights.


    Still, Jade wasn’t the type to flaunt her wealth obnoxiously—it was more like she just… lived in a different financial reality.


    Anyway, I kept my distance, following her movements as she skipped from bookshelf to bookshelf. She moved quickly, almost methodically, plucking one book off the shelf only to glance at it briefly and put it back before moving to the next. She reminded me of a cat tracking something only she could see. A few other students in this section watched her with bemused expressions, probably wondering if exam stress had finally claimed another victim.


    Yet, books seemed to ripple in her wake as she moved. Most people wouldn''t notice it, but I knew better—there was meta at work here.


    Finally, Jade''s face lit up with that familiar "gotcha" grin, and she dropped to the floor right there between Psychology and Ancient History, clutching a weathered book to her chest. The triumph in her expression was almost comical.


    Watching her, something clicked in my mind: Jade stumbled into just as many weird situations as I did, maybe even more. The difference was she treated them like adventures while I treated them like problems to solve. Case in point: whatever this current book-hunting expedition was about.


    I immediately phased through the last bookshelf separating us.


    "What are you doing?" I asked, trying to sound disapproving but probably failing. It was hard to be serious when she looked so pleased with herself.


    She jumped at my voice, but her surprise instantly melted into a bright smile. Her hair was wild from her library chase, and her flower choker necklace had gone slightly crooked. "I caught something!" she declared proudly, holding up the book like she''d just won first prize at a competition.


    I raised an eyebrow, staring at what appeared to be ‘The Lost Writings of Evermore?’ Sounds dramatic .


    "Inside the book?" The way her eyes sparkled told me this was going to be another one of those stories that started with "You''ll never believe what I found..."


    “Come closer, I’ll show you,” she said, beckoning me with a happy wave.


    There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes—the kind that always made me wary of her antics.


    I crouched down beside her, and she opened the book as though revealing a precious secret. What I saw inside made me freeze.


    A tiny figure, constructed entirely from living text, moved across the pages. Words and letters flowed like liquid, constantly shifting and rearranging to form its body, limbs, and increasingly agitated expressions. The creature paced back and forth, leaving trails of displaced sentences in its wake. When it noticed me staring, it stopped abruptly and glared upward. Its body rippled with indignation, letters rearranging themselves to form "LET ME OUT" across its chest like a protest sign.


    Jade beamed. “See?” she whispered, clearly delighted with her discovery.


    I stared in disbelief. “What… is that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Jade’s grin widened, like a kid showing off a particularly cool bug she’d caught. “I don’t know exactly, but isn’t it amazing?” she said, her tone filled with wonder. “I was flipping through books, trying to find something interesting, and this little guy jumped out of nowhere. Then it kept jumping from one to another. He thought he could get away, but”—she held up the book proudly—“I caught him!”


    "You... caught him." It wasn''t a question. My brain was too busy short-circuiting to form proper questions. This wasn''t like catching a runaway magical paper airplane or an enchanted bookmark.


    Jade nodded. “Yeah! It took me forever, too. He was fast.”


    "You know, that''s not a butterfly. That''s... that''s a living being or person! Probably someone with a meta-nature that lets them enter books."


    I watched as the figure flopped onto its back in theatrical despair, its body spelling out "UNFAIR" like a tiny typographical temper tantrum.


    She shrugged, completely unfazed by the ethical implications. "Well, he shouldn''t have been causing trouble. Do you know how many books he made me run through? The entire Advanced Metaphysics section is completely shuffled!" She pointed accusingly at the figure, which had now arranged itself into what appeared to be a miniature fainting couch made of punctuation marks.


    I rubbed my temple, feeling a headache building. Thanks to her meta, this person—this living, thinking being—was now trapped between the pages like a pressed flower. She’d taken away all his existing possibilities to escape without a second thought.


    The horrible realization hit me: She was accidentally torturing someone in a book, treating it like she''d just won a game of hide-and-seek.


    How infuriating—and, in a strange way, very Jade.


    "Just so you forgot, that’s some poor guy inside a book and you’re torturing him right now," I pointed out.


    She huffed. "Oh, please. I’m not torturing him. I’m just… detaining him. For questioning."


    The figure aggressively formed the word "KIDNAPPING!" across its tiny chest, waving its arms in furious protest.


    I turned to her, deadpan. "He disagrees."


    Jade sighed dramatically and leaned closer to the book. “Okay, fine, I’ll let you go. But only if you promise not to run away again.”


    The figure hesitated, then quickly rearranged its body into the words "I PROMISE."


    I narrowed my eyes. “That was too fast. He’s lying.”


    "Let''s book an empty room first," I suggested, keeping my face neutral despite my growing curiosity about this person''s meta-nature. My choice of words hit me a second later. "We''ll tortur—I mean, investigate him together." Real smooth.


    Jade bounced on her heels, nodding so enthusiastically I thought she might fly off.


    After securing a study room from the front desk , we made our way down the hallway. Jade''s grip on the book never loosened—clearly, she wasn''t taking any chances with our typographical escapee making a break for the nearest dictionary.


    "You''re holding that thing like it''s going to sprout legs and run away," I noted aloud.


    "Because it will," she shot back, her fingers tightening even further. "You can''t see it with your limited perception, but actually, I''m holding onto thousands of future frames with multiple possibilities of him escaping. In one, he slips through page 394. In another, he makes a break for that physics textbook on the next table. There''s even one where he tries to hide in the page numbers. This guy is clearly no ordinary. So, I have to anchor all those possibilities in place so none of them can actually happen. Think of it like... holding down every corner of a thousand paper airplanes all at once, right before they try to take flight. Miss one, and the whole thing falls apart."


    Ah! No wonder she looked so focused.


    “Pretty sure the librarians wouldn’t appreciate us interrogating a book spirit in one of their rooms,” I mused as we reached the door.


    “It’s not a spirit, it’s a student,” she corrected, nudging the door open with her hip. “And besides, I’m sure people do way weirder things in study rooms.”


    She winked at me.


    I clicked my tongue. She was shameless as ever, "I don''t even want to know what you''re implying."


    Jade smirked, stepping inside, “I’m just saying, people get up to all sorts of things behind closed doors.”


    I stared at her. “...You’re proud of that logic, aren’t you?”


    “Extremely.”


    I sighed, dragging a chair out and sitting down. “Let’s just interrogate the book-person before you get any more ideas.”


    Jade pouted but sat down across from me, placing the book in the center of the table. She took the lead, delicately opening it again.


    The figure was still there, now dramatically slumped with its head between its knees, text rippling with what could only be described as sulking. It would have been hilarious if I wasn''t acutely aware this was an actual person we were keeping captive.


    In a library book. On exam week. Sometimes I wondered how this became my normal.


    Jade barely contained her excitement, her feet tapping rapidly under the table despite the serious tone she adopted. “Let me ask him first.”


    “By all means,” I gestured. “I wouldn’t dare get in the way of your expert interrogation techniques.”


    She ignored my sarcasm and leaned closer to the book. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice firm and direct.


    The letters and words on the page morphed rapidly, rearranging themselves into a dialog box. Within the box, more words appeared, forming a response.


    “I’m Callisto, a second-year student at the academy. I’m telling you, let me go, or this won’t end well for you! I’ll report you to the academy—and to my friends! You are in a lot of trouble. You don’t know how far my connections go…”


    “YOU DON’T KNOW WHO YOU’RE DEALING WITH.”


    Jade gasped, “Oh no! Are you secretly a mafia prince?”


    “A shadow ruler?” I added, playing along.


    Jade leaned in. “A crime lord’s heir, destined to reclaim his lost throne?”


    Callisto rearranged himself into “I HATE BOTH OF YOU.”


    The little figure gestured dramatically as it yapped on, clearly agitated.


    Jade snapped the book shut without hesitation, cutting him off mid-rant.


    I blinked. “Jade.”


    She held up a hand. “Nope. Not listening to threats today. My quota is already full for this month.”


    I raised my hands in defeat. I didn’t want to be the one on her chopping board.


    “At least we know his name and that he’s a student,” Jade said, tilting her head thoughtfully. “He doesn’t seem like a spy or someone with bad intentions.”


    I stared at her. “You’re acting like you caught a stray cat and are deciding whether to adopt it.”


    She gave me a look. “He ran around and made me chase him. That is very cat-like behavior.”


    Callisto aggressively reshaped himself into “EXCUSE YOU” before rolling back into an angry mess of shifting letters.


    Jade smirked. “See? He’s got an attitude too.”


    I sighed, leaning back slightly in my chair. “Fine, but maybe we should actually ask him what he was doing inside the books before we start classifying him as a new pet.”


    Jade opened the book again, and the figure stood quietly this time. It seemed he’d grown scared, realizing that Jade had no intention of releasing him even after learning his identity. I wondered if he was silently cursing his luck, wondering what kind of lunatics he’d run into today. The thought made me chuckle inwardly—it was darkly amusing, in its own way.


    The guy must be shitting his pants—if he had a real body somewhere to shit in.


    Jade tapped the page lightly. “Okay, okay. What were you doing in the books?”


    The words formed again in the dialog box on the page.


    “I was just reading. It’s much faster than staring at the books for hours.”


    More text appeared beneath it:


    “I can dive into the text like water and soak everything up like a sponge.”


    I frowned slightly. That was… actually a pretty useful ability. Not exactly threatening, just unique. Maybe he was telling the truth.


    But then, the dialog box began to glitch. The words deformed, breaking apart into streaks of ink.


    New text appeared in a frantic scrawl:


    “Please let me go! I swear I’ll never tell anyone about this—and I won’t jump between books ever again!”


    The figure inside seemed to tremble, its tiny hands wringing together.


    Then, the letters distorted further, melting into inky tendrils that seeped into the pages, trying to escape. He was clearly desperate, but his methods might’ve worked if he weren’t dealing with Jade.


    Without hesitation, she snapped the book shut again, trapping him once more.


    I watched her, raising an eyebrow. “Okay, I have to ask—what exactly are you hoping to get out of this?”


    Jade didn’t answer immediately.


    I exhaled. “Because, honestly? He’s not useful to us in any way. If anything, this is just…” I gestured vaguely. “…a little cruel?”


    Jade turned her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she whispered, “He’s lying.”


    That caught my attention immediately. She rarely jumped to conclusions without a reason. I leaned in, intrigued.


    She studied my expression as she opened the book again. The trapped figure quivered as her voice took on an edge.


    “I study regularly at the library,” Jade said. “And over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something strange. Books I’ve read before suddenly have missing dates, missing important figures. Some fantasy books have entire chapters or characters gone, like they never existed.”


    The figure inside the book froze.


    Jade continued, her tone unwavering.


    “Why do you think I laid a trap to catch you?” She leaned in slightly, her eyes sharp. “You’re stealing things from the books, aren’t you? Don’t lie to me—I already know you’ve got some other motive.”


    My eyes widened as I processed her words.


    The book figure—this strange, living amalgamation of words—stood frozen on the page, its previously animated movements eerily still.


    For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint rustling of the library’s distant air vents.


    Then, finally, the tiny figure began moving again. This time, slowly.


    Deliberately.


    Its tiny head tilted upward, and then, letter by letter, it rearranged itself into a single word.


    “PROVE IT.”


    Jade smirked. “Gladly.”


    She reached into her bag and pulled out a small, leather-bound notebook. I recognized it immediately—it was her personal reading log, something she kept religiously updated.


    Flipping through the pages, she landed on a specific entry. Her finger tapped the page firmly.


    “Three weeks ago, I read ‘The Iron Crown Chronicles.’ Chapter 17 was about the war council meeting. When I reread it last week?” Her eyes flicked toward Callisto. “There was no war council. No meeting. No mention of the battle plans. It was like that entire piece of history had been erased.”


    Callisto said nothing.


    Jade turned another page.


    “Same with ‘The Moonlit Pact.’ I remember a whole subplot about the second prince. But now? He doesn’t exist. The entire story changed. Not just minor details—whole narratives shifted.”


    Her voice lowered, intense.


    “Someone is either editing or stealing content from the books. And I’m pretty damn sure that someone is you.”


    I exhaled slowly, realization clicking into place. If what she was saying was true, this wasn’t just a weird meta-ability. This was something dangerous. Someone who could rewrite knowledge itself.


    The figure stood frozen on the page, no longer the dramatic victim, but instead, caught red handed for his crimes.