Irina's smile deepened as she watched the dark mass recede, revealing the man beneath. His black eyes opened, and she greeted him warmly. "Welcome, Klein Moretti, to my very own personal library."
Why is he standing? She thought with frustration. Whenever I enter here, I end up on the floor! Even Alexandria prefers the protagonist over me, its own Warden!
Klein glanced around curiously. "It's good to see you again. I was expecting... someone else."
Irina gestured to the couch, inviting him to sit. "'He' isn't here. It's just me."
The seer raised a brow in veiled surprise. "'He'? So, this place isn't yours?"
"No, it isn't." Irina gave a wry smile. "I can use it, yes, but not freely. You could say I'm 'His' blessed one. This library... it's dangerous. Many of the books here could make anyone lose themselves, become corrupted, or worse."
It's not fully mine... Nefiref is still the other Warden. Also, the longer I stay inside, the more spirituality I consume.
Klein seemed to consider her words carefully. "But not you, right? You have a special 'protection'."
Irina sighed. "Yes, but it's not omnipotent. Here, my protection is stronger, almost like a higher Sequence. Outside? It's very much normal. I still felt strain when handling the Antigonus Notebook. But in here... I was able to glimpse fragments of the future."
His eyes widened. "You know the future?"
Irina shook her head. "Not exactly. The future is always shifting. I only read a small portion, and even that can change. Klein, this world is different from ours. There's danger at every turn, and someone is always plotting behind the scenes. I can't tell you everything."
The Seer's expression grew serious. "Why? I don't need specifics. Just tell me what you can."
She looked down at her hands, her voice barely a whisper. "Great danger will befall the Blackthorn Security Company. I'm trying to stop it. I've already taken my first step by preventing the Captain from touching the Notebook."
She paused, gathering herself. "If you knew more, 'It' would plan ahead, disrupt everything. That's why I wanted to speak with you here—away from prying eyes."
Klein fell silent, thinking it over before nodding. "I think I understand."
I can't say more because of that cursed quill... Maybe once he's 'dead,' I'll be able to share the rest.
Irina leaned back, forcing a small smile. "So... you mentioned China?"
He blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "Oh, right. My name was Zhou Mingrui. I didn't live a remarkable life there—just another corporate slave. Then I woke up as Klein Moretti. Quite the strange turn of events."
She chuckled softly. "Seems we weren't so different. I was a secretary. My last memory? Falling off a rooftop during a company celebration. A wonderful way to go, don't you think?"
Klein's face softened. "I'm sorry to hear that."
She waved it off. "Don't be. I didn't have much there. I was an orphan in both lives. School, degree, job at the first place that'd take me. I didn't even have many friends. Most of my time was spent online. 'Quite the recluse', as my coworkers would say."
He nodded with a faint smile. "I can relate. I spent most of my free time online too. I remember playing this game called..."
They chatted for a while, reminiscing about the lives they once had, growing more familiar with each other. Time blurred until Irina felt the strain of energy creeping up on her.
"I'm really starting to get tired, Klein."
He looked mildly surprised. "But isn't this someone else's domain?"
Shit...
Irina sighed, feeling her exhaustion. "Technically, yes. But 'He's' asleep, so I can use it freely. Usually, I can stay longer, but with you here... it's draining me faster."
Klein's curiosity piqued. "Have you ever met 'Him'?"
She leaned back, remembering. "I have. 'His' face and parts of 'His' body were hidden behind some strange swirling shadows, just like the ones under our feet and above us." She said while indicating at both the glass-like floor and the never-ending darkness suspended above.
"We spoke briefly." She continued honestly, "'He' gave me some information about my Sequence and then said, and I quote, 'I'll send myself to some well-deserved sleep.' I've been wandering the library ever since, but 'He' is nowhere to be found."
Klein nodded, deep in thought. "I see... a shame I can't explore it myself."
Irina chuckled. "Sorry, Klein. Even I get headaches after reading some of the books here. I don't want to imagine what it would do to you, especially with your pathway."
Not even Sefirah Castle could shield you from everything hidden on these shelves.
The Seer nodded, understanding. "I wouldn't want to end up like those cautionary tales Old Neil used to tell."
Her expression darkened briefly at the mention of Neil, but she forced a lightness into her tone. "Exactly."
Klein rose, stretching slightly. "I should let you rest. We both need it after today. See you at training tomorrow?"
Irina crossed her arms, groaning. "Absolutely not. I'm skipping. You can't make me go."
The seer's mischievous grin appeared. "We'll see about that."
She groaned again, louder this time. "Ugh! You're becoming just like that annoying poet. I need to figure out a way to get back at Leonard tomorrow... but after I've had some sleep. See you at work, Seer."
Klein nodded with a smile. "Good night, Irina."
She waved him off, touching the imaginary book in the corner of her vision. As Klein dissolved into a dark swirling mass, melting into the ground, the book materialized in her hands. Its title glared back at her: Klein Moretti.
With a sigh, she placed it on the small table beside her.
Today was... something.
The afternoon sun hung high over Deweyville Library. She stood before a small group, her voice measured as she lectured on the impact Roselle's famous comedies had on modern theater. Teaching had become second nature to her, a role she'd taken on to better embody her Sequence. She could feel the final push toward fully assimilating it, but something remained elusive—some missing piece keeping her from advancing to Custodian.
Just as she emphasized Roselle's brilliance, the sharp crack of a gunshot rang out, freezing the room. For a split second, everything was still, the sound reverberating through the walls like a tangible force. Then came the chaos: glass shattering, the crash sending customers and staff alike into a frenzied panic.
I knew this was coming, Irina chastised herself, already sprinting toward the commotion. She arrived just in time to see a shadow leap from the broken window, blood splattering in its wake. Turning to the trembling librarian nearby, she demanded urgently, "What happened here?"
I already know, she thought, but I have to ask to keep up appearances.
The man stammered, "An officer... he was chasing a criminal and—"
"Did they both jump out of the window?" She cut him off.
A hesitant nod from the librarian was all she needed before another round of gunshots forced her decision.
Stairs or window? She deliberated briefly, before muttering to herself, I've fallen out of enough windows for one—two lifetimes.
Bolting for the library's entrance, Irina shouted for the crowd to clear a path. She burst into the alley behind the building, taking a sharp turn past the shattered oriel window until she found him.
Klein stood at the alley's entrance, leaning heavily on his cane, breathing hard. Crimson specks stained his coat, while at his feet lay a mangled, twitching figure of what was once a human body. Irina opened her mouth, ready to feign shock, when she felt the cold press of metal against her temple.
What—
"Chill man. It's just me, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man," she joked, raising her hands in mock surrender. I probably startled him, running in like that.
Klein's expression flickered with surprise as he lowered his revolver. "Irina? What are you doing here?"
He tossed his cane to the side before reloading the gun with more of what Irina assumed to be demon-hunting bullets. "Man, you look awful, not as awful as that thing, but still... I guess an explanation can wait, just give me the basics so I can help you deal with this mess."
Without wasting a beat, Irina took in the scene, noting how closely it followed the novel's events. Perfect, she thought. No deviations so far.
Klein grimaced before nodding. He began recounting how things had escalated while rummaging through the dead man's pockets. She stepped back, letting him take the lead. Blood had splattered everywhere, and the corpse's head was little more than a pulpy mess. His silver-inlaid cane was streaked with red, glinting darkly in the alley's dim light.
From the pockets, he extracted a bloodstained wallet, a Deweyville Library card, a pair of brass keys, a smoking pipe, a sheathed dagger, and a few folded letters—all items she had expected from her readings in Alexandria.
I'd be in a terrible situation without access to the library or that useful pocket mirror.
Klein laid everything on the ground except for the letters, he stood up straight and looked inside the wallet. "How much is in there?" She asked, gesturing to the wallet. "Please tell me it's multiple pounds."
The seer shook his head. "Ten soli and some copper pennies. Afraid not. Just ten plus soli and some copper pennies. The craftsmanship is quite exquisite though. It's a pity it got stained like this..."
As he began scanning through the letters, Klein glanced at her. "These items—they're safe, right?"
Irina blinked. Oh. He means if they're cursed or similar. Quickly, she activated her spirit vision. "Didn't check earlier, but they're safe now that I'm looking. Usually, I'd feel something even without spirit vision if they were dangerous."
Together, they silently skimmed the letters. Sirius, she recognized from the content—one of the men involved with the sale of the Antigonus Notebook. The letters mentioned someone named "Mr. Z," the Seer's Pathway, and the treasures on the Hornacis Mountain.
She watched Klein's reaction out of the corner of her eye. His pupils shrank, his grip on the paper tightening as the weight of the new information hit him. This must be shocking for him. Imaginable, she thought, stepping back to give him space.
Turning away, Irina inspected the shards of broken glass below the window. A small crowd had gathered, murmuring among themselves, their curiosity piqued.
Straightening, her voice rang out authoritatively, "We're probationary inspectors with the Special Operations Department. The criminal has been dealt with. Take this badge to the nearest police station and ask them to send backup."
She surveyed the crowd, her tone leaving no room for disobedience. "The rest of you, help me cordon off this area. We can't risk contaminating the scene."
One of the librarians, the same man from earlier, nodded. "Yes, officer!"
Irina felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Klein standing behind her, having finished reading the letters. "I'll leave the scene to you," he said, his tone brisk. "I need to communicate with the spirit before it's too late."
Nodding, she watched as the seer knelt near the corpse, setting up his preparations. All according to the novel, just as it's meant to be, she thought, quietly sealing off the area as Klein worked.
Moments later, she turned to find him within a formless barrier, completely cut off from the world outside. Her Pathway allowed her to see the energy swirling around him—a privilege few others shared.
She smiled to herself, admiring him for a moment. Had it not been for those stained clothes, he'd truly look like a fine scholar. The novel that described him as average didn't do him justice...
A quiet giggle escaped her as she lifted a hand to her lips. Justice. Get it? Just like Miss Justice.
The humor vanished instantly, replaced by a sudden chill.
Her breath caught as a powerful, foreboding aura washed over the alley. A strange, heavy force seemed to envelop Klein, its presence so suffocating that even from her position as a bystander, she could feel fear for her life. She couldn't move. She couldn't look away. All she could do was watch helplessly as Klein's legs buckled beneath him.