Solo lover

Opening the book, I was immediately greeted by a dazzling light.

Words shimmered out from the pages, floating into the air before aligning themselves neatly in front of my face.

"Fantasy!!! Yippee!!"

The book had completely lost its book-ness, but honestly? No complaints.

Magical BS? Sign me up.

At least my mood was slightly better now.

Despite never having seen these symbols before, I could understand them perfectly.

The words formed a simple question:

'What do you want to know?'

Holy—this thing was talkative.

That demon maid might actually deserve some credit.

I thought for a moment before blurting out, "Tell me about this place—the world, actually. Not just where I am."

The book flared with golden light, releasing an overwhelming flood of words.

I immediately knew this was about to be a long read.

A single upside-down arrow hovered at the bottom right—probably a 'load more' button.

...

< Our world is called Aetherion, a land infused with Aether, the essence of magic and strength. >

< It is a world shaped by endless war—not only between demons and other races such as elves, orcs, dwarves, aqualads, fairies, wraiths, spirits, and humans, but also between gods themselves. >

< The battlefields have seen not just mortals clashing, but divine beings waging war over power, faith, and— >

I zoned out.

This book was starting to ramble.

It felt like listening to some old 'baldy' talk about 'back in my day…'

I quickly interrupted.

"Wait, wait—I don't need a history lesson. Just tell me how to gain strength and mystical abilities."

The book shimmered again—but this time, the light didn't just glow.

It attacked me.

"AGH—MY EYES!!"

A blinding golden flash pierced through my vision, and I stumbled back, clutching my face.

I wailed in agony for a full five minutes before the pain finally subsided.

When I opened my eyes, the book's light had changed.

The golden glow was gone—replaced by a deep, blood-red hue.

A new message formed:

...

< DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPT ME AGAIN. >

< LISTEN TO MY STORY FIRST, THEN I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW. >

…This ancient scirbble had a consciousness.

...

< In an age beyond reckoning, two divine beings descended upon Aetherion—Ness, the God of Darkness, and Iyra, the Goddess of Light. >

< They fled from the heavens, rejected by the other gods, for their love was considered a threat. >

< The divine pantheon had a premonition—a prophecy that their child would become the strongest god, destined to rule over all. >

< And so, in fear of this future, the gods turned against them. Ness and Iyra barely escaped their wrath. >

< They found refuge in Aetherion, settling in a remote village. For a millennia, they lived among mortals, watching their short and fragile lives unfold. >

< Before they departed, they blessed this world with two gifts—Aether, the source of power, and the Path to Immortality. >

< In Aetherion, if two people are married with true love, without ulterior motives, they become Immortal. >

...

What.

My mind went blank.

That's it?

You just…get immortality? For free?!

What was the point of life then?!

If you have infinite time, there's no urgency—no reason to do anything.

It was like having homework with no due date.

90% of people wouldn't even bother doing it.

I felt an overwhelming wave of disappointment.

And not just at immortality itself—but at how it was attained.

...

On Earth, couples were everywhere.

I never understood the whole marriage, girlfriend, boyfriend nonsense.

What was the difference between your male friends and your so-called significant other?

You spend time together, share your thoughts, and—if anything—you're probably closer to your same-gender friends.

So why even bother?

For sex? Just hire a prostitute.

For legacy? Ha. If you hate yourself enough, why the hell would you inflict your genes on someone else?

The child born would curse back at me for sure.

I had always loved being solo.

Single, independent, unbothered.

And before you ask—no, it wasn't because I was ugly or anything.

If anything, I was extremely attractive.

It just wasn't my thing.

I was sure there were people like that here too.

...

The book wasn't having it.

Before I could zone out completely, the book's brightness increased.

It sensed I wasn't paying attention.

"YOU DAMN BASTARD—!"