The library was too clean.
Not clean in the sense of being tidy, but sterile. There was no dust on the tables, no scattered books, and actually, there weren’t books on every shelf. Mira might have thought it was a laboratory room if Kars hadn't said that it was a library.
Yes, an ancient library located in a place called Port Rodan.
If she had ever imagined coming to an ancient place, she would never have pictured a place like this. What Mira imagined was land overrun with wild plants, pillars that were already faded and rotting, roofs collapsing so sunlight could pour in. But this was very different.
Despite all his experience, Kars refused to read Singus, especially the parts about portal locations and timings. It was simply too risky. All he could do was hope Mira’s older sibling would arrive nearby. If she landed far away, perhaps in another country, it would be a disaster.
They lingered in silence at the doorway, waiting for something—anything—to happen. Mira’s patience wore thin; she wanted to wander the library, but Kars’s constant reminder to 'wait' kept her rooted in place.
According to Kars, the library guardian is an ancient being whose life has spanned more than five hundred years. It has reached a level where the body is no longer mortal, but has attained the highest stage of the Diamond itself, changing form according to the user's will.
Kars also explained that this library guardian did not come from the human race, nor from any races that still exist today. Allegedly, it originates from the Seraphine Race, a legendary race now considered a mere myth.
Finally, after such a long time, Kars sighed in frustration. They had been sitting here for a long time, and his knees had gone numb. The autumn atmosphere had also grown gloomier now that the sun was no longer above them. Yes, the sun had begun to set once again.
Kars stepped forward to the table not far from the door. He examined the entire surface of the clean table. He would have found almost nothing if he hadn’t noticed something. The books here were not physical; they would appear only if deliberately summoned. These books were an investment from the vast cosmic realm, accessible only to certain people who could touch and read them.
The library guard surely had clues to find Mira’s older sister, and if they did not get results here, they would be wasting their time.
Then Kars emitted a light that enveloped the palms of his hands, and then he gently touched the surface of the table until a giant symbol appeared. It was a mark shaped like an eyeball with a pair of wings.
"What is that?" Mira asked, appearing from behind Kars. Now she stood to the right of Kars, surveying the entire glowing table that had revealed the mark.
"This is a painting of the Seraphine. They are a race that worships the light; all their life revolves around the light," Kars explained while keeping his eyes on the table.
Moments later, ancient script shimmered into view, streaming across the table toward them. Mira could not decipher the message, but Kars’s expression grew grave.
"He is now in Vesthralia," said Kars just after he pulled his hand away from the table. "We will go there."
"So all this time we've been standing around for nothing," complained Mira. Unlike Kars, who had patience as vast as the sky, Mira's patience was as small as a bird's feather.
?"The key to star magic is—"
"Patience," interrupted Mira as she moved toward the empty shelves to her right. "Why don't we just search the entire area lit by the Deer Star?"
"You mean you want us to circle the entire northern world?" Kars's eyes followed Mira's movements. That woman peeked into every shelf as if she were looking for something.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"That was my letter eighty years ago."
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed throughout the room. Mira was startled; she looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.
"Show yourself," Kars said flatly. He didn’t need to exert extra effort to speak because he knew the figure could hear him clearly.
"You’ve already seen me."
Mira hurried back to Kars’s side, feeling like a frightened child seeking shelter. She forced herself to stand beside him, trying her best to appear calm.
"You are merged with the library," Kars said, looking around the room.
"That's right. I didn't expect to see Stealix here again."
"Stealix?" Mira whispered to Kars.
"A term for a star magic user," Kars replied flatly. He returned to his original task, surveying the area above. "We want to ask for your help."
?"She is in Vesthralia."
?"What?" Mira was even more shocked; this creature already knew their goal before they even said it.
"It turns out this letter is still connected," Kars murmured, his voice low and not directed at the librarian, but to himself. He turned to Mira and said, "At least your sister is still alive."
"Is she okay?" Mira asked the librarian in panic.
"I can only sense the life energy."
"We won't know unless we go there." Kars turned and walked toward the door. Mira followed him from behind, bowing slightly and placing her hands over her chest as a sign of gratitude.
"Be careful, The Marker. Fate is chasing you."
Kars didn't answer. He kept walking toward the door.
"What does that mean?” whispered Mira, who had now caught up and walked beside Kars.
“It’s not important.”
“I’m not in danger, am I?” Mira asked curiously. She was extremely curious about the meaning behind the librarian’s words. Running out of time? What did it mean? The man beside her was full of questions, very mysterious. And Mira—she would be with this man for a long time? At least let her know what awaited her ahead, right?
“You’ve been in danger since you used star magic,” Kars replied as he opened the library door.
Mira huffed, exasperated by Kars’s answer, and stormed out ahead of him.
“What happened?” Mira was incredibly shocked. The scene in front of her was not the cobblestone street of Port Rodan. What she saw now was an expanse of forest, with the sea barely visible at its edge. When Mira turned around, she saw that the building that had been a library had now disappeared, fading as if it had never been there.
Kars exhaled slowly. “He’s messing with us.”
“Is that even possible?” Mira couldn’t hide her panic. She was racing against time, and now there was another problem.
“He’s an ancient being. He can do whatever he wants.”
“Use Lisp.”
"I've already told you, Lisp can only carry me." Kars felt that this woman was really not ready to become a Star Magic user–Stealix. Impatient and easily panicked.
“So we need to go through this forest to get back to Port Rodan?”
“More precisely, we need to go to Port Jang first, then sail to Port Rodan,” said Kars, snapping his fingers.
“Sail?” Mira's tone rose, her brow furrowed.
“He moved us to the Jangberg Forest located on Jangberg Island,” Kars replied casually.
“How can you act like this is normal?” Mira snapped. “And why did he send us here?” Her frustration was mounting by the second.
“Maybe because we’re Stealix.” Kars remained calm as usual.
“Does that matter?!”
“Lower your voice, it’s getting late, and the inland area of Jangberg is the last place you’d want to visit.”
“Yes, I definitely don’t want to go there!”
"I'm not joking." Kars returned Mira's gaze. The woman could hardly keep herself in check. "We know your sister is still alive. Now our focus is surviving until we meet her."
Mira rolled her eyes, annoyance simmering beneath the surface. Still, she knew complaining would get her nowhere. She had to keep moving forward.
On the highest hill, deep in the heart of Jangberg forest, Mira and Kars stood. Kars had no burdens other than helping a novice Stealix use their magic properly. As for Mira, her head seemed filled with the sound of crickets calling back and forth. She needed to get out of here, find her sister, and return home. No, she forgot to mention delivering the scroll. She had to do that after the reunion with her sister.
Her journey is still very long.
