The Bookstore Mage

A deafening silence took over the small bookstore. Both sides stared at each other, no one saying a word. It was Moon's sudden meow that brought an end to it causing a small chuckle to escape from Lucien's mouth.

"So be it then. I was curious as to what the Council looks like from the inside." Saying that he stood up.

Tamellalt who was behind him grabbed his coat and helped him put it on. The group simply waited in silence.

"Have a safe trip, my lord," the fairy spoke and gave him a respectful bow to which Lucien smiled and nodded.

He then turned to glance at Nia before asking:

"Well, after you."

"Y-Yes, this way, please." Her demeanor broke for a split second as Lucien passed by her and left through the door that magically opened.

The bearded man hurriedly rushed to open the door for the black car that waited for them. Lucien gave him a nod and stepped inside. His heart was beating inside his chest, yet he maintained a stoic expression on his face.

The trio got in a car behind him, while Nia jumped to the passenger seat.

"Please relax, Mr. Wood. We will arrive shortly."

Lucien nodded and turned his gaze to the window as the car began to move. The scenery began to change as they left 27th Street. It didn't take them long before they reached the center of the city.

Taller buildings began to appear, and people in suits could be seen bustling about. Soon, the car parked in front of a large glassed building. A tall man wearing dark sunglasses opened the door of the car.

Lucien mentally prepared himself for what was to come and stepped out. He adjusted his suit as Nia motioned him towards the entrance.

"Please follow me, they are excepting you," she said. The group that accompanied her to his bookstore scanned their surroundings and escorted them inside.

White, and bright— that was Lucien's first impression of the building's interior. The massive windows allowed natural light to illuminate the entire reception area. Countless people walked in hurried steps, but it was eerily quiet.

Nobody talked, everyone just focused on going to their destination. They were all dressed in formal attire and donned serious expressions.

The moment Lucien and Nia stepped inside, everyone seemed to halt for a second and turned their attention to them.

Nia quickly frowned, a dangerous aura leaking from her body causing them to go back to what they were doing. Lucien was strangely not affected, but he saw the particles gather around her.

At first, he was alarmed but after seeing that it wasn't meant for him he quickly calmed down.

"This way, please," Nia asked him to follow as she led him straight to the elevators in the middle of the hall.

Lucien quickly scanned his surroundings, committing everything to memory. A large reception desk was situated to the right side, where two ladies and two gentlemen were situated at.

They stood with their backs straight, fake smiles on their faces. To the left was a hangout of sorts, though nobody was there at the moment. Beautifully designed couches, chairs, and tables.

Straight ahead, however, was a massive white pillar. 4 elevator doors were there. Three were busy, with one, however, empty. Two more security guards stood by the door's sides.

'Maybe it's reserved for this chairman and the higher-ups?" Lucien wondered inwardly.

Surprisingly, that was where Nia guided him. One of the security guards clicked on the button as he spotted them coming.

"Miss Fisher, they are waiting for you," the second guard greeted her with a nod and then turned to glance at him.

He stared back causing the guard to flinch before he hurriedly lowered his head. Lucien didn't know what the guard saw because his face turned deathly pale.

'What happened?' Confused he entered the elevator after Nia.

It only had one button which she clicked and stepped back. The doors closed leaving behind a suffocating silence.

Lucien tried not to think about it too much. He mentally readied himself for the meeting he was about to have. It didn't take long before the elevator stopped and the door opened to reveal a wide corridor.

Nia with her head lowered guided him as they passed through what looked like offices. He wasn't sure as most of the doors were closed. Another eerie detail was the fact that the place seemed deserted.

Not long after, the duo stopped in front of a normal-looking door. Nia knocked twice before she opened it and motioned Lucien inside:

"Please."

He nodded and entered. Instantly all eyes turned toward him. The room looked like a meeting place of sorts. A large table with eight seats was placed in the middle, one of those was empty. Lucien assumed it was his.

The group of people inside consisted of three ladies to the left and three men to the right. Sitting at the end of the table was an old bearded man with wild white hair. Based on his position, Lucien assumed he was the chairman.

"Mr. Wood, we have been expecting you. Please, sit," The chairman invited him with an amicable smile as he motioned to the empty seat directly facing him.

Lucien was extremely nervous at this point, he was after all meeting with all of the Council's big shots. Still, he managed to convince himself that there was nothing to fear. He was here not as a weak apprentice, no he was here as a high-ranking mage.

His posture eased as he sat down on the table with a stoic face. The Chairman maintained his smile as he stared back at him.

The lady sitting in the middle was the one to break the silence. She flicked her platinum blonde hair and spoke with a frown:

"Are we going to start anytime soon? I still have my research to go back to." Lucien glanced at her. Beautiful features, green eyes, but a relatively short stature it looked like. She didn't look a day past twenty-five.

One of the men sitting opposite her shot back with a glare:

"What research, the one that keeps on wasting our resources, but still produces no results?" The man scoffed at her.

The man looked to be of eastern descent, Lucien noted. His skin was a little bit tanned, and his black hair was kept short. His goatee, however, had a few streaks of grey in it.

"Oh, f*ck off. I don't want to hear anything from you in particular. What happened to the last raid you lead, huh? Exactly! So shut up, Nur!"

Nur was about to shoot back when the Chairman raised his hand.

"Enough, we are in the presence of a guest."

The duo settled down but still glared at each other. The rest of those present, however, kept their eyes on Lucien.

"So, is this why I was called?" Lucien asked, seemingly unbothered by all of their gazes.

The Chairman's eyes seemed to glow for a second before he smiled and shook his head. He leaned closer to the table and answered:

"Of course not. I'll be frank with you, Mr. Wood. The reason we called you here today is to try and figure out what you are."

Everyone present tensed up as a terrifying aura leaked from the Chairman. Lucien watched as the mana particles gathered around making him turn as bright as a star before he asked:

"So tell me, Mr. Wood. What are you?"