WHERE TIME FORSAKES ALL
The library was eerily quite, like no one had ever visited it. As if it had been abandoned for years. Varya stepped inside the library, the only sound that echoed in the quite library were her footsteps.
A bag hung over her shoulders, her dark hair falling over her shoulders as she stood infront of the reception, no one was there. No workers, no people, no receptionist.
Varya wanted to find the section where all the books related to physics and astronomy were kept but she had no idea where to seek for help as this library looked abandoned yet it had a strange charm of its own.
"hello? Is anyone there?" she tried to call out but the only response she got back was the echo of her words in the quiet room.
The library looked massive, confusion wrapped over Varya's face on why no one there in such a massive library.
The faint smell of the wood and books were all over the air as Varya walked further, large, wooden racks carved perfectly and precisely.
She moved her hand over the racks, her fingertips bumping over the delicate carvings. There was not a single ounce of dust on any of the racks.
As she walked further, glancing at the books, something caught her eye as she halted at her place.
A strange book that she has never seen in her life.
"Where time forsakes all"— Author, Isabella Neville.
"I've never heard about it. What might it be?" she muttered silently to herself as she flipped over the pages. The book, the pages were rough and uneven, the writing on it faded and looked handwritten, almost impossible to decipher.
It was as if the book wasn't printed but rather written by someone and binded all the papers together to merge it into a book.
She flipped over the pages and then, a line caught her eye. A line that seemed familiarly unfamiliar, like a memory that wasn't supposed to be remained.
"By the void of forgotten years...."
"I call forth what time devours."
As she read the line out loud, a strange hush fell over the place and a sharp pain shot over Varya's chest as the book fell from her hand.
She stumbled back, her waist bumping over the wooden racks as she clenched her fingers over her chest, her fingers trembling over her chest as she gasped.
The pain intensifying, like someone was stabbing her heart with a knife.
She felt her mind going hazy as the surroundings around her started to spin. Suddenly, a loud, shrill voice rang in the library as Varya let out a scream.
The pain intensifying with the shrill voice as she felt her body going numb and a sense of her body loosing all of it's weight. The books around her started spinning as she couldn't believe what was happening infront of her eyes and then, everything turned black.
"Ugh, what the f*ck is this pain?" Varya muttered as she still couldn't open her eyes and felt like she could faint and throw up at any moment.
Varya felt the air around her dropping and suddenly with a gasp, she opened her eyes.
She felt herself laying on the damp floor that was covered in red liquid that seemed very similar to blood.
Her vision blurred as her chest still stung slightly, she pressed her palms on the floor and straightened herself.
Her eyes scrutinized the strange surroundings—thick stone walls that had Wooden torches that were soaked in resin and the just enough to get a rough idea of the surroundings but nothing too clear.
A thick, choking, nauseating stench that cling to her.
Dripping water echoing in empty corridors, distant moans and chains clinking, rats scuttling across stone floors.
"What is this place? Wasn't I in the library?" hundreds of questions revolved in her mind as she looked around.
She let out a cough as the smell was so strong that it made her feel nauseous, Varya got up, a sense of unfamiliarity ran across her body.
Varya glanced down as she realised her clothing was very absurd.
She wore gown—deep green, velvet, the fabric rich and heavy, falling in long, elegant folds to the floor, trailing slightly behind her with each step.
The bodice was tightly fitted, cinched at the waist with gold-threaded lacing that gleamed faintly in the dim light. Her sleeves were long and flowing, slit along the arms to reveal an inner layer of emerald silk, embroidered with tiny pearls that caught the flicker of candlelight.
Around her neck, a delicate wimple framed her pale face, the translucent veil falling over her shoulders, edged with intricate silver embroidery.
A thin jeweled belt rested at her hips, holding a small embroidered pouch, while the hem of her gown was subtly lined with fur, soft and muted, adding warmth and luxury.
Every fold, every shimmer of silk or velvet spoke of wealth, power, and refined elegance, yet the darkness of the dungeon made her appear both regal and ghostly, a lady out of time.
And there was blood, a tear through the fabric of her dress that went deep inside where her heart was. A wound that looked like a stab that was made to eliminate the person.
Most of her dress was covered in blood as if she was dragged here through the rags and beaten up till all of her dress was covered by her own blood.
"No, no, no!!! This is very strange!! Where am I?? I'm not dreaming?" Varya slapped herself across her cheeks but nothing seemed to snap her out of the dream that she supposed it was.
There were wounds and cuts on her pale wrist as she tried to walk but her ankle was twisted and swollen.
Varya couldn't bother about the wound and just wanted to get out of whatever this was.
"This might be a joke, yeah. Why the hell did I have to read that book?"
She walked out of the dungeon only to be meeting two strange men that widened their eyes when they looked at Varya.
"H...how are you still alive? She...she's a witch." one of the men screamed at her as Varya looked at them, utterly confused but something in her screamed that she should run and the first thing she did was to kick the man that bolted towards her and ran for her life.
Her feet throbbing in pain, making it difficult for her to run but she didn't give up as she ran until she was out of the alley but the two, strange looking men were still following her.
Varya could feel her body giving up until she saw a man in the outfit of a coachman rush towards her with a worried expression and shouting a strange name.
"Lady Isabel!" was the last thing she heard before her body gave up and she felt herself meeting the rough floor.
The coachman was accompanied by a few maids who were shocked at the sight of the lady of their house lying on the road, injured so badly that it seemed like she'd barely make it alive.
The maids carried Varya inside the carriage and the coachman drove it hurriedly through the bustling market.
'Where the f*ck am I? And why is it so dark in here?' Varya breathed out as she scrutinized her surroundings, everything around her too blurry.
Too dark, like a void space.
Like there was nothing. No black or no white, just nothing.
She walked forward, and forward but there was no end to the void space. It's like it expanded as she walked further.
'Hah! Did I get blind or what? All I see is nothing.' Varya muttered to herself, her fingers dug into her hair as she looked around.
As if doing that would take her out of it.
"Are you lost?" a hushed voice whispered to her as she turned her head but there was nothing.
"I wonder how you came here, little girl." the voice spoke again. This time with a chuckle following it.
For a moment, Varya thought that she had gone insane.
"W...what?" she whispered. Her voice shaky, as if she was scared.
Well, who wouldn't be?
"follow me, little girl." The voice spoke again and the next thing she heard was a whistle and a faint, white light.
Varya began walking towards the white light. Her body moving on her own, steps hesitant but it was like she knew where she was going and what she was doing.
Her fingers twitched at her sides as she followed the whistle and the white light.
Her steps faltered as the whistle died down and there it was—a door that was illuminating bright light—infront of her.
"Do I have to go through this...? But what if something happens to me?" her voice quivered as she looked at the door. Hoping for the voice to answer again but this time there was no response.
She moved towards the door, her instincts screaming that she shouldn't cause curiosity killed the cat, right?
What she failed to notice was a dark figure standing behind her, a cruel smile on its face, like it was satisfied of fulfilling its task.
It tilted its face slightly to the right as it's smile widened as it saw Varya entering the door.
The white light growing as Varya got in it. As Varya entered the door fully, she turned her head as her face turned pale as she looked at the dark figure—a tall man dressed in a black suit, his hands in his pockets. His face looked alluring, almost as if it was an illusion—waving at her.
She reached her hand out to the man but before she could move any further, she felt herself losing her consciousness.