Going back wasted more than half an hour. The tremors grew stronger until they stopped outright halfway through.

  I headed to the other intersection, one where the corridor also connects to the library. Probably, I’ll have to waste another two hours going this way.

  After all this hassle, it’s not just my mouth that’s parched—my body is exhausted, and my growling stomach isn’t helping either.

  Just a quick look, some water and food, and then I’ll get back.

  Some ways into the corridor, that plan was thrown out the window.

  The wooden wall of the library is torn apart, as if a beast had taken a bite out of it. The serrated edges look like the marks of many fangs, and the sheer number of bites suggests an insatiable hunger.

  Whatever did that isn’t something I want to meet.

  I couldn’t help but peer into the library through one of its torn-open wounds. Before I knew it, the light from the chandeliers illuminated a scene of utter mayhem.

  Books were strewn across the floor, some wet with blood, others coated in a viscous substance.

  Enormous wooden bookshelves had toppled over, some crashing into each other, while others stood untouched, looking pristine.

  A moving staircase was nearby, along with others scattered throughout the place—likely used to reach books on the upper shelves.

  A necessity, considering some bookshelves were the size of small buildings.

  After a couple of minutes, I was presented with a grand view of the library, far greater than I could have imagined.

  I picked up one of the books from a nearby shelf. Its pages were filled with squiggly lines, possibly some sort of foreign language.

  I put it back. No time for this.

  “Hello, my friend of learning. Could I help you?”

  The voice was soothing and high-pitched, but there was no doubt it was speaking directly into my mind.

  “Shy, are you? There’s no need to be sheepish. You’ve caught me at a less-than-ideal moment.”

  Enemy or friend? Probably an enemy. Still, if it hasn’t attacked me outright, it’s planning something. Better to find out what.

  Slowly, I tried to look around the library. The problem is, the place is massive, especially in the center.

  Damn it, what happened there? It looks like someone dropped a meteor. A crater made of wood, paper, and whatever else you’d find in a library, just at the center of it.

  Wait—just outside its epicenter, a sudden movement caught my attention.

  “I’m too weak to greet you properly. I don’t know how much longer I have in this world. Going to try to move a little. It’s no problem, really, if we can communicate within the boundaries of our minds, would it?”

  To trust the strange voice or not? A little of both. Especially if it’s a trap—I’ve already seen one with the shards and arrows.

  Taking a glance at the periphery of the crater, I detected no movement. The long, moving staircases and bookshelves stood still, frozen in time.

  If this voice is responsible for all this destruction, killing me would be easy.

  Using the intact floor as best I could, I approached with caution and a growing fear for my sanity. It took longer than I wanted to reach the crater.

  The crater itself had wet patches—some unmistakable blood, others covered in ice, hinting at their source.

  Going down into the crater would be dangerous, risking a fatal fall. Ha, talk about a death trap.

  The voice remained silent the entire time, likely plotting something. With Marlene at my side, it was the perfect time for an experiment.

  I opened the blood vial and used my divine spell. Blood dripped from my fingers into the vial, and within seconds, it was almost overflowing. I stopped the spell and forced the stopper back in, the pressure requiring a bit more effort to seal it.

  I slipped it into the pocket of my battered pants and gripped my shotgun. Time for some talk.

  “Hey, stranger. This place has seen better times, hasn’t it? Let’s skip the small talk—what do you want?”

  The soothing voice replied almost immediately. “This place has indeed seen better times—yesterday, in fact. What I want and the state of this place are bound by something in common.”

  The voice lost some of its soothing quality, the pitch rising higher, like a dying animal.

  “One of the offspring of the great ruler, a sage who denied the sustenance of blood, became a creature consumed only by its hunger!”

  “The great ruler died of causes never disclosed to me, which is more concerning. A lie would be easy to spread, but they only would do when knowing the truth.”

  “The death of the great ruler, the army, and the bureaucrats had to deal with the frontiers as the assimilation of the new landmass began in less than a day! Just a sample of the changes to come.”

  “What assimilation?” That doesn’t sound good.

  Almost whispering, the voice continued, ignoring me. “Worst of times to start a succession. My lord desired none of it, sending his personnel and guards away with the librarians to a place far away from his palace”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “In his old age, there was nothing my master desired less than to compete for the rule of his deceased younger brother. He didn’t blame him for being selected, though—his brother’s gaze had always been reserved for his deceased wife. His bloodline was cut a little shorter than needed for his offspring to be the sole heirs.”

  The voice fell silent for a couple of seconds—whether from exhaustion or emotion, I couldn’t tell.

  This old geezer didn’t answer my question about assimilation. Probably going senile. Hmm, it’s likely related to what Houonas said about my world synchronizing. A day, then.

  The information is useful. It seems I’ve gotten tangled in this succession mess as a placeholder. But there’s something else taking priority in my mind.

  “Cool story, but what the hell do you want with me?”

  Silence answered me for a few seconds before the voice returned, weaker now.

  “A little crass, aren’t you? Understandable. My desire is simple: to slay the hungering beast that took my master’s life. Murdered his uncle—devoured him whole! Such a beast cannot become an heir. The threat of the invaders is negligible. I don’t know what aspect he now follows. Safe to say, it’s not of blood.” His words trailed off. “I hope it’s not pure hunger—a slave to desire.”

  The gall of this guy!

  “So you want me to kill an heir who wrecked this place and killed its owner? No fucking way!”

  “No, I wish for you to tell your master to do so! It’s their obligation as offspring of the past ruler. His successor cannot be that beast!”

  Master?! Pfft, medieval bullshit.

  “I don’t have a master. So it seems I can’t help you, good—”

  Before I could finish, the voice boomed in my head.

  “AN HEIR?! You smell as if covered in decaying entrails... I must say, it’s a good way to fool the furred beasts. Although you’ll need to change it, or they’ll grow even more feral with an undead walking among them.”

  Good to know.

  The voice in my head grew softer, like the finest silk, though the high pitch ruined the effect.

  “Say, wouldn’t you accept me into your employ? I’m not the best, but I’m a renowned wardmaker in this domain. Part of my power will be lost, as I doubt you’ll be as powerful as my past master. But I’ll do my best until my dying breath to put down that beast!”

  Interesting proposal. This guy at least seems to know more about this place than Houonas. I don’t know what a wardmaker is, but if it has something to do with magic, that would be really useful.

  “Alright, say I accept. What do I need to do?”

  The voice boomed again, full of enthusiasm. “Come near me. I shall use one of my shards to seal our agreement!”

  Ha, no way.

  “Nice try, but I’m not going down there. It’s the stupidest trap I’ve ever seen. Kind of an insult that you’d expect me to fall for it.”

  “What trap?! You! How could I be a danger to you??” The voice fell silent for a moment. “I can still synchronize us, but I’d lose one of my nexus shards. The shard would be better used empowering you!”

  Hmm, appealing to my greed. Not the first to try this scam on me. No, thanks.

  “No deal. Do it right where we are.” Maybe I could be a little more gentle.

  Especially since the mysterious voice didn’t answer for a couple of minutes.

  “Fine... such foolishness. If I weren’t on my last legs, I’d discipline you!”

  After some movement in the crater, a bright verdant light resonated, far brighter than any shard I’ve seen.

  For a moment, I pointed my shotgun at it, fear of it being a spell getting the better of me.

  Before I could pull the trigger, the energy shot out. A new symbol appeared, similar to the one Houonas made, but different and equally elusive to my understanding.

  My vision shifted to a familiar space—the star clusters shining briefly. My stars, the ones I’d bonded with, glowed brighter than anything in the void.

  Soon, I felt a new connection—not a new star, but something fragile, its vast dimension fading as if splintered, like a rope breaking apart until only a single strand remained.

  The vision faded, and I was back in the library, focusing on the crater.

  In a sudden burst of motion, something darted from the debris—swift and pale as a ghost. From here, it appeared as nothing more than a fleeting point of white.

  “YOU AREN’T AN ESTRANGED OF THE SANGECARIOS LINE, NOR ONE OF THE LORD COMMANDER’S MEN! NOT EVEN AN ERYTHOCETES—A HUMAN!... Who are you?”

  I guess being mind-deaf isn’t a thing after all. Because if it were, I’d be. Weirdly, I heard a small sound echoing around the place—probably the mysterious being yelling too.

  At least I felt the frail connection between us, giving me some clues.

  “What the fuck would I know?! Someone named Houonas made me an heir after I climbed through the window of one of the roo—”

  “No time for explanations! This place isn’t as safe as it was before. Someone might get curious about the fall of my master.”

  “It was you who asked, you—”

  “No time to waste, either. Get out of here! It’s been a while since I’ve felt this weak. It’s invigorating in a crazy way—reminds me of my childhood.”

  The white point began floating upward, defying gravity.

  “I still have some things to improve our odds of destroying that monstrous beast. Go away. I’m decrepit, but not dead! I’ll find you at the entrance of the quarters.”

  The creature wasn’t finished. “Don’t leave by the corridors. This place is trapped—courtesy of yours truly—and I’d be quite displeased if you stumbled into one of my wards!”

  With that, the white point floated away in the opposite direction.

  “How the fuck do you know the territory I’m in? Wouldn’t you get lost?”

  ...

  “The silent treatment, is it?”

  It seems the mysterious white being either doesn’t want to speak with me or is already too far away for its mind-speak to work.

  Or maybe it’s some other magic nonsense.

  Crazy. Another bond, another pain in the ass.