Night 2 of the Moonlight Festival
It started with a single memory. Me and Mama living in that rusty school bus. Then, came the flood. A thousand images slammed into me at once; Mama's awkward smile as she showed me her first book, me 'play' fighting my brother, my father's harsh words as I ran away from home, me recounting my savings, the car crash under the moonlight, Korra's panicked face as I shoved her out of the way... It was like someone reached into my skull and yanked everything loose, forcing me to relive all these memories...
The images flashed into my eyes, brighter and brighter, until...
SILENCE
The images all dissipated, forcing my gaze into the ever-shrouded darkness. Then, came the chorus.
"Aaaaah aaahhhh ahhh ahhhh~"
"What... the hell is that noise?" My voice echoed back at me, but no one answered.
The ground beneath me had a smooth, crisp texture. I knelt down, brushing my fingers over it. Paper. It was all paper.
The chorus cut off abruptly, replaced by the heavy whoosh of wings unfolding. Three sudden spotlights simultaneously echoed on, and there he was: A towering bird-beastman, his feathers dazzling. The tan color suit of his, clashed brilliantly against the mountains and mountains of books behind him as he floated down. His broad wings spread wide, sending a gust of wind.
His foot landed on a singular book, floating in the air, oh yeah... This guy is dramatic...
Without a microphone, his voice echoed through the air as he started singing:
"Luna Library welcomes their newest visitor~!"
(Aaaaah aaahhhh ahhh ahhhh~)
"She fell to a beast but gained a ticket to our door~!"
(Aaaaah aaahhhh ahhh ahhhh~)
"But fear in her heart, there's a debt she can't restore~"
"Feeling her breath, a sad little pawn—"
"The life she had... now is gone~!"
He pointed his invisible mic towards me, expecting me to continue the song as if I had any idea what he was referencing. "I'm sorry. Um, where am I...?"
The owl tilted his head at me, forcing me to look away from him. Without answering, he pulled a handkerchief from nowhere and draped it over my hands before grasping them in his own. "Oh right! Where are my manners!? Welcome, welcome, welcome, Shiori-zon!"
I look around and see we are surrounded by piles and piles of different books, all cluttered and disorganized. Around us, paper-mache animals suddenly came to life, clapping their stiff little paws and wings in unison.
I jerked my hands back, "Where am I? I'm dead, right!?"
"That's correct! Deader than a book with no publisher!"
I blinked again, this time in disbelief. Dead. Really? I smiled at myself. Oh my god, I actually had a seat with a god. My childhood dreams were finally coming true. This was it. This was my shot.
"So," I said, quickly scooting forward, "you can grant wishes, right?"
The owl tilted his head even further, his smile gleaming under the spotlight. "If it aligns with my title and domain, yes. Wishes are a specialty of mine~"
"Great! Then I want to go to another world!"
The clapping animals froze. The silence stretched for a moment before they all burst into synchronized laughter. The owl doubled over, holding his stomach as if I'd just told the funniest joke in the universe.
"What?" I snapped. "What's so funny?"
He accidentally knocked over a book, as he was straightening himself. "Your generation cracks me up. Is that some new trend? Wishing to go to other worlds?"
My jaw dropped. "What do you mean, trend? It's a wish! You're a god!"
"Yes, yes, I'm a god," he said, waving a wing dismissively. "And yes, other worlds exist, but why would I send a perfectly good resource to another world? Shiori-zon, you're much better off staying here. Trust me."
"This world?" I crossed my arms, "Oh, sure, this world is just fantastic."
"Well, of course it is! The Seven Goddesses created it! Humans are thriving. Have you seen how much you all eat?"
I rolled my eyes. "You know nothing about the world."
"Now, Shiori-zon," he said, smoothing his feathers, "I know plenty. For instance, your name."
I froze. "How do you know my name...?"
"I skimmed through your memories," he said casually, as if it was the same as reading a book.
I stepped back, covering myself instinctively. "You what? You touched my soul without asking?"
"Well, yes. How else could I prepare your welcome?"
My hands balled into fists, my voice trembling with anger. "You saw everything... everything about me and you still think this world is great? After everything I've been through?"
Liberty tilted his head, a faint smile breaking across his face, half amused, half condescending. "Ah, there it is. The short-sighted view of a broken soul." He ruffled his feathers, his voice softening as if he were addressing a child. "You're fixated on a single novel on a bookshelf—your own story. But I see the entire library. I've read the tales of other worlds, Shiori-zon. This one? It's beautiful by comparison. You just have to learn how to see it."
I scoffed, "Beautiful!?" My voice cracked, "What part of this is beautiful? The suffering? The fear? The constant reminder that no matter how hard I try, I'm just... insignificant?"
For a moment, our gazes almost met, and I caught a fleeting glimpse of his softness, "Shiori zon," he said, his voice firm. "Your life isn't over. Not yet. And if you're willing to work with me, maybe... just maybe... we can rewrite it."
I barked out a laugh, louder and angrier this time. "Oh, so now you're an editor too?!"
Liberty blinked, his feathers fluffing.
"You swoop in here with your fancy feathers and music, tell me I'm dead, force me to relive every inch of my trauma, and now you expect me to trust you? What are you going to rewrite my life with? Crayons and stickers!?"
The owl god tilted his head, I naturally looked away. "You have to work with me here, kid. I can't help you if you don't trust me."
"Then kill me!" I yelled, the words echoing in the vast emptiness around us,. "I'd rather be dead than work with you, you shitty god!"
A collective gasp rose from the paper-mache animals around us, their hollow eyes widening in shock.
Liberty sighed, as he looked at me and dropped his act, "Fine then... Shiori, the human... If you fail my test, then your soul will be mine... If you pass, you can do whatever you wish with your new life. No strings attached."
"I already told you, I'd rather die than go back to that crappy world!"
"Then that will be your choice, not mine," he said, his voice echoing through the boundless abyss as he lifted his hands high, "Whether you like it or not, the trial begins now."
With a sharp clap, the universe erupted. Papers and books tore themselves from the shelves, spiraling upward in a chaotic storm. Pages ripped and shredded, scattering like fragile leaves spiraling to the skies above.
"Let's see what your story is really worth, Shiori."