When Yanz awoke, he was engulfed in darkness. His body ached, the toll of the previous day's ordeal weighing heavily on him. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the faint sound of his own breathing. But amidst the blackness, a tiny dot of light flickered in the distance, a small beacon of hope in the otherwise impenetrable gloom.
Driven by curiosity and the need for orientation, Yanz struggled to his feet, his limbs still trembling with exhaustion. He focused on the light, using it as a guide. Step by step, he moved forward, but after only a few paces, his foot caught on something solid. He tumbled to the floor, the impact jarring his already battered body. Pain shot through him, forcing him to stay down for a moment, gasping in the pitch-black void.
Eventually, he pushed himself up, driven by a stubborn resolve not to succumb to the darkness. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the source of the light. It was a small window, almost completely obscured by a thick layer of dust. He hesitated for a moment, then extended his finger, gently touching the spot where the light seeped through. The tiny dot of light grew slightly larger at his touch.
Yanz wiped the window with his hand, the thick dust clinging to his skin. As he cleared the glass, sunlight burst into the room, flooding it with a sudden brightness that made Yanz flinch. The transition from total darkness to the harsh morning light was overwhelming, and he instinctively shielded his eyes. Slowly, he adjusted, blinking as his vision returned.
The morning sun bathed the room in a soft, golden hue. Outside, birds chirped, a cheerful contrast to the eerie silence that had filled the library. As his eyes adjusted, Yanz took in his surroundings. The light, though bright, did not fully illuminate the vast space. Determined to see more, Yanz stripped off his tattered shirt, using it to wipe away the remaining dust on the window. With each stroke, more light entered, revealing the room in greater detail.
What he saw astonished him. The interior was stunning, far more beautiful than he had imagined. The ceiling was high and rounded, adorned with intricate artwork that spoke of a long-lost era of craftsmanship. Broken wooden chairs and tables were scattered across the floor, remnants of a time when the library might have been a place of learning and gathering. A large desk stood near the entrance, solid yet worn, as though it had borne the weight of countless secrets. Shelves lined the walls, though they held only a few books, each one thickly coated in dust.
Above, an inside balcony overlooked the main floor, adding to the grandeur of the space. Yet despite its faded beauty, the library felt abandoned, forgotten by time. The once-proud structure had fallen into decay, its contents long neglected.
Yanz's stomach growled, reminding him of his dire need for food. The bread he had eaten the night before had done little to sustain him, and now hunger gnawed at him with renewed intensity. He knew that anything he might find in this place would be long spoiled, but desperation drove him to search anyway.
He scoured the room, checking behind the desk and peering into shadowy corners, hoping against hope that something edible had somehow survived. As he moved behind the large desk, something unusual caught his eye—a bright blue book, sitting in stark contrast to the dust-covered surroundings. It was pristine, not a speck of dust on it, as if it had been untouched by time.
Yanz's heart quickened. He reached out, his fingers brushing the smooth cover. Despite the foreign script on the front, he found he could read the title with ease: "The Codex of Truth."
The name resonated with him, a promise of answers, perhaps even a way to understand the bizarre world he had been thrust into. He hesitated only for a moment before opening the book. As soon as he did, a blinding light erupted from its pages, enveloping him in its glow.
His vision blurred, and before he could comprehend what was happening, his consciousness slipped away. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast, empty white room, a void stretching endlessly in all directions. There was nothing—no walls, no ceiling, no landmarks to give him a sense of place.
Just as confusion began to set in, an old man appeared out of thin air, his presence commanding yet serene. Yanz stared, unable to comprehend the sight before him. The library, the world outside, the blue book—it all faded away, leaving only the old man and the infinite white space around them.
*This was no ordinary book,* Yanz realized. Whatever was about to happen, he knew it would change everything he thought he knew about the world he had awakened in.