The rain pattered against the leaded glass windows of the Imperial Library, casting rippling patterns across the ancient oak shelves. Elias Thorn adjusted his spectacles, sneezing as dust motes danced in the beam of sunlight filtering through the skylight. At twenty-two, he'd spent half his life in this labyrinth of books, yet today felt different.
"Elias! The evening inventory won't take itself!" Mrs. Higgins' shrill voice cut through the silence.
"Coming, Mrs. Higgins!" he called back, tucking a loose strand of brown hair behind his ear. As the assistant librarian, his duties rarely strayed beyond reshelving and dusting—until today. A sealed package had arrived this morning, addressed to "The Keeper of Forbidden Texts," a title he didn't know existed until now.
The package sat on his desk: a leather-bound book with no title, its cover embossed with an intricate symbol resembling an eye surrounded by cards. When his fingers brushed the surface, the symbol glowed blue, and the book flipped open on its own accord.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATION DETECTED]
[SOUL BINDING INITIATED]
[WELCOME, CHOSEN ONE. YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS.]
Elias stumbled backward as golden light erupted from the pages, forming floating symbols in the air. Outside, thunder boomed—unusual weather for this time of year. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the symbols rearranged themselves into a message:
[FIRST QUEST: RETRIEVE THE MOONSTONE CRYSTAL FROM THE EASTERN SECTIONS BEFORE MIDNIGHT.]
[FAILURE PENALTY: SYSTEM DEACTIVATION. SOUL DISINTEGRATION.]
[ACCEPT/DECLINE?]
The rain intensified, now mixed with hail that battered the windows. Elias glanced at the clock—9:47 p.m. Three hours to find something he didn't know existed in a section he'd never been allowed to enter.
"Accept," he whispered, and the symbols vanished into his chest, leaving a warm sensation in their wake.
Little did he know, three floors below, in the Archives Department, a surveillance crystal flickered to life. On the other end, in a dimly lit room overlooking the city, Councilor Marcus smiled as he watched the librarian's name appear on his screen:
[PRIMARY TARGET IDENTIFIED: ELIAS THORN. SYSTEM HOST ACTIVATED.]
[INITIATE RECOVERY PROTOCOL.]