I came to in a small, stuffy room, a dim lantern hanging from a moldy ceiling, swinging slowly. The lantern was rusty and of simple make, yet there was no denying that its light came from a wellspring of a supernatural nature - for one, though it hung high above the room, no visible hooks or latches could be seen attaching it to the ceiling's surface. It simply hovered, swirling with the faintest tinctures of arcane energy.
As the lantern's glow pooled into the shadows, the room's contents gradually came into view. I was lying on a bed in the corner, and the only other item of furniture present seemed to be a desk set, an old oaken table with a set of drawers to complement it, and a similarly stocky chair upon which was sat a figure clad in purple silk robes that never seemed to remain still, fluttering with the aetheric wind that lent its owner the power she commanded as keeper of the realm's deepest, darkest secrets.
She heard my return to consciousness, and turned, giving me the same smile she always wore when looking after her many guests. She had been writing a book - the pen in her hand and the scattered papers on the desk were good indication of that - and, considering that many of the library's selections had been penned by the librarian herself, that didn't surprise me in the least.
I quickly sat up, but Patchouli put up a hand to stay me. "Make sure you are feeling fully rested before you stand - the nauseatic effects of the magic you were exposed to may still linger."
"Magic?" I struggled to recollect what had happened. There was a book, leather-bound, yellowing, and full of what seemed to be the most random gibberish I'd ever laid eyes upon. And then...
"It was meant to give you nothing but a small shock, but I never expected the tome to hold so much power after so long." She bit her lower lip in thought. "And I never expected your adjustment to magic to be so... violent."
"I am a non-magical being, yes." I rubbed my head, and felt a hard lump, freshly materialized, at the back.
"Not anymore." Patchouli herself stood, and came over to me. Placing a finger on my temple, she murmured something under her breath, and then stepped back. "That tome was a guide to basic Youkai magic. Demon magic. The fact that you blacked out means that you found the soul of the book, and in it you unlocked your own potential, one that is latent in the vast majority of humans." She paused. "The fact that you are here at the mansion must mean that you have at least met one of this world's few exceptions to that rule."
I nodded. How could one forget an encounter with such an exceptional, if remarkably temperate and calculating, individual? "Miss Izayoi hosted me on my arrival, yes."
"I'm not saying that you'll be able to stop time or summon knives in times of need, like she does at the flick of a wrist. That comes from nothing but years upon years of home-brewed skill and talent. But perhaps you'll be able to do something you've never done before. That remains to be seen, of course, and if you stay here, maybe I could help you find out what it is your new powers will allow to happen."
It was obvious she was curious as to what the tome had done for me, or to me. And so was I.
"Sorry, Miss Knowledge. But I have a greater mission that I must attend to first, one that takes precedence over such a matter, and one that will involve incredible lengths of discovery, far more than what I have found here. I may have to depart soon, assuming I haven't slept for too long."
"Only a couple of hours." Patchouli seemed slightly disappointed. "Though I can't possibly see what could be more important than discovering what lies within yourself, rather than the outside world. Gensokyo is only as big as you want it to be - the human mind, however, is endless."
I smiled. "Thank you for your patronage, Miss Knowledge. But to me, Gensokyo is as limitless as any mind."
And following a few more exchanging of words and courtesies, I was ushered out of the great doors of the library, and, after making my way past the mansion gates, took my first steps into fresh air, and into Gensokyo proper.
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