Lilia: A New Dawn

James could hardly contain his anticipation as Mia sealed the antiquated tome and stowed it in her satchel. This unusual book might hold the solution to his pressing dilemma.

"We should head out and examine this book more closely," Mia suggested, her gaze shifting towards the exit.

Once they were outside, James prompted, "So where are we heading? Your place?"

"Right, my parents are out on business most of the time," Mia responded casually as they strolled along. "We'll have ample time to delve into this mystery."

Alistair, in his feline form, lagged behind them, his eyes shimmering with curiosity at this intriguing turn of events. On arriving at Mia's residence - a two-story house that her parents bought so she could live close to school - she unlocked the door, and they proceeded directly to her room.

With care, Mia retrieved the notebook from her satchel, placing it on her desk before sitting down with an expectant flourish. "Alright, let's unearth the secrets this book guards!"

James settled into the seat next to her, while Alistair leapt onto the desk, his gaze intently following the enigmatic pages as Mia slowly leafed through the yellowed paper, scrutinizing the strange symbols and diagrams.

"This script is so intricate," she pondered. "But what could it possibly mean?"

James focused on the peculiar designs and swirling handwriting, trying to decipher some meaning from them. Yet unfortunately the language seemed completely alien to him.

Breaking the silence, Alistair offered, "My lady, may I read it for you?"

However, to Mia, his speech was merely a series of meows. She chuckled and reached over to affectionately pat the cat. "Aren't you just the sweetest thing?"

Alistair recoiled slightly at the doting attention, letting out a slight huff of indignation as Mia scooped him up into a cuddle. "Unhand me at once!" he objected, writhing in her grip.

Suppressing a laugh, James playfully added, "I think she finds you endearing."

"Endearing? This is utterly humiliating," Alistair grumbled, without success in his attempts to escape. Mia, however, only pressed him closer, admiring his soft, cuddly fur.

While Alistair was preoccupied with the attention, James scrutinized the cryptic text, his mind working overtime. He wondered if Lilia could read it.

An idea dawned on him then. If he transformed, perhaps Lilia's inherent magical abilities would help him comprehend the spell book. It was a gamble worth taking. But the thought of revealing his concealed identity to Mia was a different story. Regardless, the allure of deciphering the book's concealed knowledge persuaded him.

As James concentrated on the page, the odd symbols morphed into legible content, their meanings unmasking before him. Astonishingly, he could now read the arcane language as though it was English.

"I think I can understand this," he murmured.

Mia's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Really? Let me see!"

"It's still nonsense!" she exclaimed. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"No, it's the truth," James reassured her defensively. "Look, I'll read it for you."

Eagerly leaning over James's shoulder, Mia listened as he translated aloud. "This section discusses harnessing mana, the natural energy that drives magic. It gives steps for sensing and accumulating mana."

After covering a page of mystical theory, James translated a simple illumination spell. As Mia listened, she followed the instructions, channelling mana into her palm. To their mutual surprise, a small orb of light emerged from her hand.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, leaping up in elation, "I've got it."

"How are you so proficient already?" James queried.

Mia laughed lightly. "I guess it's beginner's luck."

"Are you sure you're not a covert wizard from another dimension or something?" James teased.

Mia's eyes lingered on his face before landing on his. She frowned slightly. "It might seem random, but are you wearing contacts? Your eyes look different."

"No, I don't think so." James replied quickly, his tone slightly confused.

Mia fetched a small mirror from the coffee table and passed it to him. "Take a look."

James gasped as he saw his reflection. His eyes had inexplicably transformed to mirror Lilia's, with bold violet irises they only lacked slit-like pupils.

"Odd, isn't it?" Mia added nonchalantly. "Your eyes seem to have changed colour while we were practicing magic. A side effect, perhaps?"

James' mind whirled as he tried to piece it together. "Yeah, could be. It'll probably fade away after some time."

He tried to sound indifferent, but his gaze remained fixed on his reflection, and the hint of Lilia staring back. How had only his eyes transformed?

The sound of Mia's phone interrupted the moment. She checked it and sighed.

"Ugh, I completely forgot I have a club meeting today. I've got to go." She closed the spellbook carefully. "But we're definitely going to continue this!" Her excitement was infectious.

James nodded with a smile, "Sure, I enjoyed this."

James and Mia parted ways outside her house, both still buzzing from the success of their first magical experiments.

"See you at school tomorrow!" Mia called over her shoulder as she hurried off to her group meeting.

As James and Alistair walked home from Mia's house, Alistair remarked, "That girl would make a fine servant for you, my lady. She seems quite adept with magic already."

James chuckled and responded, "What, are you taking a liking to her now too, Alistair?"

"I simply recognize potential when I see it," Alistair replied loftily. "With some discipline and training, she could be moulded into an excellent attendant."

"Uh huh, sure," James said, scepticism heavy in his tone. "I bet you just enjoyed being petted and cuddled earlier."

As they passed by a narrow alleyway, James overheard hushed voices coming from within its shadowy depths. He paused, curiosity piqued. Alistair also halted, ears pricked, focusing intently on the barely audible conversation.

"Did you secure the new specimens?" a gruff male voice asked.

"Yeah, we got three more loaded up and ready for transport," another male replied. "We'll release them tomorrow night to really stir things up."

James felt a chill run down his spine. What were they talking about? Were they talking about unleashing more monsters into the city?

"Excellent," the first voice said. "And the surprise for Solar?"

"It's all set. She won't see it coming." The men shared a chuckle.

James clenched his fists, anxiety and anger welling up within him. Not only were they planning to endanger more innocent lives with their monster scheme, but they intended to harm Solar too.

Just then, one of the shadowy figures seemed to notice James and Alistair standing at the edge of the alley. "Hey, who's there?" he called sharply.

James didn't hesitate. Grabbing Alistair, he turned and sprinted away as fast as he could. The men shouted after him but didn't give chase. Still, James kept running for a few blocks just to be safe. Who were they? What were they planning? Lost in thought, James didn't notice the figure approaching until they collided, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" Came a familiar voice.

James looked up to see his sister Ren, dressed in a long white lab coat, regarding him with concern.

"Ren? What are you doing here?" James asked between laboured breaths.

She blinked in surprise. "Oh, James. Good timing actually, I was just coming to find you."

Lowering her voice, she added "We need to talk, but not out here. Let's head home first."

Puzzled but trusting his sister, James fell into step beside her, Alistair trailing behind. In short order, they arrived at their family home. Ren led the way straight to his room, closing the door behind them.

"Okay, here's the thing," she began without preamble. "I know you're in a difficult position with this Lilia situation, but I have an idea that may help buy you some time and protection."

James leaned forward eagerly. "I'm all ears."

"You could register Lilia as a super with the government," Ren stated. "Then apply for a provisional hero license. It would allow me to use some of my connections to keep Akari from your back."

James' eyes widened. "But won't I have to reveal my civilian identity?"

Ren shook her head. "The license only requires a hero name and basic background check. As long as you don't commit crimes your identity would remain secret."

"You're a genius, Ren!" James exclaimed,

"I try," Ren said with a smile, "Oh, that reminds me..." She went to her room and retrieved a card, passing it to James. "I made this ID for Lilia's human form, you'll need it. Unless you want to register as James."

James examined the document featuring Lilia's picture, height, and other details. "Wow sis, you really think of everything! This is incredible."

Ren laughed. "All in a day's work. Anyway, I should get back to the lab soon, just wanted to let you know about the license option. Let me know if you need any help with the registration process!"

"I will, thanks again Ren!" James said sincerely.

 

The next morning, James awoke feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. As he went through his usual routine, brushing his teeth and washing his face, he noticed with some surprise that his eyes were still purple.

"Huh, guess it wasn't just a temporary side effect," he murmured, leaning closer to examine his vivid violet irises in the mirror. They remained distinctly Lilia-like.

Just then, his mother's voice sounded from outside the bathroom door. "James dear, hurry up or you'll be late for school!"

"Coming, mom!" James called back, taking one last look at his altered eyes before hurrying to get dressed and gather his things.

James opened the door and his mother paused, staring at him in surprise. "Oh my, why are your eyes purple? Have you been wasting your money on cosmetic contacts?"

"Uh no, I mean it's just…" James begun nervously.

His mother interrupted him before he could finish disapprovingly. "Well, I don't like it one bit. You know how I feel about all that unnecessary vanity rubbish."

"Don't worry, I haven't spent a penny," James assured her.

His mother just shook her head sceptically before urging him to hurry for school. He wolfed down a quick breakfast while his mother prattled about upcoming assignments and tests. "Do you have everything you need for today? Lunch, books, homework?" she fretted.

"I'm all set, don't worry," James assured her as he slipped on his shoes. His thoughts were already drifting ahead to later — meeting up with Mia to practice magic again, and then a far more momentous task: registering as an official hero.

The school day passed by in a blur. James could barely focus on lectures and assignments, his mind preoccupied with anticipation about the events to come.

Finally, the last bell rang, and he was free. After a hurried goodbye to his friends, James raced off to the quiet corner of the park where he was to meet Mia. She was already there waiting, perched atop their usual picnic table with the spellbook in hand.

"Eager today, aren't we?" Mia teased as James ran up, slightly out of breath.

"You could say that," James replied with a grin, hoisting himself up beside her.

Together they delved back into the mystical text, absorbing its arcane knowledge. Once again, James found he could intuitively interpret the elaborate script and symbols that appeared indecipherable to Mia.

They spent the next hour practicing various techniques outlined in the spellbook, from mana manipulation to casting simple spells. Mia took to it astonishingly quick, succeeding at every task on her first or second try. Yet James struggled and nothing seemed to work, finally he begun to suspect that the only way it would work was if he tried to doing it as Lilia.

"I just don't think I'm cut out for magic," James admitted with regret.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon," Mia encouraged him.

Eventually it was time to put the book away and head off to complete the next important task - Lilia's registration. His heart pounded as he said goodbye to Mia and made his way to a discreet alleyway. Ensuring it was empty, he closed his eyes and focused on his mental image of Lilia.

Moments later, the transformation completed. Lilia leaned back against the wall, gathering her composure. She twirled a lock of silver hair around one finger pensively. This was it, the thing she dreamed of as child, though she never expected that she'd be registering as a heroine instead of a hero.

After one final deep breath, Lilia strode out of the alley with her head held high. She kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, maintaining an air of confidence.

At last, Lilia arrived at her destination - a stately government building that housed the Superhuman Affairs Department. Steeling herself, she ascended the steps and walked through the grand entrance doors.