Chapter 11: Potion Brewing and Memory Books (2/2)

It took anywhere from three weeks to a month for Quinn to learn a potion. It took such a long time as Quinn had to compile different recipes into one. Try to find the best recipe for the potions. Replace the missing ingredients that didn't grow in the area with the local ingredients. Experimenting to check if ingredients worked well with each other and didn't cause any negative reaction. Researching and trying out different preparation methods.

With each potion recipe, Quinn began compiling his version of recipes in a book. Each chapter represented a potion with all his insight and research recorded into it. It would take years before this book would become public knowledge.

The simple potion book would become one of Quinn's earliest and greatest works. A text that bought the knowledge from all around the world into one. The first of its kind in the magical world.

- (Scene Break) -

Six months.

It took Quinn six months to complete the mindscape replica. A magnificent building stood in Quinn's mindscape, and inside the building, the owner roamed the newly finished halls of the buildings. Every single detail, from wall paintings to the false ceiling, everything present here was a perfect copy of the original.

Quinn stepped out of the building and called out to Alan, ”What's next?”

Alan cleared his throat, which was weird as they were communicating through their mind, ”We are going to activate your mindscape and activate the gateway to your memories. So, close your eyes and focus on your intent to convert the replica into a gateway. Imagine that you want all your memories in there.”

Quinn took a deep and imagined that all his memories were in that house. He focused all his will into the house, wanting for his imagination to come true. In a few seconds, Quinn's mindscape started shaking. Tremors caused the West Manor replica to shake.

Quinn started frowning as it was becoming difficult for him to keep up his concentration and was about to stop, but Alan's voice warned him, ”You must keep it up, Mr. West. We are very close! You must endure. Endure!”

Quinn groaned as he endured the pressure on his mind and gritted his teeth to keep up his concentration. Quinn didn't know how much time had passed, but the tremors subsided.

Quinn let out a sigh of tiredness as he sat down in his mindscape. He looked up at the sky and called out, ”Is it done?”

Alan's voice replied back, ”Yes, you endured well. The replica of the West Manor is now acting as a gateway to your memories. The building in front of you will become your strongest asset. Of course, you would have to develop continuously.”

Quinn nodded and asked, ”Can I go inside?”

”Yes, please do. You are in for a surprise,” Alan replied, and Quinn could hear a smirk in his voice.

Quinn frowned in apprehension and walked to the door. With a push, he opened the door, and his jaw dropped from the scene inside. Inside, he saw the entire house littered with books. The books were floating in the air, sticking out from the ceiling, protruding out from the walls, and sprawled on the floor. Books were everywhere; it was like an infestation.

”What in the world is all of this?!” Quinn exclaimed in shock.

Alan looked from the outside and saw the same thing as Quinn and hummed, ”It seems like your memories have manifested in the form of books. Memories manifest differently with everybody.”

Quinn quirked his head and asked, ”What about you?”

”Mine manifested in the form of envelopes. I used to send one every day to my mother back home. I am assuming you have frequent contact with books, don't you? Nerd,” Alan answered and teased at the end.

Quinn ignored the jab and asked, ”Why are the books everywhere? It is chaos in here.” To which Alan replied, ”As I said, the house is the gateway, you just opened it, and memories came spilling out. Now it is your job to sort them for easy access. Go to one of the rooms and look inside.”

Quinn followed the instruction and opened the room of the first room he found, and inside were multiple empty bookshelves arranged neatly in the room.

”Your memories will appear in these bookshelves when you properly store them. Take one of the books in your hands,” came Alan's explanation.

Quinn stepped outside and pulled out one of the books from a wall. Immediately he was hit with a vision. In the vision, he saw a memory of himself watching a play with Lia. It was his first play, and Lia had taken him to watch it during her break.

When he came out of the vision of his memory, Quinn asked, ”You weren't joking when you said that the books were memories.”

”Mr. West, notice any changes in the book?” Alan pointed out to Quinn, who was still relishing the new experience.

Quinn looked down and found that the weightless book was just a tiny bit heavier, and one corner of the dull grey book had gained a splash of brown color.

”The book has gained some color and weight. What is this about it?” Quinn asked, and Alan revealed, ”When your books gain a quarter of the color and corresponding weight, they would disappear from their place and appear in a bookshelf somewhere inside the house. You would know where that memory book is, so you could find it easily.”

”How am I to return color to the memory books?”

”Immerse yourself in the memory, and the more you immerse yourself, the more color would it gain.”

Quinn eyed the memory infestation and gulped, ”I have to do this with every single book?”

The old master laughed, ”Yes, my little student. Every. Single. Book.” Followed by hysterical laughter.

Quinn knew he had a lot of work cut out for him. He gazed at the book in his hand and sighed, ”Let's start with this one.”

Quinn versus memory books was on. A long battle of attrition against himself.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Quinn West - MC - Nine years old - In a war against himself.

Elliot Dalton - Butler/Potion Teacher - Enjoying teaching.

Alan D. Baddeley - Mind Arts Teacher - Being his usual joyous self.

-*-*-*-*-*-

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