“The practical application of transportation magic varies depending on the individual,” the tome read.

  I had been flicking back and forth through the tome’s pages excitedly, but now, my focus lingered on every word.

  To think that a magical manual was actually here all along! Very crafty, Mother!

  I wondered whether the plum wine and the tome were somehow connected. Whatever the reason, though, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

  I continued to read the instructions inscribed on the page.

  “In the case of Vampires, transportation is simple. One must first draw a drop of their own blood and smear it on one palm. Whilst envisioning the place in their mind’s eye, the individual will shout, ‘Take me there!’”

  It all sounded so simple. Simple enough to make me chuckle aloud.

  So this whole time, this was all I needed to do?! That’s great! Gosh, I can use this any time!

  I continued reading, my hands now firmly planted on either side of the ancient book. I brought my face closer to the page as I leaned over the desk.

  “Upon saying the words ‘Take me there!’, the spell is complete, and the individual will materialise in their destination. In the case that the spell doesn’t work, nothing will happen.”

  The corners of my lips turned upwards, and my heart pounded. Being half vampire, it seemed like I would really be able to do it!

  “As for Succubi,”

  I felt my eyes widen, and my heart rate increase further.

  This is it! My way out of Hell!

  “As for Succubi, the process is not as simple. Though similar to vampires in nature, succubi contain less mana in their blood.”

  “...”

  “Therefore, for a Succubus to use transportation magic, they must receive the blessing of the Goddess Lilith, or a higher demon by means of mana injection into their mind’s eye.

  “Mana injection?” I muttered, as my heart began to sink.

  “Mana injection rituals are simple. By physically coming into contact with the mana of an individual with more potent mana, mana is shared. This is the only way to raise the potency of mana to allow transportation.”

  As my shoulders slouched and I looked away from the page, a memory flashed across my mind. My chest my racing, sinking heart began to ache.

  It was the morning of the pottery class. As I’d excitedly run through the courtyard and out the front gate, my mother had called after me.

  “Luna! Luna, darling!”

  “What?! I’m going to be late, Mother!” I yelled back.

  “Come back! Hurry! I forgot to give you something!”

  I sprinted back towards the front door which she propped open.

  “Come here,” she said again, this time in a softer tone. “Do your best today. This is a little good luck for you.”

  I stepped closer to her, as my mother briefly cradled my face.

  “Ugh, Mother. What are you doing?” I complained.

  She leaned down and planted a small kiss on my forehead, whispering some gibberish before pulling away.

  “Alright. Run along! Have a great day! And remember—do your best!”

  That was the last time that I remembered her being affectionate.

  ‘And now, I’m done.’ I thought to myself, staring down at the book, my hands on my head.

  There’s no way that I’ll be able to use this method.

  All roads seemed to point towards the same inevitable conclusion: I was to be confined to Hell forever.

  I don’t want to read anymore. It’ll never matter anyway.

  But my body didn’t listen. My eyes continued to wander across the page.

  “Once their base mana has been raised, succubi need only physically interact with the life force of an individual and chant: ‘Take me to ___’ followed by the desired individual’s name.

  It must be noted that the object of travel is different for vampires and succubi. Vampires may travel to any place within the three realms: Heaven, Earth and Hell (provided they can envision that place), whilst succubi may only travel to individuals.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  I scoffed under my breath and rolled my eyes to the back of my head. The backrest of the chair now felt stiff, and my whole body had begun to ache.

  So basically, I’m done for. There’s no way I can get any mana injection or whatever, and being a half-breed, my blood isn’t nearly as potent. Great!

  As I sat sulking with my arms lifelessly draped over the dragonbone arm rests and staring across the room, a passing thought reinvigorated me from within.

  But wait. This book is just talking about any ‘normal’ succubus, though, right? What about me? Would my succubus blood be potent enough to not need a mana injection?

  In fact, maybe that’s what Mother gave me back then! That kiss on the head! I don’t know why, but was that a mana injection? It might not have worked then, but maybe it will now?

  It was an intriguing thought, indeed. For my entire life, I’d felt indescribably useless. But perhaps there was hope for me yet. I was neither a normal succubus or vampire.

  I hate to admit it, but maybe being a half-breed could help here?

  My eyes narrowed as I poured over the passage one more time, and convinced myself to give it a shot.

  “Okay!”

  I rose up from the chair, and standing between the chair and the desk, clamped my eyes shut.

  Let’s try the vampire method first. It’s okay if it doesn’t work. I’ve got two options!

  My hands trembled as I raised my thumb to the tip of my small, retracted fang. I took a deep breath before eventually biting down.

  Ouch!

  I held out my right palm, and smeared the blood into it. More had come out than I expected, so I took it as a good sign.

  Alright. Let’s do this!

  “T-Take me there. The human realm.” I muttered under my breath.

  …

  I waited a few seconds, and opened my eyes. Would I suddenly just have appeared? No whoosh sound effect or anything?

  I looked down.

  Same dusty old book, same room I was in moments earlier.

  Really? Nothing? Okay. Let’s try again. Stay calm, Luna. Just try again. Maybe I have to chant it a bit louder?

  Clenching my hands and eyes tightly, I tried once again, this time putting more power into my voice.

  “Take me there! The human realm!”

  While I chanted the words, I envisioned the photos of the Eiffel Tower that Father had taken that time he brought home the apples.

  How amazing would it be to open my eyes and be right under it!

  I kept my eyes tightly shut, hoping that any moment I’d hear the chatter of picnicking couples and the smell of fresh bread.

  ‘I’m standing right in front of the tower. I’m standing right in front of the tower. It’s… right there. I’m seeing it!’ I repeated to myself in hope of reality cooperating.

  But in the end, it didn’t. The distant hum of my parent’s voices in the other room persisted.

  Well… Damn.

  If vampires are more powerful than succubi and I can’t use that method, it’s useless. This is hopeless.

  Whilst I’d convinced myself that this had a chance of working, the truth was I’d resigned myself to failure the moment I heard I needed my mother's blessing.

  I’d never be able to measure up to my father, let alone my mother.

  ‘Rejection’ was the word-of-the-day – although even that felt like too much of an understatement.

  The nerves began to set up camp in my chest cavity, and my body felt weak. I’d come this far, but for nothing.

  What was I even thinking? I didn’t know the first thing about the human realm, and it’s not like I’d fit in there either.

  I’m a devil, after all! A useless, half-breed devil that possesses no magic.

  I looked over towards the bone-white quill that sat in a full, black energy inkpot next to the Gremory Tome.

  ‘Grey.’ I thought. ‘Just like me.’

  Half of two good things don’t make the resulting thing beautiful at all.

  When you mix white and black, all you get is an ugly grey: a ‘shade’ without the depth of the darkness, nor the brightness of the light.

  That’s me. Luna Grey-mory.

  …

  I just wish I could’ve met someone that understood me. At least just once. But I guess even destiny is saying that was too much to wish for.

  I checked my surroundings once more, making sure that everything was in order. The tome was open on the list of names as I’d found it, and the key hidden back inside the pot.

  Alright. Let’s just go.

  I moved out from behind the desk, and towards the door with my head sunk. I didn’t care if I got caught anymore.

  I was already a prisoner, anyway. What else could they do?

  An audible sigh escaped my mouth as I turned the lamp sitting on the corner of the desk off.

  I began to approach the door in darkness, but a mysterious purple glow cast my shadow on the wall.

  “What the?”

  I turned around.

  The Tome was still open, as it had been, but the names written inside emanated a subtle, violet glow.

  I didn’t know that energy ink could glow in the dark, but it was beautiful.

  Wow. I’ve never seen this happen before.

  I made my way back to the desk, as if almost hypnotised by the glow myself. It called to me. One name in particular, that is: “Souta Tsukigawa”.

  As I stood at the edge of the desk and gazed over the glowing names, Souta’s seemed bigger. Bolder. Like it beckoned me, somehow.

  I wonder what that man would be like…? And where does he live? Is it Tokyo? Kyoto? I heard Tokyo has a tower that looks just like the one in Paris…

  As my thoughts trailed and I fantasised on the possibilities of travelling to Japan, I mindlessly traced my fingertips over Souta’s glowing name on the page.

  As I did, the purple glow slowly faded and seemingly dissipated into my skin.

  It was then that I felt it.

  As if it had arrested my heart, I felt the essence of the man named Souta dance with mine, as I pictured a room in my head.

  The image in my mind was dark – like I was looking into a dimly lit room, but I could feel him. I could see his silhouette lying down.

  I could feel his heart beating, albeit out of sync with my own. My body began to burn with excitement, and with the thought of meeting my first human, before I knew it, I was trying transportation magic one last time.

  How I wish I knew what you were like, Souta Tsukigawa. Are you the son of an apothecary, and do you only talk about herbs all day? Or are you a normal human?

  Humans sure have it lucky.

  Without any further thought, I recited the words of the Tome verbatim.

  “Take me to… Souta Tsukigawa.” I said under my breath, my eyes half shut.

  Then, in an instant, a blinding red light – the colour of Gremory erupted from the floor, reaching from my feet and over my head, consuming me completely.

  It felt as if I’d been pushed to the ground once more, but this was not the case. To my horror, the light had somehow pulled me down through the floor and into what I could only describe as another dimension.

  I travelled through it only for a few seconds, and though I shut my eyes in fear, by the time I opened them, I was there.

  In the dark room that I had envisioned in my mind just moments earlier. The room of Souta Tsukigawa – in the human realm.