Raghav had always loved the smell of old books. The scent of yellowed pages and dust held a certain comfort, like a whisper of forgotten stories waiting to be told. As the librarian of his town's oldest library, his days were spent among towering shelves that creaked with age and sagged under the weight of time.
It was during a stormy evening when the rain hammered against the windows, and thunder growled in the distance, that Raghav found it. He was reorganizing the back shelves—a section so old that even the regular visitors avoided it. Cobwebs hung like curtains between the rows, and dust swirled in lazy spirals with every step he took.
He was wiping off a particularly stubborn layer of grime when his fingers brushed against something peculiar. A thick, leather-bound book that didn't seem to belong. It was wedged tightly between two crumbling encyclopedias, its cover embossed with symbols he didn't recognize. There was no title, only intricate designs that seemed to shimmer faintly under the flickering light.
Curiosity piqued, Raghav pulled the book free, coughing as a cloud of dust erupted from its binding. The leather was cold and smooth to the touch, unlike any material he had felt before. He tried to open it, but the pages wouldn't budge, as if locked by some invisible force.
Thunder cracked loudly, shaking the windows and sending a shiver down his spine. He glanced around the empty library, shadows pooling in the corners as the storm raged outside. It felt...different, as if the air itself had thickened with anticipation.
Ignoring the creeping sense of unease, Raghav carried the book to his desk, setting it down with a thud. As soon as it touched the wooden surface, the symbols on its cover glowed softly. His heart skipped a beat, but his hand reached out instinctively, fingertips grazing the surface.
A whisper—soft and distant—tickled his ears. He jerked back, glancing around. "Hello?" he called out, but only the rain replied.
Swallowing his nerves, Raghav reached out again, this time pressing his palm against the center of the book. The symbols flared to life, casting light across the walls in spiraling patterns. His breath caught as the cover creaked open, revealing pages that shimmered like liquid silver.
Before he could blink, the light enveloped him, pulling him forward as if gravity itself had shifted. The library vanished, replaced by endless shelves stretching into the sky, stacked with books of every size and color, some floating gently above the ground, others chained with locks of iron.
The air was filled with the faint hum of energy, like whispers trapped within the pages of the books. He turned around slowly, taking in the towering aisles and flickering lanterns that floated above, illuminating the infinite pathways.
Suddenly, a robed figure approached—a woman with eyes like molten gold. She moved gracefully, her footsteps making no sound. "Welcome, Keeper," she greeted, her voice echoing softly. "You have been chosen as the Librarian of Lost Realms."
Raghav's voice faltered. "W-what? Where am I?"
Her smile widened. "You are in the Nexus—the heart of all forgotten worlds. Every book here," she gestured around them, "is a doorway to a realm that once existed, now preserved within these pages. And you, Raghav, are their new Keeper."
He stared at her, disbelief etched across his face. "I don't understand... I was just in my library. How did I get here?"
The woman chuckled softly. "The Book of Portals chose you. You unlocked its magic, and now you are bound to the Nexus. Your role is to protect these stories and, when necessary, set things right within the worlds that reside here."
Raghav looked around again, absorbing the vastness of the place. "And if I refuse?"
Her gaze turned serious. "You cannot refuse what you have already accepted. The path forward is yours to take, but abandoning it...would be unwise."
A shiver ran through him. "So...what happens now?"
"Now," she said, stepping aside to reveal a grand archway that shimmered with light, "you begin your journey. Welcome to the Library of Lost Realms, Keeper. May your choices shape its destiny."
Staring at the archway, Raghav took a deep breath and stepped forward, his heart pounding with anticipation. His old life—a quiet librarian surrounded by dust and silence—had been rewritten in an instant.
And it was only the beginning.