The library, although old, was spacious and stocked with books from nearly every field related to the university's faculties. There were also light reading books for students looking to relax.
I chose to browse through books on all types of spirits and ghosts, which is why I now had five or six of them piled in front of me. But it seemed like the covers of the books I picked were too attention-grabbing—people walking by were giving me curious looks.
Staring that much, why don't you come read with me?
Hmm… I get it, there are lots of different types of ghosts, but they all look so similar! Ugh! This is so frustrating. That ghost girl… she's not a house spirit; she hasn't been in my house from the start. A demon? Nah, that doesn't seem right. She's more like a wandering spirit. Besides, the most important thing is, we met here.
So, she might be a student who passed away here because she's wearing a student uniform, with the same faculty pin as me...
Wait... same faculty? If I ask the professors, maybe I'll find something... No, they usually cover up student deaths, and I'm not exactly the type who likes talking to professors either. If I ask, I'll probably just look even weirder.
Hmm? What if I ask that librarian? She seems nicer than the other one, and She's a bit older. Maybe She knows something...
Worth a shot.
"…Hello."
"Yes? Is there a book you can't find?" The librarian, who's much older than me, spoke softly with a friendly tone.
"Has there ever been a cute girl who died here?"
Wait, what did I just say?! I was so nervous that I blurted it out without thinking...
OH NO! SHE LOOKS SO CONFUSED!
"I don't understand your question…" The librarian's face was filled with confusion.
"Umm… well…" I rubbed my forehead in embarrassment, trying to remember something about that ghost girl.
What came to mind was her student uniform and the arts faculty pin… That's it!
"I just want to know if there was a female arts student who passed away on campus? I don't know her name, but she looks a bit mixed-race, with light brown wavy hair, big light brown eyes. She seems cheerful… uh, she wears a pleated skirt down to her calves..." I tried to describe everything I could about her.
The librarian in front of me frowned slightly after hearing my description.
...Oh, I probably made no sense. No wonder She's making that face. Guess this is hopeless.
"Where did you hear about this?" The librarian's friendly tone had turned serious, filled with tension that made me feel uneasy.
Did I mess with something I shouldn't have...?
"I can't tell you... but this is really important to me. If you could..."
I pleaded with a stranger in a way I'd never done before, feeling uncomfortable about not being able to tell him I could see ghosts. I didn't want him to give me a weird look instead of the answer I was seeking.
"We can't talk about this here," the librarian whispered, standing still for a moment before handing me a piece of paper. "Write your contact information on this."
Just for information about her? Is it that serious? How big of a deal is this...
I've come this far… there's no turning back now.
I wrote down my name and number as instructed, and once everything was done, I excused myself and headed home before sunset.
Ah… crap, I almost forgot to grab my books...
These books are completely useless for what I'm looking for. That ghost girl is clearly a wandering spirit. If she were a demon, she'd have eaten me by now.
Ugh, I feel uneasy… I should hurry home...
Even though I love reading, I can't stand libraries, especially old ones like this one, which is over a hundred years old. It's gloomy and feels suffocating. Just looking at those old wooden shelves makes me even more uncomfortable.
Old places like this always have something strange about them, especially for people like me who have a "sense." Take, for example…
That book-loving student ghost over there. She's sitting with her knees up, reading in the dark corner of the library. I can tell because I can see her transparent legs.
Even if these ghosts don't usually harm anyone, it's still best to avoid them as much as possible.
But this library… it's too big. I've been walking forever and still haven't reached the exit...
WAIT... DAMN IT. I MESSED UP, DIDN'T I?
"…Sigh."
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my temples.
When I took a closer look around, I noticed how everything had changed. The atmosphere had become more eerie, the once-orange sunlight now glowing a deep red through the small windows, and the silence had become deafening.
I knew exactly what was happening to me.
This university has a lot of old legends, but the most famous one is about this very library. The story says that there's a secret area in the library that many students have accidentally wandered into. It's not just some scary tale to scare off couples trying to sneak into the library for a make-out session—
this is real,
and I'm living it right now.
'Click… click… click…'
"!!!"
I ducked down instantly at the sound of heels clicking against the floor in time with someone's footsteps, echoing in the strange silence of the library.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something walking down the aisle. I was sure it wasn't human, at least not the same type as me, so I kept completely silent, trying not to get caught.
Some people don't know this, but this world has what I call 'MYSTICAL DIMENSIONS.' I don't know what others call them, but that's what I call them. They're not part of the world we live in—everything is distorted and strange. Anyone can stumble into these dimensions, and I've done some research on it just in case it happened to me one day.
And today is that day… though it's not my first time, it still freaks me out.
The legend of this library is pretty well-known, so there are lots of stories about it on the internet, even survival guides. But getting out of here isn't easy—it's a library, after all.
Experience makes you stronger, even when you get thrown into it unexpectedly.
Once, when I got lost in a mystical dimension, it was terrifying. I was shaken for a whole month. After that, I started researching more about other worlds.
The way out of here is to find a specific book, which happens to be the favorite of the ghostly librarian who's been wandering around the library. It's on the fourth shelf, fourth row, fourth book, on the right side of the main librarian's desk.
Sounds easy, right? Nope. It's tough for me.
You have to be super quiet while sneaking around. If you make any noise, your life's over.
'CLICK… CLICK… CLICK…'
The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the library. The owner of those heels would walk around, looking for anything unusual, and if they heard a noise, they'd chase after it immediately.
I have no idea why. She's a librarian, for goodness' sake! And she's the one making all the noise, running around and disturbing people who are just here to read. It's maddening!
"..." I swallowed nervously.
Alright… I can't waste any more time. All I want is to go home,
take a shower,
and sleep.
Twenty meters is the distance between me and my goal.
That's so far away! I have to tiptoe like this just to muffle the sound of my own shoes? What rotten luck! And I just did a good deed this morning, too! I'm sure I stepped out with my left foot first this morning.
The thing that worries me the most is that it can touch me. A ghost with personal space like this is a privileged ghost, an elite ghost. It can do anything it wants in its own world, which means I could be stuck here forever or, worse, die and become a ghost here.
'THUD!!!'
Huh...?
Oh crap!! My stupid bag!!
Runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrun!!!
"I told you, no loud noises in the library!!" The voice of the ghost librarian yelled behind me, heels clicking rapidly as she gave chase.
'THUMP!'
"Oww!!!" A thick book hit me hard, sending me rolling to the ground. I snapped back to my senses and tried to get up, but my body wouldn't move.
Damn it!! Why can't I move?!
'CLICK… CLICK… CLICK…'
The sound of heels drew closer as the ghost, with a blank, emotionless face, stepped toward me. My heart raced wildly with fear.
That blank face, the pitch-black eye sockets behind thick glasses, stared right at me. The closer she got, the louder the heels sounded, to the point that it felt like they were piercing my eardrums.
"Urgh..." I groaned in agony, unable to cover my zears from the noise.
The ghost stopped right in front of me, holding a ruler and slapping it against her palm, creating a sharp sound.
"Library rules... no loud noises..." she said in a monotone voice, still staring at me. The ruler hit her palm faster and faster until I saw red liquid splatter from her hand. The bright red blood flew into my face.
...Well, that's it, huh? Twenty-one years of life and it ends here, in my own university library. Pathetic. But to be honest, I'd already come to terms with this. One day, I knew I might die at the hands of these things. If I'm reincarnated, please let me not see them again. I just want a normal life.
"…"
As my heart began to resign itself, I closed my eyes, ready to accept the approaching death.
The sound of the ruler striking went silent, as if it had shifted its target to me. Though I couldn't open my eyes to see, I could guess what was about to happen.
'Thud!' "…AAAAAAHHH!!" The unexpected scream combined with a loud thud made me open my eyes to witness the unforeseen event.
"Hehe, what are you doing sitting on the floor, Khun Ran? Practicing your obeisance?" a teasing voice asked, accompanied by an annoyingly smug smile.
"How did you get here?!"
"...YOU!!! RUDE!!" shouted the person who had just fallen, clearly furious.
he ghost girl turned to me and shouted, "Forget about that for now! Hurry up and get out of here!"
"uh, OKAY!!"
I quickly did as she said and ran to the fourth bookshelf, grabbing that book immediately.
Meanwhile, the ghost was distracting the librarian ghost to keep her from targeting me.
I hurriedly opened the book in my hands without wasting a second. In an instant, my vision was flooded with blinding white light, making everything else invisible. I shut my eyes, feeling a sting from the brightness.
"...!!" I jolted awake as someone shook my shoulder.
"Hey! Get out of here right now! It's past closing time!" the librarian staff nudged me until I came back to my senses.
"What? Oh! Yes!!" I replied in confusion before rushing out of that creepy library as fast as I could.
Let me tell you,
anyone who wants to stay, go ahead! I'm not staying!
And I'm never coming back!