Azad screamed in agony as the entity surged into his body. He could feel it coursing through every part of him—from his head and mind to his arms, legs, and even the tips of his fingers. Then, without warning, everything went dark.
In a vast white void, Azad walked unconsciously, his head bowed, his steps slow and steady—like a soul drifting between worlds.
Who am I?
Well... I am Azad Fernald, a commoner of the Great Unified Republic.
Twelve years ago, just as I had begun to understand life and its intricacies, I was jolted awake by the scream of my little sister. We were at our family's vacation home. My life wasn't anything remarkable, but I was at peace—until that day shattered everything.
My family was murdered... slaughtered by an incarnated belief.
My mother, father, and little sister—the only ones I ever had, the ones I loved most—were taken from me in a way I still cannot put into words. But what I can describe is the sheer terror that consumed me when I saw that being… that white entity with a furious gaze and hair of gleaming gold.
In a world where the beliefs of the dead take form and walk among the living, humanity has long had no recourse but to place its faith in the Supreme Authority—a power that has been waging war against these mysterious manifestations for over five centuries.
B-b-but—
Azad opened his eyes and found himself in a white, empty space.
"Where am I?!"
Suddenly, the space disappeared, and he was now standing amidst ruins—a sea of blood and corpses scattered everywhere. Confusion and bewilderment marked his face.
"What happened here?! Wait... wasn't the library here?"
His voice was weary, yet filled with disbelief, as he turned his head to confirm where he was. He was certain he had been in the library just moments ago.
Amid all the unanswered questions, the same book appeared before him once again.
"This book again?"
It was open, floating in the air.
"Close it."
A faint whisper brushed past his ear, commanding him to shut the book. He quickly turned to his left, but no one was there.
"No one!..."
He closed the book and took a few steps through the devastation, tension building within him. It felt as if he had entered a different world—even though he could still see the trees surrounding the destruction, trees he was sure belonged to the gardens around the library.
Suddenly, his eyes landed on the two men who had been chasing him, and he clamped his mouth shut against the foul stench rising from their bodies.
Their corpses were mangled, and the expressions frozen on their faces were ones of pure terror — as if they had seen something horrifying just before death.
"I need to get out of here. Now." He snatched the book and took off running, but in a split second, the ground vanished beneath his feet.
"What?!" he gasped, looking down to see a massive structure — an endless library glowing with golden lights, built in a classical style, its towering shelves rising like mountains.
He looked up to find the place he had just been was gone. He now stood within a colossal, infinite library-like realm.
A sharp yet faint bell rang in his ear, forcing him to shut his eyes from its piercing intensity. When he opened them, he found himself sitting on a chair in front of a desk, with shelves surrounding him. The positions of the shelves had shifted, and the structure of the building began to twist and merge, forming intricate geometric shapes.
Suddenly, the chair vanished. He was now standing — upside down. Everything — the shelves, the tables, even the floor — was far below him, about two hundred meters away, while he stood firmly on the ceiling. Yet, he felt no dizziness; on the contrary, from his perspective, it was the shelves and the floor that seemed to be hanging from the ceiling.
"What is happening here?! What is this place?!"
A hole opened beneath where he stood, and he fell through it — only to find himself standing before a grand gate. Its immense size reflected its solidity, and the intricate carvings revealed the grandeur of its architectural and sculptural design. He stood before it, stunned.
Azad, overwhelmed by astonishment, stopped questioning and simply observed. He realized he had become like a body transported from place to place beyond his control. The places and movements he experienced defied the known laws of physics, as if everything had become a breach of the natural order he was used to. Yet deep in his heart, he felt an inexplicable euphoria brought on by his current state—a state that, even indirectly, supported his theory, which had by then become a firmly rooted belief in his mind: that the limited reality he lived in was merely one of several possible realities.
The reason he associated his current situation with this belief lies in the nature of what he's experiencing—this is the first time he has encountered such supernatural events, a stark contrast to his previously mundane and ordinary life. Although it's not the first time he has come across a manifested belief, he had never personally experienced anything beyond the natural, being one of the common people who live under the protection and authority of the higher power.
"Please, come in."
A man's voice echoed elegantly throughout the place.
He turned to look for the source, but it was unclear where it came from.
"Push the gate and enter."
This time, Azad realized the voice was coming from behind the gate, yet it echoed as if it were right in front of him — a strange phenomenon that prompted him to ask in a semi-loud tone, "Who are you? And what exactly are you?"
"Push the gate to find what you seek. Your presence here is nothing but an acceptance by the will of the Book of Beginnings."
"The Book of Beginnings!" Azad exclaimed in surprise as the mysterious voice spoke the name of the book he held in his hands. Without hesitation, he opened the towering, massive gate, and a blinding light burst forth, forcing him to shield his eyes with his hand — until the light faded.
"You may come in."
At this point, Azad had no choice but to obey the voice.
He entered a grand chamber with neatly arranged shelves, chandeliers, and windows overlooking radiant gardens. Sunlight streamed into the room, illuminating a central desk surrounded by couches. But what truly captured Azad's attention wasn't the elegant décor — it was the mysterious figure seated on a throne-like chair behind the desk. Slowly, the figure turned to face Azad.