The Library and the Scythe

After using the last of my energy to shout at Gnavu, I lost consciousness. My eyes felt heavy and were falling into the darkness of my subconscious. I felt nothing, no pain, and no comfort. My body was weightless as I floated in the void of what I believed to be the afterlife.

And then, out of nowhere, a blue light erupted from the lowest point of the void and covered my entire vision. My eyes opened and I was able to feel the sensations in my body once more but when I looked around I realized that I was in a different location.

I was no longer in the Garden of Eden surrounded by the dryads or the gargoyles, but I was what seemed to be…

“A library…?”

A giant library that could equal the length of Eleiweth itself. The bookcases were as tall as skyscrapers and they housed books of many fashions and colors. And the ceiling to the library was made of ocean water and many different types of creatures were swimming through at such a slow pace.

“Where the hell…?”

I looked ahead to see stairs that lead to the lower floors of the library. Having nowhere else to go I descended the stairs slowly while looking around. As my feet touched the bottom floor I was now right next to the extremely large bookcases which greatly intimidated me.

Out of curiosity I walked over to the nearest bookcase and took out the green book at the very end. When I opened it to see the contents I saw the paragraphs were written in a language I did not recognize. And as I flipped through the pages I saw that most of them were blank.

“This book isn’t even complete,” I said aloud while looking at the novel questionably. “And what type of language is this? Elvish?”

I picked up another book, a red one with a thicker cover. The pages held the same strange language that I could not decipher but I would say that at least that book was completed.

Repeating this process I noticed that a bunch of the books were very…inconsistent. Some were completed, some were close to being completed, and others only had two pages of writing before the rest were blank.

“What is the deal with these books? Why are almost all of them not even finished?”

“Because the authors of those novels are still writing their story.”

I yelped aloud in surprise at the sudden new voice that responded to my question. I looked down the aisle of the bookcase but saw no one. I then ran out to the outside where I looked at the massive hall to see something that I was certain wasn’t there previously.

There was a tall woman with ash-colored skin and short hair that resembled the look of crushed pebbles. She wore ripped brown and gray robes with multiple symbols engraved on them. Her hands and feet were exposed, decorated with strange white tattoos that resembled the patterns of bones. That very woman was reading a black book, her eyes fully encompassed in the pages but she still continued to talk to me.

“This library holds the records of all the finished and unfinished tales of the world. Unfiltered by the lies of the living and only the truth laid bare.”

The woman then turned to me. Her eyes glowed with a gorgeous cerulean light.

“Do you wish to know the book I am reading right now…Baxter Ale?”

“H-how do you know my name!? Who are you!?”

“…I have many names, but you can call me by the one your father called me…Azriel.”

“Azriel…wait, my father!?”

I ran up to the woman, getting up in her face.

“You know my father!? How!?”

Azriel sighed softly, her eyes returning to the book but she still replied to me.

“He and I have been friends for years. Then again I have been friends with many people. But I remembered him vividly because of the nickname he gave me…”

The dark woman began to chuckle and lifted her head up to the watery ceiling.

“Azriel! Beautiful and lustrous Azriel! Embrace me in your Wings of Night! Take me to the other side where God’s mercy is everlasting! Ha! Those were his last words before he was transformed…”

“I…I’m not following. You were there when my Dad died?”

“Yes, and I was there for him when he was born. Same as your mother…and same as you…”

“W-what the hell? You’re saying you lived in Lore? I’m pretty sure I would’ve remembered you if that was true!”

Azriel smiled.

“Well…you wouldn’t be able to see me if I was just simply living. But then again you entered this realm which means you are indeed close. Now back to my previous question…”

Azriel held the black book out to me.

“W-what?”

“Do you want to know what book I’m reading?”

“U-uh…sure? What is it about?”

“You.”

“Huh? Me?”

“This book is about you. This book is you. This book was you. This book will be about you.”

“I-I don’t—“

Suddenly, Azriel slammed her hands onto the table and stood up quickly. I backed away as the tall woman then ripped the black book in half and the pages scattered all over the floor.

“Your life was cut short…but since you are my retainer I will not let it end this way…so for right now.”

Azriel held out her right hand and coming out of her palm was a piercing light. Expanding and taking form was a giant black scythe that looked way too heavy to be wielded by someone such as her, but Azriel seemed to be able to lift it with such ease.

“H-how are you…?”

“How? Why? What?” Azriel chuckled as she slowed and walked towards me. “You ask so many questions! Put them to rest for now! I will borrow your body and show you the truth!”

Before I could say anything else, Azriel grabbed her scythe and swung down with great speed. I felt no pain or anything. Blood didn’t even spill from me as my top half slipped off of the rest of my body.

My eyes gazed up in horror as the tall woman turned into a murderer of crows and flew away. Then the watery ceiling began to sink and the library flooded the entire area.

The water took hold of the world and floated in its cold smothering. The strange fish swam around me—their strange glowing eyes staring into my soul.

As one white fish approached me it whispered in a strange tone of a thousand different individuals.

“Can you see us, Baxter?”