Why does the concept of magic exist in all cultures and civilizations if magic was never real? It was this simple question I asked as a young girl. It was this simple question that I wrote as the title of my research. It was this simple question that led me here: to a new world full of magic.

  “You see, to prove that magic is real, one must first believe,” I explained to the girl sitting beside me. “I came all the way here to study how people of North Africa perceive magic.”

  “What do you mean, Alice? Is there something special about us?” asked the girl.

  “Not special, since you are not unique in this regard, but you, religious people, are really good at believing. And I mean no offense by this, Manal.”

  Manal was a grad student and my Airbnb host. We became close friends during my weeks of stay here.

  “Religion is often based on faith, so of course, we are good at believing. But when I think about it, most faiths consider magic real,” said Manal.

  “I know, right? I love the flavor of magic that is believed around here. You guys have universal concepts like curses and blessings, and you put a lot of emphasis on things like the Evil Eye.”

  Manal laughed. “Don’t get me started! Some people get ridiculous about the Evil Eye. They even carry salt everywhere.”

  “I bet those people who strongly believe are the ones who suffer from it the most.” I grinned.

  “But does that even prove anything about magic?” wondered Manal. “I mean, most of the time, it feels like they are falling into a self-fulfilling prophecy; they anticipate the curse, then credit everything bad that happens to it.”

  “Well, ‘prove’ is a strong word; I have a theory, and I need data to make my theory more credible. It would be cool to get something similar to what I did last year.”

  “Last year?” asked Manal.

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  “You see, last year, I made an extensive statistical study about the effectiveness of Shinto talismans using more than fifty thousand people as an entry. At first, the talisman's impact seemed negligible. But when the true believers were separated from non-believers, the talisman’s effectiveness rose by 8%, whether they were about good grades or good health.”

  “So you do have proof!” exclaimed Manal.

  “No…” I sighed. “Correlation does not imply causation; I have to use magic to prove that magic is real,” I shrugged. “But first! I need more data.”

  “Huh! Your talk about belief made me think of a concept we have called Al Yaqin. It’s a point beyond belief when a person reaches certainty. It is said that miracles only happen around those kinds of people,” added Manal, with a smile on her face.

  “See! This is why I am here! I would never have received this kind of lore back home. I’m glad I came.”

  We were sitting in the garden of a small country house near the town of Sidi Bou Said. In the 12th century, Sufi mystics gathered here and tried to harness powers from the stars using holy words and mathematics.

  “It’s almost time for the meteor shower,” said Manal. “You wanted to see it, right?”

  That’s when a stroke of epiphany hit me.

  “Miracles only happen when people are certain, huh… I’ve got an idea! Quick, give me my backpack.”

  So, when the meteor shower hit, I, twenty-four-year-old Alice, was on my knees, wearing my backpack and looking at the sky.

  I genuinely believe in magic! It is my life’s dedication! If channeling all my beliefs from childhood to my adult research… if I make a wish on the stars, I can…

  If talismans only affect 8% of reality… what if wishes are the same…

  So I started wishing. From the depths of my heart, I wished with all the belief I had. I wished three times upon each star. I wished… I wished for a world with more magic.

  By the time the 14th star appeared, Manal was dumbfounded and alone in the garden.

  She told the police that I disappeared in the middle of the night. They thought she meant I went missing, so they searched the mountain for a week. She didn’t push more about what really happened; she knew no one would believe her. My case made the local news and trended for a few hours in the wider world. A few popular YouTube channels and podcasts picked up the story. Eventually, people moved on. Just another woman who wandered off somewhere and never came back.

  I was officially declared missing.

  But I wasn’t missing. I was just no longer on Earth.