"Something like that," Maya mumbled, trailing a finger along a row of manga spines. "I need to recommend a 'gateway' series, but I've forgotten what it feels like to be a beginner."

The old man hesitated, then placed the third volume face down. he said quietly, "is the one I don't give to everyone. Only to the ones who look a little tired. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End ."

the old man continued, sliding over a darker volume. A boy in a coat, reaching for a star. " Soul Eater . This one is for the kid who likes a little Halloween with their heroics. It's stylish, spooky, and unapologetically weird. A school for weapon-meisters, scythes that talk, and a sun and moon with faces. It teaches you that the coolest battles are the ones fought with a partner who believes in you. And that fear? Fear is just courage waiting to be sharpened."