I glance at my cellphone as I begin to make my way towards the first of the buildings that are marked “GG Block”. The thing is a tiny thing, and as I begin to fiddle with it the thing begins to come to life in my hands.

It asks me for things like my name and for me to designate a password for the sake of “Security”. I don’t feel like closely examining this strange device, so I do as it asks without much, if any, questions.

Along the way I stare at some of the symbols in my mind’s eye, some of which only first appeared minutes ago. The symbols that first appeared minutes ago include a stylized drawing of a burning crown and another stylized drawing of what appears to be a hand drawn contract. Both of those symbols represent the stranger essences that have been a part of me the entire time I’ve existed, one connected to demons and the other connected to faeries…

I ignore the mighty symbols for the moment as I allow my eyes to explore what my system dubs the “LCD” screen of my device. I can see various symbols on the screen which I quickly learn are shortcuts that activate different apps that were installed on my phone before it became mine. Among the symbols are things like an image of a bank, and a handful of utility applications designed to help me navigate the city.

I cross the street as I study these applications, memorizing them and their functions incredibly easily. My memory, sharpened by the space dragon essence that was baked into my soul from the moment I came into existence, makes memorizing these kinds of things effortless. It is so effortless, in fact, that I soon find myself staring at the symbols that have been patiently waiting for me to click on them…

Truthfully are three, not two, symbols that first appeared in my mind’s eye during the time I was riding the city’s metro. The final symbol that made itself known to me by appearing in my mind’s eye is deceptively simple. It is, what appears to be, a hand drawn image of a coin. This final symbol represents my nature as a cosmic space dragon.

All three symbols seem no different from the other symbols that take up space in the grand screen through which I perceive reality. Fortunately for me, I am smart enough to not judge books by their covers, or symbols by where they sit in my perception of reality, though, and that knowledge keeps me from carelessly pressing the symbols. I also remember the lengthy descriptions of the individual essences each symbol embodies, which is the real reason I can resist clicking on them right now.

I glance up from my phone as I make my way to the closest building marked “GG Block” and I see dozens of people going about their business near me. The sight of them both allows me to be sure my decision to not click the symbols was the right one, all while tempting me to click them… Funny how some stuff can do that.

Thanks to my favorite mutation, “Natural Harmony”, I know exactly what “Essence of the True Fae”, “Essence of the Cosmic Space Dragon”, and “Essence of Infernal Augmentation” do and offer me. I also know that those are the three essences inside of me, in addition to the “Essence of the Superorganism”.

The abilities afforded to me by these essences all interact in curious ways and synergize quite impressively but will take years to begin to master. And until I actually click on the symbols that are floating in my mind only the barest inklings of the power I possess will manifest within me.

That’s a weird quirk with these more potent essences. It is this basic rule that allowed my usage of “Observe”, when used against Kara, to reveal so much about her, and for me to learn Brunhilda’s name before she told me it, as well as what was responsible for my familiar’s nearly premature appearance earlier today. All of that said, every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…

I approach the first building I can see that has the letters “GG Block” written on its walls even as I go ahead and mentally tap on the symbol of the burning crown. Tapping the buttons causes a transparent menu to appear in the middle of my mind’s eye.

The menu lists the following words: “Ego”, “Accord”, “Palais”, “Artifice”, “Corrompre”, and “Autorite”. Each of the words has a specific contextual meaning, and for me to gain a basic understanding of each meaning in the context that matters to me only takes a glance at the word in question. As I glance at each word I can feel my ability to make use of the actions associated with each word deepen a bit, causing me to smile.

I reach the front of the building I have been walking towards and I notice someone walking out of it. The person is a man about my age, and as he is about to walk past me I decide to practice socializing by asking him a question.

“Hey, I’m new here and I was just wondering if you could tell me where building 5794 is located?” I ask, causing the man to stop and look me over. As I look at him I can see a textbox appear over his head as he studies me. According to the textbox the man’s name is “Luther Rodgers”. He is clearly considering going past me and just blowing me off, but after he begins to think about it I see him relax a little and he smiles at me.

“Yeah, sure. Building 5794 is located past this building. Once you walk past here you need to walk past a row of buildings, and then you’ll see 5794 located almost exactly where this building is, just on that particular row.” He tells me, causing me to nod and smile at him.

“Hey, thanks!” I say, brightly before I let the man get back to his business. I go and I follow his directions, walking past the building I was initially interested in and continuing to walk further into the dense neighborhood. As I walk I move past several people and out of curiosity as I stride past some of the people going about their business I opt to experiment with my newest set of active abilities.

I glance at someone named “Mary Moore”, a young brunette woman walking briskly in the direction of the metro and I activate “Accord”. Doing so causes a haunting voice to whisper in my ears. I listen, attentively, as the voice tells me of Mary’s desires.

The voice whispers of the fact that the woman is in debt and that her heart desires a way out. I can sympathize with that, at least intellectually, and as I listen I half consider throwing Mary a bone. “Accord” allows me to do that, if I really want to do so, or if she’s willing to trade one debt for another.

I decide not to be impulsive, for now anyway, and I simply affix one of my “Multisense” projected senses onto Mary. Just by doing what I’m doing I am ensuring that I can keep an eye on her and if I decide to act to protect her I can through my brand of telekinesis. At the same time I make my way past the row of buildings standing between “Building 5794” and myself.

As I make my way past the buildings that obstruct my view of my actual home I mentally tap both of the other symbols. Doing so causes my perception of the world to morph ever so slightly and I smile as I study the alterations to my senses that have been caused by me fully activating my powers.

The world is subtly brighter now and I can hear things a touch clearer than I previously could. My senses have been enhanced by “Type-Red” powers, powers I possess which work by altering me physiologically without drastically or externally transforming me. This includes stuff like giving me boosts to my speed and durability without visibly expanding my muscles.

Now, thanks to the true fae essence, even my enhanced senses are now just a touch stronger… And ever so slightly magical. I can smell emotions and I can hear the subtly musical sounds of where nature and technology touch and interact, which in a city like this is all around me.   

My perception of reality is not sharper in the sense that I can see further or with more clarity but it’s sharper in the sense that I am slightly more sensitive now. As I glance at a nearby building I can visually differentiate between the different materials that went into the construction of the building, and I can feel each different material call out to me.

I ignore this, for now, even as I listen to distant conversations and the soft, musical sounds of the breeze. As I do this, I feel myself growing calmer, the musical nature of reality relaxing me. This itself causes my features to subtly morph to reflect my inner calmness.

“Multisense” gives me the ability to lay my eyes on myself and to see as my emotions alter my physical form. This is a quirky aspect of the true fae essence, and it is one of the aspects I am not supremely fond of, but I can imagine ways that it could be handy. It is worth it for the power this essence gives me.

I approach the building that Luther told me about, and I focus my senses on it. This allows me to identify each of the different materials that are a part of it, from mundane materials that I can identify with the knowledge that I came into being possessing, and other… stranger, probably magical, things. Beside the front door of the building is a card swiper, and I approach the thing and interact with it as though I were a natural, causing the front door to open and allow me entrance into the building.

I enter the building and find myself in a decently large lobby where several people are milling around a number of amenities. I see some people, of all sorts of ages ranging from youthful children to wizened old men and women, doing things like watching television or playing pool.

Several doors line the different walls that round the lobby. As I study the lobby, I project my senses through each of the doors, looking for the entrance to the apartment that I know belongs to me. The number of the place that is listed on my I.D. as my home serves as a mechanism to help me get to the place without asking for help from strangers, or at least having to do so minimally so as to minimize risk without requiring a huge infrastructure in place to help newcomers.

A large television dominates one portion of the lobby is turned onto the news, and I see Kara and Jerry chatting which causes me to smile. It also causes me to subtly hurry, as I don’t feel like dealing with the possibility of recognition before I even lay my eyes on my apartment. I spot my apartment number using “Multisense” and I begin to dart towards it even as I hear Jerry easily help Kara transition from interviewing him to interviewing me.

I manage to stay calm as I reach the door leading to the hall that contains the entrance to my apartment. I briskly open it and step into a long hallway where each door is an entrance to a different apartment and I consider being nosy for a split second before I decide to focus on my own stuff for the time being.

It only takes me a few moments to step down the long, thin hallway until I reach the door leading to my apartment. When I do I open the door with a single deft use of my mundane key and I step into a mostly unfurnished but decently sized apartment and I shut my door behind me. I lean against my door and I allow myself to drop to the floor, with a smile on my face.

“I guess I’m home.” I mutter, as I take in the view of the area in front of me. I am looking at an apartment of an alright size for a single person, and directly in front of me is a path that splits a “Living Room” type area and a kitchen, while after taking a few steps there are two doors that lead to what I assume must be a full bathroom and “My” bedroom.

At the moment the only light on in the apartment is the light of the narrow passageway that I am in. The path leads from right outside of my bedroom to the door leading in and out of my apartment.

The kitchen is fully stocked with all of the necessities, a sink, refrigerator, kitchen range, and a microwave. Just behind the kitchen is a curious all-in-one washer/dryer combo machine tucked into a small area with just enough room for someone to step into it and make use of the machine. The living room has a few small sofas situated around a medium-sized television placed on the wall and a small but sturdy looking table.

I visually study the rooms I can see, before I begin to turn inward again. As I turn inward, I decide to awaken my familiar, and the creature responds to my intentions by fully awakening in a burst of energy so sharp that it almost energizes me.

The space drake, a powerful but small beast, crawls away from my back, and onto my neck, still in its “tattoo” form. It does this for a few moments before it leaps off my skin and grows larger as it rips itself free from me. The sensation is not painful for me in the slightest, thanks to a mutation I possess, and my mild healing factor allows me to instantly recover from the small damage I took. I take a second to glance at my pet, now well and truly manifested in front of me.

The creature is a canine-like lizard the size of a decently large dog. Electricity crackles across its body, tiny lightning bolts arcing from scale to scale, hugging the armor that keeps it safe from enemy attacks or other hazards. It has violet eyes and they are keenly focused on me, intelligence and protective love both keenly visible to someone capable of empathy.

I smile at the creature, and it mimics the gesture to communicate the same emotion I feel as I gaze at my familiar back at me. It is a bit unsettling, but I can appreciate and recognize the intent behind the action.

“Hi there little one. How are you?” I ask, as I gaze into the beast’s eyes. The creature does not reply with words, but I can see the happiness in its eyes even without focusing on it. The beast darts forward and touches my cheek with its snout, warmth and electricity spreading from it to me with as little as a touch.

“You’re a cute little thing.” I tell it, causing it to smile more, which remains a bit odd but I am quickly growing accustomed to it. As I glance at it I mentally close the transparent screen which tells me about my “Infernal Augmentation” abilities. The second the screen disappears I mentally tap on the symbol of the coin again, and a big screen appears again outlining my “Cosmic Space Dragon” powers.

Thanks to the essences within me, my “Species” could easily be a sort of “tribrid”, a fusion between a demon, a dragon, and a true faerie. And that’s if I discount my “Superorganism” status thanks to the first of the four essences which I learned of, which would be a mistake. Nevertheless, physically speaking my most impressive essence is undoubtedly the essence which makes me a cosmic space dragon.

I continue to seem to look at my drake, itself a manifestation of my nature as a powerful dragon. Truthfully, I am studying the different facets of my nature as a dragon capable of self-powered extraterrestrial travel. As a magical reptile capable of propelling myself through outer space, there are many different facets to consider and to be cognizant of if I want to maximize my personal power.

I use “Multisense” to glance at different things throughout my apartment and as I do I activate one of my abilities, over and over again. Doing this causes my mind to fill with exact knowledge of various objects, and I sense the spontaneous emergence of a new power whenever I gain knowledge of a new thing: the ability to create an exact copy of it. I can do this using nothing more than my vast pool of mana; arcane power present in me thanks to both my system and the cosmic space dragon essence which allows me to scan things in the first place.

Using this power on every object in my apartment, including the objects on me, is easy and only takes a few seconds, but in my hands the true potency of this power does not come from the ease with which I use it. I begin to pet my drake, stroking the scales that protect the top of its head, even as I begin to prepare to demonstrate the true terror of superpowers and magical gifts in creative hands.

I entertain my pet for a few moments while I activate the ability I possess to create matter from magic. I sense my magic draining ever so slightly and I feel another key appear on me, in this case in my pocket. I glance at a corner of my living room and I activate another of the powers in my possession: “Clonewarp”. This stealth and subterfuge power causes a clone of me to take my place instantaneously while I invisibly teleport to the corner of the living room.

My clone continues playing with the drake, able to seamlessly step into my shoes and use all of my powers as freely as I, my true self, can. It is also utterly under my control, and I can sense that if I wanted to I could easily and instantly take full control of the thing, making it my true body and swapping my clone’s pseudo-consciousness with mine.

I watch as the clone actually gets up of its own accord and walks to the kitchen, the drake following after it while using what appears to be a magical ability to fly. As the two of them move I silently mix two “Xenon” powers together, one a stealth and subterfuge power and the other a “Type-Yellow” power which are powers connected to different types of lifeforms. The powers are named “Empty Presence” and “Chameleon”, and by using them simultaneously I am able to make myself nearly silent and give myself a powerful method to avoid visual detection at the same time.

I watch as the drake follows my clone, fully engrossed in the attention the thing is receiving, and I smile at it, even as I begin to invisibly make my way towards the door I just stepped through. When I reach the thing, I quietly open it and listen as even the sound it makes is dulled and nearly muted by my power. I slip through the open door and I gently close it behind me, effectively undetectable by mundane beings and mundane technology at the moment aside from things that detect heat.

As I begin to walk down the hallway back in the direction I just came I create another copy of my key to my apartment, and I consciously check the amount of mana I currently possess. The number is intimidatingly large, easily to the tune of thousands of “Mana Points” or “MP”, even after using my arcane abilities a few times. At the same time, I casually pull out my phone and send texts to both Brunhilda and Kara, happy to let them both know that I have made it to my new home.

A matter of minutes pass quickly as I stealthy exit my apartment building and finally stop using “Chameleon", though I do maintain “Empty Presence” to keep people’s attention off of me unless I want to be seen. As I step out into the light of the sun with my true powers fully active, I stop walking and allow the sun’s rays to touch me. Doing so feels incredibly good, and I allow myself to bask in the rays of the sun for several seconds before I begin to walk in a random direction.

The reason the rays of the sun feel good on my skin is because of my nature as a space dragon. Space dragons can feed off of various things, but one of the things that is the most directly nutritious for us is solar energy. By taking in even a few stray rays of light like this I can feel energized in seconds, especially since I am a young space dragon that has only just reached adulthood.

I am curious to explore the area both within and right around my new home. The “Megablocks” is a gigantic apartment complex and has a plethora of local businesses within itself that allow the place to have a vibrant localized economy all its own, as well as supply those who live here with everything they could realistically need. For a creature like me, with an array of curious and odd abilities, this place has a lot of potential.

As I walk I glance at various people, all while using “Accord” to get a feel for the desires of the people around here. “Accord” is a particularly nasty power for a demon to possess, as it is a multifaceted power meant to facilitate all sorts of nasty exchanges between a being blessed with infernal power, such as myself, and someone who is willing to pay heavy, if esoteric, prices for whatever they want.

By using “Accord” with but a glance I can see what people I lay my eyes on deeply wish for. If someone is lonely I can see that they yearn for companionship. If someone is angry I can see the target of their ire, and the extent they wish to see that thing, even if it is themselves or an inanimate object, suffer. As I study people I pass by, I come to appreciate people with simpler desires.

Many people I pass by on the street are hurrying to and from work, and many of them just wish for simple things. After minutes of studying people I am directly aware of the staggering number of people who just crave enough money to be able to be lazy and to relax, or enough of some attribute, perhaps beauty or intelligence, to be able to easily gain enough money or friends to be able to relax.

I could give them those things in exchange for a price I determine. If I wanted to I could even be “generous” and give them something for free, with it only costing me a bit of my own personal energy!

Unfortunately, for me to give someone something using “Accord”, even something free, I do need to make contact with them. This power relies on connections, agreements, and consent, even if it is meant to be a deceptive power that gives me much more than it takes. Curiously, as a “True Fae”, I possess a similar ability in the form of a power to make binding “Contracts”, but I cannot give someone something for free using a “Contract”.

As I continue my walk I begin to spot people appearing and disappearing with surprising ease. I study such individuals, even as I begin to get a fair bit away from my home, with open curiosity whenever I see them. When I spot the fifth person to appear out of nowhere I activate [Observe] and listen as my system explains that some people in this city can use magic, even spatial magic, and thanks to that can teleport! This is an intriguing ability, though I possess powers that are similar enough to it that I don’t feel an urge to try and steal it from some unlucky person.

I pull one of the copies of my key from my pocket and I lift the thing up to my face. It is a perfect replica of the key to my home, and is a simple, perfectly mundane object. I smile as I begin to infuse it with the eerie spiritual energy I possess as a “True Fae”. This energy easily fills the tiny key, and I watch as it begins to glow in my hand, the light of the glow greatly blunted by “Empty Presence”.

The key in my hand begins to transform, though the transformation is a curious one. As it is transforming, I am asked by my system if I’d like to interfere and guide the transformation. I elect not to do so, wanting to see what the key becomes if left to its own devices.

Metal wings sprout from the top of the key, and eyes and a tiny mouth form on the “Bow” of the thing, the central, solid metal piece beneath the hole which allows a key to be put on a keyring or another sort of holder. The thing looks at me energetically, and I smile at it.

“Perfect. What a cute little spy.” I exclaim, and though my words cause the ears of people around me to slightly perk up, like a dog when it hears something odd, no one reacts to my remarks.

“Spy!” The key echoes, brightly. Its mouth moves just like a human’s does, which is a bit odd but the thing is more cute than anything else. As I study it I smile at the knowledge that I possess regarding synergy between my various powers…

As a cosmic space dragon I can create matter from nothing other than my own arcane energy. Thanks to my nature as a “True Fae” I can use the spiritual power within me to bring the matter I create to life. I can use these abilities together to create agents who themselves create opportunities to entrap people in webs that only an “Accord” or a “Contract” with me can free them from.

Without souls and without fulfilled “Contracts” I cannot really maximize my power as an infernally augmented demon or as a true fae, but by mixing my powers together… Well, what a normal member of any single species I happen to be a member of cannot do on their own, I can do by allowing my powers to play off of each other. Especially if I use my true, ultimate power.

I turn inward and scan the encyclopedic database of essences that dwells in my mind. I look for essences that can allow creatures to shapeshift, which causes the database to filter out many essences. In time I look through those essences, and I ultimately select perhaps the ultimate shapeshifting essence known as “The Essence of the Shape”.

I create this essence, a simple act which takes nothing more than intent on my part, and am surprised when the thing appears in my hand in a very tiny glass bottle. A second later I smirk at the tiny, cute thing in my hand and lift it up to the living key.

“Open up little one.” I tell the creature, which instinctively does as I command. I pour the contents of the bottle into its mouth and I watch as the creature swallows it. The liquid does not travel down the key somehow, it just vanishes when the tiny being closes its mouth. The key then looks at me curiously, and I stare back at it with a small smile on my face.

“Why don’t you try… looking like a sprite? A tiny spirit that looks like a human, a bit, with wings.” I tell the creature, and it tilts its whole body in an effort to emulate a nod. I smile at it and watch as the little creature spontaneously transforms into a tiny winged human with a brilliant aura.

“You did it! Awesome work little key.” I exclaim, brightly as I study the creature’s new form. The creature smiles at me, and spins in a circle, eagerly showing off its new form. I can sense its pride and its eagerness to make me happy by doing more of what I bid.

At the same time, I refocus on my surroundings and I realize that I have walked a ways away from my home. I am still walking even as I study my surroundings and I look for any curious, meaningful landmarks, only to find an impressive looking greasy-spoon type restaurant with a big neon sign that says “Joe’s” in crisp, large letters situated over the front door, right across a busy street from me.

I look at the sign and chuckle as I begin to walk towards it. My sprite-servant flies around me as I deactivate “Empty Presence”, and the two of us make our way towards the diner. I am hungry, but not for food, and the restaurant has such a distinctive look that I can’t help but feel it attracts people perfect for my needs.