NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: Owl that brought letter of his dreams... and magic?
Adam turned his head slowly toward the kitchen window. A soft tapping echoed through the room. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the source: a black owl perched on the windowsill, its sharp beak pecking rhythmically against the glass. There was something strange about the way it moved—calculated, almost too deliberate. Adam's heart skipped a beat. The air around him seemed to thicken, and an inexplicable feeling crept into his chest.
The owl didn't flutter away or make any sudden noise. Instead, it held his gaze, its dark eyes watching him with an eerie intelligence, as if it understood more than a simple bird should. Adam's gaze dropped, and there, tied to the owl's leg, was a small, folded letter. His breath caught in his throat. The scene felt strangely familiar, as if plucked straight from a long-forgotten dream.
But it wasn't just a dream—it was a memory. His mind began to drift, pulling him back to another life, another time. Along this, also came a warm feeling in his chest that he failed to notice as he drifted far away in his mind
In his past life, Adam had been obsessed with the idea of escaping reality. He had spent days, nights—years—immersed in worlds that didn't exist. He devoured novels, lost himself in comics, and binged countless movies, his head always buried in fantastical stories of heroes and magical realms. His parents had often scolded him for it, but he didn't care. The more they tried to pull him back to reality, the more he sank into his imagination.
There had been many places Adam dreamed of escaping to—a realm of swords and dragons, a galaxy far, far away, even cities filled with superpowered beings. But Hogwarts… Hogwarts had always held a special place in his heart. It wasn't just the magic, the mystery, or the hidden secrets of the castle. It was the idea of a life far removed from the mundane, where every day brought the promise of wonder and adventure. Among all his daydreams, the thought of receiving that letter—of being part of a world where anything was possible—had been his deepest wish.
He remembered how vividly he'd seen those movies—so many times that every detail had become etched in his mind. He could still recall the faces of the three young wizards, their laughter, their bravery, and the girl who always seemed to know the answers to every question. He had admired her, even developed a childish crush on her character, though he knew she was just a part of that world, unattainable beyond the screen.
Now, standing before the owl outside his window, Adam couldn't shake the feeling that this was the moment he had longed for. His eyes flicked back to the letter tied to the owl's leg, and for a moment, he dared to believe that the fantasy had crossed over into reality. He had been born in the 1980s, after all—wasn't that the era? Could it really be happening?
"Dear, that's just an owl. Don't worry, it won't come inside," his mother, Olivia, said softly, mistaking his stunned expression for fear.
Listening to his mother's soothing voice, Adam snapped out of his memories, blinking rapidly as reality settled in around him. His chest tightened with a nervous anticipation that spread through his body like a ripple. He didn't reply right away but stood from his chair, legs feeling heavier with each step as he approached the window. His movements were slower, almost hesitant, as if every step carried the weight of years of hope and dreams.
George and Olivia exchanged a worried glance, sensing something different. For them, Adam was still just a child, despite his occasional maturity. But today, there was something unusual about his silence, a tension in the air that made Olivia instinctively move as if to speak, but she held back, unsure.
As Adam reached the window, his fingers trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, long and deliberate, his heart racing with the possibility that everything he had once dreamed of could now be right in front of him. He opened the window with shaky hands, his gaze locked on the owl, which looked at him with an almost knowing expression, its head tilting slightly as if it understood the significance of this moment.
The owl, far more intelligent than an ordinary bird, hopped inside, its wings flapping briefly as it settled itself. It stared directly at Adam before raising its leg, where the letter was tied.
For a moment, Adam simply stared at it, his throat dry, his mind buzzing. Was this real? He hesitated to touch the letter, afraid that the moment might shatter like a fragile dream. His parents watched him carefully, Olivia stepping closer, concern etched on her face.
"Adam, are you alright?" she asked softly, sensing the shift in her son's usual calm demeanor.
But Adam didn't answer. With trembling hands, he carefully untied the letter. The familiar crest of the 'H' logo caught his eye, the four distinct house symbols surrounding it.
His breath caught in his throat, and the impossible reality of it all crashed over him. "I knew it…" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. His legs felt weak as he sank into the dining chair, clutching the letter without opening it. He didn't need to yet as he already knew the contents of this very letter just from the logo that was seen on it. The weight of the moment was enough to process for now.
George and Olivia, now sitting opposite him, could see the strange mix of anticipation and anxiety on their son's face. They were used to him being calm and composed, but right now, he looked visibly shaken, like he was holding onto something much bigger than they understood.
"Adam?" George's voice was firmer, but gentle, trying to ground him.
Adam glanced at his parents, managing a small, strained smile. "Mom, Dad… I need a favor from you both. But can we just… finish breakfast first?"
He smiled, though there was a nervous energy behind it. It wasn't the innocent smile they were used to. This smile seemed weighed down with years of expectation. They exchanged another glance, concern deepening.
Olivia's eyes shifted to the owl still perched nearby. "Do you want me to give it something to eat?" she asked, sensing that there was more to this situation than she fully grasped.
Adam nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Yes, please. It looks like it's traveled a long way."
As Olivia fetched water and some food, the owl watched her with an almost judging gaze, refusing the offerings with a flick of its head. Adam chuckled weakly, "Maybe some meat, Mom. Owls don't really eat peanuts."
His laughter was soft, but it carried the tension of a boy trying to mask his nervousness. Even as he sat there, the unopened letter resting in front of him, his thoughts raced, still reeling from the gravity of what was happening.
His parents were no longer just curious—they were concerned. Something about this moment was different, and they could sense that this letter, whatever it contained, was more important to Adam than they could have imagined.
As Adam returned to his breakfast, he suddenly felt a strange warmth spreading from his chest, something he had never felt before. The sensation was subtle but powerful, as if life itself was pulsing through him. It started near his heart and coursed through his veins, filling him with a vitality he couldn't quite describe. His breath hitched slightly. *Is this... magic?* It was as if he could *feel* the magic, as though it had always been there, waiting, and now something had awoken it.
His mind buzzed with this revelation, but he kept his composure. He didn't open his full status window right away—he preferred not to do that in front of his parents right now, even though no one else could see it. But he could sense something had changed. His magic status was definitely active right now.
The warmth flooding his body was unmistakably real. He placed his fork down, his hands trembling slightly from the intensity of the sensation. He closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the power of the magic inside him. This wasn't the flickers of weak magic he'd sometimes read about or seen others struggle to manifest in novels and stories—this was something far more potent, more alive. It was finally happening. This owl brought not only the letter of his dream, but indirectly it also brought him the magic.
When Adam first learned about magic in this world, he'd thought of the magical realms from his previous life, he also thought of his favorite movie and its elements —Harry Potter, Hogwarts, and the like. At first, he dismissed the thought, knowing that in that world, not everyone could use magic. But now, looking at the letter in his hand, he was certain: Hogwarts existed here, and somehow even muggles could wield magic—though not in the same way the wizards did in the stories. Adam was as nervous and excited as he could be in this very moment, which worried both George and Olivia.