Aria Flynn heart skipped a beat as she stepped into the Great Archive of Moonsnow.
The air was thick with scent of old parchment and forgotten knowledge.Towering shelves stretched towards the vaulted ceiling, their wooden surfaces worn smooth by generation of seeking hands.
As she made her way through the narrow aisles, the soft whisper of pages seemed to caress her ears. Aria felt the familliar tug of the Archive's secrets, as if the books themselves were beckoning her closer.
"Aria"!! Master Greene's voice cut through the silence making her jump.
"The shipment from the borderlands- sort it before dawn"!
Aria nodded, her mind still reeling from the sudden interruption.She hurried to the receiving chamber, her fingers trailing over the spines of the books as she passed.
The crates from the boderlands were a mess-charred edges,pages stained with ash,relics of war.But one book caught her eye.Bound in smooth black leather, it seemed untouched by the flames. Golden symbols danced across the cover, shimmering in the dim light.
As she reached out to touch the book, a shiver ran down her spine. The moment her finger brushed the cover, warmth surged through her hand, like a spark of recognition.
Aria's heart pounded in her chest. She hesitated,her fingers trembling, before opening the book. The pages were blank.
A golden tendril of light unfurled from the book,wrapping tightly around her wrist.
Aria gasped, trying to free herself but the light
held fast.
The room began to blur, colors swirling as if the walls themselves were unraveling. Aria's vision narrowed to a single point, and she felt herself being pulled through the darkness.
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the Archive. Towering trees with glowing silver veins surrounded her, their leaves shimmering gold.
A river of liquid light wound through the forest,casting ethereal patterns on the mossy ground.
Aria stumbled forward, her mind reeling.
"Where .....am I?"she whispered.
A figure emerged from the shadows-- a man cloaked in black, his glowing silver eyes fixed on her.
"You have entered the realm of the bound",he said, his voice low and resonant." And now, young keeper, your story begins."