Chapter 71: Trapped in Another Dimension

As the bell signaling the end of classes echoed through the academy's hallways, Kael gathered his things. Just as Lyra and Rota beside him were about to suggest grabbing a drink, Kael turned to them.

"Please go ahead without me—I'm heading to the library; I need to look up a few things."

Lyra paused suddenly as she closed her bag, while Rota chuckled lightly, as if she couldn't believe what she'd heard. Both were surprised; Kael's first year at the academy was almost over, yet they'd never once seen him reading a book.

"The library?" Rota asked in surprise.

"Kael, did you even know the way to the library?"

"I just... have some topics I need to research. You guys go ahead; I'll catch up with you later."

Kael's desire to go to the library wasn't merely a passing curiosity. His real goal was to do more research on his own mixed blood. During his time at the Eastern Academy, he'd experienced quite a few strange and unexplainable events.

While his friends were forming simple magic circles in their basic elemental classes, every time Kael forced the mana within himself, he felt a dark power trying to seep into that pure energy. In fact, during a few night training sessions, he had noticed that his eyes would momentarily change and the plants around him would wither whenever the seals were strained. The standard education provided by the Academy was insufficient to explain this phenomenon. Determined to uncover his origins and learn how to control this power within him without anyone noticing, Kael had set his mind on researching the Dark Arts.

Kael began walking toward the Eastern Academy's massive library. As he stepped through the door, he better understood why this place was one of the kingdom's most prestigious sites. The Eastern Academy's library was vast and featured a breathtaking architectural design. Massive columns reaching up to the ceiling were surrounded by galleries with wooden and stone railings that stretched floor after floor upward. On every floor, massive bookshelves lined side by side, holding parchments that contained thousands of years of accumulated knowledge.

Kael quickly passed the general history and basic magic sections on the lower floors and climbed the stairs. As he ascended floor by floor, the surroundings grew increasingly desolate, and the light grew dimmer. What he was seeking was not a book on magic theory or fundamental magic research; what piqued his curiosity was the art of dark magic.

Finally, he reached the "Dark Arts" section at the very back of the library. Most of the books here were secured with chains or heavy talismans. As Kael ran his fingers along the spines of the books, a volume wedged deep in the back of the shelf caught his attention. It was much older than the others. He gently pulled the book out. The cover was made of dark, weathered leather, etched with geometric seals and intricate rings that had worn away over time, their meaning now unclear. When he gently brushed the dust off it with his hand, he sensed the book emanating a strange aura.

He took the book and sat down at one of the empty wooden tables in the corner. He didn't know what the seals on the cover meant. Curiously, he opened the cover. When he opened it, he saw that the pages were yellowed. The text seemed to be written in a different language. As Kael carefully turned the pages, he came across intricate magic circles, detailed drawings of some ancient creatures, and illustrations of several human figures performing strange rituals.

"I wonder what's written here? I can't read this language at all," he thought to himself. He traced the lines on the human figure with his fingertip.

"Besides, the book is so old... I'd better turn the pages carefully,"

"You've found an interesting book, dear," said a sudden, elegant yet mysterious woman's voice from behind him.

Kael startled and turned around. Standing before him was a middle-aged woman wearing a wide-brimmed black hat resembling a classic witch's hat, along with glasses. She was dressed in a dark-colored robe typical of library staff, but there was an air about her that suggested she was far more than just an ordinary employee.

"Ah... I was just curious,"

"I was looking at the text in the book, but... I can't read any of it."

The woman leaned forward slightly, glancing over her glasses at the book in Kael's hands.

"It's perfectly normal that you can't read it, dear, because this book is written in the language of demons."

"The language of demons?"

"It's an ancient and dangerous language, far removed from the human world. By the way, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kifanes; I'm the librarian of this academy. I see you're quite interested in the dark arts, despite your young age?"

Kifanes's sharp eyes scanned Kael from behind her glasses. Kael, meanwhile, was trying to salvage the situation:

"Ah, no, there's no particular reason, Ms. Kifanes. I just happened to notice the book while browsing the library. Since I can't read it, I'd better put it back."

As Kael reached to close the book, Kifanes gently raised her hand to stop him.
"It's fine—if it interests you, you can take it, dear. You're allowed to look at it outside the library, as long as you follow the rules. But be careful; the books are delicate. If you handle them roughly, they'll get damaged. Especially the one you're holding—it's quite old."

Though Kael was surprised by the woman's unexpected flexibility, he didn't let it show. He picked up the book from the table and put it in his bag.

"Thank you. Rest assured, I'll handle the book with care, Ms. Kifanes."

As Kael slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the stairs to leave the library, Kifanes remained where she was. She slowly pushed her glasses back up her nose and watched Kael walk away, then smiled slightly, a mysterious gleam in her eyes.

"What an interesting young man..."

After leaving the library, Kael went to a quiet, secluded backyard of the academy where no one ever went. He stepped into the shade of a large tree and sat cross-legged on the grass. He took the old book out of his bag again and placed it on his knees. After looking around to make sure he was alone, he called out to Grosolun in his mind:

"Grosolun... have you ever heard of something called the demon tongue?"

From the depths of his mind, that familiar voice echoed:

"Yes, child. Just as we have our own dragon tongue, demons also have their own languages they use among themselves. In fact, some powerful spells that humans call 'dark arts' are cast directly in the demon tongue..."

Grosolun paused for a moment, examining the book on his lap through Kael's eyes."That book you're holding... it feels like I recognize it from somewhere."Kael was thrilled by Grosolun's response

"Grosolun, can you read what's written in the book!?"

Grosolun began examining the book under Kael's hand more closely. When he saw the seals on it, the pieces of the Dragon's memory fell into place one by one. His voice suddenly grew serious:

"Boy... The name of this book is Wandil Kaos! Don't you dare utter a single word—"

Grosolun was about to warn Kael not to speak, but the words had already slipped from Kael's mouth

Kael, keeping his hand on the large seal right in the center of the book, involuntarily repeated the name Grosolun had spoken aloud:

"Wandil Kaos?"

The moment that name slipped from Kael's lips, the geometric magic circles on the book suddenly began to glow, emitting a purple and pitch-black light. The seals seemed to come to life, spinning.

"Take your hand off the book, kid! Quick!"

But it was already too late. When the light in Kael's eyes completely faded, his body lay lifeless at the base of the tree in the garden, like a statue.

When Kael opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different place. He had been pulled into the book's sealed dimension. The surroundings felt like the interior of a vast, endless cave. It was completely empty and pitch-black. There was no sky, nor were the boundaries of the ground beneath his feet discernible.

"Grosolun!" he called out loudly.

"Grosolun! Can you hear me?"

But he received no answer. The dragon's voice had fallen completely silent. For the first time, Kael felt utterly alone and defenseless.

"Where on earth is this place?"

He immediately reached out and cast a small fire spell. As the flame appeared in his palm, it faintly illuminated the surroundings. To see ahead, he began walking in a straight line. His footsteps echoed in this silent, dark void. He had been walking for about half an hour, but the end of the cave was still nowhere in sight. When he stopped and looked around, he realized this place was nothing but an endless, boundless expanse.

"I need to get out of here. My true body must still be in the academy garden. I hope nothing happens to me while I'm here..."

Without losing hope, Kael continued walking through the darkness for a few more hours. His legs were growing tired, and the fire spell in his palm was beginning to lose its power, when he saw an old door standing alone in the middle of the darkness ahead. The door seemed to be suspended in mid-air, as if it weren't attached to anything.

"Kael, I can finally see something," he thought to himself as he ran quickly toward the door.

He reached it, grabbed the doorknob, and pushed it open. The moment he opened the door, a warm breeze and the scent of fresh earth hit his face. He felt as if he were in a completely different world. The other side of the door opened onto a dense forest filled with massive trees. When he craned his neck and looked ahead, he saw an old, wooden cabin among the trees.Kael took a step into the forest, feeling relieved. But the moment his foot touched the ground, a loud crash erupted behind him. When he turned around, he saw the door he had just passed through slam shut and vanish into thin air within seconds.

"No!"

"My way back... How am I supposed to get out of here now?"

Kael looked around helplessly. The door was gone; all that remained was this unfamiliar forest. His gaze drifted to the cabin he had just seen.

"There's a cabin up ahead... Maybe someone lives there. They might tell me how to get out of here and help me."

As Kael approached the cabin, the still air within the forest suddenly began to shift; the rustling of the leaves ceased, and the area was completely enveloped by a strange, heavy energy. Kael quickened his pace, reached the wooden door, and gently knocked.
When the door creaked open, a girl around his age appeared before him. She was of average height, with dark skin and blonde hair that fell to her shoulders. When she saw Kael standing there, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Uh... You...?"

Kael immediately spoke up:

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Kael. I was reading a book in the academy's garden, and the moment I said the name on it, I suddenly found myself here, in a forest..."

The girl furrowed her brows and continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"A book? What are you talking about? Did you get lost or something?"

Just then, an old man's voice echoed from inside:

"Olivia, is everything all right?"

Olivia turned her head toward the house.

"Oh, Grandpa Videl! There's a boy here—I think he's lost."

Following the sound of footsteps from inside, Videl appeared at the door. This elderly man, with his upright posture and an air of wisdom, fixed his gaze directly on Kael the moment he stepped through the doorway. A momentary silence fell between them.

"Young man, how did you end up here?"

Kael began recounting the story again:

"There was an old book I found in the garden, titled 'Wandil Kaos.' When I touched the seal and spoke its name—"

Realizing the story was going to drag on, Videl cut him off, pushed the door open a little wider, and stepped aside.

"Come on in. Let's talk inside; it seems your story is a long one."

As Kael crossed the threshold and stepped inside, the atmosphere reminded him of an old, modest village home. The interior was quite simply furnished. The crackling sound of wood from the stove in the corner and the faint bubbling from the teapot brought back old memories for him.

Videl turned to her granddaughter. "Olivia, would you bring our guest something to drink?"

Kael sat down on a chair and caught his breath.

"Thank you," he said, turning to Videl, and began recounting everything from the start: his discovery of the book in the library, his conversation with Kifanes, and finally, how he had uttered his name and fallen into this dark dimension.

Videl listened to the end without interrupting Kael, maintaining his serious demeanor. When the story was over, the old man stood up and looked at Olivia.

"Olivia, could you fetch some fresh water from the well outside for me?"

"Sure, Grandpa," said Olivia, taking the bucket and going outside, then closing the door.

The moment Olivia left the room, the expression on Videl's face completely changed.

"Hmm... So when you mentioned the book's title, it pulled you to this place where we live, is that right?"

"Yes, sir. Do you know how to get out of here? There are people waiting for me outside. Also, I haven't been able to reach Grosolun since I arrived here."

"Who is Grosolun?"

"He's my contracted creature. He's a dragon."

Hearing these words, Videl was thoroughly surprised.

"You said your name was Kael, didn't you?"

Kael had just opened his mouth to confirm when Videl cut him off:

"So, Kael... Does your demonic side come from your mother, or your father?"

Kael froze at the question. His heart began to race, and he sat motionless in his chair. How could this stranger across from him have understood his deepest secret at first glance?