Lucian's fingers froze the moment they touched the spine of the ancient book he had just drawn from the shelf. Its cover shimmered faintly with archaic symbols, a thrumming energy stinging his palm. No doubt—this was the information he sought.
"That book isn't yours."
A voice, firm yet silken, cut through the shadows.
Lucian turned, meeting the woman's gaze. She was clad in striking gothic attire, her long hair neatly bound. In the flickering lantern light, she appeared both elegant and dangerous.
"Just like this world," Lucian said, his voice flat.
The woman narrowed her eyes, stepping closer.
"Do you know what you hold?"
Lucian clutched the book tighter.
"Enough… and I haven't the time to explain it to someone intent on stopping me."
Suddenly—WUSSH!
A gust of wind erupted from beneath his feet, launching him towards the window he'd previously shattered. The woman raised a hand, tracing a magical sigil in the air.
"Apprehend him!" she commanded.
Outside, Lucian landed on the nearest rooftop, his knees bending perfectly. Without pausing, he surged forward, sprinting across tiles, leaping over chimneys, traversing rooftops like a night wind.
Shouts echoed behind him.
A volley of spells erupted in the air—magical lights streaked swiftly, like luminous arrows pursuing him.
ZRAK! DUMM!
An explosion ripped through the air inches behind him, shattering tiles and sending sparks flying.
But Lucian didn't slow. His movements became faster, almost blurring. His cloak billowed wildly, seeming to merge with the night as a shadow.
One of his pursuers yelled, "He's heading north! Intercept him!"
A fireball hurtled towards him. Lucian spun in mid-air, narrowly avoiding it.
"Tch… amateurs," he muttered.
He slipped beneath a wooden archway, then leaped into a narrow alley, using walls and fences as natural footholds. Despite the relentless barrage of magic, Lucian's focus remained razor-sharp.
He wasn't just escaping.
He was returning.
And now, with the book clutched tightly in his arms—Lucian was bringing home what he'd been searching for.
But then, Lucian's pace began to falter.
A sharp, sudden pain pierced his chest. His breath hitched, and his hand flew up, pressing against the throbbing agony. He forced himself to run, but his speed wasn't what it had been.
"Not now… damn it," he hissed, fighting the pain that increasingly hampered his concentration.
As he ran, head down, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure ahead—the woman he'd encountered in the Narami Library. Her long hair was bound, and her gothic attire was as striking as before.
She stood with her back to the road, seemingly unaware of Lucian's proximity.
Lucian's heart pounded, a mixture of panic and alertness. With a swift reflex, he darted into a small alley beside the main road, hiding behind a stack of wooden crates and the shadows of the dark wall.
A moment later, the woman turned.
Whether instinct or premonition, she seemed to sense someone nearby.
But as she gazed towards the alley…
She saw nothing. Lucian was gone.
Silently, he had slipped into the narrow passage, darting between buildings, vanishing from sight. Despite the lingering pain in his chest, he kept moving—leaving a faint trace in the cold stillness of the night.
The woman stood for a moment, her gaze sweeping the empty street now shrouded in evening mist. But something bothered her—an intangible feeling, like someone had been silently watching… or had just passed.
She frowned, her eyes fixed on the stack of wooden crates in the corner of the narrow alley.
Without hesitation, she approached.
Her foot splashed in a small puddle, her gothic gown dragging slightly in the street dust, but she didn't care. She sharpened her gaze, hoping to find something—anything—to explain the odd feeling that pierced her heart.
But…
There was no one.
Only the night shadows and the old, motionless crates.
She stood still, glancing around once more before letting out a short sigh.
"Was it just my imagination…" she whispered softly, her voice as cold as the night air.
Meanwhile…
Lucian had returned to his inn, approximately 110 meters from the Narami Library within the Nother city limits. His breath hadn't fully stabilized, but his body was beginning to calm.
He sat on a bench in front of a small shop—a spot that directly faced the inn's main road. From there, his eyes carefully scanned the surroundings, ensuring no one was following or observing him.
Night was falling, but his mind was still unsettled.
He knew… this was only the beginning.
After ensuring the area around the inn was safe and no one was tailing him, Lucian finally breathed a sigh of relief. He entered the simple building, walking slowly down the narrow hallway to his room.
Once inside, he gently closed the door and immediately took out the book he had managed to retrieve. He placed it on the wooden table, then sat down, gazing at its worn cover for a moment before opening the first page.
But as he read the contents, his brow furrowed.
"This… isn't the book I was looking for," he muttered with a disappointed tone.
What he found wasn't information about the curse's influence or soul magic—but a collection of ancient spells, some almost illegible. While valuable, the book's contents were far from what he expected.
Lucian closed it with a sigh of frustration.
His body felt heavy, the pain from his earlier injury still lingering faintly. He rose from the chair, stretching slightly, then walked towards the bed.
"Just sleep…," he murmured. "I'll look for it again tomorrow."
...
And so the night passed…
The midday sun pierced the gap in the window when a loud noise shattered his sleep.
DUG DUG DUG!
A rapid knocking echoed at his door.
Lucian jolted awake, his face still clouded with sleep. He quickly stood, walked to the door, and opened it slowly…
But no one was there.
The inn hallway was silent. Only the wind whispered through the gaps in the building.
Lucian looked left and right, trying to sense something… but nothing.
He frowned and muttered,
"Was it just my imagination…?"
His gaze remained vigilant as he stepped back into his room. Now, he knew—something was lurking, and perhaps… it wasn't over.
After making sure no one was at the door, Lucian slowly closed it again. The air in the room still felt damp, remnants of the previous night lingering in the corners.
He walked back to the table and opened the spell book that had previously disappointed him. This time, he tried to read more carefully. His fingers traced the pages filled with ancient writing and unfamiliar symbols. Despite his attempts at understanding, his mind felt dull.
Not a single spell did he truly comprehend.
Lucian sighed softly. His eyes half-closed from the gnawing hunger.
He took a small pouch containing a few coins, hung it at his waist, and stepped out of the room.
"Ugh… I could eat a damn horse," he muttered under his breath.
His steps led him to the market, where people usually gathered to eat or simply look for daily necessities. The midday market was quite bustling. The aroma of warm food, the sounds of haggling, and the shouts of children created the typical life of a small town.
But Lucian's steps stopped when his eyes caught a stack of announcement papers on a roadside information board. Flyers and newspaper clippings were randomly attached there, but one headline caught his attention:
"Mysterious Attack and Theft at the Narami Library — Perpetrator Unknown."
His eyes fixed on it.
Lucian remained silent, his expression unreadable. Just silent, standing amidst the crowd unaware of his presence.
For now, he chose not to care.
Without changing his expression, he walked away—looking for a less crowded place to eat, as if he'd never read the news.
Lucian looked at the announcement board one last time, then sighed softly.
"Huh, this kingdom is quick, huh," he muttered, half-admiring the speed at which information spread so widely.
He turned, strolling towards a bakery just a few steps from where he stood. But before he could raise his hand to open the shop door, a cold voice crept softly into his ear—a voice that instantly made his heart jump.
"You finally came…" someone whispered from behind.
Lucian's steps stopped instantly. He turned slowly, and his gaze met the familiar figure.
A woman stood there, not far from him. Her long hair was neatly tied, and the striking gothic attire she wore contrasted with the bustling midday market. Her gaze was sharp, mysterious, and inscrutable—the same woman he had met at the Narami Library.
Deep in his mind, echoes of the previous night's chase stirred once more.