Noah arrived at Sector 2 via the northern train and reached the Oriental Library. As soon as he opened the door, a gentle, cool breeze swept across his face. To his right, he noticed September at the reception desk, a smile on her face. But the moment her eyes met Noah's, she quickly grabbed the newspaper beside her and pretended to read it, clearly trying to avoid him.
"W-Welcome to the Oriental Library, sir. If you need anything, please feel free to ask the other staff," September said with a nervous tone. She had changed her voice, making it sound rough like a man's, but the result was awkward and laughably strange.
"You're reading the newspaper upside down…" Noah said, pointing to the paper in her hands. The whole act looked ridiculous.
September tilted her head back to look at the paper and realized it really was upside down. She flipped it around.
Noah approached the reception desk, which only made September more anxious and nervous. She feared her disguise might be exposed, even though she was likely overthinking it. Noah leaned in closer so no other staff could overhear.
"What are you doing?" Noah asked, curious and confused, waiting for an answer.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about, sir," September stammered, her voice trembling with confusion.
Noah snatched the newspaper from her hands, watching how anxious and disoriented she became.
"C-Can we talk later?" September asked nervously, fidgeting with her fingers.
"I'm not here to mess around with your 'secret.' I just came to ask about a certain book," Noah said in a calm but serious tone.
"I—I'll search for it in our records. What's the title?" September said, worried by Noah's serious expression as she turned to her computer.
"It's called… A Boring Book," Noah said, trying to remember. The book had more than one name, which confused him.
"What a unique name…" September replied sarcastically as she typed on the keyboard. After a short wait, the result appeared.
"There are over 33 books with that title in the library," she said in a tired tone. She was surprised too—how could so many books have that title?
"Out of the 33 books, I happened to pick up 'We Are Not Human'… It's... too perfect. Almost as if it was placed there for me to find and read," Noah thought, worried. Another idea came to him.
"The book was written by Frederick Penrose. Can you search for that name?" he added.
September quickly typed again, and a new result popped up.
"Oh, I found it. There's only one book by that author. Hmm? It's been in the library since the university's founding, but there's something strange—there are multiple dates linked to its origin," she said, puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Noah asked, just as confused.
"It says here that Frederick Penrose published the book in 720 AD… but it also says it was written 18 years ago. There are several other dates too—like 740 AD, then a jump to 1011, then 1033, and more…" she explained nervously while staring at the data.
"That's not all… it says new chapters appear in the book every few years… What the hell is this?" she asked, visibly disturbed.
"…W-Would it be too much to ask you to send the data about this book to my phone?" Noah asked, tense and anxious. He clenched his fist while waiting for her response.
"Oh, come on… if I refuse, will you threaten to reveal my secret?" September said nervously. Honestly, Noah hadn't thought of threatening her before, but now that she brought it up—it sounded like a good plan.
"Yes," Noah nodded without hesitation.
"Damn you… It'll take some time. Give me your phone," she said, annoyed, holding out her hand.
"Thank you, and sorry for the trouble," Noah replied, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it over.
"I'll… wander around until you're done," he said, walking away from September and heading straight to the shelf where he had found the book.
Near the shelf where Noah had found 'We Are Not Human', he gently ran his finger along the dusty books until he landed on the one he was looking for. He pulled it out, stood in place, and opened it to the first page—the introduction he had read last time.
"We scream for your mercy. Please do not descend. Stay in your sky and your ivory tower, O axis of the universe and Lord of Ruin."
"This sentence hides a deeper meaning. Screaming instead of praying, mercy instead of blessing, ruin instead of salvation… Maybe this is some ancient god from forgotten mythologies? None of the current gods have ever been called 'Axis of the Universe' or 'Lord of Ruin.' ...Derek called him Betelgeuse, right? That's the name of a dying star. I don't know of any god with that name," Noah thought, uneasy. He sat at a nearby table and began flipping through the pages quickly.
[HOST, PLEASE STOP]
[HOST, PLEASE STOP]
[HOST, PLEASE STOP]
[HOST, PLEASE STOP]
[HOST, PLEASE STOP]
"W-What is this?!" Noah whispered, eyes wide, sweat trailing down his cheek as the system's interference shocked him.
He looked back at the book and saw the letters dissolve into ink, dripping like liquid off the pages. Every page turned blank, like a fresh book never touched by a pen.
Noah dropped the book in fear. His heartbeat raced, and dread crept into his chest.
"W-What's happening?! System!" Noah cried out, calling for answers.
But the system didn't respond. Suddenly, Noah felt a vile, terrifying sensation that sent a chill through his entire body. Every sense awakened, every hair on his body stood on end. He felt like countless colossal eyes belonging to creatures beyond logic were watching him.
A sharp headache struck Noah, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing in his ears. A pressure swelled inside him as if he might explode.
He clutched his head in pain and dropped to his knees, looking around to find himself in a black void. A vast, empty space filled with enormous eyes staring at him unblinking.
The moment his eyes met one of them, he felt his mind tear apart. It was like a nail hammered into his brain. His eyes shed black tears uncontrollably. Blood oozed from his ears, and a torrent of blood spilled from his mouth like a waterfall.
The eyes watching him wept too. Their pupils spiraled, twitching and turning erratically, then began to melt like paint smeared by a brush.
Noah grabbed his head from the pain. A sharp noise pierced his skull. He felt as though something was crawling under his skin. The agony silenced even his screams. Then, he heard it—a faint, eerie whisper like a choir chanting in the background, whispering words into his ears:
"Bethelis"
"Guesara"
The whispers repeated until he heard the toll of a heavy bell—like a church bell. In that instant, Noah's body split in two, flesh tearing, blood exploding everywhere.
Then—Noah opened his eyes, standing with his finger on the book 'We Are Not Human'.
He gasped sharply, testing if he could still breathe. Looking down, he saw his trembling hands clutching his neck, as if he had tried to strangle himself. But it was just a desperate attempt to calm down. He suddenly screamed in terror, drawing attention from everyone in the library. He fell to his knees, his hand brushing the shelves and knocking down books. The memory replayed over and over in his mind.
People rushed to check on him. The commotion caused September herself to hurry over, finding Noah in a state of breakdown.
"Noah?! Noah, are you okay?!" she asked, panicked.
Noah couldn't hear anyone—not because he was screaming, but because he had completely lost the ability to process his surroundings. He tightened his grip around his neck. September noticed and grabbed his arms, trying to stop him.
"N-Noah, calm down, stop!" she said, struggling to pull his hands away.
Noah's eyes rolled back, the whites now red. When September realized he wouldn't stop, she grabbed a nearby thick book and hit him hard on the head, knocking him unconscious into her arms.
"Damn it! Someone help me, you useless idiots!"
———————
Inside his consciousness, Noah found himself once again at the usual shore within his mind. He walked barefoot, feeling the warm sand under him, eyes tired as if life had been drained from them.
"That was Madness," said a voice from behind. But Noah didn't bother turning—he already knew who it was. Selene stood at a distance.
"Madness?" Noah whispered wearily, lips dry, eyes lifeless as black vortex.
"You looked at something you were never supposed to see," Selene said as she walked toward him, footsteps silent.
"Are you saying it's my fault? How was I supposed to know how… horrific it was?" Noah said with frustration, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"You were curious. Curiosity has consequences. Sometimes, you see things you never wanted to. It ended well this time—but next time, it won't," Selene warned, stopping just centimeters away from him.
""Do not gaze upon what was never meant to be seen," she said calmly.
"What do you mea—" Noah said, but Selene cut him off by pushing him backward into the sea.
His clothes soaked, cold water swirled around him. He looked up at Selene, just as she clapped her hands once—waking him from the dream.
Noah opened his eyes in the real world, beneath the ceiling of his room. He looked at the window and saw the sky had turned black—it was now night.
He sat upright on his comfortable bed, only to find the book 'We Are Not Human' lying beside him in his sanctuary. Panicking, he gasped and flung it away, the book hitting the wall with a thud.
Seconds later, both Sirius and Neriah rushed into the room. They found Noah awake, sweating heavily, eyes exhausted, and the book lying far from him.
Sirius walked calmly toward Noah.
"Are you okay now?" Sirius asked, voice anxious and confused.
"I'm… I think I'm okay," Noah said weakly.
Neriah approached the book on the floor, dusted it off, and was about to open it when Noah noticed.
"Don't open it!" Noah shouted, stopping Neriah. Sirius glanced back and motioned for Neriah to leave the book.
"Okay....but Is it important?" Neriah asked, gently placing the book on the table.
"No, it's not… Just don't ever try to open it," Noah warned him. The last thing he wanted was for Neriah to suffer like he did.
"O-Okay."
An awkward silence fell between them. No one wanted to speak—until Sirius broke it.
"You made quite a scene today. Almost everyone knows you as Noah Grace, the boy who screamed out of nowhere in the library," he said with a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ah… great. I'm sure everyone enjoyed the show," Noah replied bitterly, the dread easing slightly.
"A worker from the library called us, that's how we found at" Sirius added, pointing to Noah's phone on the table.
"September called… I should thank her later," Noah thought. A second headache hit—less intense, but his vision blurred and he felt dizzy. He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
"…I'll just sleep now…"