Omen's POV
It took a long time for me to process what we saw. I was sure that Mike was questioning himself even more since he was the closest to the Creator.
Ever since we returned to the Library, I had not seen him around. So, I busied myself with tidying up the Library. Still, there were some moments when I questioned myself during my pockets of free time.
Why do I still stay even after learning what had happened? Was Ravenna really the villain of Dark Shadow's story? Or was there something more to the hidden past of the Library?
I stared up at the statue of the Creator as though I was searching for an answer from it.
Her expression was now cold and unwelcoming. The cracks running rampant all over the statue were more apparent than ever. It was empty in her left hand, where the pocket watch was. On her right, she held the miniature Library in her hands. The Library that she loved so much. The Library which had Imagination at its heart. The Library… now became a small ironic object that held more secrets than I could ever know.
I wonder if I had some secrets about myself too.
The Library stored everything. The stories of every single hero, every villain, every ordinary people…
I wonder…
If there is a story about me.
The past self that I did not remember. Hidden away by Ravenna's magic under the Guardian's contract, like Zacharius Smith. Forced to witness my past become a tragedy again and again while not knowing that my family was living there.
Suddenly, I'm not sure about knowing so much about these things.
When I blinked again, I wasn't looking at the Creator's statue. I was staring at the white space. A familiar titter rang out behind me. In apprehension, I turned around to face the unknown girl. The girl who asked me to find the beaded goldfish. Now, the young, naive girl had a sinister look on her face.
"You have no choice." She exclaimed. "What is destined to come will come."
"I thought you said you would find me after I find the last Alice letter? Why so soon?"
The girl approached me slowly. I stared at her with wariness, feeling very unsettled by her ominous aura. There was something beneath her exterior, something that linked the two of us together. There was a trace of amusement on her face when she noticed how guarded I was against her.
"Why so afraid of me?"
She stood in front of me. Her height was a little shorter than mine. Yet, I felt like she was towering over me.
How was this happening?
"Or could it be that you had a little guess about who I am?"
She reached out her arm, about to touch my shoulder, when the vision before me changed to Mike's face. It took a few moments before I could register him calling my name several times. I didn't know that I was trembling hard. My entire body was already encased in ice, a sign that my magic backfired on me.
A tear trickled down my face as I acknowledged his words of concern. Mike couldn't touch me because of the ice, so he fretted about how to help me. It was a rare moment to see him revealing so much of his emotions.
I was still in shock from my earlier encounter with the girl. So, I could stare up at his eyes, pleading with him not to ask what had transpired.
I won't. I heard his voice through the mind link. I have no right to ask about it. After all, we all had our secrets to bear.
With his words of promise, I blacked out.
~~~~~
Mike's POV
I conjured up a blanket to catch Omen. Suddenly, a tendril of darkness came out to lash at me from her body. I could have avoided it, but I chose to take it, or Omen would have fallen to the floor.
A gash appeared on my right cheek.
I grimaced in pain, but I held her body tightly. I stared down at the tendril of darkness before it reluctantly relented and slithered back inside. Recalling the past about how Dark Shadow came into existence, I now realized what the Guardian contract was truly about.
Some people had their memories forcibly taken away, like Zacharius Smith, for their grief was too much to bear. In contrast, some needed the contract to separate themselves from their previous lives. In other words, the Guardians, except for Ravenna, were entirely made up of broken people.
Am I one of them too?
I guess I am. Especially my past self with Omen's, we were inextricably linked together. The reason why my contract didn't work on me was probably a form of punishment for me. It was to make up for her.
"I'm sorry," I spoke, looking down at her sleeping form. "I know my apology doesn't make up for what happened to you. I… I will…"
Immediately, a blast exploded right in the middle of the Library. Unprepared, I was thrown off, sending Omen in my arms in another direction. I looked up to see Dark Shadow and his people appearing over the massive hole created by the explosion.
"You!" I seethed. He was definitely here for Imagination.
"You're still here?" Dark Shadow was amused. "I thought after what that woman had shown you, you would have abandoned this place. After all, this Library was built upon the tragic lives of people, fueled by pain and suffering. All… just for the plots."
"It's not true! The Library is much more than that!" I pushed myself off the ground, grimacing in pain. "With Imagination, as long as it's logical, anything is possible!"
Dark Shadow threw his head back and laughed. "You are still preaching that sentence? Oh, my dear boy, that is getting old. You know that it's not true. Well, I'm done talking sense into you. I got what I needed… so bye-bye!"
I stared in horror as I watched the giant ball of Imagination lifted out from the heart of the Library and sucked into the portal. Then, it was followed by Dark Shadow and his people, who gave a little mock wave at me. I hurried to stop them, but I was too far away.
I stumbled onto the ground as the portal closed behind them. Right on cue, the entirety of the Library was rumbling and shaking. Without Imagination or Ravenna to uphold the structure, the Library itself was collapsing.
Yet, there was no way to escape. Everything needs to be powered by Imagination. Without it, the Library was an empty husk.
"Omen!"
I rushed to her side. Despite the chaos, she remained in her unconscious state. I used my cloak and body to shield her from any falling debris while thinking of ways to get out. Yet, try as I might, I couldn't.
Now would be a good time to materialize if there was any miracle.
It was like Ravenna heard my cries of help because her pocket watch started glowing from the inner pocket of my vest. Yet, it wasn't enough to transport away two people. In desperation, I looked towards the crumbling Library.
"Please, help us. I know you can hear me."
There was no answer. Only more rumbling, and it was getting more intense. I can see the corners of the Library disappearing like dust.
"Please! On account of Ravenna, who loves you more than anything in all the worlds!"
More parts of the Library disintegrated. Still, there was no response.
My little bit of hope within my heart extinguished. I held onto Omen tighter while still protecting her from the debris. I guess this was it. Maybe it was better this way. No more pain. No more regrets. No more living in fear of Omen's hatred-filled eyes.
But is that what I want? I could hear the little voice in my head asking me, that little bud of hope. Could I bear to give everything up so easily?
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to save us from being caught in the collapse of the Library. There was nothing more I could do. Yet, I could feel the suffocating unwillingness to accept such an end, and it was getting hotter. So hot that I thought that I was burning from my heart.
In realization, I opened my eyes and took out Ravenna's pocket watch, which was glowing harder than ever. It was a beacon of light with many more little lights feeding into it. The fragments of the Library were feeding into Ravenna's watch.
I watched in amazement and relief.
The Library could hear me.
Holding onto the watch with two hands while making sure I was in close contact with Omen, I closed my eyes and wished.
Wished that Omen and I could get to a safe place. To a place where we could find the last letter. To where we can get help. To a future where our lives are not anymore doomed.
To a better ending.
For all of us.
Including the "villains" of this story.