Book of Sealing? Horcrux?

As the saying went, man proposed, but heaven disposed.

They did not even wait until the next day. That very afternoon, Adam's maternal grandparents had to return because of an unexpected incident across the ocean.

"Sweetheart, take this. Be careful at school."

Before leaving, his grandmother took out a jade pendant and put it on Adam.

"And this..."

His grandfather took out a thread-bound book and handed it to Adam.

"This was the book you picked during your first-birthday grab. I found it for you. Since you have talent for cultivation, perhaps this book passed down through our ancestors is no ordinary thing either. It might be able to help you."

After hurriedly giving a few instructions, the two elders left. Adam had no idea whether they used Apparition back in China.

"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~"

As soon as midnight passed, the family gathered around a huge cake piled high with fruit and cream, singing the birthday song. Under Grandpa's Transfiguration Charm, the little blobs of cream atop the cake clapped and danced along.

Adam closed his eyes amid the singing and made a wish:

Three Pure Ones, Jade Emperor, Western Guide, Jesus Christ, Allah... Merlin, bless me—

I don't know which one of you let me live a second life, but surely you didn't throw me here just so I could die young for a second time, right?

I don't ask for any cheat powers or anything. Just let me live safely and steadily. Please, please!

"Phew—"

Opening his eyes, Adam blew out every candle in one breath, his heart full of hope for survival.

"All right, go to bed early. Tomorrow... no, today, we're going to Diagon Alley."

Grandpa gave a mysterious smile.

"You'll like it there."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Though Adam knew what Diagon Alley had to offer, he would have been lying if he claimed not to be curious about it and the wizarding world. He nodded eagerly, went upstairs, and returned to his room.

"Phew... It really feels like a dream."

Only after returning to his room did Adam realize just how much had happened that day.

He had received a letter from Hogwarts and learned that his grandfather, grandmother, maternal grandfather, and maternal grandmother were all wizards... Well, his maternal grandparents were probably Taoists or something. They had not explained in detail.

Having maintained a state of excitement all day, Adam only felt the exhaustion hit him once he relaxed.

He lay down on the bed. Though tired, he was not sleepy yet, so he casually reached for the book beside him—the one he had supposedly grabbed during his first-birthday grab—to take a look.

"Hiss—"

The moment his fingers touched the book, his vision was flooded with dazzling white light. He hurriedly closed his eyes and rubbed them with his hands.

The stimulation brought a few physiological tears to his eyes, but they did not seem seriously injured, and there was no stinging pain when he rubbed them. Only then did Adam breathe a sigh of relief. Going blind would have been a disaster.

"You... are you the contractor?"

The sudden voice made Adam's body stiffen. He quickly opened his eyes. The white light had vanished, and there was no one in front of him.

"Who?"

"I'm here."

Adam swept his gaze around the room, fell silent for a moment, then muttered to himself:

"Is someone talking?"

"Over here! To your left! Left... down there! Look down! Yes, right there!"

As Adam placed the book from the bedside table onto the blanket, the voice, which had become slightly frantic, recovered its earlier deliberately solemn tone:

"Ahem, let's do that again—you... are you the contractor?"

Adam's expression turned rather strange as he looked at the book before him, whose appearance had changed drastically from the thread-bound book it had been.

He seemed to have seen this book somewhere before.

If he remembered correctly... that anime was called Cardcaptor Sakura? Of course, he was more familiar with Cardcaptors. Back in that childhood when he watched whatever happened to be on TV, that show had left quite a deep impression on Adam.

If that was the case, then could that voice just now have been...

"Um, what contract are you talking about?"

"I am the spirit of the greatest magical artifact in the world—the Book of Sealing! Form a contract with me, and I can make you a powerful magician!"

It really was the Book of Sealing!

"Then what is the price?"

Adam lowered his voice and played along.

"Once I regain my body, you must offer me at least three sweet meals a day, brush my fur for an hour, play with me for an hour... Ah!"

It sounded like someone had been hit?

"Don't be stupid! You're ruining my image with that nonsense!"

Another voice rang out, equally youthful and energetic. A flicker of confusion crossed Adam's eyes.

The first voice should have been Kero's, but the second did not sound like Yue's. Then again, why would the Book of Sealing from Cardcaptor Sakura appear in the world of Harry Potter...

"Ahem, apologies. That was somewhat improper."

The second voice interrupted Adam's thoughts. However, its serious tone was not all that different from Kero's earlier attempt at sounding solemn.

"Allow me to introduce us again. I am Spinel Sun, and that fellow just now is Cerberus. We are the Sealed Beasts who guard the Book of Sealing and the Clow Cards within it."

So it was Spinel Sun... But wasn't Spinel Sun, like Cerberus, associated with the sun and Western magic? Had he changed jobs now?

"Hello? Hello! Are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I was so shocked that I got distracted."

Adam came back to himself and looked at the Book of Sealing in his hands.

"So you're inside this book right now, and I need to open it for you to come out?"

"We are indeed inside the Book of Sealing, but you cannot open it yet. You must first form a contract. Otherwise, the power within the Book of Sealing will not acknowledge you as its master."

It would not acknowledge me as its master... That meant the Clow Cards inside would fly away one by one, right?

"What are the terms of the contract, and how do I form it?"

"The terms are..."

Spinel Sun explained the contract terms one by one. In simple terms, all the power within the Book of Sealing would be at Adam's disposal. In return, Adam needed to provide the magical power required to sustain the Sealed Beasts and the Clow Cards, and he could not mistreat either the Clow Cards or the Sealed Beasts.

Without Adam needing to ask, Spinel Sun proactively explained the origins of the Clow Cards. It was much the same as Adam remembered: magical artifacts created by the great magician Clow Reed through the fusion of Eastern and Western magic.

"I see."

Adam nodded, wrapped the Book of Sealing in the blanket and set it aside, then got up to leave the room.

"Wait! Where are you going?!"

"To ask Grandpa and Grandma about this."

Adam looked back at the Book of Sealing.

"I need to rule out the possibility that you're illusions created by this book to tempt me into forming a contract, or soul fragments attached to this book, with the goal of making me sign a contract and offer up my life force or soul or something."

Good thing he was cautious. Ever since the Book of Sealing had revealed its true form, he had not touched it directly. Even when placing it on the blanket, he had used his sleeve as a barrier.

"Why would you think that? Wait a moment, they can't see us! Only those with genuine magical talent can see the Book of Sealing's true form!"

"Ever since Clow Reed placed us on that bookshelf, no one has ever discovered the Book of Sealing's uniqueness. Because of our agreement with Clow Reed, we could not reveal ourselves and seek someone to form a contract with us."

"All these years, you are the only person who has discovered the Book of Sealing's true form. If you don't form a contract with us, once our remaining magic is used up, we'll fall into slumber. Then who knows when we'll wake up again? Sob sob sob—"

As he spoke, Spinel Sun's voice began to cry.

"So that's how it is."

Adam nodded... then decisively turned and headed downstairs.

"Grandpa— Grandma—"