Strange Tomes

Amanda hummed a little to herself as she explored the streets of Gaianu.

The discovery of Angelus and Demons, alongside their realm, made her curiosity for how magic intertwines with science only grow in enthusiasm. Since she was an outsider, she couldn’t just waltz right into the realm and ask for a way into the Underworld quite yet, but there were still opportunities for her to explore…

Many shops in Gaianu existed, some selling blessings, others, curses. Certain shops were a little more subtle as to what they were selling - and she felt as though one of those would be the best bet to find some real demon magic.

As she opened the door to the little shop, a small bell jingled, indicating her entry - it didn’t seem as though the shopkeep noticed her, however, looking too invested in their own book. That didn’t matter much to her. She instead got right to browsing the shelves, seeking out any tomes that looked particularly demonic.

“Hmm. What kind of books do demons like…?” She muttered, as she traced her fingertips along the spines. They’d like ornate, scaled tomes, wouldn’t they? Or would that be too stereotypical? Maybe some liked old, fragile books instead, pages fading with age…

But then, she spotted something - a book that she’d normally look over. It looked to be a pulpy paperback romance novel, but…

When she looked closer, the spine had something carved into it - a pentagram! Did some lovesick person use this book to hold their demonic secrets? She had to know.

When she flipped it open, it was clear that this was no regular trashy novel. It had writing in red ink scribbled all over the margins, even sometimes on top of the original book’s words. This was something. This was what she was looking for! Now all she had to do was figure out what it was supposed to do… she didn’t want to accidentally summon someone before being prepared.

She quietly closed the book, and walked back over to the cashier… hoping that they didn’t know just how special this tome was, so that she’d be able to get a good discount.