IT TRULY BEGINS

I opened my eyes to see the ceiling of my parents bedroom staring back at me. I turned to the side to see Ken sleeping quietly his head on the edge of the bed and his body bent forward from the chair.

"How long was I out" I question turning to 4 at the side who was examining me.

"An hour" he responds

"So care to explain why my attacker was in a robe like some martial artist cosplay. Well considering how I flew back from a light push then i think that it's not a cosplay, is it" I say sitting up to stare at him.

"It's better you talk to someone in charge. I'm just the middle man"

"Obviously, how old are you again" I snorted.

"20 years old" 4 replied proudly.

"I have no incentive to stay with you guys so forgive me if I'm not courteous when I get there" I replied. I started to think; a wuxia outfit, shiny blue letters on weapons, telekinesis and melting bodies giving a weird combination from different genres so that means what I'm in includes magic which got me very excited but I didn't show it.

"Can you get me food, I'm kind of starving" I say rubbing my stomach. He agrees and I manage to get Ken to go saying I needed a drink too. I listened to the sound of their footsteps go down the stairs and when I was sure they had gone; I came down the bed feeling that my injuries feel a lot better now, tossed the pillows off and pressed my palm to the mattress underneath which turned into little nanites under my palm.

"Disguise mode. Initiate switch form to ink tattoo. Transfer to left shoulder" I said. The nanites flowed up my arm in liquid form and a pierced into my skin feeling like a real tattoo, I bore it in silence then sat back on the bed pretending that nothing happened.

"Thank you. So what did I miss" I said to the boys when they handed me my food well snacks but still.

"Nothing" Ken said sitting beside me while 4 leaned on the wall beside the door

"What about Zee" I said remembering the way his head flew back.

"She's in her room with Derrick sleeping" Ken said.

"I see. Where are you taking us to again" I ask 4

"A place you know well" he replied nonchalantly

"Right I'll go wake Zee up and we can leave in 10 minutes" I say tossing the empty chip bag on the floor and walking to the door.

"Are you sure you're ready to move about yet?" Ken asked

"I don't have the luxury to care besides I feel fine enough" I say closing the door behind me. On getting to her room beside mine; I find the door closed so I knock because of that guy inside.

"What" is the response I got before carefully opening the door.

"What did you do" I decided to take a bullet since he responded for once, maybe he's in a talking mood. It was futile at the end because he didn't respond to me anymore so I just said thank you awkwardly. Somehow I can never win over this guy, I looked at the sleeping idiot on the bed thinking that it was amazing that she could even speak a word to that guy without tripping on her words but it's probably because of a stupid reason anyway.

"Leave I'll wake her up" he said dropping his book to look at me making me instantly leave. It's even scarier when he looks at you with eyes hidden behind a glass, his gaze always gives me chills. I go to my room and look around one final time.

*****************************************

I was woken up by the feeling of my cheeks being pinched and pulled by someone which was very painful. I frowned and opened my eyes immediately to see a masculine hand retract, looking up to meet Derrick's glasses as he moved his hand away.

"You couldn't just tap me, you masochist," I said rubbing my cheeks but he just blinked at me thinking I wouldn't notice but I know him very well after studying him for so long so I knew he was smiling on the inside

"Was Ash here?" I ask rubbing my eyes awake and sat up on the bed.

"You have 10 minutes," he said standing up to go lean on the door. It seems like he was asked a question and had to speak so he was a little irritated well a lot irritated by how much my cheeks still sting.

"Alright" I say looking around the room I've lived in for a while wondering if there was any meaningful thing I would miss but there's nothing. I think again and still .. nothing, I feel like it's a little sad to live here for so long and have nothing to show for it.

I walk to the living room to find the rest waiting for us. Ash was asking where we are going to and whether it involves the need for a car since both of us have our license. He replied that it was just an hours drive away from here so we all entered the huge jeep we have that was arranged with 2 seats infront and 3 at the back. No competition for the seating arrangement so I ended up having to drive but the key was snatched out of my hand by Derrick who moved to the driver's seat followed by the rest while I stared at him shocked.

"Get in" he said when I was started delaying

"I wanted to drive" I grumbled crossing my hand

"Your injured now get in" he answered back tapping the wheel not looking at me. I wanted to argue but then my hand stung so I complied sitting beside him in front. He looked at me and I turned back to ask the address from 4.

"That's our aunt's house," I said after he said the address but he didn't reply to my inquiry.

The drive was quiet at the back seemingly waiting to confront whatever was waiting for us while the front was quiet because I fell asleep again and Derrick was driving frowning at my head on his shoulder.

I was woken up again by my cheeks being grabbed as my head was on the seat but this time I retaliated by swiping at his fingers in revenge but ended up with a forehead flick instead from Zee so now my cheeks and my face hurts. I glared hatefully at Derrick standing behind her who was giving that nonchalant look of laughing inside.

"Well played" I muttered walking beside him on the stairs up to my aunt's house. When she opened the door, I admit that I wasn't surprised at all because if the dad was involved then obviously the grumpy aunt was part too.

"Hello auntie" I said watching as her face morphed into disappointment.

"You are not needed here. It's family only" she said in a motion of shooing a fly away.

"Zee is family too" Ash said grabbing my and I was like that's nice but I really wasn't going to leave anyway because why would I miss the opportunity to learn to to use Qi like the guy whose head was blown up.

"Really then I suppose this other boys are family too. Remind me when they were adopted" she said her eyes passing over Ken and Derrick. Ken looked at her nervously while Derrick looked her in the eyes until she looked away.

"They are already involved and I can't just abandon my friends"

"I adopted him at my first day in school" both Ash and I said two completely different things at the same time.

"Alright then follow me and I'll explain" Auntie said turning to walk forward.

"Have you ever wished that those stories you read become true especially all those impossible things that human beings strive to achieve but can only imagine?" she said standing in front of a double door that started to glow in strange symbols.

"Human beings can't just imagine from nothing so we had reason to believe that there was a possibility of a world that is like in the stories to have existed. We sought to find it and now we have a way most accurately, your parents built a way to connect to it so we can travel to these worlds"

I was just passively listening until I heard i heard 'inside a book' and I got so excited I was about to scream but Ash slapped a hand on my mouth glaring at me. Hey you can't blame me, this is like every otaku's wish and I get to live it so how could I not scream, I just hope this is real.

".... Yes. The reason why people are after you is because you are in possession to the key of every book which I would like to call the Archivum" she said ignoring me and staring seriously at Ash. Well so am I, I have to hug her thigh properly so that I can go to all my favorite genres so two pairs of eyes stared at her passionately.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***