Emory stared at the enormous book before him, its pages beckoning with an enigmatic allure. Unsure of what to do next, he pondered whether to talk to the book as if talking to a person or simply open it as he did the last time. "Hello," he ventured, addressing the book directly, but received no response. Undeterred, he resolved to take the risk and open the cover of the book as he once did.
And the result was the same as it was the last time, an overwhelming flood of endless information surged into his mind, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness. Yet, Emory pressed on, driven by a relentless curiosity he decided not to stop just yet, he had to push himself to the limit and if he felt like he couldn't take it anymore he would pull himself out.
"Stop or you will die," Emory found himself uttering involuntarily, startled by his own words. With a swift motion, he severed the connection and found himself back in his room, back to the material realm.
"What the hell just happened?" Emory exclaimed, feeling a warm trickle of liquid down his nose. He reached up to touch it, only to realize it was blood. Before he could react, darkness enveloped him, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Emory's eyes fluttered open, he fumbled for his phone to check the time. The harsh glow of the screen momentarily stinging his eyes revealed that it was already 2 pm. Panic surged through him as he realized he had overslept by an egregious margin, with only an hour and a half left before school ended at 3:30.
His mind raced to the consequences of his lateness. His scholarship offered to him by the school was very clear about his attendance, he was not to miss no more than five days of school throughout the whole session. Now, with a precious day wasted, he was down to just four allowable absences.
Yet, amidst the turmoil, Emory found a silver lining. With the remainder of the afternoon suddenly free, he could devote more time to honing his skills and training. As much as he was tempted by the urge to sneak off to the bookstore and see what the place was like during school hours, he would much rather not work when he wasn't supposed to, believe it or not there were days where Emory had to do actual work and not some out of the ordinary things like battling fallen angels and training to face gods.
As Emory settled onto his bed, he retrieved the books Gabriel had given to him for honing his aether manipulation skills. He had read most of the books, and they all were offering the same thing, explanations on the nature of aether and various exercises to refine control, such as levitating objects and inducing rotation on said objects. With only one bookleft unread, he eagerly cracked it open.
"Shaping Exercises," the title beckoned to him, igniting a spark of excitement within Emory, that was exactly what he needed at the moment, how convenient. He read and read paragraphs upon paragraphs of the fundamentals and know-how of shaping and how to shape aether, shaping mostly required control, mental visualization and the ability to multitask. Afterall it would be useless to spend all your focus on shaping aether and being unable to hold the shape whilst using it.
Hours slipped by unnoticed as Emory immersed himself in practice, the room resonating with the subtle hum of aetheric energy under his command. But as the time neared for his shift at the shop, he reluctantly set aside his studies and prepared to depart.
Emory decided it was time to put a pause on his practice, as it was almost time for his shift to begin. Emory freshened up and made his way to the bookstore.
Emory pushed open the door to the shop, expecting to see Gabriel and Michael or anyone of the two archangels Instead, the familiar interior was eerily quiet. "Michael? Gabriel?" he called out, scanning the empty space.
A few moments later, Gabriel sauntered out from the back room, his expression as indifferent as ever. "Hey, Emory," he greeted lazily, not bothering to hide his boredom.
Emory's brows furrowed in confusion. "Where's Michael?" he inquired,
Gabriel shrugged nonchalantly. "Out for something," he replied vaguely, avoiding any specifics.
Emory couldn't help but speculate. "Clean up duty?" he guessed.
Gabriel shook his head. "Nah, something else," he dismissed casually, his attention momentarily piqued by Emory's attire.
Noticing Gabriel's curious glance, Emory explained, "Overslept. Missed a school day." He gestured to his casual clothes, a silent admission of his tardiness.
Gabriel's lips quirked into a sardonic smile. "Must be nice, being able to sleep the whole day away," he remarked, a hint of envy underlying his tone.
"It wasn't intentional, it was that damn book again" Emory said
"You mean you tried to commune with it again, how did it go" Gabriel asked curiously "I'm guessing not too well" he said after seeing Emory's unsmiling face.
Emory told Gabriel exactly how everything went, not leaving anything out especially at the part where he unintentionally threatened himself.
Gabriel placed his index finger on his chin after listening to Emory's story, stroking an imaginary beard, a pondering expression on his face. Gabriel's expression shifted to one of realization in an instant. "Of course! How could I have forgotten," he exclaimed, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice.
"The record isn't a tool nor is it an equipment," Gabriel explained, his words carrying a weight of solemnity. "It is one of the first creations of my father, the creator, and it possesses its own consciousness."
Emory's eyes widened in astonishment. "You mean... it's alive?" he ventured, struggling to comprehend the implications of Gabriel's words.
Gabriel shook his head slowly. "No, not alive in the traditional sense," he clarified. "But it possesses a consciousness, a form of awareness that transcends mere existence"
Gabriel continued, his tone grave yet resolute. "When you attempted to forcefully extract information from the record, it responded with an unending flood of data as a defense mechanism. So next time, try to communicate differently. Speak to the record, not just with your mouth, but with your entire being. Feel its presence, its essence and 'talk' to it."
Emory and Gabriel prepared to venture to the backroom for their attempt at communication with the record, the gentle jingle of the bell above the door alerted the pair of the arrival of someone. Instantly, their attention was drawn to the door
"Who could it be?" Emory mused aloud, a flicker of curiosity dancing in his eyes. No one uses the front door except Emory, they never get customers, or wait could it really be— no way...a customer?!
As if on cue, they turned in unison and were met with the figure of a short, elderly lady adorned with spectacles. Her innocent expression belied the significance of her presence.
"Hello, I would like to purchase a book please"she said as she glanced around, inspecting the shop
Emory and Gabriel exchanged a glance, a shared moment of disbelief mingled with excitement. Could it truly be—a customer?
With a warm smile, Emory approached the woman, his demeanor polite and welcoming. "Please, tell me what kind of book you're looking for," he offered graciously. "We have a wide selection to choose from."
"But I don't think you have the book I'm looking to buy, do you?" she said
"Just give us the name ma'am, I'm sure we have it and if we don't, we will direct you to where you can find it but I highly doubt we don't have the book" Emory said, putting up his friendliest smile
The old woman's gaze bore into Emory, her words hung heavy in the air, carrying with them a weight of unimaginable magnitude. "I seek a tome of unparalleled scale," she began, her voice low and ominous, "a book that encompasses knowledge of all things in existence and non-existence, past, present, and future. Have you seen such a thing, Emory?"
Emory recoiled, stunned by her request, feeling an unsettling presence settle over the once peaceful atmosphere of the bookstore. Suddenly, a palpable sense of dread descended filled the bookstore as the old woman's demeanor shifted, her features contorting into a malevolent grin.
The woman's innocent facade crumbled, revealing a malevolent and otherly evil aura that seemed to seep from her very being. Emory's muscles tensed, as he fell to his knees, his legs unable to keep him standing as the hair on his body stood at attention screaming danger, but Emory could not move betraying the fear coursing through his veins.
Gabriel rushed towards the old woman in a bid to get Emory to safety, But even as Gabriel rushed to Emory's side, the old woman's voice morphed into something dark and menacing "Since when do you have the right to stand, let alone walk while I stand, Gabriel?" she spat, her words laced with malice
Gabriel's own fear was palpable as he dropped to his knees, the weight of the woman's presence bearing down on him. In a trembling voice, he dared to question her true identity "Who are you… what are you?" he summoned the courage to ask
"Surely, you haven't forgotten me, that's disappointing," the old woman sneered. "It's only been a few billion years since your beloved father cast me out."
"H-Heilel?" Gabriel's voice quivered, disbelief mingling with the raw terror that consumed him.