As soon as Alex opened his eyes, he took a deep breath. Feeling dizzy, he looked around and realized he was still in the library garden. He needed to check if the book he had taken was still with him; he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. However, there was a problem: the book was gone.
"Damn it. Where did this book disappear to?" he muttered to himself as he continued scanning the area. At that moment, a cold, mocking voice from behind him made him realize who had it.
"I think you're looking for this." Logan threw the gold-plated book onto the ground. Alex took a deep breath, stood up with determination, and faced Logan. The man's tall stature, piercing gaze, and ghostly pale skin were so imposing that anyone looking at him would feel like a small, helpless child.
Logan fixed his eyes on Alex and spoke in a threatening tone:"I'm going to ask you once, Alex Brown. If you lie, your work with Kaizen ends here. What are you doing here?"Alex was surprised he knew his name. It explained the sharp looks he'd felt during the opening meeting.
Lying to this man felt like inviting an inevitable disaster. He couldn't quite hide the hesitation in his voice as he answered:"I'm here to find out why Director Kai changed after the rebellion. I want to understand why he no longer trusts me and why he gave up on making an alternative plan to save the world."Logan sighed deeply, stroking his beard as he examined Alex carefully, as if weighing the sincerity of his words.
"And did you find what you were looking for?" he asked with a mocking smile.
A thought of blackmail crossed Alex's mind — even if there was only a small chance of escaping. After all, it was forbidden for anyone to be here, including Logan. Feeling a surge of confidence, he continued:"No," he said. "But if you give the book back to me, I'll accomplish my goal... and forget I ever saw you here."
Logan couldn't hold back his laughter upon hearing Alex's words."So, the Heir of Time is threatening me? How arrogant. Open the book."
Realizing that his threat had completely failed, Alex reluctantly picked up the book from the ground. He started flipping through the pages carefully with his fingers — but something was wrong. The pages were completely blank."What the hell does this mean?" he whispered to himself.
"Its owner has already destroyed its contents. Now, I want you to use your power. Turn the book over and channel your energy directly into it," Logan said coldly.
The fact that Logan knew Alex had only recently mastered energy transfer made things even more complicated. Alex frowned and looked carefully."How do you know I can do that?" he asked.
"Just do as I say!" Logan shouted.Alex, giving up on objecting, fell silent for a moment. He turned the book over and placed his right hand on it. As he focused, he felt his power starting to flow again, but this time he had greater control. At first, he thought the book wasn't changing at all — until ancient glowing letters began to appear on the back cover. He squinted his eyes, carefully reading the shapes.
"Sandra..." he whispered. Then, he turned the book back to the front; Kai's name was still written there. Just as he was about to open the cover, Logan swiftly placed his hand firmly on it.
"Are you sure you want to see this?" he asked.Alex nodded firmly.Logan stepped back a few paces.Alex slowly lifted the cover, and at that moment something unexpected happened. The book, as if releasing the energy trapped inside, created a powerful suction force, pulling Alex toward it. Before he could even react, his body, like blood being forced through a narrow artery, shifted into another form and was sucked into the book.