"Is this the library? It's much bigger than I expected."
We stand before an impenetrably thick fog, craning our necks to view the towering spire stretching into the sky. The building resembles more of a dungeon than a library, its height beyond the reach of human sight.
"This fog right in front of us... it seems like it's set up to prevent intruders."
More than just a simple mist, it's like a wall erected to block anyone from stepping foot inside, eerily undulating right before our eyes.
"It feels like it's rejecting me... Even though it's just fog, there's a sensation of touching something."
Erina extends her hand into the wall of fog, analyzing its texture. Despite the warm sunlight beating down, making the plains quite hot, there's an ominous feel as we gaze upon the tower.
"It's moist... almost like touching pudding. But it's strange, the sensation is both there and not there. If you were to walk into it unknowingly, you'd never be able to distinguish it."
Her confident nod suggests that if it weren't for Erina's demonstration, finding our way would have been challenging.
"I can't use my game knowledge here either... This place didn't exist in the game, a completely original location with no mentions or information whatsoever. Initially, I even doubted its existence."
"The atmosphere is unsettling, brother... We can't let our guard down just because we've arrived."
Yura suddenly senses something and goes into alert mode, her ears perked up as she intensely scrutinizes the fog. Nothing is visible to me, but Yura, with her animal-like senses, might perceive things differently.
"Do you see something?"
"No... the fog is too thick to see anything, but instinctively, I feel it... this place is not normal."
Her furrowed brows as she intently watches beyond the fog indicate something significant about this place. Believing this to be the Ruined Library I had been seeking, I decide to enter despite the potential dangers lurking within. "We can't just stand here, can we? Let's go in," I say, taking a deep breath to prepare myself for the unknown challenges ahead.
As I inhale the fresh air, a sense of heightened awareness washes over me, sharpening my senses and focusing my mind. "Let's do this," I declare, stepping forward into the fog without hesitation.
"Brother, wait for me!" Yura calls out, followed by Erina's voice, "Harold!" They both follow me into the fog, steadying their minds in their unique ways.
As we walk deeper into the fog, surprisingly, nothing happens. It's just an endless walk into an obscured space. Usually, in movies or games, such visual barriers often lead to traps or illusions that send you back to the start without realizing it. I wonder if we might end up back where we started.
"Did I misjudge this? It's eerily peaceful," I muse aloud, somewhat relieved yet puzzled.
"Indeed, it's strangely calm compared to the foreboding atmosphere," Erina agrees, echoing my thoughts.
Suddenly, a fierce wind roars through the fog, perhaps triggering a trap. "Are you kids alright?!" I shout, struggling to maintain my position as the wind is too strong to advance.
"Uh, brother? What's happening?!" Yura's strained voice reaches me.
"Harold, are you okay?!" Erina's voice also sounds strained.
"Brother! Where are you—"
Their voices abruptly fade, sounding as if they are being swept away to a different place. It feels as if I'm the only one being carried away, separating me from them. "Crying out Erina and Yura's names with all my strength, I received no response. What could have happened to them? Suddenly, the fierce wind subsided, and a quiet atmosphere enveloped me. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different place.
This vast, mystical space appeared to be the interior of some building, characterized by an endless expanse below. Standing on an unnamed bridge, I looked down to see a bottomless abyss with other bridges intricately woven like a spider's web.
What caught my attention, however, were the countless books surrounding me. Massive bookshelves replaced the building's walls, and numerous books, both old and new, floated in the air. It dawned on me where I was – the Ruined Library, a place I had first heard about from Arshia. This magnificent and mysterious sight was overwhelming.
'But where are the others? Where did Erina and Yura go?' I pondered, looking around. They seemed nowhere to be found on this bridge.
'Why am I even here? Has someone brought me here deliberately?' I muttered to myself, trying desperately to understand my current reality.
Then, a voice spoke from behind, 'I have summoned you here, child.' It was a heavy yet soothing and mature female voice. I quickly turned around, surprised by this sudden development.
'The other girls are not needed; I have brought only you to my sanctuary. I have been eagerly awaiting this moment,' she said.
And there she stood, a figure in a pristine white outfit with long white hair, exuding a youthful yet mature aura. A strangely familiar woman – the final boss from the story – stood before me." "Relax, child, I have no intention of harming you. Why don't you sit and have some tea with me?" Her calming words, as if soothing a child, made me lower my guard. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
It was hard to believe... Was this her sanctuary? The place where books from the past, present, and future are said to exist? She, unbothered by my presence, leisurely sipped her tea, her attention focused on a book she held.
"Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet," she said. The final boss from the game, a transcendent deity managing all of time. "I am Tempest, the guardian of time. I know about you, so no introduction is necessary."
Tempest, the deity of time, was right before me – a being who overwhelmed the protagonist with unprecedented time magic in the game.
"Shall we talk then?" The situation seemed dire, almost to a catastrophic level.
"Why are you trembling, child? There's no need to be afraid. I won't harm you." I was face-to-face with the game's final boss.
Tempest, the deity of time and the ultimate boss in the story, was known for her time magic, a power that had never been paralleled.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to compose myself. According to her character in the game, she was reticent and always truthful. So, for now, I let down my guard.
"Now that we're ready to talk, I summoned you here to share a few words. I knew you would come to find me at this moment, being the deity of time. And I have some advice that might be of help to you."
Tempest continued to savor her tea, her eyes closed and head slightly raised. Then she slowly began to speak. Her manner of speaking, as if she saw through everything, was peculiar, yet it was characteristic of the character, Tempest. All I could do was listen. "Advice that might be helpful?" I questioned, intrigued.
With a clink, her teacup met its saucer, echoing clearly. "Yes, you are currently blind to many truths. I want to provide guidance to illuminate the path of your journey that has been shrouded in darkness."
Truths I was unaware of? What did she mean by that?
"While there's much to say, everything has its order. You needn't rush; understand these truths one at a time, child."
She closed the book she was reading with a thud and placed it gently on her desk. Its title and contents remained a mystery to me. One question lingered in my mind: how much did Tempest know?
"First, let's start with this," she mused. In the game, Tempest, as the deity of time, was aware of her battle with the protagonist and had prepared meticulously. Did this Tempest know about our potential future confrontation? What about my true identity, known only to a few? Did she have that knowledge?
If so, why was she not treating me as an adversary right now? If she knew I might be a threat to her, why not eliminate me immediately?
Her mind was an enigma, beyond my prediction, instilling fear in me.
Miru? She knew of Miru?
"As much as I'd like to reveal everything... considering your mental state, I'll leave it at this for today."
With a wave of her hand, the mist began to swirl around me again.
"First, learn about Miru. That will make explaining the rest easier," she said as her figure blurred into the enveloping white fog.
As Tempest's image faded, the surroundings were engulfed in thick mist, obscuring everything once more. "So, it will allow for a lot of explanations. Though it will be quite a shock, I know you will endure. Just wait calmly for it," Tempest said.
"Wait a minute―!" I realized I hadn't asked her about a solution for Yura... Being the owner of this tower and the deity of time, she must know something. But she seemed only interested in conveying her message and sending me away.
"Tempest!" I shouted her name desperately, but my vision was already shrouded in the blurring mist, filled only with fog.
"Hmm... interesting... a man of unknown identity, unaffected by normal conceptions..." Was it a monologue, or was she addressing me directly?
"Come again, child. Your presence has brought some amusement to my long, tedious existence," Tempest's voice echoed with a peculiar laughter.
When the mist finally cleared, Yura and Erina were there to greet me.
"Where did you go?!" they both asked.
"When I opened my eyes, you were gone... We were back at the entrance," they explained.
It felt like waking from a dream, an illusion I had been trapped in.
"Erina, Yura... I'll explain everything on our way. Just listen to me for now," I said as my thoughts started to clear.
What was Tempest's true intention? A final boss, yet paradoxically playing the role of an ally... An ironic existence.
"Let's return to the capital," I suggested. The future was uncertain, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being a pawn in her game.