Dear Reader, welcome to the Library. We hope that your stay here is as pleasant as possible. In this place, time stands still. Even if you spend just one day here, the outside world continues on its course. Each of your most precious memories—your first bike, your first day of school, your first love—is recorded in a special journal. A journal that is your life, condensed into pages.
However, life has cycles. Like the lotus flower that dies to be reborn, so too do we leave behind a life to enter this new world of memories. To keep your records safe, just write your name in the journal you hold in your hands.
Please stand up. With pencil in hand, close your eyes and write your name on the first blank page.
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CRITICAL ERROR: DATA CORRUPTION. UNABLE TO STORAGE SAFELY. PRESERVATION WARRANTY VOID. We promise to care for your memories as if they were our own... [DATA CORRUPTED] Here you will find a safe haven... [ERROR 404: DELETION PROCESS SUBJECT "NONAME"] in the shadows [SUBJECT DELETED];
Seven days after Yuuki, Minho, Saem and Ji-Hoon left, the Library was plunged into chaos. The Spiral Tree, which connected this place to the outside world, was withering at an alarming rate. Minjun, the leader of the surveillance team, watched with growing concern as the tree deteriorated. "What is bound here is bound forever," recalled the library's old motto. A phrase that resonated even louder now that the balance was shaken.
Suddenly, an alarm rang through the halls. "Attention, attention. Total evacuation of Permanent Records Sector E is required." Minjun was alarmed to hear the message. His brother, Seo-Jun, worked in that sector. With a heavy heart, he ran to the affected area.
When he arrived, he found a gruesome scene. Wounded registrars lying on the ground, their faces marked by burns. Diaries were disintegrating one after another, as if an evil force was consuming them. The librarian and Jan arrived at the scene, visibly worried. However, the librarian's gaze was lost in the distance, as if he were contemplating something beyond the catastrophe.
Minjun, desperate to find his brother, made his way through the crowd. Spotting a familiar pen on the ground, he felt a pang in his heart. It was the gift he had given Seo-Jun. Following the pen, he found his brother lying on the ground, unconscious and with one hand amputated.
"Seo-Jun! Wake up!" Minjun screamed desperately. His voice echoed through the chaotic hallway, filled with pain and anguish. He knelt beside his brother, clutching his severed hand. Blood stained the floor, turning the pale light filtering through the windows red. Seo-Jun! "Wake up!" Minjun shouted in despair. A registrar came over and informed him that Seo-Jun had been found in critical condition. Minjun, heartbroken, clung to his brother's pen.
Young-Chul, the director of the Incomplete Records Area, walked over slowly. His eyes, filled with compassion, rested on Minjun's heartbroken figure. "Minjun, your brother will be fine, I assure you of all that I love most," he whispered, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder.
But Minjun couldn't hear him. His mind was clouded with pain and despair. "How can he be fine?" he asked hoarsely, his gaze fixed on his brother's pale face. "They just took his hand away."
Young-Chul knew how difficult it was for Minjun to accept this reality. Seo-Jun was more than a brother to him; he was his companion, his confidant. "I know it's hard to accept, but the doctors are doing their best. The library has the best resources to care for the injured."
Minjun nodded, but his eyes were still filled with tears. "I don't understand why this is happening to us," he whispered. "The library has always been a safe place."
Young-Chul sighed. "I know, Minjun. But sometimes, even the safest places can be affected by forces beyond our control."
At that moment, a group of nurses arrived to transfer Seo-Jun to the infirmary. Minjun refused to let go of his brother's hand until the very last moment.
As he left Sector E, Minjun felt completely lost. The world around him seemed to have become dark and cold. He leaned on Young-Chul, seeking comfort in his presence. The director led him to a quiet place where they could talk.
"Minjun, I know you're going through a very difficult time," Young-Chul began. "But you must be strong. We need your help."
Minjun looked up, surprised. "My help?"
"Yes, Minjun. We need someone like you, someone strong and brave, to lead the registrars through these difficult times."
Minjun fell into thought. He knew he had to be strong for his brother, for his friends, and for the library. He nodded determinedly. "I'll do everything I can," he promised.
At that moment, Jun, the impulsive young man, walked up to the librarian and grabbed him by the arm. "What have you done?" he snapped, full of anger. "This is all your fault. Answer!" The librarian looked at him sadly, but said nothing.
"Young-Chul stepped between Jun and the librarian, trying to calm the situation. Jun, blinded by anger and helplessness, was on the verge of losing control. 'That damn Yuuki should never have come,' he bellowed, 'without him, none of this would have happened. What do you know that you're not telling us, librarian? Look around you! Everything is destroyed. Is this what you wanted?'
The librarian looked at him sadly. 'Jun, I understand your frustration, but blaming just one person won't solve anything. Forces beyond our control are at work here.'
'Of course,' Jun insisted. 'You're responsible. You're the guardian of this place. What did you do?' His voice trembled with anger. 'These diaries are my life. I've spent years organizing them, taking care of them. And now, they're being destroyed.'
Minjun, who had been silently watching the scene, approached his brother, Seo-Jun, who was lying unconscious on a stretcher. 'Seo-Jun,' he whispered, caressing his face. 'We'll get through this, I promise.'
The librarian looked at Minjun with a mix of sadness and guilt. He knew he had to do something, and fast. But what could he do?
Minjun, for his part, only thought of his brother. The image of the drawing he had found in Seo-Jun's diary, with the two of them smiling together, filled him with deep sadness. He promised himself that he would do everything he could to save his brother and stop the corruption that threatened the library.
Meanwhile, Jun, plunged into despair, kept blaming the librarian for what had happened. The diaries, which were more than just records to him, were part of his life, part of his identity. Ever since he came to the library decades ago, this place had been his world. He had spent countless hours organizing and cataloging the diaries, feeling a deep connection with the souls who had left their stories captured in those pages. Every evening, as the library's great sun transformed into a moon and its light bathed the Spiral Tree, Jun immersed himself in reading the diaries, fascinated by the lives that unfolded between their lines. Watching those treasures being consumed by the shadows now filled him with endless sadness."
He remembered the first time the librarian had watched him as he worked with the journals. It had been a quiet afternoon in the library, and Jun had found himself immersed in organizing the ancient scrolls. Suddenly, he felt a gaze upon him. Looking up, he met the librarian's kind eyes, who smiled at him approvingly. Since that day, a special connection had been forged between them.
The librarian had been more than just a superior to Jun. He had been a friend, a confidant, and a spiritual guide. Together they had unraveled the deepest secrets of the library, and had shared countless hours of conversation about the past, present, and future. The librarian had taught Jun not only how to organize the journals, but also how to understand the importance of history and the preservation of knowledge.
He also remembered that day in the large dining hall. It had been a quiet moment in the midst of his busy life as a registrar. Minho, a young man full of energy, had approached him to chat. "Good eons, Jun, how's work?" Minho had asked with a smile. Jun had smiled back, finding the peculiar greeting amusing. "Good eons, Minho. Hey, why do you say 'eons'? What a bizarre word!" Minho had burst out laughing. "That sounds so funny! How are you doing at the registrar academy?"
They had chatted for a while, remembering those moments of camaraderie. Jun had felt a certain connection with Minho, a young man full of energy and curiosity.
Just as he was about to reach the librarian, the latter stopped and turned to him. "Wait, where do you think you're going, Ha...." a deafening explosion shook the library. The ground shook beneath his feet, and a wave of heat enveloped him. Jun fell to the ground, dazed and disoriented. The dust had turned into a thick cloud that obscured everything around him. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was injured. A sharp pain ran through his left arm, and he felt a loud ringing in his ears.
Through the cloud of dust, he could see how a part of the ceiling had collapsed, revealing the night sky. The books that were on the shelves near the explosion had been thrown into the air, and some had fallen on him.
The library alarms echoed throughout the building, alerting everyone to the emergency. Minjun, who was nearby, heard the roar and ran to the site of the explosion. Finding Jun lying on the ground, surrounded by rubble, he rushed to help him. "Jun! Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" Minjun asked in a worried voice.
Jun, still dazed, managed to stammer, "The librarian… he has to be hurt…"
Minjun nodded and stood up. "I'm going to get help. Stay here." Before walking away, he made sure Jun was as comfortable as possible.
Meanwhile, Jun looked around in disbelief. The library, which had always been a place of peace and tranquility, was now in chaos. He felt guilty about what had happened, but he was also filled with determination. He swore he saw a shadow move through the books before the explosion. He had to find the librarian and find out what had happened.
Carefully, he took the damaged diary from the librarian. The pages were torn and covered in dust, but the photograph of the two of them, smiling together, was still intact. "I should never have pursued you," Jun whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks. In that moment, he understood the depth of his loss and the importance of the librarian's figure in his life. The diary, now a symbol of their broken friendship, became an even more precious treasure.
Days passed in the library, Jun, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation, had experienced a succession of traumatic events. The destruction of an entire section, the corruption of the soul diaries, and the mysterious disappearance of the librarian had sown uncertainty in his heart. Wounded and with the librarian's damaged diary in his hands, he felt guilty and overwhelmed by responsibility.
Together with Young-Chul and Minjun, they headed to the Hall of Time to analyze the situation. The map of the world, projected on a large screen, showed the critical state of the Spiral Tree. Its once lush branches were now withering at an alarming rate. Young-Chul, in a grave voice, warned, "The Spiral Tree is our only bridge to the world of the living. If it withers, all existence, both here and there, will disappear."
A shocked Minjun asked, "How is it possible that such a thing is happening? And why are we not receiving help from the Soul Bank?" Young-Chul replied sadly, "The Soul Bank, which is in charge of safeguarding souls before their reincarnation, seems to have been cut off. The Spiral Tree might be preventing any communication."
Jun, with a trembling voice, revealed a secret that the librarian had confided to him: Before I took over the management of this department, the librarian confided to me an ancient secret. At the dawn of creation, when the world of the living was still young, the souls of the deceased wandered aimlessly. There were no concepts such as heaven or hell; Souls simply wandered around, often clinging to the living and causing confusion and suffering.
To solve this chaos, the Spiral Tree emerged. Out of nowhere, in an empty space, a branch sprouted and grew into a majestic tree. This tree did not have the spiral shape we know today, but was leafy and full of life. Wandering souls were drawn to it and encapsulated themselves in its fruits, thus finding a place of rest.
Faced with this new reality, three institutions were created: the library, where the souls' diaries are kept and history is studied; the department of the dead, in charge of registering all the deceased; and the soul bank, where souls who wish to be reincarnated are preserved. These three places are connected to the Spiral Tree, which acts as a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead."
"That is, if the tree dies, everything will disappear," Minjun said, his voice shaking. Jun nodded, his eyes fixed on the map of the Spiral Tree. He remembered the last time he had spoken to the librarian, how he had told him about the importance of the Tree for the balance of all worlds. A tear slipped down his cheek.
Young-Chul, noticing Jun's distress, approached and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jun, the librarian appreciated you very much. He would never want you to be discouraged, especially in a situation like this. We can't give up, and especially not now, you are the second in command, and you must think, what would the librarian do right now?"
Jun looked at the damaged journal in his hands. "I don't know what to do, Young-Chul. I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't argued with him..."
'Don't blame yourself, Jun. We must now focus on finding a solution. Understand that our hope lies with Yuuki and Minho, and let's not leave aside Saem and Ji-Hoon, our communication specialists. According to the timeline, it's already been 2 days in the world of the living, you only have 48 hours left to be able to communicate with them. Here, 2 weeks of events have already passed.'
Minjun nodded with determination. 'Mr. Jun, we can't just sit back and wait and see. You have our full support, don't be discouraged.'
Hearing these words and the sense of urgency, Jun sat up straight. 'Alright, I'll do it. Thank you for your support. Have the communications department contact Saem and Ji-Hoon. They should be waiting for some response from us. Minjun, have your security team reinforce both perimeters and set up safe zones. Have all the registrar staff protected and continue their work. There's no time to waste. I'll go to the librarian's office in the meantime to contact them.'
With a lump in his throat, Jun took the lead. He ordered his teams to reinforce security, keep the staff calm, and establish contact with rescue teams in the living world. By saying this, Jun was taking the lead of the library in the librarian's absence. With a mix of determination and regret, he headed towards the librarian's office, determined to find a solution and honor his mentor's memory.
In the dim light of the room, the librarian woke up disoriented. Only traces of screams and Jun's insistence echoed in his mind. With his body aching, he sat up and looked around in surprise. Where was he? The unfamiliar and oppressive room was filled with portraits that stared at him with empty eyes. They all wore the same robes as him, and next to each one rested a diary on a small altar.
A feeling of unease invaded him when he recognized his own face in one of the portraits. His name, "Benevolent Il-Seong," was inscribed below, along with dates spanning centuries. He remembered the oath before the Spiral Tree, but these dates defied all logic. How was it possible that there had been so many librarians before him?
Suddenly, the room was illuminated with a blinding light and funeral bells rang out. The portraits came to life, their eyes fixed on him. Terrified, Il-Seong exclaimed, "Who are you? What am I doing here?" The spectral figures laughed and burned away in ghostly flames along with their journals.
Through a door that opened, the librarian entered an adjacent room. There, ancient books covered the walls and in the center, a luminous box projected the image of Yuuki. However, next to his name appeared a disconcerting date: "Year 0, Creator Father Most Excellent Lord Aureo Dea."
Some books began to fall and, when he picked one up, his curiosity caught his attention. It was titled "Creation of the Library." He began to leaf through the book, trying to understand the meaning of what he was experiencing. The more he read, the more he understood the real purpose of the library and the Spiral Tree. Hastily, he picked up the book, hoping to get out of that place somehow. However, when he realized that he didn't have his diary with him, he nodded in resignation: he would be trapped there forever.
As he walked out of the place where he had found the book, he heard a familiar voice: "Benevolent Il-Seong, welcome to the Hall of Librarians, protectors of the truth of the library and its existence. I never thought you would come this far. I warned you when you decided to send Yuuki back to the world of the living, and here you are, trapped in a place between places, where there is no beginning or end, where the ancestors of the great Golden Father Dea are housed. What do you think of this place?"
Ethel spoke those words with irony. Il-Seong replied firmly: "Ethel, of all the infamous ones, it had to be you. I knew you were up to something and I made the worst mistake of my life by listening to you. Do you want to destroy the library? Do you not understand the importance of this place? Besides, you were also one of us."
Ethel laughed casually. "Yes, although I was a librarian, it was a position I never applied for. It was the Spiral Tree that chose me, as well as you. But you know the funny thing about all this, Il-Seong: you never completely gave up your name. Did the Tree stop you?"
Il-Seong, confused, exclaimed, "What do you mean I didn't give up my name?"
Ethel continued, "At the succession ceremony, the Spiral Tree not only chose you, but it also refused to erase your name from the diary. Diaries don't lie, Il-Seong. That's why you pretended to write your name in it. It's interesting how the Tree plays with us. It's a tree that should disappear along with everything else."
Il-Seong defiantly replied, "How dare you tarnish the sacred purpose of the Tree and the library? How dare you insult our work in safeguarding these records?"
Ethel, unfazed, said, "I see that your convictions remain firm despite everything. I will wait impatiently for your first plan to fail and for Yuuki not to meet Minho again. It will be a delight to see everything you love fall apart. But I take my leave, Il-Seong. I hope your stay here is a pleasant one."
With those words, Ethel disappeared. Il-Seong stood alone, reflecting on what had just happened. He knew he had to find a way to get out of there and protect the library. In his thoughts, he called out to Jin, "Jin, it is now your turn to continue my work. I will do my best to find out what is really going on. I am sorry for having been a bad friend."
And so, Il-Seong entered the unfamiliar Librarians' Hall, determined to face the challenges that awaited him."
As he explored the unfamiliar place, Il-Seong couldn't help but notice the similarities with the library's annexes. The architecture, though strange, was familiar to him. He wondered, with a wry smile, what Jun would say to him if he were by his side. He was sure he would find some joke to make fun of him. However, the idea of hearing his friend's voice comforted him in the midst of that loneliness.
He decided to distract himself with the book he had rescued. Reading about the creation of a facility for "lost souls," he realized that the library played a much more important role than he had imagined. "In the year 2654, Librarian Alfons, guardian of the Spiral Tree—an ancient entity that connected the world of the living with that of the dead—made a crucial decision. He decided to create a room to safeguard the journals of deceased librarians, a place away from the hustle and bustle of the Soul Bank, which refused to take them. Alfons, however, soon discovered the reason for this refusal: the Spiral Tree, in an act that seemed to contradict its benevolent nature, absorbed the soul of each new librarian. Why did it punish those who served it loyally in this way?
He continued reading until he reached the name of Ethel's predecessor, "3456 of the golden year, by arbitrary decision of the registrar Ethel, it has been decided to eliminate the librarians' lounge, I don't know the reasons, but it was an overwhelming majority vote, it is said in the halls that he yearns for the freedom of all the registrars, that working for the golden tree was enslaving and that the tree does not decide for us what we have to live, but I will leave a place where it can communicate with the library so that Ethel does not fulfill her mission of destroying everything we have worked for," reading about a place that can communicate with the outside of this world, gave him a glimmer of hope, and he set out in search of it.
The gloom of the library enveloped Jun like a wet blanket. His eyes, normally bright, were dull, reflecting the sadness that consumed him since Il-Seong's disappearance. They were inseparable, two soul mates united by the love of books and mutual company. Now, his friend's absence weighed on him like a stone.
He approached the small table where they had shared so many hours of reading and discussion. There, among dusty books and framed photographs, he found solace. His fingers caressed a picture where the three friends, Jun, Il-Seong and Minho, smiled radiantly. "We had good times together, didn't we, Il-Seong?" he whispered, his voice hoarse from suppressed emotion.
He took Il-Seong's diary, its cover worn by time. He flipped through the yellowed pages, stopping at an entry that left him frozen. Il-Seong was suspicious of Ethel and her damn pencil. Could it be possible that the cheerful librarian they knew was involved in something so dark? The thought was terrifying.
At that moment, Minjun entered the office. "Jun, we have news of Saem and Ji-Hoon." Jun nodded, not taking his eyes off the diary. The conversation with his colleagues plunged him into a sea of doubts and suspicions. How could they have been so blind? How had they allowed Ethel to manipulate everyone?
After learning that they found Yuuki and Minho a part of him calmed down, but they had lost valuable time, and he gave them the task of stopping being non-living and abiding by the rules of the world of the living, as the Librarian had taught them.
Minjun blinked, bewildered. The idea of giving up his current existence and becoming a mortal was as absurd as it was fascinating. "How is that possible?" he murmured, his voice filled with wonder. Jun smiled sadly. "The diary has a unique power. It allows us to experience mortal life without altering the course of time. Remember that we modified all the recorders' diaries. It was our librarian's idea. But now there's something that worries me: this pencil. Ethel gave it to Alfons and it has strange properties. It seems capable of sending someone to the world of the living and back in time. According to the diary, Alfons suspected Ethel. I think we need to investigate thoroughly."
Jun jumped up, determination shining in his eyes. "Minjun, I'm tasking you with investigating the pencil together with the investigation department. I'll go to the world of the living to help Saem and Ji-Hoon. We need to find out what Ethel is up to and stop it."
With a lump in his throat, Jun grabbed his diary and threw it into the air. He closed his eyes and wrote his name firmly. A blinding glow enveloped him, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a completely different place. The air was cool and moist, the sun shining in a deep blue sky. He had arrived in the world of the living, just in time to meet Saem and Ji-Hoon, who were staring at him in awe.