There was still darkness.
Cold and eerie, it surrounded everything that Lazarus could see and feel.
Even his Mind’s world was submerged in the inescapable black void, causing his thoughts to churn while he stared around in wonder.
’Where am I? What’s going to happen now?’
Although Lazarus had seen others get assimilated into the Celestial Library, he had never experienced it for himself. This was because he had been extremely careful in his past life, ensuring he never absorbed more knowledge than his capacity.
Every Historian used their bodies as an Anchor.
It was the bridge that connected to the Celestial Library, allowing them to use the corresponding knowledge to summon a Historical Projection.
But this bridge was imperfect.
It could break down at any moment, especially if the knowledge possessed or the knowledge that was drawn far exceeded the bridge’s integrity.
That was why Integration was necessary.
Lazarus knew all of this, and if he could make a choice, he would naturally not infuse himself with so much knowledge despite being a mere Sub-Integrated.
But it couldn’t be helped.
’I didn’t have a choice in the matter. My past life’s memories came rushing back when I subconsciously called for them. They surfaced in my Mind’s World, which triggered a reaction from the Celestial Library.’
Lazarus sighed as he tried to make out the darkness, to no avail.
’Am I really in the Celestial Library?’ He began to wonder in silence. ’But why is it so dark... and eerily quiet? Is this not meant to be the home of light? The center of all knowledge?’
Right as he silently said this, Lazarus began to hear a faint sound.
He paused his thoughts and listened closely.
The sound became more audible.
—Footsteps.
The footsteps that echoed in the dark began with faint sounds, but they soon grew louder. The thumping sound that marched on the ground felt disharmonious and heavy, easily causing one’s imagination to stir within this unseen darkness.
It continued.
Louder... and clearer.
The reverberating sounds made Lazarus feel like the steps were drawing closer to him.
Right when Lazarus felt his scalp tingle, almost as though the steps were circling around him, the dissonant sounds abruptly stopped.
’Whew...’ He heaved a sigh, and he was finally able to breathe.
Then, a sudden knock sounded.
’Huh?’
Lazarus felt like the sound emanated a short distant from him.
But he couldn’t see anything.
All he felt was an imposing presence, and the yet another knock that felt louder this time.
Before he could think, several more knocks echoed.
The knocks were gentle at first.
Then, they became faster... and louder.
Soon, banging sounds echoed.
The frequency was bizarre and frightening, almost like a thunderstorm that threatened to tear whatever door it was pounding on apart.
The bangs were desperate... almost primal in their persistence.
The intent was clear.
Loud creaks seemed to leak from the door that was being assailed, almost as though it would break apart at any minute.
This caused Lazarus’ heart to race, almost jumping as he watched powerlessly.
Fortunately for him, the invisible door stood firm.
After an unknown length of time, the banging sounds finally stopped.
They replaced with a strange, inhuman sound.
A sigh...
After this whisper faded, the footsteps echoed again. This time growing more distant until they finally vanished into thin air.
It was almost as though they never existed.
’T-that was...’ Lazarus couldn’t explain what just occurred.
Everything was dark, after all.
’I can’t stay here. There’s no telling when that thing will return. It’s also possible that it could have some kind of way to invade this place when it comes back...’
Of course, there was a chance that this unseen existence was a friendly one who wanted to help him, but Lazarus had learned from his time as a Historian to always fear the unknown. Curiosity was necessary for learning, and as an Eternal Student of the Celestial Library, one had to keep an open mind to increase in knowledge.
But there were limits.
It was much safer to distance oneself from an undefined situation and an unknown existence.
Opening the mind to such a thing could easily lead to corruption.
Lazarus had witnessed this firsthand with his best friend, so he knew he had to be careful. No matter what lurked in the dark, they couldn’t be trusted.
Only by finding a stable point of contact could he interact with such a nameless entity.
’In any case, I need to find my way around here...’ Lazarus knew standing around wouldn’t solve his problems, so he put his experience as a Historian to practice and began to explore this seemingly infinite dark space.
Walking in the vast void felt harrowing and unsettling.
It felt like he was constantly being watched by a strange presence, but there was no way to confirm if this was the case.
He heard no sounds and didn’t hear any breathing besides his own.
As such, he refused to be paralyzed by the fear.
After an unknown length of time, Lazarus finally found a door. At first, he suspected it to the same kind that the mysterious owner of the footsteps had knocked on, but considering how he took the initiative to walk in the opposite distance, he highly doubted it.
Of course, he also knew that his sense of logic was meaningless in such a chaotic world.
What he considered ’right’ or ’left’ could actually mean the opposite.
Such was the nature of things when dealing with the unknown.
Still, Lazarus knew he couldn’t be paralyzed by the fear or hold back his curiosity. At this point, there was no other alternative. He had to either advance or remain in the room to accept whatever unknown fate awaited him.
This was a reasonable deduction, as the owner of the footsteps could arrive at any point.
Rather than passively waiting in the dark, was it not better to take the initiative and find a way out? At least, even though survival wasn’t guaranteed, it was an option.
’Okay...’ After exhaling shakily, Lazarus twisted the complicated knob and pushed the door gently.
Only then did he feel searing light invade his eyes.
At this point, he began to hear loud footsteps a distance away. It felt like frantic chasing, like the owner of the footsteps had sensed his action and was rushing towards him.
Within an instant, he heard loud knocks once again.
This time, it didn’t take very long for the sounds to escalate to desperate bangs.
This ominous echo caused entire room began to quake.
The sound grew so loud that Lazarus imagined that the entity was slamming its entire body on the door, trying its hardest to break in.
The creaks also grew more pronounced, as snapping sounds started coursing through the void.
’It’s almost about to break through!’ Not that it could be seen, but Lazarus’ pupils turned pin-sized as he quickly made his decision.
He hurriedly passed through the door and entered the realm of light.
Then, he closed it as fast as he could, just when the snaps reached their peak. Right before he closed the door completely shut, he heard loud, inhuman pants followed by a growl.
The sound terrified him even when it stopped.
Lazarus couldn’t help but wonder if there was a key he could use to seal the now visible door, preventing whoever approached from the other side from invading this space as well. After all, he had easily entered by twisting the doorknob. There was nothing stopping the stranger from doing the same.
Almost as soon as he had this thought, a strange key appeared in his hand.
He didn’t waste any time to attempt fitting it into the keyhole that had miraculously appeared as well. Thankfully, it was the perfect fit, and Lazarus was able to lock the room with no effort at all.
Then, he looked at the door.
It was rather ornate, filled with precision and delicate craftsmanship.
But it felt rather brittle.
It wasn’t something that would take long for a large entity to invade if they really tried.
’Seal it! Create a sturdier barrier! Isolate this room!’ His mind told him in a hurry.
Lazarus didn’t hesitate to imagine this.
As soon as he did, the door completely vanished, leaving the bright room without an entrance.
Just like that... he had succeeded in protecting himself.
The dark room, and whatever existed beyond it, was no longer going to attack.
He was safe.
’For now...’ Upon heaving a sigh, Lazarus took his gaze from the empty wall and turned towards the rest of the room.
The moment he saw what he stood in front of him, his brows prickled with confusion.
’W-what is the meaning of this?’