Any - and Everything Pt. 01 Ch. 03

Hi everyone,

I'm back for the next chapter. I sincerely didn't think this story would attract so many people with only its first chapter since it was only a mere introduction to the story. Thanks to all those who have started following me, or added the story to their favorite list. I didn't think this would feel this good to have my work appreciated (even if it's only a handful of readers, it's way more than I expected).

Sorry I think I got a little too carried away with this introduction so let's have a recap and dive into this new chapter.

Previously on Any- and Everything:

Eleanor explained to Riley that she is a genie and he was her master. Basically, she's compelled to: answer all his questions without any lies or loopholes; follow every direct order; grant him any wish he desires with a limit of three per day. He quickly gathered enough information with which he managed to grant her freedom while still benefiting from the power of her wishes. After that, Riley went back home. Once alone, Eleanor realized that the few wishes Riley have made had set her horny. After relieving herself from the pressure, she also realized that she started to fantasize about Riley. Meanwhile, a character named Mike made his appearance and swore to make Eleanor his.

What is Riley up to at his house? How can Eleanor explain her new attraction to Riley? Will Mike already set his evil plans in motion?

Let's discover the answers in...

Chapter 3: A Quite Innocent Goodbye Kiss

Unaware of what was happening in Eleanor's room, Riley made his way toward his home. If you ever could call an empty house a home, that is. The walk to his front door from Eleanor's bedroom window wasn't too long and before he even knew it, he was walking through the doorstep. When inside, the usual loneliness that was tied to the place hit him in the face.

Riley had the luck of living a good life as a kid. He was blessed of having two loving parents. He was an only child though. While his parents had the intention of gifting him with a little sibling, he, unfortunately, hadn't the chance of seeing it happen. The first incident was the one to blame. 'Incident', what an odd name to give to one of your parent's death.

At the age of seven, his father passed away in a car accident. His mother and he only made it alive by pure luck: they weren't in the car when the accident happened. His father was supposed to pick them both up after they spent the afternoon in the town's library. When they realized he was several minutes late, they didn't worry: 'the sun is not hurried by early riser', that was his saying. They both assumed he was caught up by something and didn't want to catch up by breaking the speed limit.

It only added to the horror when they found out the truth. About thirty minutes later, a few policemen and some paramedics informed them that, unfortunately, his father wouldn't be able to pick him up at all.

From what he understood, another driver didn't apply his father's saying to the letter. He had jumped a red light and hit his father's car in the side, right at the driver's seat door. He was killed on the spot.

To make matters worst, her mother had turned catatonic from the shock. Although he was seven years old, he was still smart enough to guess that he would be taken away from her if the child protection services knew. He pretended she was very sick and took care of her and the house while she was (mentally) gone. After around three months, she came to her senses and apologized deeply to her son for letting him bear such responsibilities at his young age.

From then, she tried to give him as much care and love as a single parent could give. The trial they were getting through strengthened their bonds in the end.

When he was twelve, as he just started to recover from his father's disappearance, the second 'incident' came: His mother was diagnosed with lung cancer.

She had hidden from him that she was smoking after his father's death. However, she had taken the diagnosis as an incentive to stop her unhealthy habit. She did not succumb to despair and had fought with every bit of her strength to protect her son from bearing responsibilities that did not suit his young age. She even managed to slightly recover from the disease to the point that two years later, she could safely try and remove the deadly cells by surgery. The operation was a success. While they couldn't cut out all the rebellious tissues, they took out the most advanced parts and the few remaining ones became dormant.

Until yet another year...

When he was fifteen, his mother's disease came back with a vengeance, and they quickly grew out of any affordable treatments for middle-class citizens.

She eventually passed on when he was sixteen. After the burial, he asked his aunt and godmother to stay independent. While reluctant at first, she understood that he was two years from adulthood and very capable to take care of himself. She agreed that he could stay at his current house, with the express condition that he would call her every day and that they would meet every weekend to keep in touch.

Two months ago, he turned eighteen and became officially independent. He still kept in touch with his aunt though and she still made sure he didn't lack of anything.

After a few seconds of this recollection, Riley sat down on the couch of his living room. He tried to gather his thoughts and decide what to do now. As he just learned that magic exists, now he wanted to explore and practice what this new world had to give. His main problem was that he couldn't just rush blindly without knowing what was ahead of him. He needed some kind of a guide, like a database in order to understand what he could encounter.

Eleanor's ability to answer any question once asked could be useful in that matter, but he was determined to not compel her to join him on his quest. He had thought about it at Eleanor's place and during his walk back. The answer laid in something he was used to by now: a book, more precisely a Guidebook.

However, he didn't want a book that could explain everything right away. The idea had come to his mind when thinking of an old video game he used to play, where a little dragon traveled through different worlds and his guidebook could only give information on one of those worlds when discovered. He wanted a similar thing here, he would first have to encounter the magical topic he needed information about before having its knowledge stored.

This was a safety measure to make sure he wouldn't stay shut-in and pass his time reading again.

Having made his decision, he walked toward one of his bookshelves. There he spotted a large, hardcover book that featured the story of a random fiction he had read several times. While not the best read of his life, it was still decent, but he thought that this book looked the closest to how he pictured his Guidebook.

He closed his eyes and focused on what he wanted from this book. "I wish this book would store any knowledge about magic as I encounter them." He felt grateful that he didn't need to be too precise with the words since his intentions mattered more.

As he opened his eyes, he saw that the original red cover had turned brown. All titles, pictures, or any text had been replaced by a large 'Guidebook' title at the center of the cover. As he skimmed through the pages he noticed that it was empty for now, as he expected, except for the first page that acted as a kind of a preface about magic. Since he already discovered that magic existed, he wasn't surprised to have a page that gathered general information about magic. It read:

Preface

If you skim through this book, it means that you learned recently that magic existed. This page will gather what you need to know as an introduction to magic in general.

Let's start with a clear definition of what magic is. While the term had been used with several different meanings throughout history, the most precise way to describe it would be: Any actions performed with the use of the natural energy that flows from every being's very soul. While having different names, the most reckoned for this energy is mana.

Although, some species are tied to using this energy in a specific way (djinns for example), most (like humans) can channel and model it to fit their needs. This led to the existence of different categories of magic, each tied to a way to expel the mana stored inside the body.

The first step to handling magic is to learn to identify mana. In order to feel the mana flowing through your organism, you must remain perfectly still for an extended period of time. By repeating the process several days in a row, you should be able to correctly identify the flow of the mana inside your body. You will know you have achieved your training when you will manage to feel your mana even when in motion.

By that time you will be ready to channel your mana in order to generate magic. The way you use it will determine which magic category you belong to, although one mage can wield different magic types.

After this introduction, it's up to you to discover what are these magic types, and how to channel your mana to use them. Be aware, as a final warning, that mana incarnates the very essence of your soul, and the more you use it, the more drained you will become, which can further lead to your ultimate demise. That is the price to pay for every mage.

Well then, good luck and have fun!

After reading this, Riley's mind was set. His main objective would be to discover all magic types and learn to wield them all, one by one. Riley then closed the book and put it aside.

He tried to assimilate what he just read when a foul smell caught his nose. Investigating closer he realized that his fight with Bradley was not without a sweat. Not so incredible since he nearly died back then.

Deciding he deserved some rest & relaxation time, he went to fill his bathroom's tub. When he had the water at the right level and temperature he closed the faucet and sink into the warm calming liquid. 'Hey, maybe a nymph will appear in the tub' he joked to himself now that he knew magical creatures existed (yes, he'd read erotic books too).

While relaxed he let his mind wander over the events of the night. In less than an hour, he beat the crap out of Bradley, nearly died, discovered that Eleanor was a genie (and furthermore his now), and more than once he surprised himself at feeling attracted to her.

If he wanted to be honest with himself, he had felt an attraction toward Eleanor the first time he saw her. After all, she was one of the most beautiful girls in the school, with average size, blonde hair, slightly tanned skin, and electric blue eyes (well gold now, but still quite hypnotic). He quickly brushed those aside though. Given her haughty, proud behavior, and groups of acquaintances at the time, he figured (and was right back then) that she wasn't interested. He knew better than to obsess over a woman he didn't even know.

Tonight, though, he felt a change in her behavior. Was it because of the discovery of her nature? Maybe it put her away from all those silly high school things about 'nerds' and 'cools'. Or was it because of their earlier argument? Maybe she just didn't realize how lonely he felt for being constantly pushed away (although he himself pretended he didn't care). Hell, maybe it was just her magic that compelled her to be nice to her master and she was just as proud and haughty as before, on the inside. 'Riley, no matter how many books you read, you still have a long way to go to understand women,' he rightfully thought to himself.

No matter how he looked at it, there wasn't any possible denial. He was feeling attracted to her again. Only this time, it was not just physical: she managed to arouse his curiosity. Maybe there was more to her than he originally thought. Sadly, he wouldn't have much time to learn more about her, since he would be starting his training by tomorrow at his earliest convenience. 'Yep, no more high school for you, now. You have many greater and more exciting subjects to learn from now on.'

When he noticed that the water had started to corrode the tip of his fingers, he drained the tub, cleaned himself with soap, and quickly rinse himself to get a well-deserved relaxing night of sleep. He wanted to be all fired up for the start of his training tomorrow morning.

With that thought in mind, he collapsed on his bed, closed his eyes and the quick exhaustion of the evening dragged him to sleep. In his last moment of awareness, he was sure he saw an eerie shadowy figure in a dark corner of his room, but he would have no memory of it when he would wake up in the morning.

"So, who is it?" Daryl asked

Shit, she really didn't want to have this conversation right now.

"I'm going to be late for school," Eleanor said.

When she awoke Sunday morning, she went to the bathroom to splash her face and wash the exhaustion from the previous night. When she looked up in the mirror, she immediately noticed her new golden irises. And she knew that her dad would notice too. She absolutely wanted to avoid an awkward conversation if he ever knew what it meant.

She successfully managed to avoid him by spending the day out. She didn't return until she was sure he was asleep, letting him know by her phone that she would only come home very late.

She again avoid him successfully this morning until this moment, when she was about to go through the door. She knew that she couldn't avoid this conversation forever, but she tried to stall anyway.

"Who is what?" She said trying to deflect the conversation.

"Come on, Eleanor. I was married to a genie. I know what your eyes' color means. So who has your vessel?"

Eleanor thought about her answer and decided to be honest. "One of my birthday guests. His name is Riley. He kind of got involved in this by accident."

"Does he treat you right? 'Cause if he doesn't, I'll kick his ass until he gives that necklace back, magic or no magic."

"No!" Eleanor went to her father and held his shoulders reassuringly. She understood that as a father, he had to give his best to protect her. Especially from someone who has magical means to compel her to his own will. In this case, though, her dad really didn't need all the concern. "You don't have to worry about him. He's nice, even too nice to be real: he gave me my freedom."

"What!? He did? How? He still has the necklace."

"Simple," she answered with a smile. "He just 'ordered' me to be free. I can even use my power as I see fit."

"That's impressive. And most unusual," he answered dumbfounded. "Well, if anything goes sideways with him, you let me know."

"Of course, dad. But I assure you, he's sweet and respectful, he didn't try to cross any boundaries."

Her father chuckled. "You make it sound like you talk about your boyfriend."

Eleanor gave him a playful swap on the shoulder. "Hey, don't get any idea. We're nowhere near that yet."

He raised his eyebrow. "Yet?"

Eleanor blushed severely. "Come on, enough with the teasing. You know what I meant..."

"Of course, I understand what you meant. I'm just kidding around," he reassured. "Now you go before you get really late for school."

Eleanor hugged her father and went toward the door. She stops at just a few steps and turns around. "Wait! So you knew about mom?"

"We don't have time for this discussion before the beginning of your classes. I promise we'll talk about this tonight if you want. It's time I stop holding back what I know of the truth."

Eleanor simply nodded with a slight smile. "Tonight, then." With that, she went through the door, waving at her father. "See you later, dad."

Eleanor stood in front of the school's main entrance. She felt like it's been a lifetime since she went here last, while she actually was at the same school the previous week. Now that she knew her true nature she felt like this school was a totally different dimension. She no longer felt comfortable with the idea of living an ordinary human life. Not that she felt above us, rather she felt too different. As if she would never quite fit in.

'Is that the feeling we put Riley through?' she wondered for herself. While she pretended to party with some friends yesterday, she instead went to get some fresh air and gather her thought. Since her magic couldn't help her understand her feelings, she had to do the job herself.

She was sure of... things: One, she felt sorry for the way she treated Riley; Two, she admired his determined personality; Three, she felt comfortable hanging around and discussing with him; Four, it was obvious she felt attracted to him, but will never know if this feeling was her own or just due to her magic; Five, she was curious too about magic and would like to follow Riley on his quest, but she first wanted to bring proper closure to the human part of her life.

Getting out of her own mind's maze she crossed the entrance and proceed to the beginning of the end of her life as a human.

Eleanor entered the dining hall with her plate in her hands. She quickly glanced at the usual table she usually sat at. Mike and some other boys and girls from Bradley's band were talking and laughing hard, although the latter wasn't present.

With a proud smile, she went past the table without making eye contact with any of them, although she knew they were sending unbelieving glares to each other. She never had so obviously ignored them before, but she made her decision.

While she still struggled to determine if her attraction toward Riley was sincere, she sure hated the way the band (and herself) treated him and some other fellow classmates. So she would no longer passively approve of their behavior. Besides, she wanted to feel some of the social freedom Riley was experiencing before. While it must have been lonely and painful sometimes, freedom was always priceless. If only she had realized that sooner.

She sat at one of the tables at the corners of the room, with a good overview of the dining hall. She loved being lost in thoughts while passively observing her surroundings.

After around a full minute, Bradley walked into the room and made his way to the usual table. He was surprised to witness the rejection of those he once called his friends. They were blatantly making fun of him for getting his ass beaten by the school nerd. It strangely bothered Eleanor that instead of admitting Riley's strength, they were just assuming Bradley was a weakling.

At first, she thought she saw anger tear through Bradley's face as he usually felt in most circumstances, but it was quickly washed away after a few seconds. Riley's second wish was dreadfully efficient: It seemed Bradley would never go out of his mind over an anger attack again.

He shot a hopeful glance at Eleanor. She quickly looked away, silently hoping that he would go his own way. Unfortunately, he didn't (or didn't want to) take the hint as he sat down at her table.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Eleanor glanced coldly at him. "About Saturday night."

"It's too late for apologies! Riley would be dead now if it weren't for..." She stopped, not wanting to have this conversation with him. "Forget it."

"It was magic, wasn't it? It's so unbelievable, but it's the only explanation I could think of."

"I don't owe you any explanation," she simply stated. "The thing is you nearly killed him because of this shitty misplaced anger you always had."

Bradley sighed deeply. "You like him, don't you?" He stated more than asked.

"I don't recall when this was any of your business?" She simply avoided.

"I was jealous, you know?" Bradley detailed. "Riley made me jealous. Each time he read those books I felt like he was trying to rub all his sacred knowledge in my face."