Curious

The hurried scurrying of a light brown-haired man with various boxes bearing a striking pizza logo in their center could be heard. His heavy breathing was evident as he moved about in haste, finally reaching his destination. His vision was filled with a huge garage containing several trucks, while two visibly impatient individuals caught his attention. Their gaze quickly shifted to the newcomer, showing signs of annoyance but also a certain relief that he had arrived not too late.

"Infinn! We told you to bring the pizzas by 5:30 PM!"

"Isn't it that time now?"

"It's 5:50!"

"I arrived before 6, just before the pizzas were to be shipped to the various customers."

"That's not the point. We have only 10 minutes to give those pizzas to the delivery drivers!"

"Pff, it's only 35 boxes."

"You..."

Instead of continuing to argue with the impertinent young man, the man simply took the various boxes and handed them over to different drivers who seemed ready to take them to various locations where they were needed. Finally, the last few boxes were left for the one who had brought them. The man's gaze casually scanned the familiar place as he prepared to leave on his own motorcycle to make the deliveries. The place was a large and spacious garage, neatly housing various trucks in rows and arranging the motorcycles in a way that made it easy for the drivers to make a quick exit. Shelves that seemed endless at first sight contained various spare parts. The atmosphere was filled with a busy aura, with people coming and going and the sound of engines revving, giving the typical feeling of productivity that such a place evoked. In contrast, the calm young man stood out completely, seemingly questioning whether his life would be this dull routine. Contemplating this idea, he couldn't help but sigh, trying not to dwell on it too much. He raised his head to look ahead while finishing putting on his helmet with a sense of resignation in his movements. In front of him, the large steel door slowly retracted into itself, allowing the daylight to slowly seep in, creating the illusion that the process was eternal in the young man's eyes. Once the view of the city and the streets finally revealed itself, an unfamiliar excitement entered the giant garage, where everything felt so mechanical. Feeling the sweet breeze of a free sky was pleasant, prompting the man to leave as soon as possible to carry out his various orders with a monotonous feeling, similar to a player who has practiced a mission countless times and knows where it begins and ends.

"This is the last one."

Infinn found himself in front of an apartment door, with the number 85 gleaming on the polished steel surface. His face showed a certain fatigue, but he was accustomed to this feeling, indicating his experience as a delivery person. He always encountered some problem: picky or grumpy customers or people simply looking to play a prank. It was something he had to get used to in a job where the customer had complete control over his position. If there were complaints, it could lead to his dismissal. So, the way to deal with it was with apathy toward his surroundings. His hand reached the doorbell with a certain expectation, as it felt like minutes were passing instead of seconds—a feeling of impatience that often arises at the end of a goal. Unbeknownst to him, the daily routine of delivering pizzas had finally come to an end. Dealing with orders, customers, and other things had made him lose track of time, with only this last order to deliver before he could finally leave. He had to admit that the person who had placed the order was somewhat strange. They had asked for the pizza to be delivered with the box open.

It wasn't really a problem as it didn't damage the product, and it wasn't bothering Infinn much either. However, at first, he had questioned the reason behind such a peculiar request, only to be answered with "It's less work." The young man would think, somewhat annoyed not by the request itself, but by the customer's attitude. However, he couldn't argue much as he was already in trouble with his superiors for taking "small liberties" with his schedule. He had to admit that he had been slacking off. He had been in that job for about two years, and the endless routine had become suffocating. It felt as if he was drowning in a sea, a life without any changes that made him feel so disconnected from his surroundings, like a mere machine following pre-set orders. This had naturally affected his behavior at work, leading him to behave in a way that could easily result in his dismissal if someone wanted to get rid of him. His superiors had been considerate so far due to his two years of diligent work, but even he knew that it was limited.

"The pizza has finally arrived!"

A deep, booming voice would be heard with noticeable excitement. Rapid but heavy footsteps would be heard from the other side of the door. After a few short seconds, the door would swing open with eagerness as the man revealed himself. He had dark hair cascading down his head and back, and he appeared to be enormous. Not that the young man was small by any means, but in front of this wall of muscle, he seemed quite diminutive. The man exuded a sense of strength and power, with a prominent beard and an energetic smile upon realizing that his food had finally arrived. Infinn would notice the man's robust physique, emphasized by the tightness of his white shirt around his torso. Infinn couldn't help but think that this guy resembled a certain famous comic book superhero who was green and liked to smash things.

"As you requested, I delivered it open."

"Oh! Thank you very much, young man. The young ones these days don't have that kind of consideration. The previous delivery guy called me 'lazy' for making the same request!"

'Perhaps it's true...' Infinn would think, his comically raised eyebrow suggesting doubt about whether they were truly denied due to a lack of "consideration."

"Oh, right, here's your tip."

The man would mention, pulling out a small, shining crystal from his hand. Infinn would be genuinely confused by this, and even the man seemed surprised. The atmosphere would quickly become tense, creating an uncomfortable silence as if something had gone wrong. Infinn couldn't understand why he felt that way, but the man's momentary reaction in front of him evoked that emotion. With a quick and slightly forced cough to break the awkward silence caused by his small mistake, the robust man swiftly pocketed the crystal with a seemingly nonchalant attitude. It wasn't because it showed on his face or anything like that, but the man's previous energetic demeanor contrasted with his serious gaze, indicating that he did care, at least to some extent.

"My apologies, I grabbed the wrong pocket."

"No problem..."

'That was certainly strange.' Trying not to dwell on it too much, despite the entire situation being uncomfortable, Infinn would accept the tip somewhat slowly, tucking it into his pocket just as the man had handed it to him, without even checking the bills as he did with his previous customers. He wanted to leave the place as soon as possible, while the man took the pizza and regained some of his previous attitude, swiftly closing the door with an audible thud. It left Infinn wondering how the guy hadn't broken his door due to the force with which he slammed it shut. Faced with the image of the silent closed door, he would only take a brief inhale, followed by an exhale with the thought of 'Well, it's over now, don't dwell on it anymore.' He would leave again in the same mechanical way he had done in previous situations, but this time, as his shift at work was ending for the day, it generated a sense of urgency in the young man to return to his apartment. He left his work motorcycle in the designated area without much care, simply gathered his belongings, and started walking under the starry night sky. His gaze was so captivated by the star's brilliance as if he were contemplating a beautiful painting with a perfect contrast of colors. In the midst of this captivating scene, his thoughts, combined with the silence and the rest from work, began to give rise to the usual doubts that made his journey to the apartment more enjoyable.

Infinn had been living alone for some time. His parents had abandoned him, so his grandparents had taken care of raising him. When he finally found a job, he quickly applied for various minor positions in restaurants. He landed the job as a delivery driver at the pizzeria where he worked. Two years stuck in the same eternal monotony. His grandparents provided him with enough financial support to afford an apartment, something he was very grateful for. During his time with his grandparents, they mentioned his parents superficially, but he had heard much more about his great-grandfather, how he had been a great man who took excellent care of his son, Infinn's grandfather. His grandfather, a soldier of great stature, had been the topic of many conversations, and Infinn couldn't help but feel a certain admiration and curiosity to know more about him. For a while, he had searched for information about his great-grandfather but couldn't find anything. He couldn't even find records of anyone like him in the military. Given his grandparents' enthusiasm when talking about him, he doubted to some extent that they were lying to him. The only thing he remembered about his great-grandfather was a photo his grandparents had given him. In the photo, his great-grandfather had a resemblance to him but with more pronounced mature features. A slight beard protruded from his chin, and his hair was similar to Infinn's, only darker and longer. In summary, they shared a significant resemblance but with a few noticeable differences.

"He sure must have looked like an incredible man, my great-grandfather."

Finally, his steps came to a halt in front of the door to his apartment. He slightly relaxed his body from the upright position he had been maintaining all this time, as someone who understands that his work is done and can loosen up. Upon opening the door, the sight was simple—a small square room containing a bed and a computer, with only one additional space, the bathroom. It was a rather small apartment, but it was what he could afford with his pizza delivery job combined with the support from his grandparents. Without bothering too much to tidy up the apartment, with some glasses on the computer and some trash in one of the hidden corners, due to his desire to slack off, he simply changed into shorts and a white shirt with a careless appearance. Recently, he had been searching the internet for extraordinary things, all to escape his constant work monotony. Among those extraordinary topics of interest, stories of wizards and magicians were the most fascinating to him. A world where you could use incredible magic, where mystery abounded, gave Infinn a sense of connection. Those stories brought him happiness, awe, sadness, or nostalgia. It was a world so different from the square world he lived in. After some time, the man seemed quite satisfied with his daily dose of escapism. He wouldn't be long before returning to bed, but first, he would go and store the tips in the place he usually kept them—a hidden source of savings just under his bed. As he calmly took out the last tip from his work uniform pocket, a bright yellowish crystal fell among the bills, resembling a shiny gold coin, as an innocent accident. Infinn would remember it without a doubt since it looked very similar to the crystal the burly man had accidentally offered him. His moral side mentioned that he should return it the next morning, but his curious side became interested in knowing more about it. His hands moved like snakes to pick up the crystal, and his gaze focused on its strange shape, resembling a lightning bolt but not quite. He felt a strange sensation upon touching it, like touching something hot that soon transferred its heat to his hand. Not only that, but visions occurred in an instant, in a spectral way as if memories were implanted in his brain, causing a storm of confusion, fear, or panic in the young man who didn't understand what was happening. Within the light of his visions, he could see something he had only seen in dreams—a city and a group of people walking through it, people floating or manipulating basic elements in a supernatural way. It felt like being in a magical world, but it wasn't his own nor his memory. The sensation quickly became painful, as if his body couldn't bear to be in contact with the crystal any longer, similar to how your body starts to burn under intense heat exposure. Consequently, he would soon release it, his hand already sore. However, there was something that left the young man impressed. Through one of his veins, a strange light began to flow, gradually becoming fainter until it disappeared completely. The whole situation left the man without really knowing what to feel—curiosity, fear, panic, confusion, and excitement all swirled within him.

.

"What the hell is this?"

Before he could reply, loud knocks resonated forcefully on his door, as if someone was desperately trying to get someone's attention, but the knocks were heavy enough to feel like an attempt to break down the door. The atmosphere quickly became more intense, and the young man's anxiety grew due to the strange events involving the crystal that showed him visions of a world that defied all logic. His heart raced as his breathing became erratic. With silent steps, perhaps out of instinct, he found himself in front of the door, which seemed to be gradually giving way to the pounding, although it didn't seem like the intention was to knock it down. The man glanced hurriedly through the peephole to see who was on the other side. To his surprise, the robust figure of the man he had delivered the last pizza to appeared. Part of his anxiety subsided at the thought that it might not be a supernatural entity responsible for all this, but his concern returned when he realized that it didn't matter whether it was or not. The powerful body of that man made it difficult for him to defeat him if he intended to harm him. In his worry, he tried to think of the reason why this man was here. Did he notice the absence of that crystal? That didn't really matter as much. His confusion, panic, and insecurity about this man knowing exactly where he lived were greater. Speaking behind the door, Infinn asked,

"You're the guy I delivered the pizza to. What do you want?"

"Boy, did you touch the crystal, didn't you?"

The sudden question left him frozen and speechless for a moment. Not only did that strange crystal come from the man, but his sudden change in tone, from almost childlike energy to this serious serenity that seemed worthy of a truly dangerous man, coupled with his complete lack of knowledge about him, made Infinn have to rely on his intellect to try to navigate the situation. In this case, he tried to pretend that he didn't know anything and resorted to evading with another question.

"I don't know what you're talking about. How did you find my apartment?"

"Kids these days... lying to their elders. I know you touched the crystal because I noticed a decrease in the contained mana. Did you see the memories it contained, right?"

Infinn experienced a fusion of various emotions flooding his mind. He felt tremendous fear from the situation he had no control over, confusion as it wasn't a familiar type of danger he had encountered before, and curiosity because amidst the man's words, combined with the various visions, a crazy theory that defied the limits of the boy's logic began to form. He mentioned a word known to Infinn, as an explorer of the occult, it was impossible not to be familiar with the word "mana." Even though he knew that what he was about to ask made no common sense, he couldn't help it. His curiosity would prevail over his other emotions at that moment.

"Mana? Like what wizards use in fantasy stories?"

"Fantasy? So that was the facade those kings planned, to mythify us."

The robust man sighed as if understanding something, realizing that there was no point in pretending anymore, as the boy had already seen the crystal's visions, had spoken about mana, and even mentioned the existence of kings. If it was clear before that the boy was a loose end, it was now obvious that he knew about the existence of wizards. Therefore, the man had to complete his assigned task in the conventional society. Something strange started happening to the doorknob—it began to turn as if a powerful concentration of air forced it like a mighty hand. The boy, instinctively, tried to resist the forceful wind from opening the door that was the only thing that gave Infinn a sense of security at that moment, but it was futile.

His hands were forced to surrender to the powerful force of the wind. This left Infinn more than surprised. The door opened gently with the movement of the wind as the man entered the apartment calmly, as if the situation were just one of the everyday possibilities of life. His attire had transformed from casual to less casual, wearing a black trench coat and a fedora. Unlike before, when he appeared as a strange and robust man, he now emanated an intimidating aura, almost like a hitman.

"Listen, kid, as you just saw and felt, magic is not a fantasy. It's not worth trying to hide it anymore."

"That means..."

"Wizards are not fantasy; they are much more real than you think. But for the sake of peace between the mystical and conventional societies, we must remain as fantasy. That's why I came here when I found out I accidentally gave you a crystal. I'm sorry to say this, but you have only two options: alter your memories so that you don't reveal any information, or leave your life behind and become part of the wizard society."

The sudden proposal caught Infinn off guard, and he had no idea how to respond. Perhaps his doubt would have seemed completely foolish to anyone else, and even Infinn himself thought it was idiotic to even consider it. Leaving behind the life he had known for his entire existence to venture into an unknown world that sounded so fantastical was a daunting decision. However, he couldn't deny the visual and tactile proof he had experienced—his trembling hands were a result of resisting the powerful force of the wind the man referred to as magic. Magic was a concept Infinn had desperately sought to escape the monotony and embark on a new life where his only job would be delivering pizzas. It was a part of him that had been suppressed, dismissed as nothing more than a fantasy to escape the daily grind. He was just one decision away from turning all of that into a reality. Perhaps it was the combination of emotions, his youth, and his previous fantasies of such a magical world that made him hesitate. Wanting to make sure, Infinn asked.

"If I were to do that, what about my home and family?"

"You don't have to worry. Foreigners are usually provided with a temporary residence, although it's only until you find a job. All your records will disappear; it will be as if you're a ghost that no one can remember."

On one hand, the idea of never seeing his grandparents again chilled his heart. But thinking about them once more, he realized they would have no questions about him. It wasn't that they didn't care—it was something he never fully understood. No matter where he went or how much he pretended to be someone he wasn't, they always seemed calm and unconcerned about his absence. When he asked them why they seemed so calm despite his absence, they replied, "No matter where you go or how much you pretend, we will know how you are." It was something he could never fully comprehend, but it was true that on the few occasions he had been hurt, even without anyone notifying them, his grandparents could attend to him immediately. They called it a "gut feeling." Being completely cut off from society didn't seem like a big dilemma, but if that were the case, why did this man seem to have so much freedom?

"Despite what you say, you seem to have a lot of freedom."

The man chuckled slightly, lifting his gaze to meet Infinn's eyes. There was a sense of resignation and nostalgia in his gaze, as if he were lost in his own thoughts before responding to Infinn.

"All my family and friends have already left, so they don't care about what I do. I'm not a loose end for them. That's why they use me to tie up loose ends like you."

"..."

"Have you made a decision? It must be immediate."

"If that's the case, I might consider it, but..."

"What?"

"I'll only accept under one condition: you must take care of my grandparents, no matter what. If you refuse, I won't accept your proposal either."

The robust man chuckled in surprise at the impertinence of the boy. Despite being overwhelmed by panic earlier, he now stood firm, daring to assert that he had the power of choice. However, it didn't really bother the man. He recognized that youthful arrogance in someone like Infinn, and it brought back pleasant memories. His gaze fixed on Infinn's without expressing any rejection to the proposition.

"Very well, then that will be our deal, kid."

The man extended his hand toward Infinn. Noticing that the offer had been accepted, Infinn took a final moment to think. If he was going to regret it, this was his last chance. He closed his eyes, gathering all his thoughts about the situation, considering variables and even previous considerations. His life was about to change completely with this simple handshake. When he opened his eyes, fully determined but still harboring traces of doubt, he reached out and grabbed the man's hand before that doubt could devour his determination.

"Haha, I like that energy. In that case, I just have to take you."

"Take me..."

Infinn didn't have time to ask as he was picked up like a ragdoll by the man. Those brief seconds were filled with pure surprise for the boy, who couldn't even see the movement the robust man made. Despite his enormous size, the speed at which he moved was unlike anything Infinn had ever witnessed. In a blink of an eye, the robust man leaped out of Infinn's apartment window. Initially, a look of confusion and disbelief crossed the boy's face. Before he could scream in panic, a powerful gust of wind kept them suspended in the air for a few seconds, leaving the boy speechless once again at this incredible feat that defied all logical levels he could have suspected. Then, propelled by the immense air pressure surrounding them, they shot off like rockets in a direction far away from the city. In just a few seconds, Infinn saw the entire city glow beneath them at night. It would be minutes until they reached what appeared to be an immense and unused open field far from any conventional city. At this sight, Infinn looked at the man, confused.

"Weren't we going to the wizard society?"

"This is it."

The robust man placed his hand into the seemingly empty space, as if it were a curtain, and lifted it to reveal the hidden entrance to a vast and brilliantly lit city. It had an oddly compatible fusion of aesthetics—somewhat ancient but with a touch of modernity in its various buildings. People flew through the city, creating a perfect blend of modernity and mysticism. It was exactly as Infinn had seen in the vision the crystal had shown him when he made contact with it. The man stood beside Infinn, seemingly regaining the energetic smile he had when they first met. Seeing that vision had clearly excited him, like visiting a house you once lived in after a long time.

"Welcome to wizard society."