Ananiel

The sun hid behind a puffy white cloud, shading the city below. Standing still, I took a deep breath, stopping my mind from wandering further. A chilly wind howled in my ears as the sun revealed its light. I took my time blending in with the surrounding folk. After some time I glanced around. I noticed a building with obnoxiously large windows beside a familiar alleyway. The building displayed intimidating shelves filled with books. Enclosing the building within. Inside, that Young lady from earlier sat at the counter. One arm propped against her head, staring hazily towards a closed red book. I took a moment, appreciating the textile layout on the shelves and entered the bookstore.

“Good evening…”

She exclaimed in response to a jingle above the door and got up from the counter. A look of recognition filled her face as her eyes met mine.

“Aren’t you the bum who collapsed midday in that alleyway?”

She folded her arms and kept her attention towards me, waiting for a response. Nodding my head, My cheeks flustered, and heat built up around my neck. Turning my head away, I ask.

“May I look around?”

She relaxed her gaze and went back to the counter

“Go ahead, if you need anything let me know…”

Looking around, walls of books decorated the store. The books themselves, dull and dusty at a glance, containing knowledge not yet known to me. Not knowing which book to get, I reach out for a random book. The rough, leathery, green cover dulled the tips of my fingers as I opened the book. Light, musty fumes wisped in the air. I embraced a sense of nostalgia, holding a remembrance of strain and regret. Putting the book back, I aimlessly wander around the store. Hoping for something to catch my eye…

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw the young lady pouting in annoyance.

“Hey! This is your 12th lap around my store. Are you sure you do not need my help?”

My eyes widened in surprise. The monotonous atmosphere of the bookstore had lulled me into a trance! Embarrassed, I quickly excused myself out of the bookstore.

My cheeks flush from the late autumn cold as my mind roamed back to the bookstore. A primal desire for something more. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to quell my inner turmoil. Knots started forming with each step I took. Before I noticed, I was at the inn. Heading to my room, I hoped for my mind to clear under the comforts of a bed. Eventually, I exhausted myself with contemplation and melancholy.

Laying on a familiar bed, I rose up and a rock sunk in my chest. Hush, whispery voices bounced around my head as my breath hastened. Looking around, my face puckered at the familiar room. It’s sickening presence teased at my existence. I went to the tea table, expecting some over-saturated tea. However, there was no tea. In fact, the room was barren and empty. A thin layer of dust glowed under the dull, pale light that leaked from the tarnished windows. Disturbing the dust, I found myself in awe of the damage of time. Outside the window, sketches of trees merged and fragmented. As if a god was trying to mimic reality. Shivering at the thought, I turned around, sensing eyes burrowing into my back. My stomach sank as I witnessed movement from the door. The door creaked open, revealing a corridor of indeterminable length. The whispers grew louder as I stepped past the door. The corridor walls extended above the sky, like pillars supporting the stars above. I took my time observing this absurdity as I made my way down the corridor. Suddenly, words started engraving into the walls. Uninterpretable sentences and scrambled letters flowed its way across the walls. Like a creature awaiting its master, the text awaited my movement. Focusing on the text, the letters shifted into words that were interpretable.

“ Those foolish scholars dare distract me. They do not know how much I sacrificed. There is no wrong way of magic.“

I felt a curious gaze peering from the void above as I read the passage. I pushed forward, curious at what the sentences meant. I took my time carefully observing the walls around. Eventually, the letters morphed into a door. Grabbing the handle and opening the door, it revealed the world outside the window. Trees created out of dark lines merging and separating. Like a sketch in a book, it mocked a world forgotten to time. Wandering around, I saw the lines warp into a pathway. Along the path, a bench held a humanoid figure.His form shifting around as he rested his hands on a cane. Feeling my legs ache, I decided to sit beside him. The figure grunted and let out a sigh

“Lad, why are you outside? It’s going to get cold.”

As if the wind was always around, I noticed a bitter breeze flowing along my cheeks. The light whispers echoed through my ears as the voices in my mind stirred. Leaning back on the bench, I took a deep breath, hoping to silence the mind. The figure beside grumbled and slumped on his cane.

“Go back inside. Do not explore any more. It’s not safe”

The eerie figure glared out, staring far, far, away; as if he knew the boundaries of the unknown. I took my time, admiring the scenery around me. It’s dull, unpleasant and cryptic appearance grasped at my nerves. Conflicting desires of curiosity ached at my head. Resting my palm on my forehead, I gazed at the sky above asking

“Why shouldn’t I explore? There’s so many things out there. I have this whole world around me… The world beyond the window.”

The figure tapped his cane, as if he was insulted by my words.

“Do you not see? This world is very dangerous. Give it a rest. Quell that damn curiosity of yours.”

He started gritting his teeth and glared at me with disgust. Stomping the cane down, the trees vanished and the voices halted.

“This is my last warning. Go Back and forget about this land beyond time. You will only harm yourself if you continue your pursuit”

The figure slammed his cane down a third time, crumbling the lines that define the objects in this world. I instinctively stood up as the bench crumbled into dust. The humanoid figure maintained his posture and pointed at the window.

“Go back now and leave this old man to rot”

He held a stern gaze as I felt myself wisping through the window. My body slammed through the window and shattered it to a million pieces. I groaned in pain and cowered inside the dilapidated room. Grabbing a hold of something, I stood up and glanced over my shoulder. The barrier that separated the world from the room scattered on the ground. Looking down, I put my weight on a cane similar to that old man. Confused, I propped it against the desk and sat in front of the broken glass. Gazing at the lights that flicker in the sky. Blinking a few times, I awoke to the roof in an inn festering with questions and curiosity.