Bibxy and Sleek became inseparable almost overnight. What began as cafeteria tours and casual walks between classes slowly turned into long conversations about everything — books, music, childhood memories, and dreams they were too shy to share with anyone else. Sleek had a calming presence. He wasn't loud or mysterious like Josh; he was just… steady. Someone Bibxy felt safe with. And every time he smiled at her, the world felt a little less complicated.
By the second week of classes, they had found a quiet rhythm. They sat together in most classes, studied under the large oak tree near the art block, and even shared playlists. Soya teased Bibxy about their closeness, but she just laughed, though deep down she couldn't deny the spark.
But as Bibxy grew closer to Sleek, she noticed something strange about Josh.
He was always disappearing—during breaks, after classes, even in the evenings. Sometimes she saw him heading toward the old building near the eastern edge of campus—a place most students avoided. When she asked Soya about it, the girl shrugged. "They say it's just an abandoned archive. But Josh? He sneaks in and out like it's more than that."
Bibxy's curiosity grew. That building tugged at something inside her. Something ancient and forgotten.
She remembered what Josh had told her during their first conversation — about a library that only appeared to those it chose.
So one cool Wednesday afternoon, when Sleek was held up in a club meeting and her last class ended early, Bibxy made her way to the abandoned building. Her heart thumped with every step.
The building looked ordinary enough — cracked walls, faded doors, vines curling up its sides. She hesitated, wondering if it was foolish. Then… the wooden door creaked open. Not from the wind. Not from any hand she could see.
It invited her in.
Inside, the air was cool and still, filled with the scent of old parchment and forgotten magic. Sunlight streamed through high windows, illuminating shelves that stretched beyond logic — some spiraling upward, others folding into themselves. Vast. Endless. Impossible.
Cautiously, Bibxy ran her fingers along the spine of a book bound in velvet.
Then, a whisper.
"You are closer to it now."
She froze.
"Who's there?" Her voice trembled.
No reply. Only her breath echoing and the library's soft hum.
Backing away slowly, she heard a movement in the shadows — a shift, a breath, a presence.
Panic surged. She turned and ran.
Out through the doors, into sunlight.
And straight into Josh.
He caught her by the shoulders. "Bibxy? You okay? What happened?"
Panting, she said, "The library… it opened for me. I went inside. I heard a voice. It said I'm 'closer to it now.' Then I heard something move, someone was there, and I ran."
Josh's eyes widened, his grip tightening. "What did the voice say exactly?"
"I told you. It said I'm closer to it now."
He took a step back, staring as if she'd grown wings. "This shouldn't be happening."
"What shouldn't be happening?"
Josh glanced around cautiously, then leaned in. "There's a prophecy. Passed down in secret. It says someone connected to the old magic will come, and the library will speak to them, guide them. Until now, it's only spoken to me. No one else could even find the door."
Bibxy's heart raced. "So… I'm part of the prophecy?"
Josh looked at her with awe — and fear. "If the library chose you… you're not just another student. You're something more."
She stared at the door she had fled, the voice echoing in her mind.
Closer to what?
And why did it feel like her past — the one she couldn't remember — was hidden inside those shelves?
Her life was no longer about school, friends, or heartbreak.
It was about secrets. Fate. Destiny.
Josh stood frozen outside the library, heart echoing with Bibxy's words.
"She said the library whispered to her… 'You are closer to it now.'"
Those words played like an ancient chant he couldn't decode. The air had shifted. Something awakened. Something that terrified him.
He walked Bibxy to her dorm. She was quiet, staring at the ground, shaken. He forced a half-smile though his thoughts were far from calm.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded slowly. "I think so. Just… trying to process it."
At the dorm door, he said, "If anything else happens—anything weird—let me know, okay?"
Bibxy looked up, unreadable. "Thanks, Josh. You're… actually really kind."
He chuckled. "Don't ruin my reputation."
His smile faded the moment she stepped inside.
The tension in his chest tightened.
The library speaking to her — that had never happened.
And the prophecy…
Josh turned back toward the path, footsteps fast and silent.
The secret library waited.
Dimly lit by golden orbs floating midair, towering bookshelves stretched upward like ancient trees. It greeted him like home — eerie, quiet, eternal.
But tonight, something was different.
At the far end stood a figure, robed in charcoal grey, hunched, eyes shimmering with light too old for this world.
"Josh," the man said without turning. "You came."
Josh stiffened. "Elyon?"
The figure turned slowly, a small smile creasing his weathered face. "You always find truth in the shadows."
Josh stepped forward until they stood face to face, separated by only a breath of magic.
"She heard the library," Josh said flatly. "It spoke to her."
Elyon nodded. "Because it knows her."
Josh narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I told you — she's not ordinary. She's more than a transfer student. More than her pain."
Josh clenched his fists. "What are you hiding?"
A long pause.
Elyon pulled a shimmering orb from his robe, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"Do you remember who you truly are, Joshua?"
Josh blinked. "I've always remembered… glimpses. My world. The kingdom. My powers."
Elyon's gaze sharpened. "And her?"
Josh flinched.
Elyon stepped closer. "Bibxy. She wasn't just any girl. She was your beloved. Your counterpart. A soul-tied partner from your world."
Josh stepped back, heart hammering. "No. She left me."
"She did," Elyon said sadly. "She left to follow a mortal she believed she loved."
Josh's breath caught.
"Her betrayal broke you," Elyon continued softly. "But it was foretold. Her return is part of the prophecy."
Josh turned away, pain rising. "Why is she here now? Why does she remember nothing?"
"Because love is memory. Hers was buried by time and choice. But the worlds are merging. The portal weakens. Her presence is no accident."
Josh's eyes burned with determination. "What am I supposed to do? Pretend it never happened?"
Elyon laid a hand on his shoulder. "No. You must choose — protect her, or punish her. Either way, the fate of both worlds depends on her remembering."
Josh's chest tightened.
Bibxy — the girl who smiled shyly in class, who wandered into magical libraries unaware — was the same who once held his heart… and broke it.
He turned, the
library fading behind him like a dream.
One thing was certain.
Nothing would ever be the same again.