Dong!
In the distance, an old clock tower rang, signalling midnight.
"Hm?" Slightly Startled, the lady who was reading a book just a moment ago got up to check the time in a hurry.
[2nd Feb 00:00:33]
Ah, she didn't notice the time. She was so engrossed in her book that she didn't even know when five hours had gone by.
'It's midnight, so the library must be closing up now!'
Hurriedly, she gathered her notes and crammed them in her bag. Making sure she doesn't make too much noise in the process. It would be embarrassing if it echoed in such a quiet place.
Navigating through columns of stacked bookshelves and chairs, she peeked through the bookshelves.
There at the front desk, buried beneath stacks of paper and books, sat a gloomy man.
He had rather unremarkable features, a type you can glance at and later forget about.
Short Black hair, murky dark blue eyes that seem dreamy, heavy dark circles underneath the eyes, and non-prescription glasses that seem to be for eye protection against blue screens.
He was the librarian of the University's library and her senior, who was in his graduation year.
She had known him for around half a year when she started coming to the library to study for her semester exam. He is a kind senior who is helpful to all his juniors. Though he is always buried beneath work, he always makes up time to guide his juniors.
Maybe that's his charm, overlooked due to his average looks.
With a smile, she approached and greeted him.
"Mr. Librarian, are you still working? Isn't it time to close?"
Startled, he looked up at her in confusion, wondering who was present at this time of hour. Seeing her, his confusion melted, replaced by a warm smile.
"Oh, it's you, Ms. Audrey. I was just working on my graduation papers. I will go home when I am done, maybe in an hour." He answered.
"Is there anything I can assist you with?" He inquired politely.
Hearing this, Audrey pulled out the book she was formerly reading.
"I wanted to log this book, I am borrowing it."
The librarian glanced at the book title and logged it under her name.
"Standard time?" He asked to clarify.
"Yes!" Audrey answered without hesitation.
"Hm.. Please return the book within a week's time. If it is not possible, then you may definitely extend it with additional charges. Keep in mind the damages it may suffer during your term, a penalty will be issued if so." He repeated the protocols to remind her.
Audrey simply nodded and took back the book. She already knew the protocol, and she is punctual, so she won't dare do anything!
She was about to leave for the day but then she paused, remembering something.
"Umm...senior, if it doesn't disturb you, may I ask - are there any books you can recommend to me for my finals?" She asked with a sheepish smile, ashamed to disturb her senior over trival matters.
The librarian stopped typing on his laptop and looked at her.
He looked like he was deeply contemplating her request.
"Of course, I am always open to help. You can try reading...." He listed out a plethora of books, whose titles alone made her head spin.
Seeing her dazed expression, he stopped reciting titles and softly chuckled.
Then in a soft tone he continued,
"Of course you don't have to read them all, they will help you perfect your theory but practical applications is the best teacher. You can try learning directly from the professors, they may look scary but they are always open to quires."
"Ah, thank you senior!" She bowed deeply, thanking him with heartfelt gratitude.
Grabbing her bag she turned around to move out.
"You should be careful, it's night outside. Goodnight, see you tomorrow Ms Audrey."
Hearing his worries she returned a sweet smile and replied energetically.
"I will be Alright! Senior, you too should go back home safely! Good night Senior! Let's meet tomorrow."
"Hm.. Goodnight." He murrmered in a distance.
He was now alone in the quite library, accompanied only by the moonlight that softy illuminated the grand library.
✧✧✧✧✧
"Hggghhh-!" The librarian—Reo—Stretched his body while relaxing his back against the chair.
He was finally done with his papers for the day.
[2nd Feb 3:24:21]
Ah! Looks like he did it earlier than he thought. Maybe he would get to sleep for four hours today!
Reo saved his files and appropriately cleared his desks of all papers he had printed.
He took a can of cheap orange juice has refreshment and savoured it, as it was one of the only joy in his life currently. He was already on the 34th can!
'I feel bad about lying.' he felt slightly guilty.
He should have went home, as Audrey suggested but truthfully, he doesn't have a home to return to.
He lives in the library itself. Using the bath house few kilometres down early in the morning. Only his mentor who landed him this job and upper management knows about this.
For an orphan who left orphanage with nothing but rags and basic education to his name, he made pretty far in life.
Getting enrolled into an pretegious University was by no means cheap but he made it up with his mentor's guidance and doing side jobs in his spare time.
Lectures in the morning, part time from afternoon till nightfall and library management and studies after midnight in the library. Over time on weekends.
He is already scrambling on time and money. All his wealth is spent towards clearing his debt towards his mentor and getting basic necessities to continue on. His food ration is just enough to fulfill his dietary requirements.
Appartments are already too expensive to rent near University. Having barley enough for food, how could he afford a private room for himself in today's economy?
Drinking the 35th can, he put off the DND on his laptop.
Instantly he was bombarded with messages. Most of them were requests from his clients.
Yes, Reo had talent in art. He found out when he was in orphanage, but after leaving it due to issues he never followed it. It's too unstable. So it ended up being a hobby that pays for his food and survival necessities.
Of course, as a poor artist.....even if he wanted or not, he will get rather peculiar requests.
[(R18) Luna van Astra, Year-3 Act V scene 17, exhibition...]
[(R18) Stella van Astra, Year-1 Act VII scene 2, hypnosis, swim suit.....]
[(R18) Witch of Origin, Year-2 Act.....]
Yee....this kind of things...
As an artist and a human, Reo hates this the most.
If you knew the nude image of an actor, will you be able to enjoy the movie fully?
If you saw such arts of characters, will you not imagine them when interacting? I do!
Such things breaks immersion and even if fictional, makes you feel guilty. Thus his hate on this matter.
It doesn't help that he is crowned as the no.1 artist in the community for this! He likes sfw arts, but such commissions are rare and doesn't pay as good unfortunately.
As for the characters, they come from a game and novel series called [Veil of Endless Nights].
Few years prior, when Reo had just recently repaired his laptop and uploaded few of his arts to relieve stress, someone noticed his talent and recommended him this series.
They even bought the game and novel subscription for him! Reo couldn't have rejected such offer. Free things are the best!
Later he found out that they did so just to have another brother to suffer along side them. And it worked, they got a new brother.
The game was the usual fantasy game that blended modern and medevial fantasy elements together.
The setting was the usual - one gaint continent once at war with each other, United to fight against ancient emerging threats called Overlap Event. Forming the 4 great superpowers of the World.
The central focus was the 'Academy', a construct made not by mortals but by the gods of the world itself. A bizarre and reality bending, boundless realm at the centre of the world. Providing faster and clearer way to Ascend to Godhood.
It had political elements, Strategy elements, war elements, game elements, romance elements, base/organisation building elements and more.
The true uniqueness of it wasn't just the unique storyline, no it was great but the community wide puzzle it was.
The game gave its players full freedom in combat and decisions, every choice mattered. It counted every wasted time and every option directly or indirectly.
In the first year alone at launch, there were 354 Recorded endings back then. Out of which 90% lead to bad endings. Remaining 10% let you graduate the 1st year but most were unsatisfactory.
After year 2 released, there were 998 Recorded endings in that year. Again most lead to bad endings. Even some of the 'good' endings in year 1 lead the foundation to a bad ending in year 2, making you reset the whole play through.
Even if the game allowed you to reset at the last savepoint, what's the use when you don't even know which choice lead to bad consequences!
Free will was the chains that binded the players.
On the other hand, the novel series written by the same writers were a collection of stories featuring different characters pov, backstories, alternate futures or even more unreachable endings.
The writers were sadist and the players were machosist.
They accepted the challenge and shared their data with community, building a database of all choices and their consequences. Recording endings and information. Creating guides to reach the 'good' endings. With the ultimate goal of finding the path to the True Epilogue in Fifth year, when it releases. Giving the central characters the deserved rest and happy ending.
Currently their are thousands of bad endings and the game just released it's 4th year, so the community is very active.
As for Reo himself, well....if he had played the game for thousand hours, then he had spent equal or double the time scanning the huge database.
He has a love hate relationship with it at this point.
[2nd Feb 4:12:53]
"Haaa~" Breathing out a long sigh, Reo shut downed the laptop and took of the glasses.
He barely gets sleep, scanning the community will be a waste of time.
With that thought, he plunged in his ear pods and started playing calming music from the game ost.
"♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.ᯓ𝄞 ˎ𝄞 ˎˊ˗♫⋆♪♬ ﾟ."
In few minutes, he dozed off. His head lying against the cushion he placed on desk.
"♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.ᯓ𝄞 ˎ𝄞 ˎˊ˗♫⋆♪♬ ﾟ."
.
.
.
.
"♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.ᯓ𝄞 ˎ𝄞 ˎˊ˗♫⋆♪♬ ﾟ."
Smell of book's burning invaded Reo's nostrils.
'...what?' In daze he woke up. His body disoriented, his vision hazy.
He felt like his lungs were on fire, deprived of oxygen. He smelt books burning.
Then he suddenly felt great weight fall on him from above, everything went dark after that.
With that....the life of Reo, an orphan who struggled his entire life, had Ended...
...And the life of the outsider began to be woven.