Seojun's breath caught as he took in his surroundings. The towering shelves loomed above him, their ancient tomes humming softly, as if whispering secrets just out of reach. The vastness of the library was overwhelming, yet something about it felt oddly familiar.
Alden stood at the far end of the corridor, his gaze steady. "You're adapting quickly," he noted, amusement flickering in his eyes.
Seojun clenched his fists at his sides. "What is this place?"
Alden turned, walking along the towering shelves, his fingers lightly grazing the spines of books as he passed. "This is the Library of Whispers. A place between places, where knowledge lingers and time is fluid."
Seojun followed cautiously. "Why am I here?"
Alden stopped and faced him. "Because you played the song. Because you seek answers." He gestured to the books around them. "Everything that has ever been known, every truth and every forgotten dream, exists here. But knowledge comes at a cost."
Seojun hesitated. "What kind of cost?"
Alden's smile was enigmatic. "Understanding. Once you know the truth, you can never unsee it."
A shiver ran down Seojun's spine. He glanced at the books surrounding him, feeling the weight of their presence. If the answers were here, did he truly want to know them?
Before he could speak, a familiar voice echoed from behind him.
"Seojun?"
He spun around, heart leaping in his chest. Elias stood at the entrance of the library, his usually composed expression tinged with something unreadable concern, relief, something more.
Seojun stepped toward him. "Elias? How?"
Elias exhaled, his eyes scanning the library warily. "You're further in than I expected. I was trying to guide you, not... lose you."
Alden chuckled softly. "He found his own way, as he was meant to."
Elias's gaze darkened as he met Alden's eyes. "You shouldn't be the one guiding him."
Seojun looked between them. "You two know each other."
Alden inclined his head slightly. "In another time, in another story."
Elias crossed the distance between them, gripping Seojun's wrist firmly. "Come back with me. This place it's not safe."
Seojun hesitated. "But if the answers are here"
"Not all answers are meant to be found," Elias interrupted, his voice low. "Not yet."
Alden watched them with quiet amusement. "You fear what he might learn. But you forget once the door is open, it does not simply close."
A cold sensation crept through Seojun's veins. Something about Alden's words felt ominous, inevitable. He turned back to Elias. "Then teach me. Help me understand before it's too late."
Elias's grip tightened, his expression conflicted. Finally, he sighed. "Then we leave now. Together."
Alden didn't protest. He merely stepped aside as Elias guided Seojun toward the exit. But just before they left, Alden's voice reached him one last time.
"We will meet again, Seojun. Sooner than you think."
Seojun shivered but didn't look back. As the library faded into darkness, he knew one thing for certain his journey was far from over.