Book of Seals? Horcrux?

As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes.

Adam's maternal grandparents had to return across the ocean that very afternoon due to some unforeseen events.

"My dear boy, take this with you and be careful at school."

Before leaving, his grandmother placed a jade pendant around Adam's neck.

"And this..."

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

"This is the book you grabbed during your first birthday celebration. I found it for you. Since you have a talent for cultivation, this book passed down from our ancestors might not be ordinary. It might be able to help you."

After a few brief instructions, the two elders left in a hurry. Adam wondered if they used Apparition to get back to China.

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

As soon as midnight struck, the family gathered around a large cake piled high with fruit and cream to sing "Happy Birthday." The cream dollops on the cake clapped and danced, thanks to Grandpa's Transfiguration Charm.

Adam closed his eyes and made a wish as they sang:

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

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

I'm not asking for any golden fingers or anything. Just let me live a peaceful life. Please, please!

"Whoosh—"

Opening his eyes, Adam blew out all the candles in one breath, filled with hope for survival.

"Alright, go to bed early. Tomorrow... or rather, today, we're going to Diagon Alley."

Grandpa smiled mysteriously.

"You'll like it there."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Even though he knew what Diagon Alley was like, it wasn't a lie to say that Adam wasn't curious about it and the magical world. So, he nodded expectantly and went upstairs to his room.

"Whew... it's like a dream."

Back in his room, Adam realized how much had happened that day.

Receiving the letter from Hogwarts, learning that his grandparents and maternal grandparents were wizards... well, his maternal grandparents might be Taoists or something; they didn't explain it in detail.

He had been in a state of excitement all day, and now that he relaxed, Adam felt a wave of exhaustion.

Lying in bed, tired but not yet sleepy, Adam reached out to open the book he supposedly grabbed during his first birthday celebration.

"Hiss—"

The moment his fingers touched the book, Adam's vision was filled with dazzling white light. He quickly closed his eyes and rubbed them.

His eyes teared up a bit from the stimulation, but they didn't seem to be seriously damaged; there was no stinging sensation when he rubbed them. Adam breathed a sigh of relief. It would be terrible if he went blind.

"You, are you the Contractor?"

The sudden voice made Adam freeze. He quickly opened his eyes, but the white light was gone, and there was no one in front of him.

"Who's there?"

"I'm here."

Scanning the room with his eyes, Adam paused for a moment and said in a self-deprecating tone:

"Is someone talking?"

"Here! To your left! Left... below! Look down! Yes, that's it!"

As Adam placed the book from the bedside table onto the blanket, the slightly glitchy voice regained its earlier serious tone:

"Ahem, let's try that again—You, are you the Contractor?"

Looking at the book in front of him, which had undergone a drastic transformation from the thread-bound book it once was, Adam's expression was subtle.

He seemed to have seen this book somewhere before.

If he remembered correctly... wasn't that anime called Cardcaptor Sakura? Of course, he was more familiar with Cardcaptors. In that childhood where he watched whatever was on TV, this anime had left quite an impression on Adam.

If that was the case, then the voice from earlier was probably...

"Um, what kind of contract are you talking about?"

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

So, it really was the Book of Sealing!

"Then, what's the price?"

Adam lowered his voice and cooperated.

"Once I regain my body, you must provide me with at least three meals of sweets a day, groom me for an hour, and play with me for an hour... Ah!"

It sounded like he got hit?

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

Another voice, equally young and energetic, rang out, and a hint of confusion flashed in Adam's eyes.

The previous voice should have been Kero, but the second voice didn't sound like Yue. Come to think of it, why would the Book of Sealing from Cardcaptor Sakura appear in the world of Harry Potter...

"Ahem, apologies, that was a bit rude of me."

The second voice interrupted Adam's thoughts, but its tone when serious wasn't much different from Kero's feigned seriousness just now.

"Let me reintroduce myself. I am Spinel Sun, and that fellow just now was Cerberus. We are the guardians of the Book of Sealing and the Clow Cards within it."

So it's Spinel Sun... But aren't Spinel Sun and Cerberus both symbols of the sun and Western magic? Did he change jobs?

"Hey? Hey! Are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was a bit shocked and spaced out for a moment."

Adam snapped back to reality and looked at the Book of Sealing in his hand:

"So, you're both inside this book and need me to open it to come out?"

"We are indeed in the Book of Sealing, but you cannot open it yet. You must first sign a contract, or the power within the Book of Sealing will not recognize you as its master."

Won't recognize me as its master... Meaning the Clow Cards inside will fly away one by one, right?

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

"The terms of the contract are..."

Spinel Sun explained the terms of the contract in detail. Simply put, all the power in the Book of Sealing would be at Adam's disposal, and Adam would need to provide the magical power needed to sustain the Seal Beasts and the Clow Cards, and must not mistreat the Clow Cards and the Seal Beasts.

Without Adam needing to ask, Spinel Sun took the initiative to explain the origins of the Clow Cards, which were similar to what Adam remembered: magical tools created by the great magician Clow Reed by combining Eastern and Western magic.

"I see."

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

"Wait! Where are you going?!"

"To ask my grandparents about it."

Adam looked back at the Book of Sealing, "I need to rule out the possibility that you are all just a facade created by this book to tempt me into signing a contract, or that you are soul fragments on this book, with the goal of getting me to sign a contract and offer my life force or soul or something."

It was a good thing he was cautious. He hadn't directly touched it since the Book of Sealing revealed its true form, and he had been using his sleeves as a barrier when placing it on the blanket.

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

"Ever since Clow Reed put us on that bookshelf, no one has ever noticed the special nature of the Book of Sealing, and we couldn't actively appear and find someone to sign a contract because of our agreement with Clow Reed."

"For so many years, you are the only one who has discovered the true form of the Book of Sealing. If you don't sign a contract with us, we will fall into a slumber after our last bit of magic is used up, and then we don't know when we will wake up again, waaaah—"

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

"I see."

Adam nodded... and decisively turned around and went downstairs.

"Grandpa—Grandma—"